Lantern Theater Company Announces Conversation Examining Thomas Jefferson's Religious Beliefs

As part of its ongoing In Conversation Series of fascinating discussions with theater artists and special guests, Lantern Theater Company will host noted historians and scholars Dr. John C. Van Horne and Dr. Charles T. Cullen for In Conversation: Thomas Jefferson's Religious Beliefs on Tuesday, June 13, 2017, at approximately 8:15 p.m. These two eminent historians of the late colonial and Federal period of American history will explore what Founding Father Thomas Jefferson really thought about God, religion, and religious freedom. The hour-long discussion will focus on Jefferson's views on Christianity, freedom of conscience, and the establishment of religions, especially his authorship of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom. Presented in conjunction with the Lantern's production of Scott Carter's The Gospel According to Thomas Jefferson, Charles Dickens and Count Leo Tolstoy: Discord, the program will also respond to the play, exploring the extent to which Jefferson lived up to the principles espoused in his own "gospels," The Philosophy of Jesus of Nazareth and The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth. The conversation immediately follows the 6:30 p.m. performance on Tuesday, June 13, and is free to the general public with ticket purchase. Members of the press are invited to attend; advance reservations are required.

About the Panelists

Discussion moderator Dr. John C. Van Horne is director emeritus of the Library Company of Philadelphia, an independent, nonprofit research library founded in 1731 by Benjamin Franklin, which houses a collection of rare books, pamphlets, manuscripts, graphic works, and art and artifacts documenting American history in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. Van Horne has served as editor or co-editor of several books, including America's Curious Botanist: A Tercentennial Reappraisal of John Bartram (1699-1777) and Traveling the Pennsylvania Railroad: The Photographs of William H. Rau. He has also published a number of articles, including "The Education of African Americans in Benjamin Franklin's Philadelphia" in Educating the Youth of Pennsylvania: Worlds of Learning in the Age of Franklin and "The History and Collections of the Library Company of Philadelphia" in The Magazine Antiques, as well as articles about the William Rau Collection of Pennsylvania Railroad Photographs in The Magazine Antiques, Pennsylvania Heritage, and Railroad History. Van Horne holds an AB in history from Princeton University and an MA and PhD in history from the University of Virginia. He has received many awards and honors over the course of his career, including induction into the American Philosophical Society and the American Antiquarian Society.

Jefferson scholar Dr. Charles T. Cullen is interim president and chief executive officer of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Cullen served as president and librarian of The Newberry Library in Chicago from 1986 to 2005, and previously as editor of The Papers of Thomas Jefferson at Princeton University and editor of The Papers of John Marshall at the Institute of Early American History and Culture at the College of William and Mary. He holds an AB from the University of the South (Sewanee), an MA from Florida State University, and a PhD from the University of Virginia.

In Conversation: Thomas Jefferson's Religious Beliefs immediately follows the Tuesday, June 13, 6:30 p.m. performance of The Gospel According to Thomas Jefferson, Charles Dickens and Count Leo Tolstoy: Discord and free to the general public with ticket purchase. Tickets are $33 and are available online at www.lanterntheater.org or by calling the Lantern Box Office at (215) 829-0395. Student tickets are $15 in advance; $10 student rush tickets are available 10 minutes before curtain with valid ID. Discounts are also available for theater industry professionals ($10 in advance or at the door), seniors 65 and up, groups of 10 or more, and U.S. military personnel. Lantern Theater Company is located at St. Stephen's Theater, 10th & Ludlow Sts. in Center City Philadelphia.

About Lantern Theater Company

Founded in 1994, Lantern Theater Company is closing its twenty-third season with a record number of subscribers, its largest-ever operating budget at $1.3 million, and a growing community of theater artists engaged in its productions and audience enrichment events. Last season, the Lantern launched its Theater Artist Fair Pay Initiative, which was recently featured in American Theatre magazine as a leading national success story for increasing artist compensation through a combination of fundraising and higher ticket sales. The Lantern seeks to be a vibrant, contributing member of its community, exposing audiences to great theater, inviting participation in dialogue and discussion, engaging audience members on artistic and social issues, and employing theatrical language and techniques to enrich learning in the classroom. Since the inception of the Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theatre in 1995, the Lantern has received 94 nominations and 19 awards, including the 2009 Excellence in Theatre Education and Community Service Award for its innovative education program, Illumination. The Lantern's upcoming 2017/18 season includes the Philadelphia premiere of Red Velvet by Lolita Chakrabarti, the world premiere of The Craftsman by Philadelphia playwright Bruce Graham, Copenhagen by Michael Frayn, The Tempest by William Shakespeare, and the Philadelphia premiere of Don't Dress for Dinner by Marc Camoletti and adapted by Robin Hawdon. More information is online at www.lanterntheater.org.

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