InterACT Theatre Company Opens OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY

The ultimate seduction, Other People's Money, comes to the Pico Playhouse for a limited run beginning October 21st. InterACT offers Jerry Sterner's award winning play, directed by Oliver Muirhead, perfectly suited and served up during America's political debates and elections. This humorous yet heartfelt look at corporate raiders and the state of capitalism gives audiences a lot to take home from both sides of the question.

Winning the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Off Broadway Play shortly after it premiered, quickly led to a national tour and separate productions in London and Chicago. Warner Bothers acquired the rights to the script for a film version that starred Gregory Peck and Danny DeVito, directed by Norman Jewison.

''I went from 'mister, would you please read my script' to 'talk to my agent' in what seemed like a weekend,'' wrote Sterner, who had left a successful real estate business to create plays. He said, "I'd rather be Neil Simon than Harry Helmsley any day (wouldn't you?). And dealing with critics after wrangling with four thousand tenants would be a piece of cake."

Starting his career selling tokens for the New York City Transit Authority, Jerry Sterner worked from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. and wrote seven plays in nearly six years in the booth. His idea for Other People's Money was inspired by his investment in a nuts and bolts company. "Most people bought fast food or tech stock...but here was a company that in the worst of times was making money, it had a good product, and a great balance sheet. I'd bought it at $11 and it was selling at $9 when a corporate predator made an offer at $18 a share. I didn't think twice, I took the money and ran." Sterner decided to visit the company he'd invested in. The town was a ghost town. A once thriving business had been closed and used as a tax write-off. "I asked myself are we as a nation better off for restructuring?"

"Funny, serious, suspenseful, involving, disturbing, and above all, expertly crafted. It is the most stimulating kind of entertainment," wrote John Simon in New York Magazine.

"Other People's Money is much more than a discussion of the moral ambiguity of business. It's the story of five lives, the fate of a town, and whether or not decency will prevail over expediency...most importantly, should it? The story presents the debate of whether or not it is right to try to hold back change. This electoral season forces us to see how the evolution of the American economy has created winners and losers, and this play brilliantly asks how we feel about that," say director Oliver Muirhead

Director Oliver Muirhead has worked in theatre, television, and film since leaving Edinburgh University. He directed the musical A Christmas Held Captive, and is often recognized for his roles in such films as The Social Network, National Treasure: Book of Secrets, and Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. Television credits include The Big Bang Theory, Bones, and Castle.

Producer Daniel James Clark has written, or been a part of numerous productions at some of the country's top regional theaters including the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center, Route 66 Theater Company of Chicago, and The Actors Bridge Ensemble in Nashville. He is an alumnus of the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's National Theater Institute Advanced Playwriting Program and currently works with Water Street Anthem Entertainment.

An award winning cast includes Rob Adler, Amanda Carlin, Robyn Cohen, D.J. Harner, Barry Heins, Peter McDonald, Kent Minault, Rob Shapiro, John Towey, and Alexandra Wright. The production team will be Gary Lee Reed (Set Design), Carol Dohring (Lighting Design), and Bud Harner (Sound Design).

Other People's Money opens at 8pm on Friday, October 21st and runs on Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays at 3pm throughNovember 20, 2016. Pico Playhouse is located at 10508 W. Pico Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90064. Tickets are $32 (Senior & Students $27). For more information and reservations: 818-765-8732 http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2588643

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