Wednesday, October 24, 2007, 7:00 p.m., marks Opening Night of InterAct Theatre Company’s production of the Pulitzer Prize-nominated LAST OF THE BOYS, a smart, funny and mesmerizing new play speaks to pertinent issues of today while exploring what lessons remain to be learned from Vietnam. Written by Steven Dietz, one of America's most widely-produced playwrights and author of previous InterAct productions LONELY PLANET and GOD’S COUNTRY, LAST OF THE BOYS opens InterAct Theatre Company’s 20th Anniversary Season.

ABOUT THE PLAY
With increasing frequency, Americans are comparing the war in Iraq to the Vietnam War. Media reports and casual conversations across the country are filled with phrases like “noble cause,” “mistaken war,” “lack of preparation,” “quagmire,” “support our troops,” and “no exit strategy.” A whole new generation of veterans are streaming back from Iraq, carrying with them the physical injuries and the psychological scars of a conflict that has divided America as acutely as the rest of the world. Often forgotten or left behind, our veterans understand better than anyone the real price of war.

In LAST OF THE BOYS, Ben and Jeeter meet each summer at a desolate California trailer park, inextricably bound to one another by the time they served together in Vietnam. Jeeter is an associate professor at a small liberal college and a restless wanderer, regularly following the Rolling Stones so he can display his homemade sign urging them to “Just Stop.” Ben is a homebody who refuses to abandon his rusted-out trailer even though it sits atop a toxic waste dump. While Jeeter suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, Ben is haunted by the ghost of a fallen soldier and a lingering feeling of betrayal by the government. Ben and Jeeter’s boys-will-be-boys bond has stood the test of time for over 20 years, but when Jeeter’s young and unpredictable new girlfriend arrives on the scene with her opinionated mother in tow, time-tested rituals give way to confessions and self-discoveries... the past may finally be catching up with them at last. LAST OF THE BOYS is a fierce, funny and mesmerizing character study that speaks to America’s situation in Iraq by revealing the lessons still to be learned from Vietnam.

Audiences and critics alike have raved about LAST OF THE BOYS since it first premiered at Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre in September 2005. Hedy Weiss of the Chicago Sun-Times raved, “… highly recommended … blisteringly good … a master class in the art of acting.” Barbara Vitello in the Daily Herald gave it 4 out of 4 stars, enthusiastically calling it, “a stellar production.” Chris Jones of the Chicago Tribune exclaimed, “LAST OF THE BOYS most assuredly delivers … potent, moving and strangely wise …” Philadelphia’s own Toby Zinman, reviewing the McCarter Theatre production for City Paper, praised LAST OF THE BOYS as, “… passionate, funny, altogether knock-out … don’t miss it.”

DATES & TICKETS
LAST OF THE BOYS runs for 27 performances, October 19 – November 18, 2007, with preview performances October 19 - 23 and Opening Night on Wednesday, October 24. Performances during InterAct Theatre Company's 2007/2008 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.

Subscriptions for InterAct’s 20th Anniversary Season are available ranging from $54.00 to $97.00. Subscription information is available by calling 215-568-8079; by dropping by InterAct’s box office at The Adrienne, 2030 Sansom St., Philadelphia, PA; or by visiting InterAct’s website at www.InterActTheatre.org.

Tickets for individual performances, which are on sale now, are $15.00 for preview performances; $23.00 for performances Tuesdays through Thursdays; and $27.00 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). All performances take place at The Adrienne, 2030 Sansom Street, Philadelphia. 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.

ABOUT THE ISSUES
During the run of LAST OF THE BOYS, 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, October 28, and November 4 & 11. On October 28, the featured guest will be members of The Granny Peace Brigade of Philadelphia and on November 4, the guest will be Dr. Salman Akhtar, Professor of Psychiatry at Jefferson University. Coffee Conversations, an informal discussion with the production's artists and designers, sponsored by Whole Foods, are scheduled to follow performances on Tuesday, October 30, Wednesday, October 31, Tuesday, November 6 and Wednesday, November 7. For a complete schedule of talk-back speakers, visit www.InterActTheatre.org.

RELEVENT BIOGRAPHIES
Steven Dietz (Playwright) is a Seattle-based playwright and director. Since 1981, his twenty-plus plays and adaptations have been widely produced at regional theatres across the United States, as well as Off-Broadway. Mr. Dietz received the Kennedy Center Fund for New American Plays Award for both FICTION and STILL LIFE WITH IRIS, the PEN U.S.A West Award in Drama for LONELY PLANET, and the Yomiuri Shimbun Award (the Japanese Tony) for his adaptation of Shusaku Endo's novel, SILENCE. Other widely produced plays include INVENTING VAN GOGH, PRIVATE EYES, GOD’s COUNTRY, ROCKET MAN, THE NINA VARIATIONS, HALCYON DAYS, TRUST and HANDING DOWN THE NAMES. Mr. Dietz¹s award-winning adaptations include OVER THE MOON (from P.G. Wodehouse), FORCE OF NATURE (from Goethe), DRACULA (from Bram Stoker), PARAGON SPRINGS (from Ibsen), THE REMEMBERER (Joyce Simmons Cheeka), and GO, DOG. GO! (from P. D. Eastman, co-written with Allison Gregory). His plays have been translated into seven languages. International productions of his work have been seen in England, France, Germany, Japan, Russia, Austria, Sweden, Australia, Argentina, Peru, Singapore, Slovenia and South Africa. LAST OF THE BOYS, which received its 2005 World Premiere by Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago, was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in Drama. To read an interview with playwright Steven Dietz conducted by InterAct Literary Manager, Peter Bonilla, visit www.InterActTheatre.org.

