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 Lantern Theater Company kicks off its 2009/10 season with Samuel Beckett's Happy Days, September 24 - October 18, 2009 Nobel Prize-winning author is celebrated with a four-day Beckett Festival reflecting on this modern master's enduring influence
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 15, 2009 Fifteen years since our first ever production in 1994 with the seminal work of Waiting for Godot, Lantern Theater Company opens its 2009/10 season with Happy Days (1961) by Samuel Beckett. Perfect for those who love theater of the absurd or simply appreciate the Lantern's refreshingly direct approach to modern classics, Happy Days features Winnie, Beckett's groundbreaking, uniquely modern character struggling to maintain her irrational cheerfulness in the face of ridiculous difficulties. The optimist against all odds, Winnie fights for her very survival in this surprisingly funny and affecting production, perfect for the Lantern's intimate space. Barrymore-nominated director David O'Connor ("Master Harold"...and the boys, The Lonesome West, and The Government Inspector) helms Happy Days, which features local actors Mary Elizabeth Scallen and Brian McCann. Founding Artistic Director Charles McMahon: "Happy Days epitomizes Beckett's struggle to get to the naked truth of one of 20th century man's core experiences; that of being alienated and isolated in an absurd and often threatening world. I am always struck by Beckett's unrelenting honesty about the human condition, as well as his ability to find outrageous humor in the most appalling circumstances." Happy Days runs September 24 through October 18, 2009. Press opening is Wednesday, September 30, 2009 at 7pm. Happy Days Performance Schedule Previews: 9/24 at 7pm, 9/25 and 9/26 at 8pm, 9/27 at 2pm, and 9/29 at 8pm Opening: 9/30 at 7pm Regular Run: Wednesdays at 7pm, Thursdays at 7pm, Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 2pm (10/17 and 10/24 only), Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays at 2pm The Samuel Beckett Festival Friday - Monday, October 9 - 12, 2009 Four days honoring the work and heritage of Samuel Beckett: groundbreaking playwright, poet, and inspiration to nearly a century of writers. We have planned an extended weekend packed with staged readings, panel discussions, and special performances featuring Mary Elizabeth Scallen and Frank X.
Lantern Theater Company 2009/10 season opens with Samuel Beckett's groundbreaking comedy Happy Days, directed by David O'Connor, September 24-October 18, 2009. For the holidays, the company presents Scapin by Bill Irwin and Mark O'Donnell, adapted from Jean Baptiste Molière, directed by Aaron Cromie, December 3, 2009-January 3, 2010, including specially scheduled family performances. Kathryn MacMillan directs David Hare's intimate play The Breath of Life, running February 4-28, 2010. Rounding out the 2009/10 subscription series is the Shakespeare history Henry IV, Part I, running April 1-May 2, 2010 and directed by Charles McMahon. The season concludes with a return engagement of The Screwtape Letters, adapted and performed by Anthony Lawton from the novel by C.S. Lewis, which runs May 19-30, 2010. Single ticket prices are $20-$35, with discounts available for students, seniors, and groups of 10 or more. Four-play subscriptions and A La Carte flex passes are also available for $72-$128, with discounts available for students and seniors. Tickets and subscriptions can be purchased online at www.lanterntheater.org, by phone at 215.829.0395, or by visiting the Lantern Box Office. All performances are held at St. Stephen's Theater, home of Lantern Theater Company, 10th & Ludlow Streets, Philadelphia, PA. About Lantern Theater Company Founded in 1994 by Charles McMahon and Michael Brophy, Lantern Theater Company is committed to an authentic and intimate exploration of the human spirit in our choice of classics, modern, and original works. We create an innovative and stimulating theatrical experience that evokes thoughtful reflection and discussion long after the play ends. The 2009/10 season marks the company's 16th year of creating high-quality professional theater in Philadelphia. Performance Dates Thursday, September 24, 2009 at 7pm (Preview) Friday, September 25, 2009 at 8pm (Preview) Saturday, September 26, 2009 at 8pm (Preview) Sunday, September 27, 2009 at 2pm (Preview) Tuesday, September 29, 2009 at 8pm (Preview) Wednesday, September 30, 2009 at 7pm (Opening Night) Thursday, October 1, 2009 at 7pm Friday, October 2, 2009 at 8pm Saturday, October 3, 2009 at 8pm Sunday, October 4, 2009 at 2pm Wednesday, October 7, 2009 at 2pm Wednesday, October 7, 2009 at 7pm Thursday, October 8, 2009 at 7pm Friday, October 9, 2009 at 8pm Saturday, October 10, 2009 at 8pm Sunday, October 11, 2009 at 2pm Wednesday, October 14, 2009 at 7pm Thursday, October 15, 2009 at 7pm Friday, October 16, 2009 at 8pm Saturday, October 17, 2009 at 2pm Saturday, October 17, 2009 at 8pm Sunday, October 18, 2009 at 2pm Special Events Directors: In Conversation with David O'Connor, Friday, October 2, 2009 at 7pm Artists: In Conversation, Sunday, October 4, 2009, following 2pm performance Pre-Curtain Cocktails, Friday, October 9, 2009 at 6pm at Marathon Grill The Samuel Beckett Festival, Friday-Monday, October 9-12, 2009 Artistic Director: In Conversation with Charles McMahon and KC MacMillan, Friday, October 16, 2009 at 7pm  
Header Photo: Lawrence Stallings in the world premiere of Me and the Devil (2021); Anthony Lawton and Dave Johnson in Travesties (2022); Melissa Rakiro and Joanna Liao in Twelfth Night (2023); and Paul L. Nolan, Sally Mercer, and Charles McMahon in Copenhagen (2018). Photos by Mark Garvin.
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