I've seen one play there, Tartuffe, and it was just fantastic. Â Staff was great, actors were incredible and everything was done on a professional level. Need I say more if you want to see a great play in LA? I'm seeing the next one this coming Saturday, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and have no doubt I will love the whole experience.
Review Source:I really love this place -- it's a beautiful space, they put on excellent productions (I've seen at least 5), they offer camp for kids and do free kid-friendly Shakespeare in the park on summer weekends, they have  an open mike for teen poets once a month, and Thursday nights are pay-what-you-can.  It's everything theatre should be -- entertaining, inspiring, and accessible to everyone.  Plus they really give back to the community.  What's not to love?!
Review Source:Spacious stage with comfy seating.
The foyer is cozy and just cramped enough to force audience members to be social. It's like a game of spot the awkward kid.
Seating is a bit difficult to file into: it's about 10 seats deep but entryway steps on either side (seats 1 and 10). Do everyone a favor if you ever come here and go to the dead center of the seats (5 and 6) if possible.
Parking's also a bit of a trial. be sure to leave 10 to 15 minutes free ahead of time to find parking--that or just toss down 3 bucks for garage parking on Washington.
I love the location, the space itself is great. Â The play I happened to see just wasn't for me, or my group. Â I wish I had spent the money on something else, it wasn't cheap!! Â The acting was fine, we just thought the play was way too long and corny. Â We left during intermission. Â I would come back to see something else maybe, but I'll be sure to check the reviews first or have a coupon or discount code.
Review Source:This is a review of the Actors' Gang's camps for kids and their Summer Family Theater Program.
I can't say enough good stuff about the Actors' Gang's various kids programs! You might not expect a troupe that focuses on provocative and meaningful adult theater to also have a great kids program, but they do.
Each summer the Gang produces a free family adaptation of Shakespeare that captures the spirit and much of the language of the original plays in an entertaining way. They are not intended to be productions of the actual Shakespeare plays, just inspired by them, but my 9 year old is now interested in the real thing because of this fun intro to them through the Gang. The shows we've seen include "Cymbeline the Puppet King," "Katie the Curst," and "Romeo and Juliet: Monsters in Love." They are kids' plays, but are also fun for parents, not a chore to sit through as some children's theater is. The shows are free and the outdoor setting in Media Park is great. Come early, bring a blanket, and don't forget to make a donation so they can keep this program going every summer!
The Gang offers a wonderful one-week acting camp each summer. There are two sesssions, one for teens (ages 13-17) and one for pre-teens (ages 8-12). They explore the Gang's acting method, "The Style," which is based heavily on commedia dell'arte, and play a lot of theater games. The supervision was great and my son had a fantastic time.
They also run an after-school program at the Ivy substation (this might be available only to Culver City students, I'm not sure) which is similar to the camp. Again the kids have a great time, and also learn a lot of theater techniques that improve their acting and especially their ability to improv successfully. Highly recommended!
Went here to see the production of '1984'. Tickets said doors at 7pm so we got there promptly so we could have choice of seats. We were not allowed into area until 7:45pm. I was annoyed but it really didn't matter because we still got great seats. The room reminds me of an old firehouse (which it might have been?). The acoustics are very nice in the room and it was really fun to see a play in this setting. They did a great job of re-telling 1984 and keeping it very accurate to the book while still instilling some of their own flair.
The actors were all really good. They had to constantly change personalities as they were acting as different people and they did it so seamlessly, it really was awesome to watch.
The lead actor, who was also the artistic director was phenomenal. Really great cast! The only woman in the play seemed to have a breakdown at the end of the production but since she kept herself together the audience never knew if it was scripted or not. I believe it was not scripted and have my reasons to think this way ;)
Only complaint is that the front desk girls are not friendly at all. It reminded me of my high school days where some girls were just complete snobs. Honestly, I would probably not come back here just because of the front desk girls. There were 4 of them and they were all pretty awful.
