For Immediate Release: October 20, 2006
Media Contact: Christine Barbush, People's Light & Theatre Company, 610.647.1900 x103

People’s Light and Theatre Company presents Robin Hood, running November 22 – December 31, 2006 on the Mainstage. From the same creative team as last year’s Jack & the Beanstalk, the Robin Hood book and original lyrics are by Kathryn Petersen, original music and arrangements are by Vince di Mura and David Bradley directs.

This is People’s Light’s third “panto” style show, a tradition borrowed from England, where almost every town has a panto during the holiday season. PLTC produced Jack & the Beanstalk in 2005 and Sleeping Beauty: A Comic Panto in the British Style in 2004. Petersen co-wrote Sleeping Beauty, but was the sole author for both Jack & the Beanstalk and Robin Hood.

Pantos are a mix between a “fractured fairy tale” and a variety show. Dramaturg Lee Devin says, “Pantos are exuberantly larger than life. They use familiar stories to form the basis for exaggeration, variation and topical social commentary, as well as outrageous jokes and rollicking songs and dances.” Robin Hood will include 8 – 10 original songs. Audience participation, in the form of cheering the heroes and booing the villains, is encouraged. Often, there is a bit of “gender-bending” in the casting. Erin Weaver, who was nominated for a Barrymore Award for her performance as Jack in Jack & the Beanstalk, returns this year in the title role.

Says author Kathryn Petersen, “When we first began to discuss the idea of a panto, I went to England to do some research. I saw a lot, talked with the creators, and monitored audience reactions. I then adopted many of the panto standards, but also ‘Americanized’ some of the humor and situations.”

Artistic Director Abigail Adams adds, “Kathryn has helped People’s Light to cultivate a panto style that is unique to our culture and aesthetic and also our time and place. At the start, our goal was to develop a PLTC signature holiday production. With Robin Hood as our third panto, we feel that we’ve accomplished this goal and developed something that both we and our audiences love.”

Says Director David Bradley, “This year’s Robin Hood will be great fun. It is a romp of an adventure - there are fights, there is romance, the good guys go after the bad guys in hilarious and surprising ways. It’s all done in a style that combines the Robin Hood of legend with the living color of the here and now.”

In this Robin Hood, the Sheriff of Nottingham wants to burn down Sherwood Forrest to build a mall. Says author Kathryn Petersen, “This is just one example of the kinds of liberties we take with a panto. I use the characters from the original story, but add a lot of fun plots and angles that comment on our society today. Audiences should know that this isn’t their parents’ Robin Hood. There are certainly surprises in our Sherwood Forrest.

“When writing Robin Hood this year, I felt like I had more of an understanding of the panto animal,” adds Peterson. “There are also several characters that I’ve written into the script for three years running and I now know better how to write for them.”

This year, People’s Light & Theatre Company resident actor Mark Lazar returns as Mistress Maud, with more wigs and frocks than ever before. Petersen continues, “When I write for the Mistress, I hear Mark’s voice in my head. I know what he can do in the role, how to write his dialogue and how to honor his (her) entrances.”

“I also enjoyed taking some of the characters to new places this year. For example Midge and Madge the Millers met and fell in love in our first panto. This year they are in a mid-life marriage crisis because Midge wants to join Robin Hood and his Merry Men.”

Robin Hood is in both the 6-play series and the Target Family Discovery Series. “That is because,” says Artistic Director Abigail Adams, “we find that adults love pantos as much as the kids. Just like the more sophisticated animated films, there are some jokes aimed at adults and many jokes and pranks for the kids to laugh at. This is definitely a play that all ages can enjoy.”

About the Production Team and Cast

Kathryn Petersen (Writer/Original Lyrics) is an Artistic Associate at People’s Light and a member of the resident acting company. She has appeared in over fifty productions here and taught extensively in the Theatre School. People’s Light has presented five of her plays in past seasons: last year’s Jack & the Beanstalk, The Icarus Box in 1998, Through the Glass Looking in 1999 and Arthur’s Stone, Merlin’s Fire—The Making of a King in 2003. In 2004, PLTC premiered Sleeping Beauty: A Comic Panto in the British Style, for which Kathryn served as Adaptor. Dramatic Publishing Company has published two of her plays.

David Bradley (Director) is a long-time company member at People’s Light. From 2002-2006 he was Associate Artistic Director at the Theatre, and jointly led Project Discovery. His most recent project has been as artistic director of the National Constitution Center’s Living News, a new theatre piece about constitutional issues. He’s delighted to be back at PLTC for another panto romp, having directed last year’s Jack & the Beanstalk. His more than 20 People’s Light productions include The Crucible, Holes, He Held Me Grand, A View From the Bridge, Jungalbook, Pretty Fire, Iron Kisses, The Diary of Anne Frank and The Icarus Box. He will direct The Giver this spring. David has directed at Indiana Repertory Theatre and Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis and is an alumnus of the Lincoln Center Theater’s Director’s Lab.

