Category Archives: They Don’t Pay? We Won’t Pay

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Housewives Get Desperate in Dario Fo’s They Don’t Pay, We Won’t Pay by Eliza Anna Falk

February 8, 2016 HannaB_home

“Our homeland is the whole world.

Our law is liberty. We have but one thought,

Revolution in our hearts” – Dario Fo

If Dario Fo were to cast a vote in the forthcoming US presidential election his choice no doubt would lie with the socialist democrat Bernie Sanders, the only candidate openly calling for a political revolution. When interviewed by the British Guardian in 1997 after receiving a Nobel Prize for Literature, Fo said that he had been born politicized, and culturally had always been part of the proletariat: “I lived side by side with the sons of glass blowers, fishermen and smugglers. The stories they told were satires about the hypocrisy of authority and the middle classes, the two-facedness of teachers and lawyers and politicians.” (Bohlen).

The playwright became the voice of the Italian working class in the 1960s and 70s when his fellow citizens seethed with resentment towards their incompetent governments. It was during the 1970s that he wrote his most popular farces: Accidental Death of an Anarchist (which made him one of the most produced playwrights in 20^th century Europe) and They Don’t Pay, We Won’t Pay, encouraging the oppressed to take direct action when authority fails to protect them. The play, brought to DC by the Ambassador theatre in partnership with the Italian Cultural Institute and co-directed by Joe Martin and Danny Rovin, has been played in over 40 countries and revised by the author several times to suit the changing times.

Its working class characters and their plight are very much alive today, bringing to mind memories of the recent financial crisis and the forecasts of more economic gloom. The main protagonists – Antonia (Hanna Bondarewska), her husband Giovanni (Daren Marquardt), his best friend Luigi (Mitch Irzinski) and his wife and Antonia’s best friend Margherita (Moriah Whiteman) – could be found anywhere in today’s America. Fo’s messages, like the one spoken by Antonia, are as relevant now as they were in the 70s: “It’s the same in every economic crisis (…). Only now they call it a tsunami (…) destroying everything in its path. First the banks, then the corporations, governments, political parties. But the ones always hit first and hardest are the workers – and the people who scrimped and saved their whole lives.” (Fo, p 112).

To honor Fo’s wish that every production be relevant to its time and place, the play has been located in Newark, New Jersey. In the words of the co-Director, Joe Martin: “a mythical Newark, with its industry, its role as a transportation hub – much like Fo’s Milan – provided for us, a fitting American model. Italian place names and corporate institutions have been changed to American Equivalents. (…) The play is a tribute to the underclass created by the Great Recession, the bail-out of Wall Street, and even to our fellow “off-off” theatre companies working with little to create big artistic statement”.

Don’t be misled by the serious subject matter though, as Dario Fo, who “with comedy (…) can search for the profound”, is a master of a political theatre that makes people laugh. Drawing on traditions of Commedia Dell’Arte and its boulevard, grotesque style, as well as the Theatre of the Absurd, Fo delivers serious messages in a ridiculous, absurdist fashion. Recognizing the importance of the concept of ‘grotesque body’ in popular comedy, he uses it to bring down abstract, lofty ideals to the level of carnal world using physical comedy and slapstick, which abound in They Don’t Pay, We Won’t Pay.

The madness starts when Antonia, who during a food riot takes supplies from a supermarket, hides the groceries behind her friend’s coat when her law abiding spouse appears unexpectedly. Imagine the chaos, which ensues once Giovanni (who would rather starve than eat stolen food) and Luigi (convinced of his wife’s infertility) find out about Margherita’s pregnancy, and the authorities (Peter Orvetti) come searching for the food thieves. The women’s clever lies and cheekiness create comedic mayhem of outrageous proportions, producing hilarious scenes involving the feign pregnancy ending in a birth with a bag of olives breaking instead of water; an unconscious cop hidden in a closet; saints, miracles and superstitions; coffin and undertakers.

