People’s Light & Theatre Company presents the World Premiere of TREASURE ISLAND, written by Kathryn Petersen with music and lyrics by Michael Ogborn, from November 14 – December 30, 2007, on the Main Stage. David Bradley directs. People’s Light & Theatre is located at 39 Conestoga Road, Malvern. For tickets call 610.644.3500 or visit www.peopleslight.org. ING is the show’s corporate sponsor and TARGET is the Family Discovery Series sponsor.

This is People’s Light’s fourth “panto” style show, a tradition borrowed from England, where almost every town has a panto during the holiday season. 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.”

TREASURE ISLAND incorporates traditional Panto standards, including audience participation (in the form of cheering the heroes and booing the villains), candy passed out to audience members, and a “silly song” that inspires an audience sing-a-long.

“With our holiday panto,” adds Artistic Director Abigail Adams, “We feel that we’ve developed a tradition that both we and our audiences love. Not only that, but ALL ages seem to love it. 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.”

Some regular panto cast members return this year in key roles. Erin Weaver plays the lead character of Jamie Hawkins, and Mark Lazar is the “Grand Dame” in the gender-bent role of Jamie Hawkins’s mom. Familiar characters include the “comic duo,” this year played by Susan McKey and Pete Pryor in the roles of Evelyn Treelawnee and Captain Smilenot, and an evil villain, played by Ian Bedford in the role of Long John Silver.

New to the creative team this year is Composer & Lyricist Michael Ogborn. TREASURE ISLAND includes 10 original songs. Says Ogborn, "It was fun to research the traditional British Panto and discover the differences and similarities with American musical theatre. My goal was to serve the story, the form and to entertain adults and children alike, while having a great time myself! The score is equal parts joy, romance, comedy, and of course, melodrama.”

TREASURE ISLAND previews on Wednesday, November 14th and Thursday, November 15th at 7pm. The show opens on Saturday, November 17th at 7pm and runs through December 30, 2007. Tickets are now on sale and range in price from $29 - $48 with special discounts available for groups of 10 or more, seniors, and students. Audiences are encouraged to join the artists after each Thursday evening performance to discuss the production.

Subscriptions to the 2007/2008 Season are still available at a significant savings. Remaining shows in the 6-Play Series include: The Glass Menagerie (February 13 – March 22, 2008), I Have Before Me a Remarkable Document Given to Me by a Young Lady From Rwanda (May 28 – June 22, 2008), and Sherlock Holmes & The Case of the Jersey Lily (June 18 – July 13, 2008). Remaining shows in the TARGET Family Discovery Series include Crispin: The Cross of Lead (January 17 – February 24, 2008) and Getting Near to Baby (March 27 – April 20, 2008). For information, tickets, and subscriptions, please call the box office at 610.644.3500 or visit www.peopleslight.org.

Special performances and discounts, in addition to discount meal packages and talk-backs with the artists are available for groups of 10 or more. For more information or to purchase group tickets, call 610.647.1900, ext. 134 or email group@peopleslight.org.

KEY BIOS

Kathryn Petersen (Playwright) is an Artistic Associate at People's Light and a member of the resident acting company. She has appeared in over sixty productions regionally and has taught extensively in the Theatre School. Last year she was seen in Bad Dates at Cape May Stage, Almost Maine at Act II, and Anne of Green Gables and The Imaginary Invalid at People's Light. Kathryn is also a produced and published playwright. People's Light has produced several of her plays in past seasons; most recently they've produced Arthur's Stone, Merlin's Fire - The Making of a King in 2003 and then two Pantos, Jack & the Beanstalk (2005) and Robin Hood (2006.) Arcadia Theater produced her play Hearsay in the spring of 2007. Two of her plays have been published by Dramatic Publishing Company. Kathryn is an Assistant Professor of Theater at Arcadia University.

Michael Ogborn (Composer) was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA, and currently makes his home in New York City. A graduate of DeSales University, he made his Off-Broadway debut in 1993 with the critically-acclaimed musical revue Box Office of the Damned, featuring then “newcomer” Kristen Chenoweth. His work has been produced at the Arden Theatre Company (Baby Case – winner of four Barrymore Awards including Outstanding Music and Best Musical of the Year, and Café Puttanesca), The Wilma Theater, and 1812 Productions in Philadelphia; The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.; the City Theatre in Pittsburgh, PA; the Horizon Theater in Atlanta, GA; the Diversionary Theater in San Diego, CA; Theater LaB in Houston, TX; and Radio City Music Hall in New York, NY. As a “Piano Man” he received Philadelphia Magazine's 1992 Best of Philly Award for a Cabaret Performer, a Mid-Atlantic Emmy Award in 1993 for the PBS music video Soldiers in the Sky, and in 2003 the Harrington Award for Outstanding Creative Achievement given by BMI Musical Theater Workshop. He is currently at work with playwright Michael Hollinger on the musical Tulipomania, commissioned by the Arden Theatre Company. Another project in the works includes A Tour of the Ruins. Mr. Ogborn is a proud member of the Dramatists Guild Inc., the BMI Musical Theater Workshop, and the owner of Leydensong Music Co. Other produced works include Fishwives ('81), Earbeds ('83), The Vagabond Age ('84), Oh, Antigone! ('86), Pinocchio: A Real Boy ( '87), C'est la Guerre! ('89), Ozone-a-thon ('96), Regalia ('97), Jungle Book (‘00), Mary, Don’t Ask ! (‘03) and The USED faces of 2004.

