FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 29, 2007

Lantern Theater Company presents a limited engagement run of The Screwtape Letters as a special addition to the company's 14th Season. This rollicking adaptation by Anthony Lawton turns C.S. Lewis' revered classic into a multi-media event sparkling with music, dance, and infernal unpredictability. In a dark corner of Hell's bureaucracy sits mid-level demon Screwtape, scratching out letters to his nephew, Wormwood, filled with advice on how to corrupt a human soul. "Bring us back food or be food yourself," Screwtape tells him. Gleefully, Screwtape catalogues the list of human frailties upon which Wormwood is to prey-war, lust, debauchery, decadence, and all sorts of wickedness.

C.S. Lewis, author of The Screwtape Letters, was a writer of prose and poetry, most notably in the areas of fantasy (The Chronicles of Narnia) and Christian apologetics (Mere Christianity). This production uses Lewis' words as a springboard to explore the philosophical and visceral landscape of Hell. Anthony Lawton (The Lonesome West, The Great Divorce, The Foocy) stars as Screwtape and is joined by Philadelphia-based performer Geneviève Perrier (The Lonesome West, the upcoming Skylight) as Toadpipe. These two multi-disciplinary actors present stylized movement sequences, incorporating everything from tap dance to fire-eating to whip-work, to illustrate the seven deadly sins amidst Screwtape's poetic letters.

"Now, this is storytelling. Anthony Lawton holds us rapt...with his masterful performance." –The Philadelphia Inquirer on The Great Divorce, December 2006

Lantern Theater Company happily remounts The Screwtape Letters, which originally premiered in the 2000 Philly Fringe Festival. The 2002 production at the Lantern extended due to popular demand and was nominated for a Barrymore Award for Outstanding Sound Design. Adaptor/Performer Anthony Lawton's original work The Foocy received five Barrymore Award nominations, including Outstanding New Play and Outstanding Production of a Play in Lantern Theater Company's 2005-06 season. The Screwtape Letters' return comes on the heels of the success of Lawton's adaptation of another Lewis classic, The Great Divorce, which played at the Lantern in 2004 and again in 2006. The Lantern is proud to be the only theater in Philadelphia producing the work of C.S. Lewis on stage.

The Screwtape Letters begins performances on Wednesday, January 2, 2008, with a closing performance scheduled for Sunday, January 13, 2008. Tickets are $22-35, with special rates for subscribers, students, seniors and groups of 12 or more. Tickets can be purchased on-line at www.lanterntheater.org or by calling the box office at 215.829.0395.

Reviewing Press may arrange for tickets on Wednesday, January 2, 2008 by calling 215.829.9002 x106.

All Other Press are welcome to attend during the first week of performances and may arrange for tickets by calling 215.829.9002 x106.

The Screwtape Letters
Adapted by Anthony Lawton
Based on the novel by C.S. Lewis

The Cast
Anthony Lawton, Screwtape
Geneviève Perrier, Toadpipe

Designers
Adam Riggar, Set Designer
Jessica Reed, Costume Designer
Chris Hetherington, Lighting Designer
Larry D. Fowler, Jr., Sound Engineer
James Doolittle, Projection Technician

Where
Lantern Theater Company
At St. Stephen's Theater
10th and Ludlow Streets, Philadelphia

Tickets
Single Tickets: $25-$30 for Single Ticket Buyers. $22-$25 for Lantern Subscribers. Discounts available for groups of 12 or more.

By Phone: 215.829.0395
Online: www.lanterntheater.org
In Person: St. Stephen's Theater, 10th and Ludlow Streets
Box Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 10am-6pm. One hour prior to curtain on performance days.

When
Wednesday, January 2, 7pm
Thursday, January 3, 7pm
Friday, January 4, 7pm
Saturday, January 5, 2pm
Saturday, January 5, 7pm
Sunday, January 6, 2pm
Wednesday, January 9, 7pm
Thursday, January 10, 7pm
Friday, January 11, 7pm
Saturday, January 12, 2pm
Saturday, January 12, 7pm
Sunday, January 13, 2pm

About The 2007/08 Season
After The Screwtape Letters, Lantern Theater Company's 2007/08 season continues with Skylight by David Hare (February 1-24, 2008) and Othello by William Shakespeare (March 28-April 27, 2008). The 2007/08 Season began with The Lonesome West and Molière's The School for Wives, which both extended due to popular demand.

For tickets and information, please contact the Lantern Theater Company box office at 215.829.0395 or visit us online at www.lanterntheater.org.

About the Lantern
Founded in 1994 by Charles McMahon and Michael Brophy, Lantern Theater Company has emerged as one of the most successful professional theaters in the Philadelphia region. Lantern Theater Company is committed to an authentic and intimate exploration of the human spirit in its choice of classic, modern and original works.

The Lantern commits itself to being a vibrant, contributing member of its community. To that end, each season the Lantern produces four main stage productions, a variety of special events, and Illumination, the Barrymore nominated education program designed to engage local students and adults alike in the world of theater and nurture their own artistic expression. This program reaches the Greater Philadelphia area in four vital ways: outreach in area schools, matinee performances for students, training teaching artists for after school programs, and our audience enrichment series of lectures, discussions, and symposia for each production of our season.

Lantern Theater Company has been in residence at St. Stephen's Theater at 10th & Ludlow Streets in Center City Philadelphia since 1996, managing the performance space and developing it into an affordable multi-purpose performing arts venue. Since the inception of Philadelphia's Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theatre in 1995, the Lantern has received 10 awards and 46 nominations, including nominations in 2006 and 2007 for the Excellence in Theatre Education and Community Service Award. Recent Barrymore wins include Outstanding Overall Production of a Play (for Richard III) and Outstanding Leading Actor in a Play (Peter Pryor in Richard III).

The 2007/08 season at Lantern Theater Company marks the company's 14th year of creating high-quality professional theater in Philadelphia.