“When the theatre is ironic, grotesque, it’s above all then that you have to defend it, because the theatre that makes people laugh is the theatre of Human reason” said the playwright in his speech of thanks at the Nobel Prize Banquet in 1997. In awarding him a Noble prize for literature (the first one bestowed on an actor-author) The Swedish Academy recognized him as a satirist who “emulates the jesters of the Middle Ages in scourging authority and upholding the dignity of the downtrodden”. A jester and an “extremely serious satirist”, who “with a blend of laughter and gravity (…) opens our eyes to abuses and injustices in society” (Bohlen).

The author, who turns 90 this year, is a true Renaissance man and an active political and social activist. The actor, director, playwright, satirist, composer, painter, stage designer, assistant architect, teacher, lecturer and novelist has always believed in the interests of common people and devoted his life to improving their lot. His plays, many co-created with his actress wife and a closest professional collaborator, Franca Rame, have been written about people and for people. Both Fo and his wife (no longer with us), have always believed that “A theatre (…), an artistic expression that does not speak for its own time has no relevance” (Dario Fo).

They Don’t Pay, We Won’t Pay is an excellent example of how Fo’s plays directly and sharply reflect the ills of his time, and how pertinent and relevant the issues remain to this day. The play’s characters say it all: “Policeman: People can’t go on like this. (…) These fat-cat pigs who starve, cheat, and rob us – they’re the real thieves” (Fo, pp 24-25). “Luigi: Things can’t keep on this way. Somebody’s gotta make a move. Forget waiting on government handouts – or for unions to muscle in, or the politicos to step up (…) We gotta make our own moves (…). We gotta shift gears – take control. Don’t you see? Everything’s changing – big time “ (Fo, p 51).

We can all feel it – everything is changing in our world, big time, so fast we are finding it difficult to adjust to the unstable present and embrace the unknown future. We need Theatre now more than ever, a magical place that has always been there for us, a place where we can reflect on ourselves and our times and forget about our worries and laugh. They Don’t Pay, We Won’t Pay has had audiences ‘in stiches’ since 1974, and continues to delight theatre goers with its physical humor, farcical plot, loveable, colourful characters and a contemporary message. A big ‘thank you’ to the Ambassador Theater and the Italian Cultural Institute for bringing this gem of a play to DC!

They Don’t Pay, We Won’t Pay plays March 1 – March 26,216 at Mead Theatre Lab at Flashpoint, 916 G Street NW, Washington DC. For 14yrs+ audiences.

Tickets: $20-$40 online: http://www.aticc.org/home/category/get-tickets

References
Fo, Dario. They Don’t Pay, We Won’t Pay. Translated by Jon Laskin and Michael Aquilante.
Bohlen, Celestine. Italy’s Barbed Political Jester, Dario Fo, Wins Nobel Prize, 10 Oct 1997. Nytimes.com

Eliza Anna Falk is a Warsaw and Sydney Universities' graduate and a DCMTA writer, who joined the Ambassador Theater in 2012 as a Creative and Editorial Consultant. Since then she has been providing literary and editorial support, including press releases, promotional essays, blog entries and translations, to all ATICC's productions.

They Don't Pay? We Won't Pay

“They Don’t Pay? We Won’t Play!” GoFundMe Campaign

January 17, 2016 HannaB_home

Help Ambassador Theater, the Italian Embassy, and the Italian Cultural Institute in premiering Dario Fo's play "They Don't Pay? We Won't Pay!" this March.

Thank you for your friendship and support!

They Don't Pay? We Won't Pay

Celebration of Dario Fo Feb 26 – March 26, 2016

January 16, 2016 HannaB_home

Celebrating Dario Fo's 90th Birthday with They Don't Pay? We Won't Pay! at Ambassador Theater in Washington DC from aticc on Vimeo.

