InterAct Theatre Company to Present World Premiere of STEP MOM, STEP MOM, STEP MOM.

Can an interracial couple easily introduce a little kink into their sex life? Kaila (a Black woman) and Louis (a white man) have a healthy, progressive marriage until they try to do just that, and discover race politics to be more challenging and complicated than either of them anticipated. Written by Jahna Ferron-Smith and directed by Matthew Dickson.

Performances run January 26th - February 18th at The Proscenium Theatre at The Drake. Preview nights even feature free ice cream from Scoop DeVille with a signature flavor created just for the show (Jan. 26, Jan. 27, Jan 28, Jan 31). For tickets and showtimes, visit https://www.interacttheatre.org/step-mom-step-mom-step-mom. 90-minutes with no intermission. 

As a company dedicated to civic discourse, InterAct hosts discussions for audience members almost every day of the week after non-preview performances. Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays are facilitated by Artistic Director Seth Rozin. Fridays are led by National New Play Network Producer in Resident, Liana Irvine, in The Proscenium Lobby, and Saturdays  are artist talkbacks with literary manager, Chaz T. Martin, and special guests (to be announced soon!).

The talented production team includes: Hunter Smith (Stage Manager), Shaquan Pearson (Intimacy Director), Cecilia Shin (Scenic Designer),Illycia Buffaloe (Costume Designer), Harbour Edney (Lighting Designer), Adiah Hicks (Sound Designer), Cole Zwilling (Props Manager),Valden Kamph (Production Manager).

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

JAHNA FERRON-SMITH is a recent alumna of the Lila Acheson Wallace Playwriting Fellowship at the Juilliard School, the Obie Award-winning playwrights collective, Youngblood, as well as Interstate 73. Her plays have been performed at Ensemble Studio Theatre, Pendragon Theatre, and the Samuel French Off-Off Broadway Short Play Festival. Jahna’s plays have also been developed with The Lark, Ojai Playwrights Conference, The Playwrights’ Center, Page 73 and Clubbed Thumb. Her plays include, THE WOODS. (Venturous Playwright Fellowship winner; written with support from SPACE on Ryder Farm), Running While Black (Ojai Playwrights Conference), Step Mom, Step Mom, Step Mom. (New York State Council on the Arts Grant recipient) and SIR. (published by Samuel French).

Jessica Johnson is a Philadelphia-based performer and teaching artist. She began her artistic career in Philadelphia as a Dorothy Haas Acting Apprentice at the Walnut Street Theatre. She has performed in readings, workshops, and full-length productions all over the region. She is Barrymore nominated for her work in A Hit Dog Will Holler and received a Barrymore Award for Outstanding Lead Performer in a Musical as Celie in The Color Purple. During her time in Philadelphia, she was awarded an Independence Foundation Fellowship, Jilline Ringle Residency, and the HATCH residency to develop independent work. For Mikean.

Scott R. Sheppard is an Obie award-winning theater artist and a Founding Co-Artistic Director of Philadelphia-based theater company Lightning Rod Special (2019 Barrymore Award for Evolving Theatre Company). He is the co-creator and performer of Underground Railroad Game at Ars Nova (Edinburgh Fringe First Award, 25 Best Plays of the past 25 Years- NYTimes, toured to 11 cities in 5 countries). He is a lead writer/performer in Lightning Rod Special’s The Appointment (Best of 2019 Time Out NY, NY Mag, New York times and 2023 NY Times Critics’ Pick). Other credits include: lead writer/performer of SPEECH with Lightning Rod Special; writer of Blood Meal (NY Times Critics’ Pick) and Topside with Theater in Quarantine; creator/performer of Holden with George and Co. Scott graduated from Pig Iron’s School for Advanced Performance Training and has collaborated on several works with Pig Iron including: Period of Animate Existence and 99 Breakups (deviser/performer) and Gentlemen Volunteers (performer). Scott was an Independence Foundation Fellow, a Guild Hall Resident Artist, a Bric Lab Resident, and a member of Page 73’s Interstate 73 Writer’s Group.

DONOVAN LOCKETT is an actor-writer-educator who proudly hails from New Orleans but has made Philly her artistic home! Selected credits: Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Taming! (Shakespeare in Clark Park); The Wolves (Philadelphia Theatre Co); Significant Other (Mauckingbird Theatre Co); All’s Well That Ends Well (PAC); Troilus & Cressida (Revolution Shakespeare); Measure for Measure (Scranton Shakespeare); A Christmas Carol (Walnut); Oedipus (Hangar). She’s beyond grateful to be making her InterAct debut! BFA: Ithaca College. www.donovanlockett.com

ABDUL SESAY is a Philadelphia based actor who has had the opportunity to work with EgoPo, Delaware Shakespeare, Theatre Ariel and Philadelphia Artist Collective. He was previously seen on the InterAct stage as “Gabe” in American Fast. 

SHAQUAN PEARSON (Intimacy Coordinator) is an actor, intimacy choreographer, and photographer. What inspires them to make art the most is exploring the depths of humanity and life (the exciting, scary, beautiful mess that it is) and sharing the discoveries from that exploration to bring us closer to each other. His current homebase is the box office at Baltimore Center Stage, while he ventures off to be things like Production Assistant for Lady Day At Emerson’s Bar and Grill at BCS, or Young Scrooge in the upcoming production of A Christmas Carol at Chesapeake Shakespeare Company. He is also a current member of Chesapeake Shakespeare Company’s Black Classical Acting Ensemble, an affinity space for Black actors to explore the classics through training and performance.

ABOUT INTERACT THEATRE COMPANY

InterAct is a theatre for today's world, dedicated to commissioning, developing, and producing new and contemporary plays that explore the social, political, and cultural issues of our time, and to improving the regional climate for new plays. InterAct utilizes theatre as a tool to promote civic discourse and stimulate dialogue around the most pressing and complex issues we face in contemporary society.

InterAct values ARTISTIC RISK, which we express by maintaining a robust commitment to producing new plays.  Through its world premiere productions, active involvement in play development, commissions and development programs, Core Playwrights program, and leadership role with the National New Play Network, InterAct has established itself as the region’s leading proponent of new plays. 

InterAct values CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, which we express by tackling plays of societal relevance, and fostering positive social discourse around the important, complex, sometimes controversial stories, issues and ideas contained in those plays. Through our post-performance talk backs, our free public convenings and symposia, and our partnerships with community and academic organizations, InterAct consistently offers its constituents opportunities to deepen their engagement with the thematic content in its plays.

InterAct values DIVERSITY, which we express by being extremely mindful in our play selection, our artistic and administrative hiring practices, our venue design and long-term efforts to develop non-traditional theatergoing audiences.