On Wednesday, October 29, 2008, at 7:00 p.m., InterAct Theatre Company opens its 2008/2009 Season with the East Coast premiere of Vincent Delaney's smart and funny new satire, THE WAR PARTY, an election-inspired peek into one women's rough and tumble crossing of today's political battlefield.

ABOUT THE PLAY
As the U.S. slowly crawls through the final weeks of a landmark election year that has offered up both Hillary Clinton's failed bid for the presidential nomination and Gov. Sarah Palin's hopeful, and often parodied, grab at the Vice Presidential ring, THE WAR PARTY is a play unprecedented in its timliness. From its recent World Premiere opening in Seattle, the play is gaining significant buzz for its humorously insightful look at the private turmoil within the public life of a modern politician. In a recent interview with the director of InterAct's production of THE WAR PARTY, Rebecca Wright, playwright Vincent Delaney clarified that the play was written well before either of this year's top female politcos launched their campaigns. Ahead of its time by mere months, Delaney says the idea for THE WAR PARTY was born out of his, ".fascination with women in politics. Their unique role - how does image factor in? Plus the obsessive drive of political animals. What are they, at heart? . What sane person would ever, ever want to run for office?" He further explained in an interview promoting a reading of the play a year ago that THE WAR PARTY, "examines the irony of isolation when you're surrounded by a million people."

THE WAR PARTY opens as the clock strikes 3:00 a.m. on election night. Campaign headquarters is outfitted for a huge celebration: streamers, posters, an over-abundance of olives. But the room is deadly quiet, because conservative Republican Laura Smith has lost her senatorial re-election bid - by a landslide. Deserted, depressed, and getting drunker by the second, Laura is thinking of cashing it all in. that is, until Jessie, one of her loyal and spunky interns, interupts her pity party and wrestles her, quite literally, back from the brink of political and personal demise. Helped along by a "spirited" debate with the ghost of Franklin Delanore Roosevelt, Laura is challenged to examine today's two-party political system and question why a politician's personal convictions must so often be set aside in order to successfully tow their party's line. In the end, THE WAR PARTY is a timely and provocative political satire featuring food fights, women kissing and the undeniably rousing force of FDR.

InterAct's staging of THE WAR PARTY is the play's second professional production. It's World Premiere opened just weeks ago on September 26, 2008 at the Seattle Public Theater, where reviewers have been praising it as, "edgy comedy . clever . packs a lot of heat . a careening political comedy-drama . that ponders the minefield that women in national politics must navigate . most winning when it fires off topical barbs . [Delaney has] the goods for straight, smart satire - skewering the hidden motives and smarmy maneuvers of all parties in the political fray" (M. Berson, Seattle Times). "Vincent Delaney's politically driven play is wonderfully atypical of political theater. While so many of his contemporaries have taken on the simple task of Bush-bashing, Delaney has written a much more complex story, providing insights into politics as both folly and inspiration. . [while retaining] the play's sincere sense of hope." (B. Aronowitz, Seattle Weekly) A "gripping new play . smart and funny . It isn't politicians' ideology that fascinates Delaney, but their drive" (G. Truzzi, Seattle Post-Intelligencer). "In Vince Delaney's topical drama, the question is raised: Do we ask women who run for office to be something more than human? . There's probably no better year than this one to perform this biting political drama" (The Daily Herald). A "first-rate political drama . thoroughly engaging . Delaney's writing is very smart, politically and historically astute, and always shaped into lines that spark from the stage . a long, dark journey into the essential balance between integrity and ambition that defines all our candidates and, in deeply personal ways, each of us" (Jerry Kraft, Seattle Actor).

Excerpts of the script of THE WAR PARTY and an interview with playwright Vincent Delaney are available online: www.interacttheatre.org.

