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In partnership with
at the Studio City Branch Library
Presents
THE PRIZE WINNERS
A STAGED READING SERIES CONSISTING OF FIVE AWARD-WINNING PLAYS
THE PULITZER PRIZE FOR DRAMA
THE TONY AWARD® FOR BEST PLAY
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American Theatre Wing, TM
Barry Heins
ITC Artistic Director & Series Producer
Kristen Egermeier
ITC Managing Director & Series Producer
WIT
by Margaret Edson
Directed by
Rob Adler
Studio City Branch Library
January 11, 2024
2:00 PM
STARRING
(In order of their appearance)
VIVIAN BEARING, PH.D. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VELLA LOVELL
HARVEY KELEKIAN, M.D., MR. BEARING . . . . . BRENT JENNINGS
JASON POSNER, M.D. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SAMUEL GARNETT
SUSIE MONAHAN, R.N., B.S.N. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ALEXANDRA WRIGHT *
E.M. ASHFORD, D. PHIL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ANNE GEE BYRD *
LAB TECHS, STUDENTS, RESIDENTS . . . .ERRÒN JAY*, COLIN THOMAS JENNINGS*, MARY O'MALLEY*
Assistant to the Director and Stage Manager/ Dramaturg
BAIRTON BROWN
Poster & Media Design / Sound & Projection Design
BARRY HEINS
*Actors appear through an Agreement between Interact Theatre Company and Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
STUDY GUIDE
Bairton Brown's study guide for the play will be available on our website soon.
www.interactla.org
Enjoy free concessions courtesy of the Studio City Friends of the Library.
WIT is presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc., New York.
Produced in New York City by MCC Theater
Bernard Telsey and Robert LuPone, Executive Directors;
William Cantler, Associate Director, Long Wharf Theatre, and Daryl Roth,
with Stanley Shopkorn, Robert G. Bartner and Stanley Kaufelt.
Lorie Cowen Levy, Associate Producer, Roy Gabay, General Manager.
New York production originally premiered at Long Wharf Theatre, New Haven, Connecticut.
Doug Hughes, Artistic Director; Michael Ross, Managing Director.
Originally produced by South Coast Repertory,
David Emmes, Producing Artistic Director; Martin Benson, Artistic Director.
SPECIAL NOTE ON COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL
THE RUNAWAY BUNNY by Margaret Wise Brown, Copyright © 1942, Harper & Row, Inc., Copyright © Renewed 1970, Roberta Brown Rauch. Used by permission of HarperCollins Publishers.
THE DIVINE POEMS by John Donne, edited by Helen Gardner. Used by permission of Oxford University Press.
Special Thanks To
Los Angeles Public Library
Steve Orozco
Vu Le
The Library Foundation
for helping the Exploration & Creativity Department
manage the L.A. Made Fund
Colin Thomas Jennings
Friends of the Studio City Library
The Pulitzer Prize Board
Actors' Equity Association
Noho Copy and Print
David Elzer/ DEMAND PR
Tracy Lilienfield, CSA
ITC Board of Directors
Barry Heins, President
Anthony Wofford, Vice-President
Carol Doehring, Treasurer
Kristen Egermeier, Secretary
INTERACT SALUTES OUR GENEROUS DONORS
Partners
CAPLIN FOUNDATION
CAROL DOEHRING
KRISTEN EGERMEIER
BARRY AND TRACY HEINS
LOS ANGELES DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS
LOS ANGELES COUNTY ARTS COMMISSION
LOS ANGELES PUBLIC LIBRARY
UCLA SCHOOL OF LAW/ CLAFI
FRIENDS OF THE STUDIO CITY LIBRARY
Sponsors
DAVID BRYANT
W. COLIN McKAY
JONATHAN MERSEL AND MARION PETERS
JOEL ZWICK
Supporters
Anonymous
Annie Abbott
Rob Adler
Dave Beazley
Mary Lou Belli
Nancy Boykin
Rob Brownstein
Amanda Carlin and Fred Sanders
Thomas Cavanaugh
Jeffery Chernin and Peter Nardi
Larry Corsa
Robyn Cohen
Beajoir Days
Laurie Dowling
Stephanie Erb and Arthur Hanket
Peng Thim Fan, M.D.