The Italian Cultural Institute and the Ambassador Theater celebrate 90th Birthday of Dario Fo, Italian satirist, playwright, director, actor and composer, and Nobel Prize Winner with the following shows and events:

JOHAN PADAN AND THE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA
(Johan Padan a la Descoverta de le Americhe) By Dario Fo
Featuring Mario Pirovano
Feb 26, 2016 MORE INFO to REGISTER will come soon! Do not call please!
at the Embassy of Italy

MASTER CLASS with MARIO PIROVANO

Italian actor, storyteller, translator and interpreter of Dario Fo’s monologues.

MON, FEB 29, 2016 at 7 PM at FLASHPOINT, 916 G St., NW, Washington DC

They Don’t Pay? We Won’t Pay!
By Dario Fo
Translated by Jon Laskin and Michael Aquilante
Produced By Hanna Bondarewska
Directed by Joe Martin
March 3-March 26, 2016
at FLASHPOINT, 916 G Street, NW, Washington DC

JOIN OUR CIRCLE OF SUPPORTERS: https://www.gofundme.com/y8c72qp8
TICKETS ONLINE

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dario Fo, an Italian actor-author, can claim to be the most frequently performed living playwright in the world. Born on Lake Maggiore in northern Italy in 1926, he made his debut in theatre in 1952 and is still writing and performing. His work has gone through various phases, always in company with his actress wife Franca Rame. His stage career began with political cabaret, moved on to one-act farces, and then to satirical comedies in his so-called ‘bourgeois phase’ in the early 1960s when he became a celebrated figure on TV and in Italy’s major theatres. In 1968, he broke with conventional theatre to set up a co operative dedicated to producing politically committed work in what were then known as ‘alternative venues’. His best known work, including Accidental Death of an Anarchist, Mistero Buffo and Trumpets and Raspberries, dates from this period. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1997, and in the official citation the Swedish Royal Academy stated that he had ‘emulated the jesters of the Middle Ages in scourging authority and upholding the dignity of the downtrodden.’

ABOUT MARIO PIROVANO

Mario Pirovano has been working closely with Dario Fo and Franca Rame from 1983 to 2013.

Actor in one man shows ‘Mistero Buffo’, ‘Johan Padan a la Descoverta de le Americhe’, ‘Lu Santo Jullare Françesco’, ‘Vorrei morire anche stasera se dovessi sapere che non è servitor a niente’, and ‘Ruzzante’ by Dario Fo ‘Le Jeu de obin et Marion’ by Adam de la Halle, and ‘Il Papa cowboy: vita, avventure, battaglie di Papa Giulio II’ by Marco Ghelardi

Performances and Workshops from 2003 to 2013 Italy, France, England, Scotland, Ireland, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Sweden, Norway, Australia, China, Palestine, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Colombia, Venezuela, Argentina, Canada, United States of America.

Translations by Mario Pirovano
‘Johan Padan a la Descoverta de le Americhe’ By Dario Fo:
‘Johan Padan and the Discovery of America’, ed. Tipografica Perugia
‘Lu Santo Jullare Françesco’ by Dario Fo:
‘Francis the Holy Jester’, published by Beautiful Books, London
‘Ruzzante’ by Dario Fo: ‘The Wonderful Ruzante’ (unpublished)
‘Mistero Buffo’ by Dario Fo:
‘Comic Mistery play’ (unpublished)

