InterAct Theatre Company Closes 24th Season With ETCHED IN SKIN ON A SUNLIT NIGHT, Now thru 6/24

InterAct Theatre Company closes its 24th season with the world premiere of the dynamic drama ETCHED IN SKIN ON A SUNLIT NIGHT by Kara Lee Corthron, which opens officially tonight, June 6, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. ETCHED IN SKIN ON A SUNLIT NIGHT imagines an African American painter who has exiled herself to Iceland, only to have her secrets revealed and her racial demons unleashed during Barack Obama's Presidential election campaign.

Originally commissioned by InterAct in 2009, this intense and imaginative drama about lust, betrayal and Culture Clash marks the arrival of one of the most exciting new voices in American Theatre. Jules is an African-American painter who has fled the U.S. under mysterious circumstances and embraced a whole new life and family in Iceland – the whitest place on earth. But several years into her idyllic reinvented life, a confluence of extraordinary events threaten to unravel her psyche: Barack Obama's meteoric Presidential campaign makes Jules more homesick than ever; her recently out-of-work banker husband, Olafur, presents their bi-racial daughter with a shocking present; and an inscrutable African American visitor (or is he a stalker?) shows up at Jules' studio. This collision of events provokes her conflicted sense of racial and personal identity, and brings the secrets of her past out into the open. Jules and her family will never be the same.

ETCHED IN SKIN ON A SUNLIT NIGHT is a bold, visceral, theatrically imaginative and thematically rich play that delves into the psyche of an African American woman in the age of Obama. The play explores myriad themes of contemporary significance: The deep and complex relationship between racial identity and self-esteem/self-worth; the nature of being drawn to the "other;" the cluelessness about race-related issues in a place defined by racial and ethnic homogeneity; the simultaneously emboldening and destructive power of celebrity role models; and the fast-changing nature of community in a world that is diversifying at an unprecedented rate.

Producing Artistic Director Seth Rozin says: "I was immediately excited about the promise of ETCHED when we first read the commission proposal back in 2009. A few years later, we are thrilled to finally be bringing the play to fruition. Kara's theatrical imagination and muscular, poetic voice are on full display in this incredibly dynamic story for our time. And Whit MacLaughlin, with his equally imaginative and muscular aesthetic, is the perfect director to bring the play to full theatrical life."

InterAct celebrates Opening Night of ETCHED IN SKIN ON A SUNLIT NIGHT with a free reception immediately following the 7:00 p.m. performance on Wednesday, June 6. Sponsored by the Lomax Family Foundation, the reception will be hosted by Slate Restaurant, located one block from InterAct at 102 South 21st Street. Join InterAct's loyal supporters as they mix and mingle with InterAct's cast, crew, board, and artistic & administrative staff for an evening of good friends and great food.

During the run of ETCHED IN SKIN ON A SUNLIT NIGHT, InterAct will host several post-performance talk-backs to encourage further discussion on the issues it raises. Speaker Sundays, a series featuring invited scholars, community leaders and artists, are scheduled to follow 2:00 p.m. matinee performances on Sunday, June 10, 17 and 24. The line-up of guest speakers will be posted at www.InterActTheatre.org as it becomes available. Following the 2nd and 3rd Tuesday and Wednesday performances of every production, we invite patrons to grab a delicious cup of joe provided by Nook Bakery & Coffee Bar, then join us for Coffee Conversations, informal discussions with company artists. During ETCHED IN SKIN ON A SUNLIT NIGHT, Coffee Conversations are scheduled for Tuesday, June 12, Wednesday, June 13, Tuesday, June 19 and Wednesday, June 20.

InterAct's regional premiere of ETCHED IN SKIN ON A SUNLIT NIGHT runs for 22 performances, June 1 – 24, 2012, at InterAct's home on the Main Stage of The Adrienne, 2030 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, PA. Preview performances will be June 1, 2 (4 p.m. & 8 p.m.), 3 & 5. Opening Night will be on Wednesday, June 6 at 7:00 p.m. Performances during InterAct Theatre Company's 2011/2012 Season are Tuesday and Wednesday evenings at 7:00 p.m., Thursday through Saturday evenings at 8:00 p.m., and Sunday matinees at 2:00 p.m.

Individual tickets for ETCHED IN SKIN ON A SUNLIT NIGHT are also on sale now. Tickets for preview performances are $18.00 for Friday at 8:00 p.m. & Saturday at 4:00 p.m. and $20.00 for Saturday at 8:00 p.m., Sunday at 2:00 p.m. & Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. During the regular run of the show, performances Tuesdays through Thursdays are $28.00 - $29.00, and Friday through Sunday are $33.00 - $35.00. Tickets to Opening Night are $40.00. Discounts are available for groups (of 10 or more), seniors (65 and older), and students (with valid I.D.). Students with valid I.D. may also purchase Student Rush tickets for $10.00 five minutes before curtain (based on availability).Season subscriptions are available now and range from $70.00 - $107.00. Discounts are available for seniors (65 and older), students (with valid I.D.), and groups of 10 or more. Subscribers receive a wide range of benefits including free and unlimited ticket exchange privileges with the same subscription series, discounts on additional ticket purchases, and special discounts at area restaurants and other arts organizations.

Subscriptions and tickets may be purchased by calling InterAct's box office at 215-568-8079, by dropping by InterAct's offices at The Adrienne, 2030 Sansom St., Philadelphia, or by visiting InterAct's website at www.InterActTheatre.org.

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