Philadelphia Theatre Company announces that the second play of its 2007-2008 season will M. Butterfly by David Henry Hwang, running January 18-February 17 in its new home, the Suzanne Roberts Theatre on the Avenue of the Arts. The play will be directed by Joe Calarco whose previous Barrymore Award-winning productions for PTC include William Finn's Elegies and Jason Robert Brown's The Last Five Years. Celebrating the 20th anniversary since the premiere of M. Butterfly, PTC will present the Philadelphia premiere of this Tony Award-winning play.

M. Butterfly is part of an exciting season of premieres, designed to showcase the new theater as well as PTC's ongoing commitment to contemporary American theater. The season also includes the world premiere of Terrence McNally's Unusual Acts of Devotion starring Academy Award-winner Kathy Bates (October 23-December 2), Third by Wendy Wasserstein (March 21-April 20), and the world premiere of The Happiness Lecture, a Philadelphia Theatre Company commission written and performed by Bill Irwin (May 16 - June 15).

"We are very excited to be producing this groundbreaking and influential American play which surprisingly has never been produced here in Philadelphia." said PTC's Producing Artistic Director Sara Garonzik.

Based on a true story, M. Butterfly captivates with a provocative story of lust, politics, and betrayal. A French diplomat falls in love with a Chinese opera singer who is to him, the "perfect woman", yet this Chinese butterfly of his passions is ultimately revealed to be far more than she seems. M. Butterfly weaves many parallels and ironic reversals of Puccini's opera Madame Butterfly as it explores the stereotypes that underlie and distort relations between Eastern and Western cultures, and between men and women.

Subscriptions for the 2007-2008 Season are available at $130-$202 for a four-play season by calling Philadelphia Theatre Company at 215-985-0420 or 866-985-0420, or visiting www.phillytheatreco.com. Special 25-&-Younger Flex subscriptions are also available for only $60.

Philadelphia Theatre Company is Philadelphia's only non-profit professional theater dedicated exclusively to producing world and regional premieres of works by contemporary American playwrights. Under the leadership of Producing Artistic Director, Sara Garonzik, Philadelphia Theatre Company has had ever-increasing national impact having produced 34 world premieres of new American plays and musicals in its 31 seasons. Recent world premiere productions include: Nerds://A Musical Software Satire by Jordan Allen-Dutton, Erik Weiner, and Hal Goldberg; Some Men by Terrence McNally (recently produced at Second Stage Theatre); Adrift in Macao by Christopher Durang and Peter Melnick (produced at Primary Stages last Winter); Bruce Graham's According to Goldman; Jeffrey Hatcher's A Picasso; Daniel Stern's comedy Barbra's Wedding (moved to the Westside Arts Theatre in 2003); John Henry Redwood's No Niggers, No Jews, No Dogs; J.T. Rogers' White People; David Ives' Lives of the Saints; three-time Tony Award-winning Master Class by Terrence McNally, starring Zoe Caldwell; Bunny Bunny by Alan Zweibel (Lucille Lortel Award, 1997); and the American premiere of Birdy by Naomi Wallace. A Picasso received its New York premiere at the Manhattan Theatre Club in April 2005. Philadelphia Theatre Company was chosen Best Theatre Company 2003 by Philadelphia Magazine, Theater Company of the Year by Philadelphia Weekly in 2005, Best Theater Company in the 2005 City Paper Readers' Choice Awards, named Best Theater by Philadelphia Style Magazine in 2006, and named Best Theatre by Philadelphia Gay News in 2007. Since 1995, Philadelphia Theatre Company has received 109 nominations and 34 awards from Philadelphia's Barrymore Awards.

Designed by KieranTimberlake Associates LLP, Philadelphia Theatre Company's state-of-the-art Suzanne Roberts Theatre will include a 365-seat traditional proscenium auditorium designed to envelope both the actors and audience, a flexible black box theater space, a dramatic lobby and mezzanine level reception areas with commanding views of the city, as well as superior patron amenities, box office, handicapped accessibility and elevator to all floors.

For further information about Philadelphia Theatre Company's Suzanne Roberts Theatre, please call 215-985-1400.