ABOUT JOHAN PADAN AND THE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA

Let us state clearly that this is not the lamentable history of the massacres committed by the conquerors on the Indios.
This is not the story of the usual losers. It is rather the epos of the victory of a population of Indios.
There are two fundamental types of chronicles of the discovery and conquest of America. On the one hand the stories written by the scribes following the conquerors. On the other, the tales of the coprotagonists who do not count, the “lastagonists”, from the dirty ranks, who come to tell their adventures having lived very close, even often right in the middle of the conquered, as prisoners…and even slaves!
Johan Padan is one of these unlucky adventurers, a gallows-bird of the fifteenth century, who has found himself right in the middle of thee discovery of America.
Johan Padan is a real figure, maybe his name is not exactly Johan Padan, but his actions are real: indeed they come from dozens of true stories told by the very men who lived them, the extras from the rank-and-file coming from all countries of Europe. All desperate people who do not count for anything in the official history of the discovery, but who arrived in the Indies, came in contact with the local people and found that they could count for something, or even a lot!
Johan Padan, a man from the mountains, does not like to sail but is compelled in spite of himself to make the great voyage. He is kidnapped by cannibals who fatten him up with the intention of eating him. He is saved by a stroke of luck and he becomes shaman, chief-wizard, doctor and is called “son of the rising sun”. He ha also compelled to teach the stories of the Gospels to thousands of Indios. Apocryphal Gospel of course.
The simple seamen, the ranks of little worth who switched sides with the conquered were many more than we used to think. And we must be clear: they did not content themselves with surviving, but they worked as strategists and military trainers so that the Indios could resist for a period of time against the invasion of the Christians.
We know the names of some of them, the best known are: Guerrero, Altavilla, Cabeza de Vaca. Hans Staden.
But today we offer the extraordinary chance to know in person and from his own voice the tale of the most renowned of all the renegade foot soldiers: Johan Padan, ‘son of the rising sun’. “ Dario Fo

ABOUT THEY DON'T PAY? WE WON'T PAY!

Desperate housewives take justice in their own hands in this Nobel prize winner's hilarious farce of civil disobedience. The empowering story in which direct democracy is the way to go when government fails to protect citizens' rights, was inspired by real life events of workers' uprising in 1974's Italy. Hugely popular and more relevant than ever, They don't pay? We won't pay! delivers a serious message in a ridiculous, absurdist fashion generating truckloads of laughter and delighting with its lovable and colorful characters.
Meet Antonia, who during a food riot takes supplies from a supermarket and hides them from her law abiding husband Giovanni behind a dress of her best friend Margherita. Follow the chaos, which ensues once Giovanni and his friend and Margherita's spouse Luigi are told about Margherita's miracle pregnancy and the police gets involved. Be prepared for this uproarious 'boulevard comedy' to keep you glued to your seat feeling entertained and inspired at the same time!

Though the piece has been called a “comedy of hunger,” it is also about the bigger financial farce that results if the victims of financial collapse—brought about by capitalism run-amok—are asked to pay for the disaster while the guilty parties are bailed out. This play by a master playwright and performer, is both physical comedy and a comedy of wit, sometimes in “boulevard” style. Fo has roots in Commedia dell’Arte, and the influence shows in this modern farce. In awarding him the Nobel Prize for Literature—there is no theatre category! —the Nobel committee remarked in 1997 that Dario Fo “emulates the jesters of the Middle Ages in scourging authority and upholding the dignity of the downtrodden.” His plays have been translated into 30 languages and performed across the world, including in US, Argentina, Chile, England, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, and Yugoslavia.

ABOUT THE TRANSLATORS

Jon Laskin and Michael Aquilante are writers and theater translators who have co-translated several works of Nobel Prize-winning Italian playwright Dario Fo, including “Accidental Death of an Anarchist,” “The Devil with Boobs,” and his classic political farce “They Don’t Pay? We Won’t Pay!” Jon and Michael’s critically

acclaimed translations have been staged in many cities around the world, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Anchorage, London, Dublin, Brisbane, Ottawa, and Toronto. “Anarchist” was honored with Toronto’s prestigious Dora Award, while “Boobs” received an L. A. Weekly Theater Award.

Currently, the Laskin/Aquilante team is developing adapted translations of another Italian Nobel Prize winner, Luigi Pirandello: “The Truth About Truth,” set in today’s Washington, DC, is based on “It Is So If You Think So”; while “Willie the First” is Pirandello’s “Henry IV” in a modern Mafia context. In addition to Laskin/Aquilante’s theatrical endeavors, 2016 will see the publication of their graphic book, “Wings of Wax and Feathers,” an urban-savvy retelling of the Icarus myth.

