SIDDOWN!!! Opens at Ruskin Group Theatre Tonight

SIDDOWN!!!, conversations with the mob, by Sam Henry Kass, opens tonight, December 7th at 8pm at the Ruskin Group Theatre, with a reception to follow. The show runs Fridays-Saturdays at 8pm, and Sundays at 2pm through December 23, 2012.

Frank Sinatra fawned over him. Warren Zevon wrote a tribute song. Sylvester Stallone produced his life story as a movie of the week. In the 1980s, Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini wasn’t merely the lightweight champ, his adoring public considered him a national hero, the real Rocky.

Sam Henry Kass (Playwright/Director) wrote the Off-Broadway hit Lusting After Pipino’s Wife. Additional plays include And Where Are You Going, Side Street Scenes, and Family Snapshots. His newest work, Welcome back 29ers, will have its world premiere in 2013. Additional credits include the cult classic film, The Search for One-Eye Jimmy, starring Samuel L. Jackson, Steve Buscemi, Jennifer Beals, John Turturro, Ray Mancini, Tony Sirico, Aida Turturro, & Sam Rockwell. His latest web series, STAR-ving, features David Faustino, Corin Nemec, Ed O'Neil, and Gilbert Gottfried. For television, he was Executive Consultant on Seinfeld.

SIDDOWN!!! Conversations with the mob by Sam Henry Kass, includes three short plays that take audiences into the world of mob related activities. Ray Mancini and son Leo join the stellar cast of the critically acclaimed SIDDOWN!!!, shedding light on the brutality, the absurdity, and the hysterical.

"What's it all mean, hah?" (Cris D'Annunzio as Punchy and Jason Paul Field as Lenny) - A mob collector/enforcer down on his luck tries desperately to procure one last favor from an old "friend."

"Lefty & Squinty" (Jason Paul Field as Lefty and Jeff Adler as Squinty) - Two wise guys attend a courtroom sentencing, in support of a fellow mobster. While waiting for the jury to hand down it's sentence, they ruminate about life, love, death, & cartoons...

"Dice & Cards" (Ray Mancini as Sal and Leo Mancini as Richie) - An older mobster tries to educate a young upstart, in the ways of mob after-hours etiquette. Sal does his best to "school" young Richie in the ways of the world, to little avail.

RUSKIN GROUP THEATRE has been making an impact on the Los Angeles theatre scene with an eclectic mix of thought provoking plays, garnering numerous “recommendations” from local critics. Ruskin’s Fostering Imagination program sponsors foster kids in theatre & film classes that produce several original shows each year. The CAFÉ PLAYS, created by RGT are produced monthly and are the culmination of writers, actors, and directors who meet at 9am, where they are given a theme. They then write, produce, and perform a show by 7pm the same day. When celebrating their 8th anniversary, RGT supporters Ed Asner, Dylan McDermott, Chris Mulkey, Olivia d'Abo, and other industry celebrities joined to produce the Best of Café Plays (both shows sold out within hours). Anthony Hopkins and Anthony Franciosa were some of the first teachers at Ruskin School of Theatre.

SIDDOWN!!! Conversations With The Mob opens tonight, December 7th with a reception to follow. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm, and Sundays at 2 pm through December 23, 2012. Ruskin Group Theatre is located at 3000 Airport Avenue, Santa Monica, CA 90405. Tickets $20 ($15 for students, seniors, and guild members), (310) 397-3244. For more information, visit www.ruskingrouptheatre.com. Free parking is available at the theater.

John Ruskin (Artistic Director) helmed the critically acclaimed production of Strange Snow at RGT. His years of experience include studies at the Yale School of Drama, British American Drama Academy in Oxford, England, and the University of Colorado in Boulder. In New York, Ruskin joined the acting faculty of The Neighborhood Playhouse at the request of Sanford Meisner (who he then apprenticed with) before moving to Los Angeles where he founded his own school of acting and a professional theatre company. The company provides outreach programs to people in need with their "Healing Through the Arts" project.

Michael Myers (Producer/Managing Director) has produced more than 65 projects since 2002. He recently directed the world premiere of Digging Up Dad and the critically acclaimed production of Faithful at RGT. Mike is a co-creator of the Ruskin Group Theatre’s well attended CAFÉ PLAYS, the monthly offering of one-acts that are done in 10 ½ hours from conception to staging. He recently produced the critically acclaimed Sideways the Play by Rex Pickett, which ran for 27 sold out weeks. He serves as chair of the Santa Monica Arts Commission.

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