AMITYVILLE '74 Comes to InterACT Next Month

Acclaimed playwright Tommy Jamerson brings "Amityville '74," an original play inspired by the true story of the DeFeo murders, to the interACT stage, directed by Nicholas J. Clarey, with original music by Eddie Bean. The world premiere play tells the story of 23-year-old Ronnie "Butch" DeFeo Jr., eldest of the DeFeo children, who confessed to the murder of his entire family. Were these murders the springboard for the events that would take place in the house in the future, or were the DeFeos just another of the house's unsuspecting victims?

Tommy Jamerson's most recent original plays, "This is Our Story: A Coming Out Anthology, co-written with Director Nicholas J. Clarey, and "Murderous Innocent," premiered this summer of 2021. "Murderous Innocent" was part of the DUAF Festival in NYC and the production of "This Is Our Story..." acted as a fundraiser for the local LGBT RAIN Foundation, which helps house displaced LGBT Youths.

Tommy was born in North Carolina and raised in Northwest Indiana. He graduated from Indiana State University with a concentration in playwriting and directing. While there, he was presented with the Angel of the Year: Humanitarian Scholarship, writing for Indiana's Gender Hate and Violence Conference. His children's plays, "The Big, Bad Bullysaurus," "Princess Pigface," "Choose Your Own Oz," "Once Upon a Pine: The Adventures of Pinocchio" and "Alice the Brave & Other Tales from Wonderland," have all received numerous productions around the globe. Other notable works include his one-act campy comedy, "Rags to B***hes: A Battle of Wits & Wigs," which originally starred RuPaul's Drag Race alum, Alexis Michelle. His full-length comedy, "Eternal Flamer! The Ballad of Jessie Blade," played at the historic Cherry Lane Theatre in the West Village, and his piece "love/fantasy" won the Buckham Alley Theatre of Michigan's Award of Excellence and was named Audience Favorite during the 17th annual Downtown Urban Arts Festival in NY, NY. Tommy returns to interACT after creating the stage adaptation of "House on Haunted Hill," commissioned by interACT and produced in 2019. Tommy holds an MFA in Playwriting from the University of New Orleans and resides in Caldwell (NJ) with his husband, Mark, and their dog, Darby. Tommy is a proud member of the Dramatists Guild.

"Amityville '74" is directed by acclaimed director Nicholas J. Clarey, Artistic Director of interACT Theatre Productions. Hailing from Pittsburgh, PA, He worked with and founded several theatre companies across the Northeast and served as Theatre Education Program Director at Dryden Schools near Ithaca, New York, before landing in NJ where he assumed the helm of interACT in 2012. Nicholas' and interACT's work has been repeatedly recognized by the NJ Perry Awards, Broadway World, and the Essex County Local Arts Program. Nicholas is thrilled to be partnering, once again, with Tommy Jamerson after mounting the successful "House on Haunted Hill" in 2019.

The show is brought to life by Harper Allen, Masen Chen, Johanna Erickson, Nat Gennace, Pierce V. Lo, Madeline Machado, Menta Marley, Marcy Orloff Prastos, Jose A. Rivera, Sarah-Elisabeth Stein, Karen Thornton, Miguel Vega, Barbara Velazquez, Timothy Wagner and Tasha R. Williams. Behind the scenes talent includes Alicia N. Fink-Stage Manager, Maryann Galife Post-Producer, Felicity D. Selby-Production Manager, Katie Claire-Fight Choreographer, Isaiah Abdul-Qawi-Asst Stage Manager and Props Director, Lisa Tasch-Asst Props Director, Dan Schultz-Costumer, Alexander post-Sound Designer, and Celeste Post-Media Director.

interACT will bring "Amityville '74" to life at the Burgdorf Center for the Performing Arts Friday & Saturday, October 8-9, 15-16, 22-23 at 7:30PM, and Sunday, October 10 & 17 at 4PM. Tickets are $12-$22 and are on sale now. Tickets may be purchased online at a discounted rate, or at the door on the day of the performance at full price.