Here's an alternative to shoebox-shaped movie theaters that doesn't cost much more than a movie ticket. Â The Ivy Station Theater is a beautifully renovated old train station. The seating is new and comfortable, laid out amphitheater style so that every seat in the house has a great view of the stage. Â The room accommodates about 150 people and offers competent lighting and excellent acoustics. Â At $25 per ticket, it is a great entertainment value and part of a vibrant community of small theater throughout LA. Â The cast, though, can be uneven. Â And their playlist often includes some strange picks.
Review Source:Not only were they gracious when we decided we could not remain through the second act of 1984, since the subject matter was a little too depressing to digest considering my friend who was attending with me had just lost a dear friend that afternoon and felt too overwhelmed to stay through the second act.....they offered to give us tickets to come back to see the show on another evening when we were both emotionally up for the intensity of the wonderful drama......
From what I saw from my front row seat during the first act....he show was outstanding and Tim Robbins is an incredible director, (as well as a tremendously talented actor)...he did an outstanding job in staging and directing  this production, so I would highly recommend both this current show "1984', as well as anything The Actor's Gang produces.
The venue was great, and the service was superb!
I only wish the attending guest would make some larger donations so the theater could afford a better glass of wine to serve!!!!......
Plenty of parking across the street at the lot behind Trader Joe's....
And I must admit I respected the fact that the attending guest all stepped away from the building to smoke during intermission....oh and thank you to The Gang for ensuring that there were PLENTY of ashtrays outside!!!!
The ACTOR'S GANG productions are not to be missed and the location next to fabulous restaurants just steps away from the theater make it a complete night for any occasion.
Ditto to the positive reviews of this group. Â I just saw Tartuffe: the actors were fantastic and their love for the theater was contagious. Â The directing was great and the play rarely flagged. Â Add to the wonderful performance the facts that the tickets were affordable, and there is not a bad seat in the small theater. Â A must-see for theater in LA.
Review Source:Tonight was the closing show of Break The Whip - a Tim Robbins written and directed performance. Â What a show!!
The stage was filled with a group of about 20 AMAZING actors - some of who learned lines in two separate languages (Kimbundu and Algonquian) to portray multiple characters in this moving story of indentured servants and slaves in Jamestown and the natives in the wilderness outside (no John Smith or Pocahontas).
With cleverly minimal stage props, puppets, lighting, singing, dance, expressive body movements, masks, music, costumes, and a trio of live percussionists, the actors took the audience on an emotional journey. Â We were riveted through the tragedy of poverty and hunger, slavery, the joy of finding celebration even in oppressive times, forbidden love and finally the kindness that can exist within the hearts of people of radically different cultures.
There was so much emotion that throughout the course of the show, my eyes welled up with sadness, my skin crawled with repulsion, and I got chills and tapped my feet with the music and dancing!
This is the second time I've been to this theater, and I always love it here! Â Parking out front on Venice is score-able if you get here (like I did) at 6-ish and then have dinner in the area before the play, there is not one bad seat in the house, the restrooms are large and clean, refreshments are available and everyone is friendly.
The audience also had the pleasure of being seated with Steve Buscemi (Mr. Pink!), Frankie Faison (The Wire) and a couple of other recognizable actors. Â After looking at the cast list, I noticed that Amanda Faison (I believe Frankie's daughter) was the Stage Manager, and Adele Robbins (I believe Tim Robbins' sister) was one of the multi-lingual cast members.
What a treat! Â The Actor's Gang has consistently put on riveting shows, and I'm looking forward to my next visit already!
I saw a performance of "Break the Whip" on a Wednesday night here and there were more people onstage than in the audience. Â The performance was opened up for free to teachers and it was pay-what-you-can for everyone else. Â I began to wonder if anyone in the theater had paid full price. Â
The play was exciting and took a lot of risks. Â The shadow puppetry was amazing and the night was full of great moments including live music, humor, and action. Â It was not like seeing the musical Cats. Â If you want to stick to mainstream fare, don't go here. Â But if you enjoy ground-breaking theater and want to see something new. Â This place is perfect. Â
Free parking is available across the street in the Trader Joe's lot or at a meter on the street. Â
I think that this kind of live theater deserves our support and I'm glad to have them in the neighborhood.
