Lidless

Rhiannon, yelling at mother, Alice and Bashir

Interact Theatre Company, located at 2030 Sansom Streets, Philadelphia, is producing a provocative new drama which will be produced in both the UK and Scotland later this year and will be published by the Yale University Press as well. Kittson O’Neill, as Alice, has the unenviable task of portraying both a soldier who tortures prisoners in Guantanamo and a contented housewife who has forgotten all the horrific details of her wartime experiences. Sarah Van Auken portrays her curious teenage daughter whose emotions get the best of her when her demands are not immediately met. J. Paul Nicholas appears as Bashir, the soldier who was tortured by Alice during the war and demands a portion of her liver as repayment to save him from a certain death from the hepatitis he contracted during the war. By play’s end, he has lost his prisoner’s angst. Only Alice’s husband Lucas, played by Ed Swidley, and Riva, portrayed by Gamze Ceylan, remain constants. The set is simplistic, thus enabling the audience to concentrate upon the characters. Lidless questions the authenticity of forgiveness from many characters’ points of view. With some surprising twists comes the revelation that singular acts can have long term consequences that can’t be anticipated. During Lidless  InterAct will host a series of post-performance talk-backs to encourage discussions on the issues it raises. Sunday, January 30 features Charles Doerrer, Special Agent for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco , Firearms and Explosives. Sunday, February 6 will feature Dr. Salman Akhtar, Professor of Psychiatry, Jefferson University and Sunday February 13 will feature David McColgin, Supervisory Assistant Federal Defender, Appeals Unit, Federal Community Defender Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. For more information or tickets, call 215-568-80079 or visit online at www.InterActTheatre.org.