Monday, October 31, 2011

UWishUNu Blog: HOW & WHY is "Astounding... Talent Pours Off the Stage"



Check out these excerpts from Allison Stadd's review of THE HOW AND THE WHY from UWishUNu Blog:

InterAct Theatre Company opens its 2011/2012 season with an astounding play by HBO screenwriter Sarah Treem... a tale of evolution, of feminism, of adoption, of mother-daughter relationships, generational clashes and modern America... Treem’s screenwriting chops are evident, as you feel as though you’re on a TV set, watching an episode being filmed. The talent pours off the stage, the content is thoroughly thought-provoking and you’re left contemplating everything you heard from the production’s start to finish.

Read Allison Stadd's Entire UWishUNu Blog Review


Links to more information about THE HOW AND THE WHY:

Purchase Tickets

Watch the Video Trailer

Read Howard Shapiro's Philadelphia Inquirer Review

An Interview with Playwright Sarah Treem



Friday, October 28, 2011

More On The Life Of An InterAct Intern: "The House is Now Open..."



Well things here at InterAct have been moving, that’s for sure. This past Wednesday (the 26th) we opened our first show: THE HOW AND THE WHY by Sarah Treem. I got to see the PWYC (Pay What You Can) performance before previews began, but since then I’ve been the House Manager, and therefore unable to see the show again. I have been hearing very positive feedback from the audience members as they exit however!!

As House Manager, I am responsible for the audience experience as they enter and exit the theatre.


A typical 8pm Show schedule looks like this:
Before 6:30 pm – “Housekeeping”: Vacuum the theatre, clean bathrooms, all the glamorous stuff.
6:30 – 7:00 pm – Take care of any special needs reservations. Set up shop downstairs in the Lobby. Organize programs & Stuffers.
7:00 – Ushers arrive. Give them a tour if they are new, give them details about the show & our procedures.
7:00-7:30 - Greet any guests who are early, Aid with Box office set up as needed.
7:30-7:40 – Some back and forth conversation with the Stage Manager as to when we will open the house.
7:40-7:45 – Open the House!! Give a brief welcoming announcement for those in the Lobby.
8:00 – Close the House, and Give Curtain Speech.
8:00-8:15 – Seat Late Comers as necessary.
8:15-8:45 – Count & Record Ticket stubs, Begin House Manager Report.
8:45 – Open Doors for Intermission. Keep track of where the audience members spread out to.
8:55 – Gather folks and notify them that the house will close shortly.
9:00 – Close House.
9:05-9:40 – Finish House Manager Report. Stay available in the Lobby.
9:45 – Open Doors at the end of the show. Bid Farewell to the guests. Take a sweep through the theatre to pick up any programs dropped, etc.
10:00/10:15 – Put away all programs & such. Lock up and Peace out!

So far. So good. :-)

- Shannon Fitzsimons



Thursday, October 27, 2011

Metro Newspaper Features HOW & WHY's Janis Dardaris



Check out Metro Newspaper's feature on Janis Dardaris, who is featured in InterAct's Philadelphia premiere production of THE HOW AND THE WHY:


Metro Newspaper

Janis Dardaris:
The Evolution of a New Role


by Shaun Brady

If her approach to reading scripts is any indication, Janis Dardaris is the type who starts a mystery novel by skipping to the last page. ... when she picked up the script for Sarah Treem’s 'The How and the Why,' Dardaris says, 'The last line of the play got me. It ended on a very human level.' ... Dardaris stars in InterAct Theatre Company’s Philly premiere of the play as a leading evolutionary biologist who faces off with an up-and-comer in the field ... both have to struggle against the male domination of academic science. ... 'There’s this whole patriarchal idea that women came from the rib of Adam,' Dardaris says. 'Women are often thought of as secondary creatures, even in this post-feminist time. I think that this could make people rethink that. It would be great if people leave and they start talking.'

Read Shaun Brady's Entire Metro Newspaper Feature


Links to more information about THE HOW AND THE WHY:

Purchase Tickets

Watch the Video Trailer

Read Howard Shapiro's Philadelphia Inquirer Review

An Interview with Playwright Sarah Treem



StageReviews Blog: HOW & WHY is "Significant ... Electrifying"



Check out these excerpts from Judy Cohen's review of THE HOW AND THE WHY from StageReviews Blog:


... You better not blink, for every bit of dialogue is significant. The repartee between the older, more experienced scientist and the younger, but equally serious one is electrifying. ... Part of the brilliance of this piece is the sprinkling of humor amidst the intense scientific discussions. Victoria Frings ... is focused throughout and gives a very convincing performance. Janis Dardaris, portraying Zelda, is even more than a counterpart and mentor as she skillfully guides Rachel ... Kudos must also be given to Scenic Designer Meghan Jones who did an outstanding job ... Come to learn about the how; come to learn about the why; come to be engrossed in the enticing world of scientific discovery...

