School’s out, but theatre is IN! Beat the heat and visit People’s Light in Malvern, PA this summer. This professional theatre in Chester County has something for everyone in its summer lineup, with a world-premiere drama featuring a movie star and an Emmy winner, followed by a musical for the family that combines Mexican mariachi, hip hop, and modern nods to The Wizard of Oz. 

Starting June 12, Broadway veteran and Academy Award nominee David Strathairn (Good Night, and Good Luck; The Bourne Ultimatum) leads the world premiere of Off By One, written by Emmy Award-winner Joseph Dougherty. Strathairn joins a cast and design team of Barrymore-winning company members and Philadelphia favorites, including director Abigail Adams and actors Claire Inie-Richards, Aubie Merrylees, and Mary Elizabeth Scallen. In this exploration of fate vs. coincidence, a wrong-number text brings strangers together in a web of curiosity and memory, with magnetic poet Douglas Roote at the center. As two women bond over the late poet’s work and discover the profound impact of a seemingly small life, the play grapples with the deeply human impulse to seek meaning and connection in the accidental and unknown.

Off By One has a strictly limited run through July 7, and is recommended for audiences ages 14 or older.

On July 17, Somewhere Over the Border, written and composed by rising star Brian Quijada, takes to the People’s Light stage following a critically acclaimed run at Pittsburgh’s City Theatre. This musical includes nods to Oz but is based on true events, inspired by Quijada’s mother’s journey from El Salvador to the US. As the allure of the American Dream beckons, Reina Quijada travels along a very different yellow brick road. Along the way, she makes friends, dodges imminent danger, and searches for the almighty “wizard”. With onstage musicians weaving together cumbia, Mexican mariachi, boleros, American rock, and hip-hop, Quijada honors his mother in a tale of determination, family, and friendship. The same cast and crew from City Theatre reunite this summer at People’s Light, directed again by Laura Alcalá Baker with musical direction by Michael Meketa Sanchez.

Somewhere Over the Border runs from July 17 to August 11, and is recommended for ages 10+.

And just around the corner this fall: People’s Light is turning 50! A big birthday calls for a big celebration. People’s Light invites everyone to join in the fun throughout the 50th Anniversary Season to celebrate the Theatre’s impact over the last 50 years while looking forward to many exciting years to come. The season kicks off mid-September with The Porch on Windy Hill: a new play with old music, which brings fan-favorite actor-musician David Lutken back to Malvern. Single tickets for select dates go on sale June 18, along with season subscriptions. Stay tuned for a special Christmas in July presale for the return of People’s Light’s ever-popular holiday panto this winter, a brand-new creation from the comedic geniuses that brought you Alice in Wonderland: A Musical Panto. Here’s a hint: this year’s production is sure to make you feel like you’re flying!

It won’t be a party without you! 2024/2025 Season lineup to be announced June 18. Purchase single tickets and subscriptions at peopleslight.org or call the box office at 610-644-3500. Special rates are available for groups of 10 or more.

For more information or to purchase group tickets, email groupsales@peopleslight.org.