FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 17, 2010

Lantern Theater Company concludes its 2009/10 mainstage season with the rarely performed Henry IV, Part I. In the tradition of the Lantern's darkly comic, Barrymore Award-winning production of Richard III, this gripping, ripping plot from William Shakespeare's history canon features a cast of local actors and battles royale that will transport you to another time and place. Previews begin April 1, opening night is Wednesday, April 7 at 7pm, and the closing performance is May 2, 2010.

King Henry, having seized the throne of England from his tyrannical cousin, finds himself in a political hornet's nest. As trouble brews, he is horrified to see his own son and heir keeping company with thieves, drunkards, and whores. Witness the tug of war for the soul of young Prince Hal between his tortured, guilt-ridden father and Sir John Falstaff, a charming and insinuating rogue. As Hal wavers, the King's ambitious enemies, led by the dazzling young Hotspur, are on the rise. Prince Hal must make hard choices and face his fears as civil war threatens to swallow up the kingdom.

Lauded by Philadelphia Weekly as "the city's most consistent producer of the Bard's work," the Lantern continues its rich interpretation of Shakespeare's work with Henry IV, Part I, a history play full of famous characters but perhaps a slightly less familiar story.

"In Shakespeare's time, these history plays were extremely popular, the Elizabethan equivalent of the action-adventure film. Think Indiana Jones in iambic pentameter," says Henry IV, Part I director Charles McMahon. "The Henry IV plays and Richard III are terrific examples, full of mayhem and delightful villains. But in Henry IV, Shakespeare's genius for deep insight into the human soul is unmatched. The characters are more complex, conflicted, and completely drawn than in the other histories. With Prince Hal, Hotspur, Henry the king, and comic masterpiece Jack Falstaff, Shakespeare has created a unique narrative universe that, once entered, cannot help but change us."

McMahon co-founded the Lantern in 1994 and serves as Artistic Director in addition to acting and directing for the company. He is a Shakespeare aficionado and has edited and directed all but one of the Lantern's Shakespeare productions over the past sixteen years, including last year's record-breaking production of Hamlet (the best-selling production in the Lantern's history), Richard III (2006 Barrymore Award winner, Outstanding Production of a Play; nominee, Outstanding Direction of a Play), and The Comedy of Errors (2004 Barrymore Award nominee, Outstanding Production & Direction of a Play).

In what promises to be an extraordinary combination of actor and roles, Peter Pryor takes on competing father figures Henry IV and the morbidly obese Falstaff. Pryor has received fifteen Barrymore Award nominations and three awards, including Outstanding Leading Actor in a Play for the Lantern's Richard III; other recent Lantern credits include Shakespeare's Othello and Pinter's The Hothouse. Allen Radway (Prince Hal) has 35 productions to his credit, most recently at Simpatico Theatre Project where he will take over as Artistic Director this fall. Returning to the Lantern for this production are Andrew Kane (Hotspur), Jered McLenigan (Douglas/Mortimer), Tim Moyer (Northumberland), and Russ Widdall (Westmoreland/Glendower). The nine-person cast is rounded out by Lantern newcomers Mary Lee Bednarek (Lady Mortimer/Mistress Quickly), David Blatt (Worcester), and Rachael Joffred (Lady Percy).

The creative team includes a team of accomplished local artists: set designer Meghan Jones, costume designer Mark Mariani, lighting designers Drew Billiau and Christopher Hetherington, sound designer Nick Rye, fight director J. Alex Cordaro, and dramaturg Kathryn MacMillan.

Lantern Theater Company: In Conversation offers an insider's look at Henry IV, Part I through discussions with the creative team, as well as special events designed to enhance the theatergoing experience. The Lantern is pleased to announce the return of Scholars: In Conversation (April 5-19), a three-part panel discussion series exploring Shakespeare's work. Princes, Clowns, and the Fight for the Crown: Understanding Henry IV, Part I will feature guest scholars Lois Potter, Kristen Poole, Darlene Farabee, and John-Paul Spiro, with Rosenbach Museum & Library librarian Elizbeth Fuller and actor Peter Pryor. The series will also include a hands-on tour of primary sources at the Rosenbach. [A full list of In Conversation Series events is included below.]

Tickets are $20-$35 and are available online at www.lanterntheater.org or by phone at 215.829.0395. $10 student rush tickets are available 10 minutes before curtain with valid ID; cash only.

WHAT
Henry IV, Part I
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Charles McMahon

WHERE
Lantern Theater Company
At St. Stephen's Theater
10th & Ludlow Streets
Philadelphia, PA

WHEN
Previews are April 1-6, 2010
Opening Night is Wednesday, April 7 at 7pm
Closing performance is Sunday, May 2, 2010
Full performance schedule available at www.lanterntheater.org/calendar/

PRESS
Reviewing Press is invited to Opening Night on Wednesday, April 7 at 7pm. Other Press may arrange for tickets for performances during the week of April 8-11, 2010. To reserve, please contact Anne Shuff, Managing Director, at ashuff@lanterntheater.org or 215.829.9002 x101.

