GROUNDED
by George Brant
directed by Kathryn MacMillan
September 30 - October 23
Tuesday - Wednesday @ 7pm
Thursday - Saturday @ 8pm
Sunday @ 2pm
Cast
Kittson O'Neill THE PILOT
Production Team
George Brant Playwright
Kathryn MacMillan Director
NIck Embree Set Designer
Rob Kaplowitz Sound Designer
Masha Tsimring Lighting Designer
Jill Keys Costume Designer
Amanda Hatch Properties Designer
Dany Guy Production Manager
Stone Dog Studios Technical Direction
Tom Helmer Stage Manager/InterAct
Paige Zubel Assistant Dramaturg
GROUNDED is presented by special arrangement
with SAMUEL FRENCH, INC.
GROUNDED was first produced in a rolling World Premiere by SF Playhouse (California),
Borderlands Theatre (Arizona), and Unicorn Theatre (Missouri)as part of the National New Play Network's Continued Life program
The New York Premiere of GROUNDED was produced by Page 73 Productions
(Liz Jones and Asher Richelli, Executive Directors; Michael Walkup, Associate Director)
REVIEWS ARE IN!
'Grounded': Haunting tale of human detachment from warfare"
THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER - WENDY ROSENFIELD
'Grounded' with her heart in the sky
WHYY NEWSWORKS - HOWARD SHAPIRO
The Killing Screens
PHINDIE - CHRISTOPHER MUNDEN
GROUNDED at InterAct Theatre Company in Philadelphia
DC METRO ARTS - MARK FLOCCO
War as a Video Game
BROAD STREET REVIEW - MARK COFTA
'Grounded' by George Brant Delves into Drone Warfare and PTSD
BLOGCRITICS - ANASTASIA KLIMCHYNSKAYA
(Now being optioned as a major motion picture produced by and starring Anne Hathaway)
When an American fighter pilot becomes unexpectedly pregnant, she is reassigned to operate military drones from a windowless trailer outside Las Vegas. By day, she hunts terrorists with signature dexterity and ferocity. By night, she enjoys a quiet family life in suburbia. But as the pressure to track a high-profile target mounts, the boundaries begin to blur between the desert in which she lives and the one she patrols half a world away.
**Be Advised: This play describes acts of war, and may be triggering to those living with post-traumatic stress. If you have questions or concerns, please contact us at (215) 568-8079 or boxoffice@interacttheatre.org.
Please note: There will be a brief strobe lighting effect during the performance.
“ A searing piece of writing...gripping...a must-see. ”
InterAct partners with WARRIOR WRITERS
InterAct & Warrior Writers present the following events:
- Thursday, September 29 @ 8pm: Pay What You Can final dress rehearsal to benefit Warrior Writers.
- Saturday, October 8 @ 6:30pm: Warrior Writers presents a pre-show reading of poetry and prose written by veterans.
- Veterans and Active Military Week:
(From Saturday, October 8 to Saturday, October 15)
Single tickets for veterans and active military will be discounted to just $18. Contact our box office for more information. - Visit our lobby through the run of GROUNDED to view a selection of artwork created through Warrior Writers' workshops.
MEET THE CAST
KITTSON O'NEILL
GROUNDED marks Kittson's third appearance on stage at InterAct. She previously appeared in LIDLESS by Francis Ya-Chu Cowhig and DOWN PAST PASSYUNK by A. Zell Williams. Recent Philly appearances include Aphra Behn in OR with Hedgerow, Hannah Jarvis in ARCADIA with Lantern Theater Company and The Doctor in THE BODY LAUTREC with Aaron Cromie and Mary Tuomanen. Other notable Philly roles include Lee Miller in BEHIND THE EYE with Gas and Electric Arts, Janet in THE PRIDE OF PARNELL STREET for Act II Playhouse, and Rebbekah in NEW JERUSALEM, also for the Lantern. Other recent regional credits include Claire in the New York premiere of YOU ARE DEAD, YOU ARE HERE and Madame Duffee in EGGS at Peoples Light. Kittson has also worked at South Coast Repertory, The Public, Milwaukee Repertory, New Jersey Repertory, Seven Devil’s Playwrights Conference, Inis Nua, PlayPenn and many others. She has appeared in dozens of commercials, TV shows and films, including, 200,000 DIRTY (with Coolio), THOSE WHO KILL (with Chloe Sevigny), 478 (with Arnold Schwartzenegger) and OUTSIDERS (with David Morse). Recent directing credits include A KNEE THAT CAN BEND for Obriter 3 and THE WINTER’S TALE for Shakespeare in Clark Park. This season she is slated to star in INFORMED CONSENT for The Lantern, will direct UNCLE VANYA for Hedgerow, and CORIOLANUS for Shakespeare in Clark Park. She is the Artistic Associate of Interact Theater Company where she runs the Core Playwrights Program and is the Artistic Director of Shakespeare In Clark Park.
AUDIENCE DISCUSSIONS:
We are scheduling brief optional (20-30 minute) audience discussion sessionsin the theatre after every performance during the run (in addition to our usual coffee conversations and Speaker Sunday events). These discussions will befacilitated by local theatre artists and are included as an opportunity for our InterAct audiences to talk about what they experienced during the performance and connect about the themes this play reflects.
Think of the discussion as a short optional interactive second act.
SPEAKER SUNDAY - OCTOBER 16 with CATHY SANTOS
After the Sunday Matinee Performance of GROUNDED
Cathy Santos, is founder and executive director of the Philadelphia-based National Alliance of Women Veterans and has been nominated to both Department of Veteran’s Affairs Women Veteran’s Advisory Committee and Women Veterans’ Advisory Committee. Cathy has held various roles in the advancement of women veterans and a doctoral in Professional Counseling, MS in Economic Development and was trained in Foreign Policy and National Security by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton where she was certified by the White House Project. She is a published author of her memoir entitled: “A Desert Storm: A Memoir of A Woman Who Experiences Military Sexual Trauma”
PERFORMANCE DATES & TIMES:
Friday, September 30, 2016 8:00 PM Preview
Saturday, October 1, 2016 4:00 PM Preview
Saturday, October 1, 2016 8:00 PM Preview
Sunday, October 2, 2016 2:00 PM Preview
Tuesday, October 4, 2016 7:00 PM Preview
Wednesday, October 5, 2016 7:00 PM OPENING NIGHT
Thursday, October 6, 2016 8:00 PM 1st Thurs./Young Professionals
Friday, October 7, 2016 8:00 PM w/ Directors Gathering
Saturday, October 8, 2016 8:00 PM Warrior Writers & discussion
Sunday, October 9, 2016 2:00 PM Speaker Sunday
Tuesday, October 11, 2016 7:00 PM Coffee Conversation
Wednesday, October 12, 2016 7:00 PM Coffee Conversation
Thursday, October 13, 2016 8:00 PM Post-show audience discussion
Friday, October 14, 2016 8:00 PM Post-show audience discussion
Saturday, October 15, 2016 8:00 PM Post-show audience discussion
Sunday, October 16, 2016 2:00 PM Speaker Sunday
Tuesday, October 18, 2016 7:00 PM Coffee Conversation
Wednesday, October 19, 2016 7:00 PM Coffee Conversation
Thursday, October 20, 20168:00 PM Post-show audience discussion
Friday, October 21, 2016 8:00 PM Post-show audience discussion
Saturday, October 22, 2016 8:00 PM Post-show audience discussion
Sunday, October 23, 2016 2:00 PM Speaker Sunday