Lantern Theater Co Presents Vigil May 19- June 12

Lantern Theater Company concludes its 2010/11 season with Vigil, the witty, cheeky, and gratifyingly macabre comedy from acclaimed Canadian playwright Morris Panych. Directed by Peter DeLaurier and starring Leonard C. Haas and Ceal Phelan, the show runs from May 19 through June 12, 2011 (press opening: May 25).

In Vigil, middle-aged curmudgeon Kemp receives a letter from his rich aunt, who writes him she is "old and dying"... or perhaps it says, "yodeling." It's hard to tell - her handwriting isn't very good. But Kemp quits his job and crosses the country to ready her for death, beginning an outrageous series of missteps and misunderstandings that gives way to a surprising, poignant finish.

A hit of the Edinburgh Fringe and London's West End and winner of Vancouver's Jessie Richardson Award for Outstanding Original Play, Vigil has been lauded by Variety as "comic and heartbreaking" and by Backstage as "acerbically funny and sneakily affecting."

Lantern Artistic Director Charles McMahon said, "We were drawn to Vigil because it tells a story in a theatrical way but does so with an unusual style that is as delightfully off-beat as the characters themselves."

The Lantern's production teams two Philadelphia theater luminaries to play these eccentric and willful people who reluctantly form a bond. McMahon says he immediately thought of Leonard C. Haas as an ideal fit for the role of Kemp for his ability to "register idiosyncratic traits with an amazing amount of nuance."

Haas, who makes his Lantern debut in Vigil, has worked throughout the region with companies such as Arden Theatre Company, Walnut Street Theatre, The Wilma Theater, Act II Playhouse, New Paradise Laboratories, Brat Productions, 1812 Productions, and People's Light & Theatre Company where he has been a member of the Resident Company of Artists since 1980 and has performed in over 30 productions.

Ceal Phelan takes on the role of the ailing aunt, Grace - a role that has been portrayed by such notable actresses as Olympia Dukakis, Margaret Tyzack, and Helen Stenborg. Phelan was most recently seen on the Lantern's stage as Vanya's mother, Maria in Uncle Vanya and in a Barrymore Award-nominated performance as Madeleine in The Breath of Life.

McMahon says Phelan was cast for her "remarkable skill for filling the room with subtle reactions and facial gestures. It is a joy to work repeatedly with a virtuoso actor like Ceal and watch how she approaches two totally different pieces of work, such as Madeleine and now Grace."

Peter DeLaurier, Phelan's husband and long-time theater collaborator, was tapped to direct following his direction of the Lantern's Sizwe Bansi Is Dead by Athol Fugard. A multiple Barrymore Award nominee and winner, DeLaurier has also appeared on the Lantern's stage, most recently in the title role of Uncle Vanya earlier this season, and previously in QED, Skylight, and the one-man show Underneath the Lintel.

DeLaurier says, "Vigil is one of the funniest scripts I've ever read, and it's one of the most moving scripts I've ever read, and I don't think that's a coincidence. Comedy is surprise and recognition, but more than anything else comedy is cruelty. Anything that's funny is painful to somebody."

DeLaurier and the design team have chosen to portray Grace's house in the familiar setting of an old Philadelphia row home. The set is designed by Nick Embree (at the Lantern, Scapin, The Taming of the Shrew, The School for Wives), with costumes by Natalia de la Torre (A Skull in Connemara), lighting by Lantern Artistic Associate Janet Embree (Sizwe Bansi Is Dead, The Hothouse, The Government Inspector), and sound design by Christopher Colucci (Uncle Vanya, The Breath of Life, Sizwe Bansi Is Dead).

Vigil begins previews on May 19, opens on May 25 (press night, 7:00 p.m.), and closes on June 12, 2011. [A full performance schedule follows in the fact sheet below.] Tickets are $20-$36 and are available online at lanterntheater.org or by calling the Lantern Box Office at (215) 829-0395. $10 student rush tickets are available 10 minutes before curtain with valid ID; cash only. Additional discounts are available for seniors and groups of 10 or more. Lantern Theater Company is located at St. Stephen's Theater, 10th & Ludlow Streets in Center City Philadelphia.

About the Playwright
Playwright, actor, and director Morris Panych has directed over 80 productions and written over 20 plays that have been produced across Canada, Britain, and the United States. He has twice won the Governor General's Literary Award for Drama, the highest honor for playwriting in Canada, and received Vancouver's Jessie Richardson Award 12 times. His plays include Vigil, The Ends of the Earth, The Girl in the Goldfish Bowl, Cost of Living, Gordon, and Last Call - A Postnuclear Cabaret, among others. He has also directed for film and opera, as well as music video. His acclaimed film of The Overcoat won an honorable mention at the Prix Italia.

Lantern Theater Company: In Conversation
The Lantern's audience enrichment series offers an insider's look at Vigil through discussions with the creative team and other events designed to enhance the theatergoing experience. Directors: In Conversation with Vigil director Peter DeLaurier will take place on Friday, May 27 at 7:00 p.m. Artists: In Conversation, a post-show discussion with Vigil's creative artists, will be held on Sunday, May 29 after the 2:00 p.m. performance. Audiences can attend Pre-Curtain Cocktails with happy hour specials and complimentary light fare on Friday, June 3 at 6:00 p.m. at Marathon (10th & Walnut Streets, upstairs), and Artistic Director: In Conversation with Artistic Director Charles McMahon and Associate Artistic Director Kathryn MacMillan will take place on Friday, June 10 at 7:00 p.m. Events are free for all Vigil ticket holders. [Members of the press are invited to attend any of these supplementary events.]

Lantern Theater Company thanks its 2010/11 season corporate partners at Marathon, La Fourno Ristorante Trattoria, and Dunkin' Donuts, and its community partners at St. Stephen's Church.

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