Informed Consent

Lindsay Smiling, Kittson O'Neil &
Samantha Bowling

Lantern Theater Company, located at 10^th and Ludlow Streets in St. Stephen’s Church Theater, is presenting multi-award winning playwright Deborah Zoe Laufer’s Informed Consent through February 12, 2017. Based on true events, Laufer’s drama begins with a high energy cast against a high tech projection background. Kittson O’Neill portrays Jillian, a genetic anthropologist who is charged with determining the cause of the high incidence of diabetes in a remote Indian village at the base of the Grand Canyon. With her life on the line, and possibly her daughter’s, due to a genetic glitch, Jillian has no time for protocol or respect for the tribal members. Her frenetic performance as a self-serving scientist who “only wants to help” is both dynamic and disturbing. Trying to rein her in is Ken, portrayed by Justin Jain, the social anthropologist who recommends her for the diabetes study. Samantha Bowling gives a commanding performance as Arella, the spokesperson for the Havasupai tribe.  Through her we learn that the tribe’s oral history, passed down through the ages, tells of their beginnings at the base of the Grand Canyon. When Jillian discovers migratory patterns that establish the tribe has once lived elsewhere, mass devastation ensues. Lindsay Smiling and Maria Konstantinidis round out this remarkable ensemble cast. Most cast members play several roles and the projections change to denote a change in mood or venue. Characters move across the stage at a feverish pace and sometimes yell out a narration as they are passing through. This insightful production that pits knowledge and modern technology against sacred human values is both fast-paced and thought-provoking. Make plans to see it while seats are still available. For more information or tickets, call 215-829-0395, visit online at www.lanterntheater.org or visit the box office at 10^th & Ludlow Streets, Philadelphia, Pa.