Read Judy Cohen's Entire StageReviews Blog Review


Links to more information about THE HOW AND THE WHY:

Purchase Tickets

Watch the Video Trailer

Read Howard Shapiro's Philadelphia Inquirer Review

An Interview with Playwright Sarah Treem



Philly Inquirer: HOW & WHY is "Robust and Real," "Smart," "Taut and Revealing"



Check out these excerpts from Howard Shapiro's review of THE HOW AND THE WHY from the Philadelphia Inquirer:


In The How and the Why, two women meet, discover they are both (of all things) evolutionary biologists -- at the opposite ends of their careers -- and enter into a dialogue that reveals as much about their present identities as it does about their pasts. ... robust and real in performances by Janis Dardaris and Victoria Frings ... The play, a two-scene piece with an intermission, was originally staged earlier this year at Princeton’s McCarter Theatre and is written by Sarah Treem, the writer and producer of HBO’s In Treatment. ...

It’s a smart look — the dialogue is especially taut and revealing ... Together, Dardaris and Frings bring out the strongest points of The How and the Why ... In Dardaris’ face and body language, you discern the power of wisdom that can come only through experience. In Frings’ impulsiveness and quick-changing emotion, you sense the impetuousness of someone on the verge of something big, without a clue as to what that may mean for her life. ...

The play holds much more than a simple young/old juxtaposition to provide its edge, and I won’t spoil it by saying any more. The staging is by InterAct’s producing artistic director, Seth Rozin, who draws from his two performers notably unswerving character interpretations. And the production sports two very different, meticulously designed sets by Meghan Jones...

Read Howard Shapiro's Entire Philadelphia Inquirer Review


Links to more information about THE HOW AND THE WHY:

Purchase Tickets

Watch the Video Trailer

An Interview with Playwright Sarah Treem



Video Trailer for THE HOW AND THE WHY



Watch the video trailer for InterAct's Philadelphia premiere production of THE HOW AND THE WHY by Sarah Treem:




Links to more information about THE HOW AND THE WHY:

Find Out More About InterAct's Production

Read an Interview with Playwright Sarah Treem

Purchase Tickets



Wednesday, October 19, 2011

InterAct Named Best Political Theater by Philadelphia Weekly


Philadelphia Weekly named InterAct as Philly's "Best Political Theatre" in their October 19, 2011 issue:

Many theater companies avoid politics like the plague. Yet InterAct Theater Company has shown itself willing to present all manner of political discourse, even if it challenges the sensibilities of liberal-minded theater audience. Last season’s When We Go Upon the Sea, a drama from Lee Blessing, held the American public (and especially passive liberals) accountable for the Bush administration’s irresponsible and immoral foreign policy. InterAct artistic director Seth Rozin thinks of the company as a kind of 'Public Square,' a place where people gather to witness 'the most pressing issues of our time illuminated through compelling human stories.'





Friday, October 14, 2011

InterAct's Seth Rozin Featured in Chutzpah Magazine



Check out InterAct's Producing Artistic Director Seth Rozin in the Fall 2011 issue Chutzpah Magazine. Laura Goldman talks with Seth about why he founded InterAct (back in 1988) and how his early experiences with InterAct led him to a 2nd career as a successful playwright:


Chutzpah Magazine
Rozin's Bag
by Laura Goldman
2011 is playwright and director Seth Rozin's year in the sun. While many playwrights struggle to have even one of their plays staged, Rozin had two plays running simultaneously on Philadelphia stages...


Rozin's day job is founder and producing artistic director of InterAct Theatre... 'I established InterAct as a way to foster dialogue about political about political and and cultural issues,' says Rozin... Being 'a natural leader,' he wasn't concerned that perhaps the tender age of twenty-two was too young to start a theater company and credits his mentor and advisor at Penn, Catherine Marshall, with giving him the courage needed...


InterAct... is one of the region's most cutting edge theatres, often producing world premieres with a strong message... While many people in the theater lament the current segregation of theater audiences, InterAct's the rare Philadelphia venue where blacks and whites sit side by side and then stay afterwards to discuss the hot button issues of the day... 
Read the Entire Chutzpah Magazine Feature Here: 




Friday, October 7, 2011

Read InterAct's 2011/2012 Season Brochure Online



Check out InterAct's 2011/2012 season brochure online! The season begins performances Friday, October 21 with THE HOW AND THE WHY, a compelling new drama by Sarah Treem that pits two generations of brilliant and daring evolutionary biologists against each other in a battle for academic survival. Subscribe now so you don't miss the opportunity to see all the exciting new pieces in this season's line-up. Subscriptions range from $86-$142...







A big Thank You! goes out to the fine folks at Lorel Marketing Group for the inspired, new look of this year's brochure... and for sponsoring InterAct's 2011/2012 Season! We encourage you to support the businesses that support InterAct by visiting Lorel in King of Prussia, PA, or online at www.lorel.com. To contact Lorel, email info@lorel.com or call 610.337.2343.