Translators Corner

FROM TRANSLATORS – Jon Laskin and Michael Aquilante

January 14, 2016 HannaB_home

THEY DON’T PAY? WE WON’T PAY!

Of the 7 billion people on earth, 99% seem to be very unhappy in these turbulent times of global economic meltdown. More and more alarmed citizens all over the world continue to demonstrate with dramatic protests and confrontations. They are unwilling to silently endure any longer the rampant injustice affecting their lives in critical ways.

Sadly, this is nothing new. The same conditions and the same reactions have occurred for centuries. Not so long ago in the 1960s and 1970s, such issues as civil rights, war, and economic inequality generated enormous social unrest. The activist response of ordinary people was expressed vigorously, sometimes even violently, in the streets and on campuses everywhere. But there were other activists—artists and writers—who used their creative voices to express the massive frustration and discontent.

Among them was Italian playwright, Dario Fo, who won a Nobel Prize in 1997 and continues his writing and fighting today. A lifelong political activist and fierce advocate for social justice, his provocative agitprop plays have been translated into countless languages and staged across the globe.

One play in particular speaks directly to the core economic problems still plaguing the world. Fo recently updated this farcical masterpiece to better reflect current global issues, retitled it “Sottopaga! Non si paga!” and asked his American translators, Jon Laskin and Michael Aquilante, to render a sharp, colloquial script that would bring to life the essential argument of the play: The necessity and lasting value of popular revolt, presented through the eternal form of comedy, both high and low.

“They Don’t Pay? We Won’t Pay!” lets today’s English-speaking audiences thoroughly enjoy Fo’s hilarious tale of working-class housewives revolting against soaring food prices by taking matters into their own hands… so to speak. As the anarchic housewife ANTONIA says in the play:

“You have the right to pay what’s fair. This is like a strike. No—it’s better than a strike. In a strike, our lost pay comes out of our own pockets. Finally, here’s a strike where the boss pays. Even better, he’s busted—flat as us. They don’t pay us what’s fair? Why should we pay their prices? They don’t pay? We won’t pay!”

Jon Laskin and Michael Aquilante are writers and theater translators who have co-translated several works of Nobel Prize-winning Italian playwright Dario Fo, including “Accidental Death of an Anarchist,” “The Devil with Boobs,” and his classic political farce “They Don’t Pay? We Won’t Pay!” Jon and Michael’s critically acclaimed translations have been staged in many cities around the world, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Anchorage, London, Dublin, Brisbane, Ottawa, and Toronto. “Anarchist” was honored with Toronto’s prestig

ious Dora Award, while “Boobs” received an L. A. Weekly Theater Award.

About Dario Fo

DARIO FO – The Jester of our times

January 14, 2016 HannaB_home

Photo Credits: Dario Fo, Cesenatico, 2005
Per gentile concessione di archivio.francarame.it

Dario Fo, Cesenatico, 2005
Per gentile concessione di archivio.francarame.it

The Team of Ambassador Theater is thrilled to partner with the Italian Cultural Institute and celebrate 90th Birthday of Dario Fo with the presentation of an Italian actor, an inerpreter of Dario Fo's monologues, Mario Pirovano, in Johan Padan and the Discovery of America Feb 26, 2016 at 7 PM at the Embassy of Italy and a production of DC Premiere of They Don’t Pay? We Won’t Pay! March 3-26, 2016 at FLASHPOINT, 916 G Street, NW, Washington DC.

