A Dream Come True

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 were 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.

MISSION

Professional theatre artists bringing bold ensemble works to the Los Angeles stage,
specializing in world classics and new American plays

• To nurture performing artists

• To provide a forum for educational and cultural enrichment

• To bring arts education to underserved youth, at low or no cost

• To make a positive and lasting impact on audiences of all ages through the unique experience of live theatre

"Together they form, in my view, the very best acting ensemble to be seen currently in Los Angeles"

— Cynthia Citron, Santa Monica Daily Press, 11/10/2016

NOTABLE AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Interact Theatre Company has amassed 85 performance and production awards (157 nominations), including Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle, Ovation, Stage Raw, Garland, LA Weekly, and NAACP Awards.