Just saw "Break the Whip".  It is mirthful, whimsical, profound, and also revisionist history, telling the story of the woebegone Jamestown Colony settlers, especially those forgotten by history--the indentured servants, slaves, and also the local native Americans who interacted with them. Shodow puppets tell the creation myths, while actors reveal the gamut of human relationships. Related in an Indian language, an African language (with great success, style, and talent), and English, the story showcases wonderful dialogue, gesture, body (great dancing), sound (singing) and allusion to the seventeenth century. They use Commedia dell'Arte masks with the traditional shapes, such as Arlequino, the joker, who is always more serious and pertinent  than he seems. The costumes are inventive and show context. For those of you who have forgotten your Colonial history (or who never read anything about it), now's your chance to see it portrayed in a mesmerizing way. Don't miss this. It ends early November.
Review Source:We just got back from seeing Absinthe, Opium and Magic at The Actor's Gang. Â It was absolutely delightful. Â There were four of us and we all loved the show. Â Its kind of hard to describe the show, a collection grand guignol sketches, puppetry, dancing and mime.
I believe the production was a guest group performing at The Actor's Gang by invitation.
Unfotunately for you, the run of this particular production ends tomorrow, but they've done it before and may do it again some time.
In a performance called "All Cake and No File" Jewell Rae Jeffers molds a live cooking show into a vehicle for standup comedy and social commentary. Ripped directly from her actual Big House Prison Shows, the evening is complete with a dead on Johnny Cash tribute band .... "With a Bible and a Gun".
Jewell Rae, '50's blond wig firmly  fixed upon her head, threw together a a coconut cream cake from a mix, all the while torpedoing Rush Limbaugh, the prison system, and our lack of affordable health care in deceptively soothing Southern tones.
"Has anybody in the audience done time?" Â good-bad girl Jeffers asks. Â "No. Wait. Â Please don't tell me. Â Because I will just fall right in love with you."
An after party featured the coconut cake liberally topped with huge mounds of Cool Whip and toasted coconut flake. As Jewell Rae was prone to say, "We don't endorse any products here on on our show, but Cool Whip is just the best."
As a food snob I hesitate to admit that a white cake from a mix can be edible, let alone tasty, but I ate 2 slices as we chatted with Jewell Rae, 'Johnny Cash', and Tim Robbins.
Robbins, ever the activist, is using these shows to raise funds for the Actors Gang. They have a program that goes into the prisons, tying in directly to this peculiarly successful evening.
Great theater in a really cool historic building. Â
On thursday nights they have PAY WHAT YOU CAN NIGHT so anyone in chocolate city (or wherever) can come to see a show, regardless of income. They ask people interested in seeing a performance to pay only what they can afford. This is SWEET!
Do NOT sit in the front row unless yr down with being spit and sweated upon by actors in the throws of performance. Â also, this other lady next to me almost got hit by a flying camera prop that was kicked by an actor. Â Private Joker (matthew modine) sat behind me-- i don't know if he was acting or if he is there every performance. Â
These folks really give back to the community-- minus one star for no booze.
The Actors Gang is arguably LA's best and best-known acting ensemble, partly because of its famous artistic director, Tim Robbins, partly because of their bold theatrical style (sort of like commedia del arte, without the masks, but WITH the size), and partly because they are unabashedly, unapologetically political. Â When most of the press was still parroting the Administration line on Iraq, and even the network news stars were getting giddy with excitement as they rode with the U.S. Army into Baghdad, The Gang was putting together Tim Robbins' EMBEDDED, and taking it to New York, where they stuck it to the New York Times, but good. Â Anyone else remember those lonely times when to be anti-war made even blue LA friends look at you like you just farted? Â Tim Robbins, Sean Penn, and the like were being burned in effigy and mocked ad nauseum by right wing talk radio? Â Well, the Actors Gang has never stopped warning their theatrical going public about the dangers of incipient fascism with gems like the recent stage adaptation of 1984, complete with Robbie Conal posters that are among his more frightening. Â Now, they're doing Bertold Brecht's DRUMS IN THE NIGHT. Â I can't wait to see them in their Ivy Substation Culver City home - they are a Los Angeles treasure, and for me, they were a beacon through the dark years when Republicans ruled the earth...
Review Source:
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