Don Fischer
Zia Garcia
Dennis Gersten
Wendy Graf
Stephanie Erb and Arthur Hanket
Steve Heisler
Andrew Heins
Jason Henkel
Elizabeth and Christopher Herron
Steve Heisler
Andrew Hill Newman and Leslie Hicks
John Hugo
Gregory Jennings
Anita Khanzadian
Maurine Kornfeld
Paul Lazarus
Terry Lilienfield
Yuri Lowenthal
Miguel Mireles
Kenneth Meseroll
Michael Modecki
Eric Mokover
Miguel Mirerles and Clara Neves-Mireles
Oliver Muirhead
Mary O'Malley
John Penzenas
Tracy Powell
Cynthia Paskos
Michael Peretzian
Triva Ponder
Francesca P. Roberts
Jim Rash
Jill Rogosheske
Stephanie Satie and Rick Friesen
Marc Valera
Steve Vinovich
Anthony White
Lara Wickes
Willow Cabin Productions
Barbara Fay Wilks
Alexandra Wright
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THE PULITZER PRIZE WINNERS
is made possible in part by a grant
from the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.
Please consider making a tax-deductible gift to
Interact Theatre Company
and help us keep us going strong.
Our mission is to:
• Nurture professional
performing artists
• Provide a forum for educational
and cultural enrichment
• Bring arts education to underserved youth
at little or no cost
• Make a positive and lasting impact
on diverse audiences of all ages
through the unique experience
of live theatre.
Donors will be gratefully acknowledged
in our programs.
ITC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
Federal Tax ID #93-1063357
Please click here to DONATE
Or use this QR Code
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Thank you!
Follow Us:
Who's Who
Cast
Creative Team
Barry Heins
Kristen Egermeier
Bairton Brown
Rob Adler
Margaret Edson
About Interact
”Invigorating."
”The Ensemble is first-rate."
“Exhilarating.”
"A DELECTABLY VERSATILE ENSEMBLE."
- Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times
"Together they form, in my view, the very best acting ensemble to be seen currently in Los Angeles."
- Cynthia Citron, Santa Monica Press
"A company of hard-hitting professionals, with a rare combination of heart and expertise."
-NoHo News
"Since its inception, INTERACT THEATRE COMPANY has become known as one of the most exciting theatrical hamlets in the urban forest."
- F. Kathleen Foley, Los Angeles Times
HISTORY
In January of 1989, actor and director Barry Heins invited fifteen friends – all experienced stage actors homesick for the New York theatrical community – to a weekly play reading group held in a vacant apartment in Sherman Oaks. Before long, a pool of forty actors was involved in readings that consisted of everything from classic plays to new plays and screenplays. The quality of the work attracted other theatre professionals eager to collaborate. Directors came to hear plays, as well as playwrights and screenwriters who arranged to hear these talented actors breathe life into their new scripts. Ten months later, the group became the exclusive tenants of Theatre Exchange in North Hollywood, and Interact was born. On May 1, 1992, the company formally incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit theater.
Interact’s loyal and supportive audience has followed the company to various stages and venues in the San Fernando Valley, the Westside, and Downtown LA, enjoying more than forty full-scale productions of plays and musicals since its founding. Interact also presents high-quality free or low-cost community programming, such as its lauded summer arts education program for underserved youth, hundreds of workshops, fundraisers and special events, and, to date, over a thousand public play readings.
AWARDS
ITC has received 95 performance and production awards (175 nominations), including Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle, Ovation, Stage Raw, Garland, LA Weekly, Telly, and NAACP Awards.
Meet the Company
Anne Gee Byrd
Samuel Garnett
Vella Lovell
Vella Lovell currently stars opposite Joel McHale in the Fox comedy series ANIMAL CONTROL. She previously starred alongside Ted Danson and Holly Hunter in the Tina Fey-produced comedy MR. MAYOR for NBC. Vella earned a 2021 HCA TV Award Nomination for her performance as ‘Mikaela Shaw’ the Chief of Staff on the show. Prior to this, Vella was known for her series regular role as the sarcastic voice of reason ‘Heather Davis’ on all four Seasons of CW’s CRAZY EX-GIRLFRIEND, and in Hulu’s DOLLFACE as Kat Dennings’ over-the-top co-worker ‘Alison S.’ On the film side, she recently starred in the MTV holiday parody movie A CLÜSTERFÜNKE CHRISTMAS from Rachel Dratch and Ana Gasteyer and appeared in smash hit THE BIG SICK opposite Kumail Nanjiani. In the animation world, she was the voice of ‘Mermista’ in the Netflix series SHE-RA AND THE PRINCESSES OF POWER, which was a 2020 Critics’ Choice Nominee. Originally a graduate from the Juilliard School, Vella appeared on stage in Pulitzer Prize Winner Lynn Nottages' By The Way, Meet Vera Stark, as ‘Lady Macbeth’ in an adaptation of Macbeth, and in The Bacchae at Shakespeare in the Park.