They Don’t Pay? We Won’t Pay! is one of the greatest European comedies of the 20th Century, which caused the future Nobel Prize-winning playwright Dario Fo to be brought to trial for incitement. This working class farce set during a time of economic collapse, begins with an episode of mass shoplifting by working class women from food stores, due to price hikes. It soon converges with the shipping of cheap contraband food from Asia as well as work stoppages and strikes. As a result of the “liberation” of food from grocery stores, a peculiar number of pregnant-looking women in coats are being pursued by the authorities everywhere. One of these working class women, Antonia, must deal with her legalistic husband, Giovanni—a union member who plays by the rule-book. She must also explain the unexpected “pregnancy” of his best friend Luigi’s wife, Margherita, a fact that Giovanni in turn “reveals” to Margherita’s husband. But soon the raids by authorities seeking contraband food close in on their neighborhood, and chaos ensues.

Though the piece has been called a “comedy of hunger,” it is also about the bigger financial farce that results if the victims of financial collapse—brought about by capitalism run-amok—are asked to pay for the disaster while the guilty parties are bailed out. This play by a master playwright and performer, is both physical comedy and a comedy of wit, sometimes in “boulevard” style. Fo has roots in Commedia dell’Arte, and the influence shows in this modern farce. In awarding him the Nobel Prize for Literature—there is no theatre category!—the Nobel committee remarked in 1997 that Dario Fo “emulates the jesters of the Middle Ages in scourging authority and upholding the dignity of the downtrodden.”
WHERE: Mead Theatre Lab at FLASHPOINT
916 G Street NW, Washington DC
WHEN: March 3 – March 26, 2016; Wednesdays – Saturdays at 7:30 pm; Matinees Sundays at 3:00 pm
Previews March 1, 2 at 7:30 pm;

Opening & Reception follows, March 3 at 7:30 pm
Press Night: Sat, March 5, 7:30 pm; Special Q&A after the show with the Special Guest, Italian Actor, longtime collaborator of Dario Fo, Mario Pirovano, director, Joe Martin and actors
TICKETS: $20 – $40 Online For 14 + Audiences

They Don't Pay? We Won't Pay

DC PREMIERE of THEY DON’T PAY? WE WON”T PAY!

January 9, 2016 HannaB_home

Celebrating Dario Fo's 90th Birthday with They Don't Pay? We Won't Pay! at Ambassador Theater in Washington DC from aticc on Vimeo.

In Partnership with Italian Cultural Institute

Ambassador Theater Presents

The Washington DC Premiere of

THEY DON’T PAY? WE WON’T PAY!
By Dario Fo

Translated by Jon Laskin and Michael Aquilante

Produced by Hanna Bondarewska

Directed by Joe Martin and Danny Rovin

Featuring: Hanna Bondarewska, Moriah Whiteman, Darren Marquardt, Mitch Irzinski and Peter Orvetti

March 3 – March 26, 2016

Wednesdays – Saturdays at 7:30 pm; Matinees Sundays at 3:00 pm

Mead Theatre Lab at FLASHPOINT
916 G Street NW, Washington DC

Previews (Open Dress Rehearsals) March 1, 2 at 7:30 pm;

March 3 at 7:30 pm, VIP Opening & Reception follows

Press Night: Sat, March 5, 7:30 pm; Special Q&A after the show with the Special Guest, Italian Actor, longtime collaborator of Dario Fo, Mario Pirovano, director, Joe Martin, and actors

TICKETS ONLINE

JOIN OUR CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN

ABOUT

Ambassador Theater is thrilled to celebrate 90th Birthday of Dario Fo, Italian satirist, playwright, director, actor and composer, and present a DC Premiere of They Don’t Pay? We Won’t Pay!

ABOUT DARIO FO

Dario Fo has written over 70 plays, coauthoring some of them with his wife, the great comic actress Franca Rame. Among his most popular plays are Morte accidentale di un anarchico (1974; Accidental Death of an Anarchist) and Non si paga, non si paga! (Originally titled in English We Can’t Pay? We Won’t Pay!). As a performer, Fo is best known for his solo tour de force Mistero Buffo (1973; “Comic Mystery”), which he toured world-wide, based on medieval mystery plays and jongleur performance pieces: in the spirit of the medieval jongleurs the shows changed with each audience, always remaining fresh and relevant. At age 90 he has published the novel, The Pope’s Daughter: A Novel of Lucrezia Borgia.