Vince di Mura (Music Director/Original Music) is best known for his arrangements of My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra. He has served as Musical Director for several productions of the show. He has conducted shows and seasons at the Barn Theatre in Augusta Michigan, Bucks County Playhouse, Artpark & Company in Lewiston N.Y., Tennessee Repertory Company, The Asolo Theatre Company and American Stage in Florida, Passage Theatre, Act II Playhouse and The Arden Theatre Company in Philadelphia. Mr. di Mura holds fellowships from the William Goldman Foundation, Temple University, Meet the Composer, CEPAC, the Union County Foundation, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and the Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation. As a composer, Mr. di Mura has fulfilled compositional commissions for Rutgers and Princeton Universities, Rider University, the University of Colorado, The Scioto Society, Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis, Fairleigh Dickinson University and a host of scores for People's Light and Theatre Company, including his 1999 Barrymore Award-nominated score for More Grimm's Tales and the premiere production of Sleeping Beauty: A Comic Panto in the British Style. He also worked on last season’s Jack & the Beanstalk. Most recently, Mr. di Mura created full arrangements for American Stage’s production of I Left My Heart; a Tribute to Tony Bennett licensed by Summerwind Productions.

Jessica Ball (Barmaid Heloise) is making her People’s Light debut. Other credits include the National tour of Oklahoma (Laurey U/S), My Way—a Tribute to Frank Sinatra (Woman 2), Summerfolk (Valeria) and A Chorus Line (Val).

Scott Boulware (Will Scarlett) is delighted to be back on board for this year’s panto, having appeared last year as Horatio, the diamond-studded harp. Other favorite shows here include A View from the Bridge, He Held Me Grand and A Christmas Carol. Elsewhere in Philly he has appeared at the Wilma, the Arden and Act II Playhouse, among others. Regionally he has performed at the Indiana Repertory Theatre, Playhouse Square Center (Cleveland), the Boarshead Theatre (Michigan) and Drury Lane Oakbrook (Chicago).

Marla Burkholder (Barmaid Marion) is thrilled to be performing with People's Light for the first time. She has acted with the Lantern Theater Company, Brat Productions and Gretna Theater, among others. Marla is an adjunct faculty member in the Temple University Department of Theater and has been a teaching artist with various Philadelphia area theaters. She is a proud co-founder of Shakespeare in Clark Park, which debuted this summer with a highly successful production of Twelfth Night.

Mark del Guzzo (Mortimer) was most recently seen at PLTC in Yemaya’s Belly and Jason and the Golden Fleece. Other PLTC appearances include 30FEST, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Sleeping Beauty, The Miser, Born Yesterday and Holes — both here and the remounting at the Academy of Music. The newest member of the resident ensemble, he was also seen here in The Fantasticks, Once in a Lifetime, Peter Pan, The Caucasian Chalk Circle (performed at Swarthmore College), Grimm Tales, More Grimm Tales, Arabian Nights and Sally’s Gone, She Left Her Name. In his spare time, he is the vocalist/lyricist for the band Last Day Dying.

Mark Lazar (The Dame Mistress Maud) is a company member, beginning his tenth season at People’s Light. He was seen most recently in last season’s The Foreigner. Other recent appearances include A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Jack & the Beanstalk, Sleeping Beauty: A Comic Panto in the British Style, The Miser, Born Yesterday, Julius Caesar, Arthur’s Stone, Merlin’s Fire, A View from the Bridge, The Little Foxes and Camping With Henry and Tom. Before joining PLTC, he spent nine years with The North Carolina Shakespeare Festival, and many seasons with The Charlotte Repertory Theatre.

Susan McKey (Madge, Midge’s wife) has been at People’s Light since 1988 and has been in over thirty productions, including The Crucible, Holes, Midons, Playhouse Creatures, Book of Days, The Memory of Water, Beauty and the Beast and The Skin of Our Teeth. She has appeared in all three PLTC pantos. Other area credits include Lady From the Sea (Lantern Theatre) and Tooth and Claw (Arden Theatre).

Christopher Patrick Mullen (Midge, the Miller) is a graduate of DeSales University and a member of the resident company of artists here at PLTC, where he has appeared in The Crucible, Jack & the Beanstalk, The Miser, Julius Caesar, Twelfth Night, and The Tempest, among other productions. Regional credits include: As You Like It, Around the World in 80 Days, The Imaginary Invalid, Hamlet, Twelfth Night, Richard III, The Glass Menagerie, Macbeth, The Comedy of Errors, Romeo and Juliet and Charlie’s Aunt (Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival), Two Gentlemen of Verona, Hamlet, Taming of the Shrew, Dracula: The Journal of Jonathan Harker, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival). Other regional and NY credits include: The Pavilion, Hedda Gabler, The Stinky Cheese Man, Much Ado about Nothing, Hyde in the Shadows, The Seven Year Itch and Doughboy.

John O’Hara (Little John) is making his first appearance at People’s Light. Local credits include ACT II’s Lies and Legends and Remember When The Music (Barrymore nomination), Peter Pan and Wendy at the Prince, Passion at the Wilma, Jacque Brel at the Adrienne and Damn Yankees for the Walnut. He was cited by Theatre World for his performance in Box Office of the Damned. He is the resident playwright for Theatre Arts Center and some of his works have been seen on stage at ACT II, Adrienne, Hedgerow, Players Club of Swarthmore and Bristol Riverside.

