The Actors' Gang Theater is Holding a Food Drive for Run of CAN'T PAY? DON'T PAY!

The Actors' Gang Theater is holding a food drive during the entire run of their new production of Dario Fo's classic modern farce, Can't Pay? Don't Pay! to support Upward Bound House (UBH). UBH has programs in Culver City (home to The Actor's Gang), Santa Monica, Compton, and Los Angeles.

With the donation of six non-perishable food items, guests may see Can't Pay? Don't Pay! on Thursday nights with Pay What You Can and for $17 on Fridays. The food drive lasts through March 28th, and tickets and donations are available at performance time, at The Actor's Gang Theater Box Office at The Ivy Substation, 9070 Venice Blvd in Culver City, CA 90232. For more information please visit theactorsgang.com or call 310-838-4264.

While a wildly funny farce, Can't Pay? Don't Pay! revolves around humble housewife, Antonia, who hungry and fed up by rising prices and stagnant wages, joins a revolt of women at the local supermarket. Determined to live with dignity and rejecting an austerity diet of dog food and birdseed, the women's protest escalates, and looting ensues. As police search door to door, Antonia and her friend Margherita frantically try to hide their 'liberated' goods from their husbands and the police.

Artistic Director Tim Robbins said, "We are fortunate enough to have a home for our theater in Culver City and to have been welcomed by our community with open arms. We would love to return that generosity by supporting Upward Bound House, who is working to eliminate homelessness especially on the Westside."

Last year, Upward Bound House served 350 families, and assisted 75% of existing families to transition into permanent housing. We are inviting our audiences to bring canned food.

The mission of Upward Bound House is to eliminate homelessness among families with children in Los Angeles by providing housing, supportive services, and advocacy. UBH was founded in 1990 in response to the affordable housing crisis on the Westside of Los Angeles and its impact on homeless families with children.

Initially consisting of a small shelter program operated out of a four-unit apartment building, our agency and service models have evolved over time to meet the changing needs of the population we serve. Since its inception, UBH has helped over 1,800 families - including over 3,000 children - transition from homelessness into permanent housing, with over 95% of families remaining stably housed more than one year later.

Can't Pay? Don't Pay!, written by Italian playwright and Nobel Prize winner Dario Fo and translated by Cam Deaver, is directed by Bob Turton. The play questions why, in a world of bailed-out banks and overpriced prescription drugs, theft is only a crime when it is committed by those truly in need,

The cast includes Kaili Hollister (Antonia), Lynde Houck (Margherita), Jeremie Loncka (Giovanni), Thomas Roche (Luigi), Steven M Porter (Sergeant, Agent, Undertaker, Old Man), and Danielle Ray Powell (Office, Agent 2, Undertaker Assistant, Nurse).

Last year, The Actor's Gang's acclaimed production of Fo's Accidental Death of an Anarchist earned four 2019 Stage Raw Awards nominations and four Ovation Awards nominations; Turton earned Best Male Comedy Stage Raw Award for playing the Maniac.

Robbins said, "Accidental Death of an Anarchist was in many ways a reaffirmation of the mission and purpose of The Actors' Gang. The actors, director and designers found a truth in Fo's wildly funny play that deeply resonated with our audiences. There was a hunger in the company for more Fo, so it made complete sense to revisit him again this year with a production of Can't Pay? Don't Pay!"

"The play humorously addresses challenges that people have in every culture as they struggle for dignity in increasingly difficult economic circumstances," Robbins continued. "That Fo finds humor in such serious subject matter is a testament to his unique talent as a playwright and explains why he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1997, much to the dismay of his detractors and political enemies. Fo saw society through the lens of the common man and was fearless in his commitment to exposing the hypocrisy of corrupt politicians and the businessmen that own them. Dario Fo is one of my personal inspirations, the reason why I started writing plays and it is such an honor and joy to be able to bring his plays to life in our theater."

The 2019-20 season also includes Free Shakespeare in the Park and Cabaret (April 30th - June 20th), directed by Will Thomas McFadden, with book by Joe Masteroff, stories by Christopher Isherwood, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb.

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