Interact Theatre Company presents
The Los Angeles Premiere of
LIFE SUCKS.

WRITTEN BY Aaron Posner
DIRECTED BY Barry Heins*
PRODUCED BY Barry Heins and Kristen Egermeier

CAST (In Order of Appearance)

Vanya … JOHN ROSS BOWIE*
Sonia … OLIVIA CASTANHO
Babs … ANNE GEE BYRD*
Pickles … LILY RAINS
Dr. Aster … MARC VALERA*
Ella … ERIN PINEDA*
The Professor … STEVE VINOVICH*

Standby (The Professor, Dr. Aster, Vanya)  … ANDREW HILL NEWMAN*

Music Performed by DYLAN GORENBERG (guitar) and MADISON LEINSTER (violin)

SCENIC DESIGN Evan A. Bartoletti*
LIGHTING DESIGN Carol Doehring
COSTUME DESIGN Michael Mullen
PROJECTION DESIGN Ly Eisenstein
SOUND DESIGN Joseph “Sloe” Slawinski
PROPS MASTER Eric Babb
INTIMACY CONSULTANT Lily Rains
STAGE MANAGER Gina DeLuca

POSTER IMAGE Jamie Phanekham
CARPENTERS Loren Davidson, Joe Seely
SCENIC PAINTERS Lisa Lechuga, Juan Loredo

PUBLICITY David Elzer, Demand PR
BOX OFFICE MANAGER Marcy Capoferri
USHER (FR & SA) Jenni House

*The actors are members of Actors' Equity Association, The Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States; the scenic designer is a member of United Scenic Artists Local USA 829 IATSE; the director is an associate member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, a theatrical labor union.

ADVISORY: A blank-firing prop replica gun is discharged during the second half of this play. Duration: 4 seconds. Noise: 90 dB.

Latecomers will be seated at the discretion of management. 
The video and/or recording of this performance by any means whatsoever is strictly prohibited.Please turn off all electronic devices such as cellular phones and watch alarms. The use of any recording device, either audio or video, and the taking of photographs, with or without flash, is strictly prohibited.

Wheelchair seating is available at this theater. Assisted listening devices are also available.

This production is supported in part by grants from The California Nonprofit Performing Arts Grant Program and by the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture, administered through Community Partners, and funded by the LA County Board of Supervisors through the Federal American Rescue Plan Act.

ITC STAFF
Barry Heins, Artistic Director
Kristen Egermeier, Managing Director
Marcy Capoferri, Box Office Manager
Anita Khanzadian, Play Lab Director

MISSION

Interact Theatre Company is dedicated to bringing bold and captivating ensemble works to the Los Angeles stage, crafting compelling performances that encompass both revered world classics and groundbreaking new American plays. By fostering partnerships with esteemed institutions such as the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs Performing Arts Division, the Los Angeles Public Library, and the UCLA School of Law, ITC delivers a diverse range of multi-faceted programming, including producing arts education initiatives that foster creativity and empower the futures of underserved youth. To ensure accessibility, most of our programs are either low-cost or free of charge, made possible through the generous support of the public, corporations, and government entities. Since 1992, the company has presented over forty full-scale productions of plays and musicals, resulting in an impressive record of 95 performance and production awards and 168 nominations, including prestigious honors from Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle, Ovation, Stage Raw, Garland, LA Weekly, Telly, and NAACP Awards. Join us in our mission to make a difference, empower communities, and shape a vibrant cultural landscape for all. Support our endeavors at https://www.interactla.org/donate, and together, let’s build a brighter future through the arts.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Barry Heins, President
Anthony Wofford, Vice-President 
Kristen Egermeier, Secretary
Carol Doehring, Treasurer

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 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 listen to 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 Theatre Company has garnered a loyal and supportive audience, following the company to different stages and venues across the San Fernando Valley, the Westside, and Downtown LA. The company has presented over forty full-scale productions of plays and musicals, resulting in an impressive record of 95 performance and production awards and 168 nominations. These accolades, which include prestigious honors from Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle, Ovation, Stage Raw, Garland, LA Weekly, Telly, and NAACP Awards, reflect the esteemed stature of Interact as a leading theatrical institution in the dynamic city of Los Angeles.

"Together they form, in my view, the very best acting ensemble to be seen currently in Los Angeles.”
                                                                                                                   
       – Cynthia Citron, The Santa Monica Press

ITC ENSEMBLE

ANNIE ABBOTT
MEGAN ZAKARIAN ADELL
ROB ADLER
MATTHEW ASHFORD
ERIC BABB
MARY LOU BELLI
CHIP BOLCIK
JOHN ROSS BOWIE
EVE BRENNER
ROB BROWNSTEIN
CATHERINE BUTTERFIELD
ANNE GEE BYRD
JAMES CALVERT
CATE CAPLIN
MARCY CAPOFERRI
AMANDA CARLIN
CHRISTINA CARLISI
OLIVIA CASTANHO
ROBYN COHEN
WILLIAM STANFORD DAVIS
EMILY DESCHANEL
CAROL DOEHRING
CHERISH MONIQUE DUKE
KRISTEN EGERMEIER
TATE ELLINGTON
STEPHANIE ERB
CHRISTINE ESTABROOK
DON FISCHER
DAVE FLOREK
RICK FRIESEN
DENNIS GERSTEN
JAMES GLEASON
WENDY GRAF
ARTHUR HANKET
BARRY HEINS
CAROLYN HENNESY
ELIZABETH HERRON
LESLIE HICKS
ISAAC JAY
JOHN HUGO
COLIN THOMAS JENNINGS
ANITA KHANZADIAN
SAMMI-JACK MARTINCAK
KENNETH MESEROLL
OLIVER MUIRHEAD
ROB NAGLE
ANDREW HILL NEWMAN
MARY O'MALLEY
DEBORAH PEARL
ERIN PINEDA
TRACY POWELL
LILY RAINS
FRANCESCA P. ROBERTS
JOHN RUBINSTEIN
FRED SANDERS
STEPHANIE SATIE
ALISON GINEBRA SHANKS
ROB SHAPIRO
TAMIKA SIMPKINS
MARC VALERA
STEVE VINOVICH
ALLAN WASSERMAN
ANTHONY WOFFORD
ALEXANDRA WRIGHT
TEZZ YANCEY
EMILY YETTER