DATES & TICKETS
THE WAR PARTY runs for 27 performances, October 24 - November 23, 2008, with preview performances October 24, 25, 26, 28 and Opening Night on Wednesday, October 29. Performances during InterAct Theatre Company's 2008/2009 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. All performances are held on the Mainstage of The Adrienne, 2030 Sansom St., Philadelphia, PA.

Tickets for individual performances, which are on sale now, are $15.00 for preview performances; $24.00 for performances Tuesdays through Thursdays; and $28.00 for performances Friday & Saturday evenings and Sunday matinees. InterAct offers discounts for senior citizens and full-time students (with valid I.D.). Group rates are available, and students with proper I.D. may purchase Rush Tickets for $10.00 five minutes before curtain (based on availability). Reservations or more information can be obtained by calling 215-568-8079, by dropping by the InterAct Theatre Company box office at The Adrienne, 2030 Sansom St., Philadelphia, PA, or by visiting InterAct Theatre Company's website at www.interacttheatre.org.

SPECIAL EVENTS DURING THE WAR PARTY
During the run of THE WAR PARTY, InterAct will host several post-performance talk-backs to encourage further discussion on the issues raised. Speaker Sundays, a series featuring invited scholars, community leaders and artists, are scheduled to follow matinee performances on Sunday, November 2, 9 and 16. Coffee Conversations, an informal discussion with the production's artists and designers, are scheduled to follow performances on Tuesday, November 4; Wednesday, November 5; Tuesday, November 11 and Wednesday, November 12. For a complete schedule of talk-back speakers, visit www.interacttheatre.org.

RELEVENT BIOGRAPHIES
Vincent Delaney (Playwright) is the author of many plays including THE ART OF BAD MEN, THREE SCREAMS, WRITER 1272 and KUWAIT, which won the Heideman Award from Actors Theatre of Louisville and the New Play Award from Sonoma Rep. Mr. Delaney's plays have been produced, commissioned and developed at the Guthrie, Cleveland Playhouse, ACT, Children's Theatre Company, the Humana Festival, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Magic Theatre, Woolly Mammoth, Empty Space, PlayLabs, Seattle Public, New Harmony Project, Pittsburgh Public, Florida Stage, InterAct Theatre Company, and Orlando Shakespeare Festival, among others. THE SEQUENCE, commissioned by the Guthrie, has been produced around the country and in the UK. ACCELERATION RED won the Lamia Ink contest and was produced by Harrogate Theatre and Brooklyn College. Mr. Delaney is the recipient of a Bush Fellowship, a McKnight Fellowship, a Jerome Commission, the Apsey Award, the Nathan Miller Award, and a grant from the Seattle Arts Commission. His work is published by Smith and Kraus, Heineman, Samuel French, Dramatics Magazine and Playscripts.com. He is a Core Writer at the Playwrights Center.

To read an interview with Vincent Delaney, the playwright of THE WAR PARTY, visit www.interacttheatre.org.

Rebecca Wright (Director) is a Philadelphia-based director and dramaturg. Ms. Wright's Philadelphia directing credits include HOLD PLEASE with Eternal Spiral Project, Larry Loebell's THE BALLAD OF JOHN WESLEY REED, and 2008 YOUNG VOICES for InterAct Theatre Company/Philadelphia Young Playwrights. She also assistant directed AN EMPTY PLATE AT THE CAFE DU GRAND BOUEF and SLEEPING BEAUTY with Whit MacLaughlin at the Arden Theatre, and BUG with Matt Pfieffer at Theater Exile. She has a BA from the University of Michigan and an MA in Performance and Culture from the University of London. She dramaturged InterAct's Barrymore-nominated production of HOUSE, DIVIDED last season and James MacLindon's SAVING GRACE at PlayPenn 2008. Ms. Wright is the Literary Director and resident Dramaturg at InterAct Theatre Company.

