InterAct to Kick Off Season with Award-Winning Play GROUNDED

Following rave reviews at The Public Theater in New York, as well as an acclaimed run in London (and the announcement that the captivating soul searching drama will soon be produced on the big screen starring Anne Hathaway), InterAct Theatre Company presents the Philadelphia debut of George Brant's GROUNDED.

Themes of this gripping play surround questions related to military use of drones, told through the compelling perspective of a woman at war.

GROUNDED won the National New Play Network's covetEd Smith Prize in 2012, which honors a new play that embraces themes of American politics, and was also short-listed for the Amnesty International Freedom of Expression Award.

"I saw one of the first readings of this play and found it utterly riveting," says InterAct's Producing Artistic Director, Seth Rozin. "It's a play I've been wanting to bring to Philadelphia, and we couldn't be more pleased open our first full season at The Drake with this terrific piece of writing."

At InterAct, Brant's enthralling solo female piece features local powerhouse actress Kittson O'Neill in the role of The Pilot.

Performances are September 30 - October 23 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 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).

GROUNDED follows a daring fighter pilot whose unexpected pregnancy results in her reassignment to the "Chair Force" - piloting military drones in the middle of the Nevada desert. By day, she hunts enemy combatants with signature dexterity and ferocity. By night, she enjoys a quiet family life in suburbia. But as the pressure to track a high-profile target mounts, the boundaries begin to blur between the desert in which she lives and the one she patrols half a world away.

During the run of GROUNDED, InterAct is proud to be working with Warrior Writers, a national non-profit created to promote a culture that articulates veterans' experiences, build a collaborative community for artistic expression, and bear witness to war and the full range of military experiences. Artwork created by veterans will adorn the walls of The Proscenium Theatre lobby through the run of the show, and an event on Saturday October 8th (from 6:30 - 7:00 pm) will feature readings from veterans, prior to that evening's performance. This event launches a week of discounted tickets for veterans and active military. From October 8 - October 15, veterans and active military with ID will receive tickets at the discounted price of $18 in advance or at the door.

After opening night (October 5), InterAct presents special post-show audience conversations and events. Coffee Conversations occur on Tuesday and Wednesdaynights, featuring informal discussions with the artists. Speaker Sundays, which follow matinee performances, are curated conversations led by invited scholars, community leaders, and experts in the themes of the play. In addition, this season features added audience discussions after every other performance during the run (not including previews). These will be peer facilitated to help foster conversation after the show. All are welcome.

Kathryn MacMillan (Director) is a freelance director and the Associate Artistic Director of Lantern Theater Company. She has directed fifteen shows for the Lantern, including the recent Photograph 51, Arcadia, The Beauty Queen of Leenane (named Best Production of the 2012/13 season by Philadelphia Weekly), Uncle Vanya, The Breath of Life (Barrymore nomination: Outstanding Overall Production of a Play), and The Hothouse (Barrymore nominations for Direction & Outstanding Production). Regional credits include Inis Nua, Flashpoint, Villanova University, and several shows for Theatre Horizon, including I Am My Own Wife (Barrymore winner, The Virginia Brown Martin Philadelphia Award & nods for Direction & Outstanding Production). She recently appeared as an actor in Philadelphia Artists' Collective's The Fair Maid of the West. Upcoming: Underneath the Lintel (Lantern) and Fully Committed (Theatre Horizon). KC is thrilled to be working with InterAct for the first time.

Playwright George Brant is the author of numerous plays produced nationally and internationally by such companies as Trinity Repertory Company, Cleveland Play House, City Theatre, Gate Theatre of London, Page 73, Unicorn Theatre, SF Playhouse, American Blues Theatre, Contemporary Drama Festival of Hungary, the Drama League, the Disney Channel, and Factory Theatre, among others. His plays have been generously developed by many organizations including the Kennedy Center, Asolo Rep, the McCarter Theatre Center, New Harmony Project, Playwright and Director Center of Moscow, New Jersey Rep. George is the recipient of the David Mark Cohen National Playwriting Award from the Kennedy Center, the 2012 Smith Prize, the Keene Prize for Literature and many others. He has received writing fellowships from the James A. Michener Center for Writers, the McCarter Theatre Center, the MacDowell Colony, the Djerassi Resident Artists Program, and the Blue Mountain Center as well as commissions from Trinity Repertory, Theatre 4, and Dobama Theatre. George received his MFA in Writing from the University of Texas at Austin and is a member of the Dramatists Guild. He is published by Samuel French, Oberon Books and Smith & Kraus.

GROUNDED PERFORMANCE DATES & TIMES:

Friday, September 30, 2016 8:00 PM Preview

Saturday, October 1, 2016 4:00 PM Preview

Saturday, October 1, 2016 8:00 PM Preview

Sunday, October 2, 2016 2:00 PM Preview

Tuesday, October 4, 2016 7:00 PM Preview

Wednesday, October 5, 2016 7:00 PM OPENING NIGHT

Thursday, October 6, 2016 8:00 PM First Thursday/Young Professionals night

Friday, October 7, 2016 8:00 PM Post-show audience discussion w/ Directors Gathering

Saturday, October 8, 2016 8:00 PM Warrior Writers Program & Post-show audience discussion

Sunday, October 9, 2016 2:00 PM Speaker Sunday

Tuesday, October 11, 2016 7:00 PM Coffee Conversation

Wednesday, October 12, 2016 7:00 PM Coffee Conversation

Thursday, October 13, 2016 8:00 PM Post-show audience discussion

Friday, October 14, 2016 8:00 PM Post-show audience discussion

Saturday, October 15, 2016 8:00 PM Post-show audience discussion

Sunday, October 16, 2016 2:00 PM Speaker Sunday

Tuesday, October 18, 2016 7:00 PM Coffee Conversation

Wednesday, October 19, 2016 7:00 PM Coffee Conversation

Thursday, October 20, 2016 8:00 PM Post-show audience discussion

Friday, October 21, 2016 8:00 PM Post-show audience discussion

Saturday, October 22, 2016 8:00 PM Post-show audience discussion

Sunday, October 23, 2016 2:00 PM Speaker Sunday

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.