For Immediate Release: March 15, 2006
Media Contact: David Golston, InterAct Theatre Company, 215.568.8077

On Wednesday, April 12, InterAct Theatre Company marks Opening Night of its World Premiere production of REINVENTING EDEN, by Seth Rozin, a hard-hitting new drama which tells of an eminent scientist who must answer both to his family and the government for allegedly conducting unauthorized genetic experiments on his own son.

ABOUT THE PLAY
As advancements in biotechnology race ahead of our legal and ethical understanding, REINVENTING EDEN balances the innate human desire to give our children a better future against the arrogance of creating the perfect baby. Science has drastically expanded our capacity to both heal and manipulate ourselves, however the rapid advancements raise a multitude of complex questions: Should a line be drawn between therapeutic alterations (i.e. fighting diseases) and those that are essentially cosmetic (i.e. increasing height, talent)? Do humans have the right to "tamper" with the natural evolution of our species? Should the scientific community concern itself with the moral implications of its research, or is the advancement of knowledge more important than all other goals? REINVENTING EDEN tackles this revolution both skillfully and respectfully by exploring the personal and political implications of genetically engineering humans.

REINVENTING EDEN follows the family of an eminent geneticist, Jonas Tuttle, who is being honored with a major science prize while simultaneously being investigated for allegedly unauthorized experiments he conducted some twenty years earlier. Jonas' older son, Paul, has a genetically based mental disability and lives at home at the age of 26. Jonas' younger son, Jason, is a normal, healthy college graduate returning from Peace Core work in East Africa to see his father honored. As the government's investigation begin to expose the secrets of Jonas' top secret experiments, Jonas and his wife, Lizzie, are forced to tell their sons that the allegations are true. Jason's healthy mental state is, indeed, a result of Jonas' intervention. As the future of Jonas’ career rests in the outcome of the investigation, the entire Tuttle family must come to terms with the implications of their life-altering decision.

In a recent interview with InterAct Dramaturg, Larry Loebell, playwright Seth Rozin described what inspired REINVENTING EDEN, “I am fascinated by how people come to believe what they believe and what would directly challenge, or topple those beliefs. Manipulating our genes seems to be a line that most people simply don't want to cross. The underlying fear, I think, is the slippery slope. Hardly anyone would object to using a new technology to eradicate a debilitating disease in a child. In fact, there is a moral imperative to do anything we can to relieve that suffering. How are we going to negotiate that line? I wanted to put a face to this issue. I wanted to show a family - in this case, the first family - who crosses that forbidden line."

ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT
Seth Rozin (Playwright) may be best known as the Barrymore Award-winning Producing Artistic Director of InterAct Theatre Company. His previous two plays, Men of Stone (produced by Theater Catalyst) and Missing Link (produced by InterAct), garnered Barrymore Award nominations for "Outstanding New Play" in 2001 and 2002, respectively. He is the recipient of two playwriting fellowships from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, as well as a grant award from the National Foundation for Jewish Culture. REINVENTING EDEN was featured in the National New Play Network's National Showcase of New Plays in June, 2005, as well as a public reading series at Playwrights Theatre of New Jersey in 2004.

ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Harriet Power (Director/Dramaturg), M.F.A., is a professor of theatre at Villanova University, where she teaches acting, dramaturgy, and solo performance. Directing credits include Syncopation (Act II Playhouse), Dinner With Friends (English language theatre in Rome, Italy), Missing Link at InterAct Theatre (2002 Barrymore nominee for Outstanding New Play) and Measure for Measure at Philadelphia Shakespeare Festival (2001 Barrymore nominee for Outstanding Direction of a Play). She also shared the 1997 Barrymore Award for Best Direction with James Christy for Villanova's production of Angels in America. From 1995-1998, as Artistic Director of Venture Theatre, Ms. Power directed Moon for the Misbegotten, Fires in the Mirror, Mad Forest, and two world premieres. Nationally, she has worked extensively with new plays and playwrights at Bay Area Playwrights Festival, West Coast Playwrights, and Iowa Playwrights Festival.

ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
InterAct Theatre's World Premiere production of REINVENTING EDEN will feature Tim Moyer (as Jonas Tuttle), Nancy Boykin (as Lizzie Tuttle), Matt Pfeiffer (as Paul Tuttle) and Ahren Potratz (as Jason Tuttle). Also featured will be John Morrison (as Boris), Seth Reichgott (as Robert) and Kevin Bergen (as Corey). The design team for REINVENTING EDEN will include sets by Daniel Boylen, lighting by Jerry Forsyth, costumes by Cloe Fox Wind and sound by Kevin Francis.

REINVENTING EDEN runs for 27 performances, April 7 - May 7, 2006, with Opening Night on Wednesday, April 12. Performances are Tuesday and Wednesday evenings at 7:00 p.m., Thursday through Saturday evenings at 8:00 p.m., and Sunday matinees at 2:00 p.m. Single tickets (previews - $15, weekdays - $22, weekends - $25) are available through InterAct's box office by phoning 215-568-8079, by emailing Tickets@InterActTheatre.org, or online at www.InterActTheatre.org. InterAct offers discounts for seniors, students (with valid I.D.), and groups. All performances take place at The Adrienne, 2030 Sansom Street, Philadelphia.

MORE ON THE ISSUES
During the run of REINVENTING EDEN, InterAct will host several post-performance talk-backs to encourage further discussion on the issues raised. Speaker Sundays, a series featuring invited scholars, community leaders and artists, are scheduled to follow matinee performances on April 16, April 23 and April 30. For a schedule of guest speakers, call InterAct at 215-568-8079. Coffee Conversations, an informal discussion with the production's artists and designers, sponsored by Whole Foods, are scheduled to follow performances on April 18, 19, 25 and 26.

In addition, The Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania and InterAct Theatre Company present a dialogue about human gene therapy and genetic engineering, incorporating perspectives from the scientific to the religious, from the ethical to the practical, from the creative to the corporate. "Where Are We?" and "Where Are We Going?" will be held at 2:00-3:30 pm and 4:00-5:30 pm, respectively, on Saturday, April 29, 2006, on the mainstage at The Adrienne, 2030 Sansom Street. Panelists will include: Art Caplan, Director of the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania; Seth Rozin, playwright of REINVENTING EDEN; Lee Silver, Professor of Molecular Biology and Public Affairs at Princeton University; Susan Lindee, Professor of History and Sociology of Science at University of Pennsylvania; and James Wilson, Director of the Gene Therapy Program at University of Pennsylvania. The discussions are free and open to the public.

COMING UP NEXT AT INTERACT
The fourth and final production of InterAct Theatre Company’s 2005/2006 Season will be the Philadelphia premiere of SINCE AFRICA by Mia McCullough, running May 26 - June 25, with the official Opening Night on Wednesday, May 31, 2006. When Diane, a recently widowed socialite, and Reggie, an African American clergyman, clash over how to help one of the "Lost Boys of Sudan" acclimate to life in urban America, a host of conflicts arise. Committed to replacing old patterns with new involvements, Diane tries to balance the responses of her semi-estranged daughter and the strong pull she feels toward the scarred refugee. Along the way, each character’s attitudes about art, marriage, initiation rites, inheritance and therapy are pitted against the others to reveal how fundamentally different, yet unexpectedly similar, we all can be. In the end, SINCE AFRICA shows how four extraordinary people grapple with loss, identity, and the challenges of creating a new home. The Chicago Sun-Times called SINCE AFRICA, "a sensitive and deeply thoughtful play with four rich characters…" InterAct Theatre’s production of SINCE AFRICA will be directed by Paul Meshejian and will feature Susan Wilder (as Diane), Johnnie Hobbs, Jr. (as Reggie), Lori McNally (as Eve) and Bowman Wright (as Ater).

Due to the nature of live theatre, play selection, performance and casting are subject to change.

Now in its 18th Season, InterAct Theatre Company is a theatre for today's world, producing new and contemporary plays that explore the social, political and cultural issues of our time.

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