Paul Meshejian (Director) is the Founding Artistic Director of PlayPenn, an organization that hosts an annual conference for the development of new plays in Philadelphia. For InterAct he directed last season’s SINCE AFRICA by Mia McCullough and has appeared in their productions of MASTERGATE and WHORES. He directed Bill Corbett’s HECKLER for 1812 Productions, Russel Davis and Jon Held’s TALES OF LUNACY, at Touchstone Theatre and Nancy Bagshaw-Reasoner’s TOUGH LOVE at Cheltenham Theatre, and a number of short plays for People’s Light and Theatre where he has been a company member since 1989. In addition to his work at PLTC he has performed with the Arden Theatre, Philadelphia Theatre Company and the Wilma Theater, among others. He has been nominated for the Barrymore award numerous times. His work has also been seen on film and television: Alan Rudloph’s Equinox, Terry Gilliam’s Twelve Monkeys, Bruce Charlesworth’s Private Enemy – Public Eye, The Final Patient and HBO’s Homicide; Life on the Streets and The Wire. In the 1980’s he was the founding artistic director of Stage One: Collaboration, a professional theatre in Minneapolis/St. Paul devoted to new and rarely produced works. Paul is on the Acting Faculty at University of the Arts and has also taught at Arcadia University. He has a long history of new play development as both actor and director in his 14 year relationship with The Playwrights Center in Minneapolis. He serves on the Board of Directors of the International Institute for Theatre Research and is a member of LMDA, Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas.

Dan Kern (Ben) previously appeared on InterAct’s stage as “Joe Kennedy” in ROSEMARY and the “Reverend Jeremiah Mears” in GOD’S MAN IN TEXAS. At other theaters in Philadelphia he’s appeared in MAGIC FIRE at the Wilma Theater, and DRAWER BOY at Act II Playhouse. Nationally, he's appeared as “Leontes” in A WINTER’S TALE (Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for “Outstanding Performance”) and “Volpone” in VOLPONE at A Noise Within. At the Mark Taper Forum as “Zhorzh” in THE WOOD DEMON, at South Coast Rep as “Salieri” in AMADEUS and The American Conservatory Theatre as “Eben” in DESIRE UNDER THE ELMS. Dan is head of the directing program at Temple University. Film and TV appearances include, Frasier, Profiler, The President’s Man, C-16, Star Trek: Voyagers and Melrose Place.

Jack Hoffman (Jeeter) was last seen at InterAct in Steven Dietz’s GOD’S COUNTRY. Other theatre includes LOVERS, KING LEAR, PLAYBOY OF THE WESTERN WORLD and VILLAGE WOOING (Lantern Theatre); SEX, DRUGS, ROCK & ROLL (Wilma); NITE CLUB CONFIDENTIAL (Philadelphia Area Rep); VISIONS OF CODY (Novel Stages); DR. JEKYLL & MR. HYDE (Vox). Films include: The Village, Runaway Bride, 12 Monkeys. Television includes “Hack” and “Sex and the City.”

Karen Peakes (Salyer) returns for her third show with InterAct. Previous shows were DRINK ME and JAMBULU. She has also participated in InterAct's Writing Aloud series. In the Philadelphia area, Karen has performed with People's Light and Theatre Company in Secret Garden, Once in a Lifetime, Man from Nebraska, Born Yesterday (Barrymore Nomination for Best Actress), and Humble Boy; Arden Theatre in 12th Night, Boxcar Children, and A Prayer for Owen Meany; The Walnut Street Theatre in Of Mice and Men; Act II Playhouse in The Lonesome West and Taking Sides; The Philadelphia Shakespeare Festival in Hamlet, As You Like It, and Othello, and others. Regionally, she worked with the Folger Theatre in Washington D.C. in Two Gentleman of Verona and Measure for Measure (Helen Hayes Award for Best production); The Boarshead Theatre in Michigan in Hamlet and Cripple of Inishmann; and The Peterborough Players in New Hampshire in Importance of Being Earnest, Wait Until Dark, Cherry Orchard, and A Doll’S House.

