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Cast

Creative Team

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 (168 nominations), including Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle, Ovation, Stage Raw, Garland, LA Weekly, Telly, and NAACP Awards.
 

Meet the Company

Amanda Carlin

Daisy Werthan

AMANDA CARLIN is a founding member of Interact., where leading roles include RECKLESS (Rachel), INTO THE WOODS (The Witch), OUR TOWN (Mrs. Gibbs), URINETOWN, The Musical (Penelope Pennywise), and OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY (Bea). Amanda's career began with featured roles OFF- and on BROADWAY in revivals of MAJOR BARBARA, THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER, and THE FRONT PAGE, and the original productions of THE DINING ROOM and THE HEIDI CHRONICLES. Regionally, she performed in multiple works by both Christopher Durang and A.R. Gurney, Jr.. After moving to the West Coast in the 1990s, REGIONAL THEATRE credits included a season at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, multiple productions at The Pasadena Playhouse, and South Coast Rep. She was Pacific Opera Project's "Mrs. Lovett" in their 2012 critically acclaimed SWEENEY TODD. TELEVISION guest-star turns include Grace & Frankie, The Rookie, Lost, The West Wing, Without A Trace, Bones, Friends (recurring role of Rachel's OB/GYN), and many, many others. Some feature FILMS: Like Crazy, Seven Pounds, The Superhero Movie!, and Passion Fish. Representation: Greene & Associates Talent Agency. She has narrated over 40 audiobooks (find titles on audible.com) and is an accomplished painter.

Neal Bledsoe

Boolie Werthan

Neal Bledsoe is an actor, writer, director, artist, and journalist. On TV his credits include Shameless, The Man in the High Castle, The Last Tycoon, The Mysteries of Laura, Smash, Ironside, Timeless, Ugly Betty, and many more. On the big screen, he most recently starred in the western Soldier’s Heart opposite Val Kilmer, and along with turns in Revolutionary Road and Sex and the City 2, has won several awards for his work in independent features, such as Junction, West End and After The Sun Fell. On stage he starred in Michael Arden’s production of The Pride at The Wallis Annenberg (Ovation nom.), he originated the role of The Count in Stephen Wadsworth’s The Figaro Plays at the McCarter Theater, played the title role in Antony and Cleopatra at Penn Shakes, and worked with Jeremy Irons, Joan Allen, Andre De Shields, Marsha Mason and Jack O’Brien on Broadway in Impressionism. He is also a journalist, whose work has appeared in Variety, Men's Health, and Sports Illustrated, where he has contributed since 2014. His series The Delicate Moron chronicles his attempt to play pro football for the LA KISS, the now-defunct Arena League team once owned by Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons. Find him Substack at Perforative Outrage. As an artist, he has collaborated with Jon Kessler on his work The Web in New York City and Basel, Switzerland, and also with the avant-garde artist Mark Flood in Austin, TX. He is also a filmmaker, author, poet, plays the occasional Christmas Prince, and was once even an Old Spice man. He is a proud graduate of UNCSA’s School of Drama (BFA ’05) and a member of The Actors Center.

Michael A. Shepperd

Hoke

Michael is just happy to be here. Broadway/Regional credits include Cathy Rigby’s Peter Pan, The Seafarer, Little Shop of Horrors, Caroline, or Change, Whipping Man. TV: Bosch, Why Women Kill, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Soul Man, Hot In Cleveland, Wizards of Waverly Place, Monk, Criminal Minds, NCIS. LA stage: Matilda, The Producers (Ovation Award nom), Fences (Ovation, LADCC noms), BootyCandy (LADCC nom, Ovation and Stage Raw Awards), The Color Purple (Ovation Award), Steel (Ovation Award), Master Harold and the Boys ( NAACP Theatre Award nom), Intimate Apparel (NAACP Theatre Award), Choir Boy (NAACP nom), and Shout Sister Shout. A few of his LA directing credits are The Boy From Oz (Ovation Award, LADCC Award, Best Director), Rotterdam (LADCC Award Best Production, Stage Raw Award for Best Production and Best Director nom, West Addams, (LA Times Critics Choice), Laughter on the 23rd Floor (Director of the Year, Scenie Award, Broadway World nom, Best Director) The View Upstairs (Broadway World Award, Best Director), Sucker Punch, Too Heavy for Your Pocket (LA Times Critics Choice), The Next Fairy Tale, [title of show], and Rent.

Alfred Uhry

Playwright

Alfred Uhry is the only playwright ever to win the Triple Crown: an Oscar, a Tony, and a Pulitzer Prize. He began his career as a lyric writer under contract to the late Frank Loesser. In that capacity he made his Broadway debut in 1968 with HERE'S WHERE I BELONG. He then wrote the book and lyrics for THE ROBBER BRIDEGROOM and was nominated for a Tony Award. He followed that with five re-created musicals at the Goodspeed Opera House. In 1987 his first play, DRIVING MISS DAISY, opened at Playwrights Horizons Theatre in New York. It was subsequently moved to the John Houseman Theatre, where it ran for over 1300 performances. The play earned many awards, including the Outer Critics Circle Award and the 1988 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. For the film version, he won an Academy Award and the film itself was voted Best Picture of the Year. Other films include "Mystic Pizza" and "Rich in Love." Mr. Uhry's second play, LAST NIGHT OF BALLYHOO, which was commissioned by the Cultural Olympiad for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, opened on Broadway in February 1997. It has been chosen Best Play by the American Theatre Critics Association, The Outer Critics Circle, and the Drama League, and the 1997 Tony Award. He worked on PARADE, a musical play about the Leo Frank case, with music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown and directed by Harold Prince. His film projects include a new adaptation of "Dodsworth" for Time Warner, "Cut Flowers" for Miramax, and "Taft," commissioned by Morgan Freeman.

Barry Heins

Director, ITC Artistic Director, and Series Co-Producer

Most recently, Heins produced and directed the hit Los Angeles premiere of Aaron Posner's "Life Sucks" at the Broadwater Main Stage to wide critical acclaim, earning a coveted spot on the Los Angeles Times' "Top Nine List" of 2023. 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. Los Angeles stage credits include Much Ado About Nothing at the Ford Theater (Drama-Logue Award, Outstanding Performance) and the critically acclaimed ITC productions of Counsellor-At-Law with John Rubinstein (Ovation Award, Best Ensemble), Other People's Money, and the West Coast premiere of the Mark Rylance 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). At ITC, Heins also produced and directed two impactful short films written by Catherine Butterfield, 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 are available on ITC's official YouTube channel, @InteractTheatreCompanyLosAngeles.

Kristen Egermeier

ITC Managing Director and Series Co-Producer

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

Assistant to the Director/Stage Manager/Dramaturg

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

ITC's Ongoing Programs

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 purpose of the staged readings is 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.

The readings are free and open to the public. 

COMING MAY 20TH:

THE CAINE MUTINY COURT-MARTIAL
BY HERMAN WOUK

DIRECTED BY ROB BROWNSTEIN

View the schedule at interact.org/programs/ucla

ITC PLAY LAB & PLAY READINGS

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.
Select Wednesday evenings at 7:30 PM
at
Lankershim Arts Center
5108 Lankershim Blvd. | North Hollywood, CA 91601

PLAY READING ON FEBRUARY 21st
SAVAGE WORLD
by Stephen Fife
Directed by Rob Brownstein

View the schedule at interact.org/programs/playlab




 

Dramaturgical Materials - by Blairton Brown, Assistant Director/Stage Manager/Dramaturg

Click here to learn more about the play.
 

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