InterAct Theatre Company: THE WAR PARTY

InterAct Theatre Company's East Coast Premiere of THE WAR PARTY by Vincent Delaney

It’s 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 Laura Smith, the prohibitive Republican favorite, has lost her Senate race - by a landslide. Suddenly without friends, and getting drunker by the second, Laura is thinking of cashing it all in… that is, until one of her loyal and spunky interns, Jessie, rescues her from the brink and wrestles her, quite literally, back to political life. THE WAR PARTY is a modern political parable about the limitations of the two-party system and a timely and provocative satire featuring food fights, women kissing and the undeniably rousing spirit of FDR.

The running time of THE WAR PARTY is approximately 75 minutes with no intermission.

THE WAR PARTY couldn't come at a better time in political history ... InterAct has been on a pretty good run lately ... picking plays ... [that] target the system itself. ... Director Rebecca Wright has a good feel for where these characters are going ... [and] retains a firm grip on the wheel. [Susan] Wilder's Laura is possessed of both iron spine and pliant flesh, a Republican Norma Desmond, and offers a fully realized portrait
of a woman cracking despite her best efforts. ... Heimbecker's Jessie ... craft[s] a decent facsimile of a young striver who finds herself way out of her depth. ... Dirk Durossett's set enhances the script's candidate-in-wonderland surrealism: a prosaic cinderblock wall falls away to reveal a hidden forest, while another opens up like a rabbit hole ... Heaven knows, there's been enough political talk for the past 18 months to put anyone off it for a long while. InterAct serves this one up as a palate cleanser before Tuesday's big entree."

“This is the play that asks...
what is it that makes women want to get down and dirty in politics?”

“much like the recent election, InterAct’s production showcased great performances of (nearly) unbelievable characters. [Susan] Wilder’s initially stately portrayal of Senator Smith quickly morphed into a thoroughly believable carping bitch. ... [Meghan] Heimbecker displayed impressive versatility ... she moves from shy and star-struck to suddenly eager and confident, finally becoming forceful and demanding, all the while dropping backhanded comments with gleeful glibness. ... The dialogue - laced with political punditry and enough references to past election battles to keep political junkies interested - feels reminiscent of David Mamet in its sharp, terse, tense dialogue”

“an absorbing discussion on the flaws and possibilities of our political system...
the questions the play asks ultimately transcend issues of gender...
[THE WAR PARTY] closes with a tentative optimism on our potential
to overcome the entrenched defects of our polarized system”

“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”

“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”

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”
- J. Kraft, Seattle Actor

’s plays include 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. His plays have been produced, commissioned and developed at the Guthrie, Cleveland Playhouse, ACT, Children’s Theatre Company, the Humana Festival, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, the Magic, Woolly Mammoth, the Empty Space, PlayLabs, Seattle Public, the New Harmony Project, Pittsburgh Public, Florida Stage, InterAct, and the 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. Vince is a Core Writer at the Playwrights Center.

is a Philadelphia-based director and dramaturg. Her 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/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. She is the literary director and resident dramaturg at InterAct Theatre Company.

Susan Wilder (Laura Smith) previously appeared on InterAct’s stage in SINCE AFRICA. Susan has worked on Broadway in KING LEAR (with Christopher Plummer), IVANOV (with Kevin Kline) and FAR EAST at Lincoln Center Theater. Regional 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. Susan received her MFA from The Academy for Classical Acting at George Washington University.

(Jessie) makes her InterAct debut with THE WAR PARTY. Meghan recently returned from doing 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. Visit www.meghanheimbecker.com for more information about Meghan’s work as an actress, director and teaching artist.

(Franklin D. Roosevelt) marks his 17th production at InterAct with THE WAR PARTY. Tim most recently appeared in last season's World Premiere production Seth Rozin's BLACK GOLD. A few of Tim's 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), as Paul Barrow in the Barrymore Award-winning production of PERMANENT COLLECTION, and as director of InterAct's production of MAN MEASURES MAN. Tim has 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.

During THE WAR PARTY, InterAct will host several post-performance talk-backs to encourage further discussion on the issues it raises.

Speaker Sundays, a series featuring invited scholars, community leaders and artists, are scheduled to follow matinee performances on:

Terry Graboyes
President & CEO of Graboyes Commercial Window Company
& 2006 Democratic Candidate for Philadelphia's 175th District

Following the 2nd and 3rd Tuesday and Wednesday performances of every play, we invite patrons to grab a brownie and a cup of joe, then join us for Coffee Converstaions, informal discussions with company artists. During THE WAR PARTY, Coffee Converstaions are schduled for Tuesday, November 4; Wednesday, November 5; Tuesday, November 11 and Wednesday, November 12.

SUN

MON

TUES

WED

THURS

FRI

SAT

OCTOBER

Preview

SOLD
OUT!

NOVEMBER

SEE 2 THOUGHT-PROVOKING
NEW PLAYS FOR ONLY $25.00*
(Preview Performances Only)
Or Attend Anytime For $45.00*

For only $25.00* per person, attend your choice
of any preview performance for each of the remaining 2 productions in InterAct's 2008/2009 Season.

*No other discounts apply. Price does not include service fee. After initial performance date selection, exchanges into higher priced performances will incur a per ticket upgrade fee. This offer is not applicable to previous purchases, is subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time.

Students with proper I.D. may purchase Student Rush Tickets for $10.00
five minutes before curtain (based on availability).

Special Senior and Student (with a valid I.D.), as well as Group Rates are also available.