Susan Wilder (as Laura Smith) previously appeared on InterAct's mainstage in SINCE AFRICA. Ms. Wilder has worked on Broadway in KING LEAR (with Christopher Plummer), IVANOV (with Kevin Kline) and FAR EAST at Lincoln Center Theater. Her regional theatre credits include: Coconut Grove Playhouse, Walnut Street Theatre, Wilma Theatre (Barrymore Nomination for THE MAGIC FIRE), Arden Theatre (Barrymore Nomination for A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC), Studio Theatre (Washington D.C.), Philadelphia Festival Theatre for New Plays, Marin Shakespeare Company, Philadelphia Shakespeare Festival, and six years a member of The People's Light & Theatre Company. Her television and feature film credits include: "The Silence at Bethany" (American Playhouse - Christopher Award), "Perry Mason", "Spencer: For Hire", "Equal Justice", "The Petrified Forest" (CBS Live Broadcast), Big, Unbreakable and Universal Signs. As a teacher and text coach, she coached MEASURE FOR MEASURE at Theatre Couth Carolina as a Guest Artist of The Shakespeare Theatre Company in D.C. Ms. Wilder received her MFA from The Academy for Classical Acting at George Washington University.

Meghan Heimbecker (as Jessie) makes her InterAct debut with THE WAR PARTY. Ms. Heimbecker recently returned from performing in the musical QUILTERS with the Great Plains Theatre in Kansas. Locally, she has worked with Walnut, Wilma (Barrymore Nominee for MY CHILDREN! MY AFRICA! ), 11th Hour, Montgomery, Arden, Prince, Theatre Horizon and Seventh Sister. For more information on Ms. Heimbecker's work as an actress, director and teaching artist, visit www.meghanheimbecker.com.

Tim Moyer (as Franklin D. Roosevelt) celebrates his 17th production on InterAct's mainstage with THE WAR PARTY. Mr. Moyer most recently appeared at InterAct in last season's World Premiere production Seth Rozin's BLACK GOLD. A few of his previous shows with InterAct include A HOUSE WITH NO WALLS, REINVENTING EDEN, BLUE/ORANGE (also at Act II Playhouse), BLACK RUSSIAN, BEE-LUTHER-HATCHEE, as Richard Nixon in NIXON'S NIXON (also at Act II Playhouse), as Paul Barrow in the Barrymore Award-winning production of PERMANENT COLLECTION, and as director of InterAct's production of MAN MEASURES MAN. Mr. Moyer's most recent regional theatre credit was acting in Montgomery Theater's critically-acclaimed production of PICNIC. Mr. Moyer also appeared in an episode of "Hack," worked on the film The Village, and appeared in THE PHILADELPHIA STORY at the Walnut Street Theatre.

The design team for THE WAR PARTY includes Set Design by Dirk Durossett, Costume Design by Susan Smythe, Lighting Design by Maria Shaplin, Sound Design by Chris Colucci and Props by Amanda Hatch. The production will be Stage Managed by Joshua Lieberman, with Jessica Hurley serving as Assistant Director, Kia Feindt as Assistant Stage Manager and Britt Plunkett as Technical Director.

CONTINUING INTERACT'S 2008/2009 SEASON
In January 2009, InterAct Theatre Company and the National New Play Network present the World Premiere production of THE RANT, written by Andrew Case, directed by Seth Rozin, and featuring Kimberly S. Fairbanks, Elena Araoz, David Ingram and Aldo Billingslea. In THE RANT, an African-American teenager is fatally shot on his front porch in a crime-ridden neighborhood of New York City. Hysterical and wrought with grief, the boy's mother accuses the police of murdering her son. A woman of Persian ancestry, whose job it is to investigate police misconduct, begins to find contradictions in the stories presented by both the mother and various eye witnesses, including an African-American policeman on the scene. The "men in blue" close ranks around their beleaguered colleague. Accusations of racism and sexism poison the investigation, and the audience is led down a Rashomon-like journey in which the truth appears to be less and less accessible, while the world hurries to form opinions based on uninformed assumptions. THE RANT will be featured as part of the National New Play Network's Continued Life of New Plays Fund program, during which the play will be produced during the 2008/2009 seasons at New Theatre in Miami, FL, and New Jersey Repertory Company in Long Branch, NJ, in addition to InterAct's production. THE RANT runs on InterAct's mainstage from January 23 - February 22, 2009.

