Arts & Entertainment
People's Light Announces 40th Anniversary Season 2014-2015
People's Light announces its 14-15 Theatre Season
By August Wilson
Directed by Kamilah Forbes
September10 - October 5, 2014
Leonard C. Haas Stage
One of the most beloved plays of the 20th Century, August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning drama revolves around a man of mythic proportions forced to wrestle with the reality of his life. A sanitation worker and onetime Negro League baseball player, Troy Maxson is the heart and heartbreak of this iconic story of dreams denied, fathers and sons, and America’s legacy of racism. August Wilson is “a major writer, combining a poet’s ear for vernacular with a robust sense of humor (political and sexual), a sure instinct for crackling dramatic incident and a passionate commitment to a great subject.” (The New York Times) and Fences is not to be missed. The cast will feature People’s Light Company Member, Melanye Finister.
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By Jessica Dickey
Directed by David Bradley
October 15 - November 9, 2014
Steinbright Stage
Find out what's happening in Malvernfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Two hard core Civil War re-enactors have their traditional post-Gettysburg beer interrupted by a woman with her own battle scars. 1863 and today converge in this dark comedy about friendship, bravery, and healing by Jessica Dickey (The Amish Project). Hailed as “a talent to watch” by The New York Times, Dickey’s “funny, sad, deep, and smart pay is beautifully written.” (The New Yorker).
By Pete Pryor and Samantha Bellomo
Music & Lyrics by Michael Ogborn
Directed by Pete Pryor
November 19, 2014 - January 11, 2015
Leonard C. Haas Stage
Our holiday tradition continues! The creative team behind Aladdin: A Musical Panto put their signature touch on the adventures of young Arthur as he discovers what it means to become a king. With their magic and hilarious antics, Merlyn and the Dame of the Lake guide our hero on a quest to save the land from the dreaded Red Dragon. The cast will feature People’s Light Company Members Mark Lazar, Susan McKey, Christopher Patrick Mullen, and Tom Teti.
By Anton Chekhov
Adapted by by Emily Mann
Directed by Abigail Adams
February 11 - March 8, 2015
Leonard C. Haas Stage
Academy award nominees David Strathairn and Mary McDonnell will join longtime People’s Light company members in Emily Mann’s acclaimed adaptation of Chekhov’s masterwork. A bankrupt matriarch and her brother are offered a lucrative scheme to save their family estate in this comedy-drama of timeless, bittersweet beauty. “Mann’s elegant yet spare adaptation reminds theatetgoers that the century old play is an apt choice for the new millennium” (Variety). The cast will also feature People’s Light Company Members, Peter DeLaurier, Andrew Kane, Stephen Novelli, Pete Pryor, Mary Beth Scallen, and Graham Smith, along with Teri Lamm and Olivia Mell.
By Robert Forrest
Directed by Douglas Irvine
March 12 - April 4, 2015
Steinbright Stage
The Scottish company, Visible Fictions, arrives at People’s Light with “a blazing reputation that’s hard to ignore” (The Guardian) in this “sly, silly, sophisticated, and altogether winning take on an ancient Greek myth.” (The New York Times) Jason’s uncle isn’t exactly lovable. He’s murdered his brother (the king) and stolen the crown. No one dares stand up to him until now. Banished as a baby, Jason is BACK, ready to claim his rightful throne. Two actors with boundless energy and numerous action figures tell the tale of Jason and his crew as they journey to the other side of the world to find the Golden Fleece and bring it home.
By Neil Simon
Directed by Samantha Bellomo
April 29 - May 24, 2015
Leonard C. Haas Stage
This semi-autobiographical Tony Award-winning play by American comedic genius, Neil Simon, follows the adventures of Eugene Morris Jerome as he is shipped off to boot camp during World War II. A classic coming of age tale told with wit, heart, and humor. The New York Times cheers “The laughter rarely stops in Neil Simon’s joyous and unexpectedly rewarding comedy.” The cast will feature People’s Light Company Member Pete Pryor.
By Bill Cain
Directed by Abigail Adams
June 3 - 28, 2015
Steinbright Stage
Jesuit priest and award-winning playwright, Bill Cain (Equivocation, 9 Circles) brings personal history, humor, and heart to this moving new play about a man who must care for his funny, maddening, and dying mother. A family portrait that is a tribute to the intimate details of our lives, Bible is “an act of grace, a benediction… and rewardingly real.” (Washington Post) The cast will feature People’s Light Company Members Alda Cortese, Peter DeLaurier, and Stephen Novelli.
By Bruce Graham
Directed by Pete Pryor
July 15 - August 23, 2015
Steinbright Stage
On a quiet night in Lou’s South Philadelphia bar, two lonely spirits arrive at a shared crossroad. This funny, wise, and tender love story from the author of Mr. Hart and Mr. Brown is a later-in-life portrait of friendship and taking the next step. “Bruce Graham demonstrates a rare talent for writing older than his own experience” (Windy City Times). The cast will feature People’s Light Company Members Marcia Saunders and Tom Teti, along with Scott Greer.