Tom Teti (Friar Tuck) is a long-time company member at People’s Light. He was seen just last month in The Imaginary Invalid, and has also appeared in Jungalbook, Sleeping Beauty: A Comic Panto in the British Style, The Miser, Julius Caesar, Midons—or the Object of Desire, Once in a Lifetime, A View From the Bridge, The Little Foxes, He Held Me Grand and The Dreaming of Aloysius. Other PLTC performances include Sacco and Vanzetti, A Village Fable, The Diary of Anne Frank and the Outside the Box festivals. This past season, he also performed in the Arden Theatre’s production of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.

Carl N. Wallnau (Sheriff) is a first-time guest artist at People’s Light. His recent credits include Sleuth at the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, Imaginary Invalid at the Orlando Shakespeare Festival and the musical Lucky Stiff at the Forum Theatre. He is currently Artistic Director of the Centenary Stage Company. His acting credits at various regional theatres include the Paper Mill Playhouse, Second Stage, The Lark Theatre, The Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, Hartford Stage, Bristol Riverside, Orlando Shakespeare Company, Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, Foothills Playhouse and 14 months on the road with the First National Tour of Titanic.

Erin Weaver (Robin Hood) is in her third panto at People’s Light, after playing Jack in Jack & the Beanstalk (Barrymore nomination) and Princess Rosa in Sleeping Beauty. Other People’s Light credits include The Miser (Marianne), and Jungalbook (Perchy, Chil and others). Philadelphia Credits: A Murder, A Mystery, and A Marriage (Barrymore nomination) at the Delaware Theater Co, Syncopation—as well as Mary's Wedding (Barrymore nomination)—at Act II Playhouse, Into the Woods at the Arden Theater, An Artist’s Workshop with Azuka Theatre Collective and the First National Tour of Les Miserables (Cossette/ Eponine.)

Charles T. Brastow (Stage Manager/Sound Designer) is the resident Sound Designer and Production Stage Manager for People’s Light and most recently stage-managed The Imaginary Invalid, The Man From Nebraska, The Crucible, Jack & the Beanstalk and The Member of the Wedding. He was also sound designer for these productions, as well as last season’s The Foreigner. He has also worked with the Arden Theatre Company, the Philadelphia Shakespeare Festival, the Delaware Theatre Company, Arena Stage in Washington, DC and Primary Stages.

Rosemarie E. McKelvey (Costume Designer) Rosemarie’s most recent designs were for the Man From Nebraska, Fabulation, Jack & the Beanstalk, Jungalbook, A Higher Place in Heaven and Around the World in 80 Days. Other theatre companies she has worked with include the Minneapolis Children’s Theatre, The Arden Theatre Company, The Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, New Paradise Laboratories, Pig Iron Theatre, 1812 Productions, Theatre Exile and the Azuka Theatre Collective.

Dennis Parichy (Lighting Designer) Work at People’s Light includes Something You Did, The Man From Nebraska, Fabulation, Jason and the Golden Fleece, The Member of the Wedding, A Higher Place in Heaven, Sleeping Beauty: A Comic Panto in the British Style, The Miser, and In the Blood, among others. He has worked throughout the United States in stock, regional theatre, Off-Broadway, Broadway and internationally since 1959.

James F. Pyne, Jr. (Scenic Designer) is Director of Design at People’s Light. In his 30 seasons with PLTC, he has created sets and/or lights for over 200 productions, most recently for The Foreigner, The Crucible, The Member of the Wedding, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Sleeping Beauty, Julius Caesar, Holes, and A View from the Bridge, among others. Jim has received ten Barrymore nominations for Outstanding Scenic and Lighting Design, winning in 1996 for The Life of Galileo and in 2002 for The Merchant of Venice. He has also designed scenery for the Arden, Villanova University, Act II Playhouse, the Children’s Theatre Company of Minneapolis and the Enchantment Theatre Company. Most recently, Jim created the setting at World Café Live.

TICKET INFORMATION

For information or to purchase tickets, call the box office at 610-644-3500, Monday – Sunday, 12 noon – 6 p.m. or visit www.peopleslight.org. Subscriptions to the 2006/2007 Target Family Discovery Series are still available at a savings of up to 41% over single ticket prices. Subscriptions are $50 for kids 18 and under and $80 for Adults. The two other shows included in the subscription package are Anne of Green Gables (January 19 – February 11, 2007) and The Giver (April 26 – May 20, 2007.)

Select performances are available to school groups and include discounted tickets, supplemental materials and a “talk back” with the artists. Group discounts for parties of 10 or more are also available. For more information on student performances or group tickets, call 610.647.1900, ext. 191 or group@peopleslight.org. Family 4-packs can be purchased on select dates at a special rate of $75.

Audiences are encouraged to join the artists after each Thursday night performance to discuss the production.

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