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. Most recently he was at the National Constitution Center, where he’s artistic director of Living News, a theatre piece about constitutional issues which began its second season this fall. His more than 20 People’s Light productions include the pantos Robin Hood and Jack & the Beanstalk, as well as The Giver, The Crucible, Holes, He Held Me Grand, A View From the Bridge, Jungalbook, Pretty Fire, Iron Kisses and The Diary of Anne Frank. He will return to Indiana Repertory Theatre to direct next spring, and he’s also directed at Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis. David’s recent arts education work includes projects with Philadelphia Young Playwrights, Spiral Q Puppet Theater and the Rosenbach Museum. He teaches at Arcadia University and consults on the arts, education, communication and leadership. A graduate of Yale University, David lives in the Mt. Airy section of Philadelphia.

David Ames (Music Director) moved to Philadelphia in 2006 to start a pedicab (rickshaw) business in center city. 6 months later he began his career as a musical director. Since then he has worked on Caroline, or Change and Assassins at the Arden Theatre Company, The Sound of Music at Piccoli Playground, played for classes at the UArts and the Prince, and for a number of weddings and bar mitzvahs.

Ian Bedford (Long John Silver) has spent four seasons at the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival where he played (among many roles) King Henry in Henry V, Macduff in Macbeth and the Douglas in Henry IV, Part 1. Other regional credits include Sullen in The Beaux Stratagem and Tyrrel in Richard III at the Shakespeare Theatre in Washington, D.C., Our Town and The Cosmonaut’s Last Message (La Jolla Playhouse), Moby Dick Rehearsed (Guild Hall), Metamorphoses (Florida Studio Theatre), Richard III and As You Like It (Shakespeare Santa Cruz), the title role in Henry V for the Marin Shakespeare Co. (where he won a DramaLogue award), and three seasons with the Utah Shakespearean Festival. In New York he has appeared Off-Broadway in Flags (59E59 Theatres), in Rue and Below the Belt (Theatre for the New City) and as Frankenstein’s Creature in So Frightful an Event. On television, Ian recurs as Officer Bamford on Law & Order: S.V.U. and has also appeared on Guiding Light, One Life to Live and Nash Bridges. Ian earned his M.F.A. from UC San Diego and his B.A. from Yale.

Ben Dibble (Dr. Livesee) is a nine-time Barrymore Award nominee, and has appeared locally at the Arden, the Wilma, the Walnut, 1812 Productions, the Lantern, Act II Playhouse, the Kimmel Center, Delaware Theatre Company, and Lenape Regional P.A.C. Ben was the recipient of the 2006 F. Otto Haas Emerging Artist Barrymore Award and is an Independence Fellow.

Favorite roles include Balladeer/Oswald in Assassins, Anthony in Sweeney Todd, Chris in Miss Saigon, Hauptman in Baby Case, and the title role in Bat Boy: The Musical. Ben will be returning to the Walnut in Les Miserables this spring.

Chris Faith (Ezekial Machete Scabbs) has performed Off-Broadway in The Secret Garden and Like It Is at the York Theatre. Last summer, he played opposite Linda Eder in The Seduction of Sheila Valentine at the Lenape Regional Performing Arts Center. Locally, he has appeared at the Wilma Theatre, the Arden Theatre Company, 1812 Productions (2 Barrymore nominations – Best Ensemble), Mum Puppettheatre (2 Barrymore nominations – Best Ensemble, Best Overall Production of a Musical), Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, Act II Playhouse and the Bristol Riverside Theatre. Chris co-hosted the 2006/07 Barrymore Awards ceremony alongside Greg Wood. Later on in the season he will appear in Grace for the Luna Theatre Company. Chris holds an MFA in Acting from Brandeis University, and he and his wife, Reina, own and operate Dance Arts Collaborative, a children's performing arts school.

Maggie Fitzgerald (Polly the Parrot) is a sixth grade student at Rosemont School of the Holy Child. This is her second Main Stage production at the People’s Light & Theatre Company following her premiere performance as Lily in last spring’s critically acclaimed production of The Giver. Maggie has performed in various roles at the Hedgerow Theater, including most recently as the lead role in Carol and Bill Luttrell’s musical Red Robbie’s Christmas Story. She has performed as Fan in the Cardinal O’Hara High School production of Alan Menken’s musical The Christmas Carol and as Nygana in Devon Prep’s production of South Pacific. Maggie has participated in the Walnut Street Theater’s Summerstage and Advanced Musical Theater programs. She studies dance at the Ellen Crescenta School of Dance and voice with Nora Whittaker.