Erròn Jay
Brent Jennings
Colin Thomas Jennings
Mary O'Malley
Alexandra Wright
Barry Heins
Most recently, Heins helmed the critically acclaimed Los Angeles premiere of Aaron Posner's "Life Sucks" at the Broadwater Main Stage, garnering a coveted spot on L.A. Times' theater critic Charles McNulty's "Top 9 List of 2023" and seven L.A. Drama Critics Circle award nominations (winner: Best Ensemble and Best Writing – Adaptation).
A graduate of The Juilliard School and alumnus of The Acting Company, he has appeared on Broadway and Off-Broadway, at leading regional theaters across America, and in film and TV. Notable Los Angeles stage credits include "Much Ado About Nothing" at the Ford Theater (Drama-Logue Award, Outstanding Performance) ITC's famed production of "Counsellor-At-Law" with John Rubinstein (Ovation Award, Best Ensemble), the 2018 ITC revival of Jerry Sterner's "Other People's Money," and the company's West Coast premiere of the Mark Rylance & Louis Jenkins comedy, "Nice Fish." He has worked extensively as a voice-over artist, lending his talents to everything from film trailers to political ads, and has been a dialect consultant on Broadway and for PBS. Heins has served on the faculties of several professional actor training conservatories, including NYU Tisch School of the Arts/Playwright's Horizons Theater School and SUNY Purchase College. His producing credits at Interact include curating three multi-month staged readings programs for Los Angeles Public Library's LA Made cultural enrichment program: "The Tony Award® Winners," showcased worldwide on BroadwayOnDemand.com during the pandemic, and two Pulitzer Prize-winners series (dir: "You Can't Take It With You," "The Great White Hope," and "Driving Miss Daisy"). Heins produced and directed two impactful short films for ITC, "Faultless" and "Just Another Birthday in Bedlam," which garnered international recognition and multiple honors at prestigious film festivals, including a 2021 Bronze and 2022 Gold Telly Award. Both films can be enjoyed on ITC's official YouTube channel, @InteractTheatreCompanyLosAngeles.
Kristen Egermeier
Kristen is thrilled to continue her work with ITC as the new Managing Director. While she is a trained Actor first, Kristen has served as operational support for theatres across the county for the past 15 years. She has also produced, written, and managed multiple productions on stage and film. As a graduate of Cal State University, Northridge with a BA in Theatre Arts and a minor in Chemistry, her well-rounded education has combined her love of theatre with her organizational business skills.
After working and studying with multiple theatre companies back east, she returned to Los Angeles to dive further into her roles as an actor and operational consultant, with an emphasis on nonprofit organizations. Kristen has aided in administratively supporting and developing multiple theatre and community programs.
Her 20 years of experience in management and hands-on roles in accounting, data analytics, editorial writing, and operations management have created her specialty in working with small businesses and nonprofit organizations to develop business practices and streamline financials. A background in industries outside of the theatre world includes environmental research and services, federal and state government services, manufacturing, and GIS data services.
Bairton Brown
Bairton Brown (he/they) is a multiracial, award-winning filmmaker and theatre practitioner. A 2023 Next-Up Playwriting Fellowship at Congo Square Theatre, Bair’s full-length play, “THE PLAY GROUNDS, or MOMENTO VIVIERE” received staged readings in Chicago, Denver, and Hollywood Fringe Festivals. Bair currently works as a writer and first AD for the web series BLACKSIDE. Bair also works as head writer for Syllble Studios’ multimedia series, BLACKTOPIA. Book One will be published on Amazon in 2024. BFA from DePaul University, MA from New York University. Media: @BairtonBrown | Bairbrown.com | stonehavenstudios.org
Rob Adler
Margaret Edson
Margaret Edson lives in Atlanta, Georgia, where she is an elementary school teacher. Between earning degrees in history and literature, she worked in the cancer and AIDS unit of a research hospital. WIT is her first play.
ITC's Ongoing Programs
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COMING SOON
UCLA SCHOOL OF LAW
Staged Readings Series
24 Years
2024 marks Interact's 24th season of performing at least
one staged reading each semester.
Co-hosted by the Center for Liberal Arts and Free Institutions (CLAFI), the staged readings aim to evoke discussion of the ethical and societal issues raised in the plays, stimulate interdisciplinary consideration of the law and the humanities, and, of course, entertain.
View the schedule at interact.org/programs/ucla
ITC PLAY LAB
Playwrights and screenwriters present new works for public readings performed by the ITC Ensemble and guest artists.
Lab Director Anita Khanzadian moderates audience discussion following the readings.
Free and open to the public.
No RSVP is required, but arrive
early to ensure admission.
View the Play Lab schedule at interact.org/programs/playlab.
Dramaturgical Materials - by Bairton Brown, Assistant Director/Stage Manager/Dramaturg
Click here to learn more about the play.