InterAct's season continues with the National New Play Network World Premiere of the new comedy, JIHAD JONES & THE KALASHNIKOV BABES, written by Yussef El Guindi. In JIHAD JONES, Ashraf is an actor who has just received rave reviews for his performance of Hamlet at a struggling theatre in Los Angeles. But he's only earning $200 a week and he's having trouble paying the bills. He needs his big break. A starring role in a Hollywood blockbuster. And that's just what his smarmy agent is offering: a feature film, big money, working for his favorite director and playing opposite his favorite tinsel town starlet. All Ashraf has to do is play the most stereotypically evil, fanatical Islamic terrorist ever to grace the silver screen. JIHAD JONES... follows Ashraf as he hilariously battles the infamous slippery slope, while balancing his personal ethics and cultural pride against his professional ambition. Featured as part of the National New Play Network's Continued Life of New Plays Fund, InterAct's production of JIHAD JONES was preceded by a production at Golden Thread Productions in San Francisco, CA, in June 2008, and will be followed by a third production at Kitchen Dog Theater in Dallas, TX, in May 2009. Directed by Seth Rozin, InterAct's JIHAD JONES & THE KALASHNIKOV BABES begins performances April 10 and runs through May 10, 2009.

InterAct's season concludes with the World Premiere of the new drama LITTLE LAMB. Written by Philadelphia playwright Michael Whistler, LITTLE LAMB is the first play to emerge from InterAct's new 20/20 New Play Commissioning program. LITTLE LAMB tells the story of Denny and José, a gay couple who want to be daddies and decide to adopt. They ask their adoption agent, Cathy, to help them procure a baby. Believing the couple would make great parents, Cathy finds Denny and José an African-American baby girl from Texas and the happy family begins their new life together. But when Cathy receives an unexpected visit from the birth mother, who has strong opinions about the placement of her daughter, Denny and José face the unthinkable and Cathy is forced to choose between her progressive values, her African-American heritage and her devout Christian beliefs. Featuring a cast that includes Ames Adamson, Cathy Simpson, and Kaci M. Fannin, who earned rave reviews in BLACK GOLD at InterAct earlier this season, LITTLE LAMB will be directed by Seth Rozin and will run from May 29 through June 28, 2009.

ABOUT INTERACT THEATRE COMPANY
Founded in 1988, InterAct is a theatre for today's world, producing new and contemporary plays that explore the social, political, and cultural issues of our time. InterAct's aim is to educate, as well as entertain, its audiences, by producing world-class, thought-provoking productions, and by using theatre as a tool to foster positive social change. Through its artistic and educational programs, InterAct seeks to make a significant contribution to the cultural life of Philadelphia and to the American theatre. To date, InterAct has presented 64 main stage productions, including 25 world premieres, 2 U.S. premieres, and more than 30 Philadelphia premieres. The company has received 37 Barrymore Award nominations and 12 Awards. InterAct's main stage productions have provided work for over 500 local artists.

In addition to the 4-play mainstage season, InterAct Theatre's major programming includes InterAction, an award-winning program of experiential workshops and residencies in area schools that utilize theatre as a tool to illuminate pressing social problems in the community; New Play Development, working closely with playwrights to develop plays that adhere to the company's mission; Writing Aloud, an award-winning series of Monday evening events in which short fiction by the region's best writers is read aloud by professional actors; and the Kaki Marshall Arts and Community Award, an annual fundraising event that recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the lively arts in Philadelphia.

Due to the nature of live theatre, play selection, performance and casting are subject to change.