TICKETS
• Visit www.lanterntheater.org or call 215.829.0395
• $20-$35 with discounts for students, seniors, and groups of 10 or more
• $10 student rush 10 minutes before curtain with valid ID; cash only

CAST
Mary Lee Bednarek as Lady Mortimer/Mistress Quickly (resident of Center City)
David Blatt as Worcester (resident of North Philadelphia)
Rachael Joffred as Lady Percy (resident of Wyomissing, PA)
Andrew Kane as Hotspur (resident of Quakertown, PA)
Jered McLenigan as Douglas/Mortimer (resident of East Falls)
Tim Moyer as Northumberland (resident of Chalfont, PA)
Peter Pryor as Henry IV/Falstaff (resident of King of Prussia, PA)
Allen Radway as Prince Hal (resident of Fairmount/Art Museum)
Russ Widdall as Westmoreland/Glendower (resident of New York, NY)

CREATIVE TEAM
Director - Charles McMahon
Set Designer - Meghan Jones
Costume Designer - Mark Mariani
Lighting Designers - Drew Billiau and Christopher Hetherington
Sound Designer - Nick Rye
Fight Director - J. Alex Cordaro
Dramaturg - Kathryn MacMillan
Stage Manager - Rebecca Smith
Assistant Directors - Joshua Browns and M. Craig Getting

LANTERN THEATER COMPANY: IN CONVERSATION
Press is cordially invited to the Lantern's In Conversation Series, which offers audiences an insider's look at each show with the artistic team and special guests. The event schedule for Henry IV, Part I is as follows:

• Scholars: In Conversation - Princes, Clowns, and the Fight for the Crown: Understanding Henry IV, Part I
  Back by popular demand, this three-part panel discussion brings together audiences and scholars to explore Shakespeare's work. Tickets are $10 each or $25 for all three events ($8 or $20 for students and Lantern subscribers). This program is supported, in part, by funding from the Pennsylvania Humanities Council.
  
  
  • Crafting Political Personas
    Monday, April 5, 7:00-8:30pm (Lantern Mainstage)
    Panelists: Lois Potter, Professor Emeritus of University of Delaware, and Kristen Poole, Associate Professor of English at University of Delaware
  • Shakespeare in Subsequent Eras
    Monday, April 12, 7:00-8:30pm (Rosenbach Museum & Library)
    Panelists: Darlene Farabee, Assistant Professor of English at University of South Dakota, and Elizabeth Fuller, Collections Librarian at the Rosenbach Museum & Library
    Plus: a hands-on tour of primary sources at the Rosenbach
  • Shakespeare's Fathers and Sons
    Monday, April 19, 7:00-8:30pm (Lantern Mainstage)
    Panelists: John-Paul Spiro, Center for Liberal Education at Villanova University, and actor Peter Pryor
  
  
• Directors: In Conversation
  Friday, April 9 at 7:00pm (Lantern Lab)
  Get a first-hand look into the show's design and rehearsal process in this moderated Q&A with Henry IV, Part I director Charles McMahon. Free for Henry ticket holders and press.
  
  
• Artists: In Conversation
  Sunday, April 11, after the 2:00pm performance (Lantern Mainstage)
  Talk with the show's creators and hear behind-the-scenes stories. Free for Henry ticket holders and press.
  
  
• Artistic Director: In Conversation
  Friday, April 23 at 7:00pm (Lantern Lab)
  Ever wonder how we choose our plays? How we know an artist is "right" for a particular show? Or how our theater space informs our performance style? Join Charles McMahon, Artistic Director, and Kathryn MacMillan, Associate Artistic Director, for conversations about what - and who - makes the Lantern distinctive. Free for Henry ticket holders and press.
  
  
• Pre-Curtain Cocktails
  Friday, April 30 at 6:00pm (Marathon Grill, 10th & Walnut Streets, upstairs)
  Mingle with Lantern artists, staff, and fellow theatergoers over happy hour specials and light fare at our local Marathon Grill. Free to attend, happy hour specials.

ENVISIONING HENRY IV, PART I: A COLLABORATION BETWEEN DA VINCI ART ALLIANCE AND LANTERN THEATER COMPANY
Lantern Theater Company will host an awards exhibition of artwork inspired by Henry IV, Part I, created by members of the Da Vinci Art Alliance. The exhibition will run April 9-25 in the Lantern Lab and is open to the general public. Members of the Lantern's creative team - including director Charles McMahon, dramaturg Kathryn MacMillan, and actor Peter Pryor - will serve as judges at an awards reception and panel discussion on Saturday, April 10, 4:00-7:30pm in the Lantern Lab. For more information on the Da Vinci Art Alliance, visit www.davinciartalliance.org.

Lantern Theater Company thanks its 2009/10 season media partners The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Daily News, and Philly.com, and its 2009/10 season corporate partners Marathon Grill, La Fourno Ristorante Trattoria, and Starbucks.

Interviews are available upon request to Anne Shuff, Managing Director, at ashuff@lanterntheater.org or 215.829.9002 x101. Production photography will be available on or about April 1.