Susan Moses (Lorraine) recently participated in the 2007 PlayPenn reading series. Locally she has performed in productions of, among others, True West and After-Play at the Walnut Street Theatres' Studio Theater, Coupla White Chicks at Ripley's, and enjoyed a long run as Babs DeMarco in the Burgundy Theatre production of Shear Madness. Regional Credits include: Sleeping Arrangements at Theatre J in Washington, D.C. and Moon Over Buffalo at Bristol Riverside Theatre. Off-Broadway Credits: Yentl (Yiddish Premiere), From Door To Door, The Witch of Edmonton, Antigone, and A Comedy of Errors. Film & Television credits: Invincible; Killer Instinct; Mafioso...The Father, the Son; Breath; Seduction of the Will; Hack; Forensic Files; and As the World Turns.

David Strattan White (Young Soldier) returns to InterAct after appearing in 2004’s In The Heart of America. Recently, he has been seen in The Game of Love and Chance with Commonwealth Classics, a PlayPen workshop of Militant Language, Cloud 9 at the Wilma, Psychopathia Sexualis and Butterflies are Free at the Montgomery Theater, Masque of the Red Death with Wandering Rom and the Metropolitan Playhouse, and Balm in Gilead with the Maya Project. Film and TV credits include Hack and Rent Control. He teaches at the Walnut Street Theatre and Young Playwrights, and is a teaching artist for InterAct. His play, An Imperfect Sonnet, will be produced by the Cardboard Box Collaborative in February 2008. Davey received his MFA from Temple University.

The design team for LAST OF THE BOYS includes Set Design by Matt Saunders, Costume Design by Millie Hiibel, Lighting Design by Josh Schulman and Sound Design by Chris Colucci. The production will be Stage Managed by Michele Traub and Technically Directed by Andy Campbell.

CONTINUING THE 2007/2008 SEASON
InterAct continues its 20th season in January 2007, with the World Premiere production of BLACK GOLD, written by Seth Rozin, InterAct Producing Artistic Director and author of Barrymore Award nominated MISSING LINK and MEN IN STONE. BLACK GOLD is a darkly comic, futuristic struggle between an inner-city father and an oil-addicted America run amok. What happens when Curtis Walker, an African American man living in Detroit’s inner-city, purchases an oil rig on eBay and taps into one of America’s largest oil reserves right under his own back yard? This hilarious vaudevillian take on the not-too-distant future chronicles Walker’s discovery, as it precipitates a wild chain reaction that throws the world into turmoil, proving just how much America’s petroleum addiction keeps world events on edge. Will the newly-tapped resource lead to violence or prosperity? Will the poor get rich? Will the rich get richer? Will America’s economy skyrocket? Will the Middle East move toward unprecedented peace or unimaginable chaos? Six actors play over 80 roles in this fast-paced, futuristic satire of class, race and greed in a country that will go to dangerous lengths to keep the cheap crude flowing. The World Premiere production of BLACK GOLD will run January 24 through February 24, 2008.

Next in the season will be the Philadelphia Premiere of the world-wide smash hit drama FROZEN, by Bryony Lavery. A critical hit during its productions in London’s West End and nominated for four Tony Awards, including Best Play, on Broadway, FROZEN is the gripping psychological journey of three people whose lives are chillingly connected. Nancy, whose ten year-old daughter, Rhona, went missing 20 years ago, continues the daily balance between keeping hope alive and accepting the unthinkable. Ralph, convicted of Rhona’s murder, struggles with loneliness, unnatural urges and the possibility of remorse. Agnetha, a psychologist studying serial killers, attempts to understand the criminal mind, its motivations and total absence of personal responsibility. At once angry and compassionate, this eloquent drama ponders several complex and searing questions: What causes someone to commit horrific acts? Can understanding lead to absolution? Is it even possible to forgive that which seems unforgivable? A dark and hypnotic journey of rage and redemption, FROZEN will be directed by Whit MacLaughlin and will run April 4 – May 4, 2008.

The season concludes with the World Premiere production of HOUSE, DIVIDED, written by Philadelphia playwright Larry Loebell. Commissioned through a grant from the National Foundation for Jewish Culture, HOUSE, DIVIDED follows the complex and volatile challenges facing a Jewish American family broken apart over religion, politics and the state of Israel. The Goldstein family of Philadelphia is torn apart when older brother Louis decides to embrace Jewish orthodoxy and move to Israel during the height of the Vietnam war. Betrayed and bewildered, Louis’ younger brother Douglas builds a life around peace activism. Well over 20 years later, Louis is a retired officer of the Israeli army and Douglas is a Senior Director with Amnesty International. Divided by deep familial wounds and opposing religious and political beliefs, the two brothers are forced to re-engage one another when their sons, Oren and Paul, make surprising life decisions of their own. HOUSE, DIVIDED is a challenging and timely examination of family, faith and politics, and how the desire to distance ourselves from our past may only bring it closer to home in the future. Directed by Seth Rozin, HOUSE, DIVIDED begins May 23 and runs through June 22, 2008.

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.

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.