Joilet Harris (Mama Kura) was last seen here as Hester the Hen in Jack & the Beanstalk. Joilet is the 2007 recipient of the Barrymore Award for Outstanding Leading Actress in a Musical for her role as Caroline in Caroline, or Change at the Arden Theatre. Other recent credits include: Ella in Ella, The Ella Fitzgerald Story, Detective Caroline on the HBO series The Wire, and a recent appearance on Law and Order SVU.

Jefferson Haynes (Hackin Devil Dan) is making his People's Light debut. Other Philadelphia regional credits include Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead (Arden Theatre Company), An Artist's Workshop (Azuka Theatre), and American Sublime (InterAct Theatre Company). He recently appeared in Things You Shouldn't Say Past Midnight (Allens Lane Theater) and in the 2007 Philly Fringe show Four of a Kind/Trouble in the Works (Idiopathic Ridiculopathy Consortium).

Matt Hultgren (Tinnitus Tom the Terrible) is returning to People's Light after playing Daisy the cow's backend in 2005's Jack & the Beanstalk. More recent credits: Six of One (11th Hour), Miss Saigon (Media), Romeo & Juliet (Clark Park), Carousel (Walnut), Far Away (Flashpoint), and We the People (AFT).

Justin Jain (Israel Chopped Hand) has worked with several Philadelphia area theatre companies, including Arden Theatre Company, Azuka Theatre Collective, Enchantment Theatre Company, Hotel Obligado, 1812 Productions, National Constitution Center, Pig Iron Theatre Company, Theatre Horizon, Shakespeare in Clark Park, and The Wilma; and has worked regionally with McCarter Theatre (Princeton). Justin graduated with a degree in Acting from the University of the Arts and is a graduate of the Arden Professional Apprentice Program. He currently also teaches with the UArts Pre-College Institute and Philadelphia Young Playwrights.

Mark Lazar (Mother Hawkins) is a company member celebrating his eleventh season with People's Light. In addition to spending the last three holiday seasons in a dress for Robin Hood, Jack & the Beanstalk, and Sleeping Beauty, Mr. Lazar includes Twelfth Night, The Foreigner, The Crucible, The Miser, Arthur’s Stone, Merlin’s Fire, Born Yesterday, A View from the Bridge, The Little Foxes, Camping with Henry and Tom, and Hearts among his recent favorites here. Mark just returned from an eleventh season with The North Carolina Shakespeare Festival where he spent the 1990s as a resident Company Member, performing Shakespeare, the other classics, and ten Christmas Carols as Ebenezer Scrooge. While in North Carolina, Mr. Lazar also spent many off-seasons with The Charlotte Rep. A founding member and ten-year veteran of the acting company at The Madison Rep, he performed regularly with nearly all of Wisconsin’s professional theatres. Up next at People's Light: Sherlock Holmes & The Case of the Jersey Lily. He will also do the voice of Ebenezer Scrooge on public radio this holiday season.

Susan McKey (Evelyn Treelawnee) has appeared in all three previous Pantos. She has been at People's Light since 1988 and has appeared in over 30 productions. Last spring she played Huck Finn in Splittin’ the Raft. Susan will work with Abbey Adams again on this spring's Family Series play, Getting Near to Baby by Y York.

Pete Pryor (Captain Smilenot) has previously appeared at People’s Light in Humble Boy, The Foreigner, Sleeping Beauty, The Miser, Holes, Book of Days, Misalliance and a Short Stuff festival. He is the Co-Founder of 1812 Productions for whom he directed the Barrymore-nominated The Four of Us and Recent Tragic Events. He is the recipient of two Barrymore Awards and an Independence Foundation fellowship. Currently, Pete is the teaching artist in residence at The Pathway School. Regional Credits include: People’s Light and Theatre, Arden Theatre Company, Theatre Exile, Lantern Theatre, Act II Playhouse, Azuka, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Freedom Theatre, The Boarshead, Cape May Stage and The O’Casey Theatre of Ireland. Film and TV: The Cellar, Surrender Dorothy, The In Crowd, Felix Melman, Hack, The Starship Akuno and Ninja Babes from Space.

Tom Teti (Squire Treelawnee) continues his 33rd consecutive season at PLTC. Last season he appeared in The Imaginary Invalid and Robin Hood, as Friar Tuck. He then went to the Wilma to play the Rabbi in Enemies, A Love Story. He followed that with a performance as Duque Dodo in Ferdinand the Bull in the Arden Theater Company's Children's Theater program and this season he appeared as many people, places, and things in Theophilus North. Tom serves as producer and director of the Reading Writer's event for the Center for Literacy in Philadelphia. He teaches the advanced acting and teen classes at Hedgerow Theater.

Erin Weaver (Jamie Hawkins) is doing her fourth Panto at People's Light after playing Robin in Robin Hood, Jack in Jack and the Beanstalk (Barrymore nomination) and Princess Rosa in Sleeping Beauty. Other People's Light credits include The Miser (Marianne), and Jungal Book (Perchy, Chil and others). Erin recently played Emily in Our Town at The Two River Theatre Company and Miranda in The Tempest at the Folger Shakespeare Theatre in DC. Local credits include 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). Erin is an honors graduate from the University of the Arts and a Masters Candidate through NYU for theatre education.