Just a quick walk from Rittenhouse Square, but worlds away from the big theater houses on the Avenue of the Arts, the Adrienne Theatre offers an intimate space for small theater companies. Actually, it offers three different great spaces of varying sizes.

Named for theater professional Adrienne Neye, the theater hosts resident companies including the comedy troupe 1812 Productions, Theater Catalyst, ComedySportz. The largest resident company is the socially-minded InterAct Theatre, whose mission is to produce plays that explore the cultural, social, and political issues of the day.

The intention is admirable, so we’ll look the other way if InterAct’s sometimes heavy-handed productions are a touch didactic. Still, when good, these shows hit a real nerve, whether they’re examining America’s appetite for war, complex racial questions, or the role of the outsider in society.

One thing’s certain: You’ll find works here that broach topics no other company will touch, and the mission is admirable and necessary.