InterAct Theatre Kicks off the New Year with World Premiere of MARCUS/EMMA

What does it mean to be radical? InterAct Theatre Company presents a vision of two of America's wildest activist leaders, Marcus Garvey and Emma Goldman, in Mary Tuomanen's poignant, twisted, and darkly funny MARCUS/EMMA. This gripping play could not be more relevant, challenging the audience to relate Garvey's and Goldman's subversive ideas surrounding tensions of race, gender, sexuality, culture, capitalism and socialism to our current political climate. Tuomanen's voice is fresh and exciting -- a luminary in Philadelphia's arts scene, she was recently rated Best Theatre Talent 2015, by Philadelphia Magazine.

"We're incredibly proud to have Mary as one of our Core Playwrights at InterAct, and we've had the privilege of helping to foster her prodigious talents," says InterAct's Producing Artistic Director, Seth Rozin. "From my first read of MARCUS/EMMA, I was fascinated by its super smart writing, its raw energy, and its drive to examine the American political landscape from a fresh perspective. In light of the recent election, this play reminds us to continually reassess the ideals surrounding what it means to be American."

Toumanen's bent politico-vision features local actor Akeem Davis (2015 F. Otto Haas Emerging Theatre Artist Award winner) as Marcus Garvey, and Philly favorite Susan Riley Stevens (in her InterAct debut) as Emma Goldman. Performances are January 20 - February 12 at InterAct's new home at The Drake - in The Proscenium Theatre, located at 302 S. Hicks Street in Center City Philadelphia. Tickets cost between $23-$39 and are available online at http://interacttheatre.org, at the box office at boxoffice@interacttheatre.org, or by phone at 215-568-8079. Limited "INTER-HALF" half-price tickets are available purchased same day, and in-person, at the box office (credit card fees apply).

MARCUS/EMMA mashes together two of American history's most iconic revolutionaries - Jewish Anarchist Emma Goldman and Black Nationalist Marcus Garvey - launching them into a no-holds-barred, sex-fueled, bloody-mindEd Battle - each desperate to rekindle the smouldering flame of their legacy. Tuomanen's vibrant voice brings the political passion, tender humanity and savage humor of Goldman and Garvey to life, looking deeply into the balance between Garvey's fervent desire to systematically subvert the status quo and Goldman's longing to simply burn everything to the ground and start fresh.

Consistent with the themes of MARCUS/EMMA, InterAct will be hosting a community-based events designed to inspire and encourage activism. These will include concrete action items such as letter-writing campaigns to political leaders, cooperative phone banking, and empowering workshops. The events will be supported by visiting representatives from local non-profits to promote a spirit of organization. Attendees will receive half-price tickets to that evening's performance (as available) as well as discounts on concessions. Staff at InterAct will also continue to compile resources to inform our audiences about further socially positive action steps and performances surrounding themes of social justice.

During the run, InterAct presents a number of post-show audience conversations and events. Coffee Conversations occur on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, featuring informal discussions with the artists and complimentary treats from Insomnia Cookies as well as coffee. Speaker Sundays, which follow matinee performances, are curated conversations led by invited scholars, community leaders, and experts in the themes of the play - in this case, specifically geared toward contemporary activism. In addition, this season features audience discussions after every other performance during the run (not including previews). For MARCUS/EMMA these will be facilitated by local community members to foster conversation after the show. All are welcome.

Rebecca Wright (director) is a theater artist who creates original work and directs plays of all kinds. She is the artistic director of Applied Mechanics, with whom she has created nine immersive performance pieces, including the 26-person historical fantasia Vainglorious and the critically acclaimed radical punk play We Are Bandits. Other recent directing credits include I Am Not my Motherland with Orbiter 3, St. Joan and The Metamorphosis with Quintessence Theater Group, Sarah Flood in Salem Mass at The Flea, Sophie Gets the Horns with The Riot Group, and Caryl Churchill's A Number with Tiny Dynamite. Rebecca has directed for Flashpoint Theater Company, Shakespeare in Clark Park, PlayPenn Development Conference, InterAct Theatre Company, First Person Arts, and SoLow Festival. She has worked with students at the University of Michigan, the University of the Arts, Temple University, Arcadia University, Swarthmore College, the University of Minnesota, and Columbia University, where she created and directed Joan of Arc: Voices in the Fire with MFA students and Kristin Linklater. She is the recipient of an Independence Fellowship and her production of Slip/Shot at Flashpoint won the 2012 Brown Martin/Philadelphia Award.

Mary Tuomanen (playwright) is a company member of Applied Mechanics -- an immersive theater ensemble -- and Orbiter 3, Philadelphia's first producing playwright's collective. She is a graduate of the Lecoq School of Movement Theatre in Paris and a 2014 finalist for the Haas Emerging Artist Award. Her solo work has been performed at the Annenberg Center (Saint Joan, Betrayed, 2014) Bloomsberg Theater Ensemble, Phillips Exeter Academy, Temple University and the Kimmel Center Innovation Studio (Hello! Sadness!, 2015). Hello! Sadness! was developed through an invitation to the Dael Orlandersmith Solo Performance Residency at the Kimmel Center. Her physical theater collaboration with Aaron Cromie, The Body Lautrec, was supported by the Pew Center for Arts and Heritage and the O'Neill National Puppetry Conference. She has also collaborated with Aaron Cromie on commissions from the American Philosophical Society (A Paper Garden, 2011) and the Philadelphia Museum of Art (Between Clinics, 2016). In 2017, she will have the inaugural residency at Christ Church Neighborhood House for her play Peaceable Kingdom. As a performer, she has performed in many regional theaters including the Arden, InterAct, People's Light and Theater Company, Actor's Theatre of Louisville, and most recently, Opera Philadelphia/Bearded Ladies premiere of Andy: A Popera, in which she starred as young Andy Warhol.

Friday, January 20, 2017 8:00 PM Preview

Saturday, January 21, 2017 4:00 PM Preview

Saturday, January 21, 2017 8:00 PM Preview

Sunday, January 22, 2017 2:00 PM Preview

Tuesday, January 24, 2017 7:00 PM Preview

Wednesday, January 25, 2017 7:00 PM OPENING NIGHT

Thursday, January 26, 2017 8:00 PM First Thursday /Young Professional

Friday, January 27, 2017 8:00 PM w/ Director's Gathering

Saturday, January 28, 2017 8:00 PM Post-show discussion

Sunday, January 29, 2017 2:00 PM Speaker Sunday

Tuesday, January 31, 2017 7:00 PM Coffee Conversation

Wednesday, February 1, 2017 7:00 PM Coffee Conversation

Thursday, February 2, 2017 8:00 PM Pre-show Action/Post-show discussion

Friday, February 3, 2017 8:00 PM Pre-show Action/Post-show discussion

Saturday, February 4, 2017 8:00 PM Post-show discussion

Sunday, February 5, 2017 2:00 PM Speaker Sunday

Tuesday, February 7, 2017 7:00 PM Coffee Conversation

Wednesday, February 8, 2017 7:00 PM Coffee Conversation

Thursday, February 9, 2017 8:00 PM Pre-show Action/Post-show discussion

Friday, February 10, 2017 8:00 PM Pre-show Action/Post-show discussion

Saturday, February 11, 2017 8:00 PM Post-show discussion

Sunday, February 12, 2017 2:00 PM Speaker Sunday

About InterAct

Celebrating its 29th year and first full season at The Drake, InterAct is a theatre for today's world, producing new and contemporary plays that explore the social, political, and cultural issues of our time. Founded in 1988 by Producing Artistic Director Seth Rozin, InterAct seeks to entertain audiences by producing world-class, thought-provoking productions, and to use theatre as a tool to foster positive social change and civic discourse. Through artistic and educational programs, InterAct makes a significant contribution to the cultural life of Philadelphia and the American theatre.