CAST:
Antonia—Hanna Bondarewska
Giovanni–Darren Marquardt
Margherita—Moriah Whiteman
Luigi— Mitch Irzinski
Policeman/Federal Agent/Undertaker/Giovanni's Father—Peter Orvetti

PRODUCTION:
Director-Joe Martin and Danny Rovin
Assistant Director – Xandra Weaver
Music/Sound – Noor Che'Ree
Set Designer – Rachael Knoblauch
Set/Artist Painter – Julia Tasheva
Ligthing Designer – E-hui Woo
Costume Designer – Sigridur Johannesdottir
Literary Director – Eliza Anna Falk
Stage Manager – Xandra Weaver
House Box Office Manager – Anders Hilton da Silva and Mari Davis

CAST & CREW

Hanna Bondarewska
Founder, CEO, and Artistic Director

Hanna Bondarewska is the Artistic Director and Founder of the Ambassador Theater and was recently seen in They Don't Pay? We Won't Pay! by Dario Fo as Antonia, Smartphones as Maria, Protest as Stankova, Death of Tintagiles as Ygraine and in Summer at Nohant as George Sand. “For Hanna Bondarewska, the path to world peace not only exists, she is walking it — one artistic endeavor at a time.” – The Washington Diplomat.

Hanna Bondarewska is a native of Warsaw, Poland and was trained in the Polish and American schools of drama. She founded the Ambassador Theater because she believes in the power of theater to change the world for the better through collaboration and artistry. By bringing together theater and diplomacy she hopes to give us all a new perspective as global citizens, which will lead to deeper cultural understanding.

In June 2008, Hanna organized a life-changing trip to Poland for students from D.C. Public Schools as part of an educational program about Poland. The program was done in collaboration with Mrs. Hanna Reiter, wife of the former Ambassador of Poland to USA, the Embassy of Poland, Embassy Adoption Program, D.C. Public Schools and WPAS. She worked with over 60 students, teaching them about Poland, its history, culture, and traditions through theater designed to help them better retain learnt material, improve their reading comprehension, posture, and speaking skills, increase their imagination, and energize their drive for life.

The program developed into a performance, "Poland the Beautiful, an Imaginary ." Students performed the piece at their schools and at the Embassy of Poland, and then took it on the road for the First Lady of Poland, Mrs. Maria Kaczynska, at the Presidential Palace in Warsaw and in many other places around Poland last June.

Hanna’s acting credits are extensive and include the role of George Sand in "Summer at Nohant", Young Helena Modjeska in ""Farewell to Arden" at ATICC, and in "Helena—the Emigrant Queen"; "Sunflowers" at the Polish Theater Institute in New York; Square Minus One; A Genie Named Khatab; Snow Queen; Anouilh’s Antigone; Gogol’s The Marriage; and Goldoni’s Mirandolina and many others.

Ms. Bondarewska has recently directed The Trap, Happily Ever After, The Visitor, The Third Breast, The Madman and the Nun, Death of Tintagiles, Miracle of Saint Anthony, Summer at Nohant, Farewell to Arden, Forefathers, and Out at Sea.

Her one-woman show, Lotte Lenya, won recognition at the Kennedy Center Performing Arts Festival. Hanna performed at the Washington Shakespeare Theatre, Spectrum Theatre, Classika-Synetic Theatre, The New York Polish Theater, Hippodrome State Theatre, and Acrosstown Theater in Florida, where she also directed The Tao of Pooh, based on the book by B. Hoffman, and S. Mrożek’s Tango. Her Polish theater credits are extensive and include work in Warsaw, Bialystok, Olsztyn, Torun, Katowice, and Wroclaw with many luminaries of the Polish stage.

Hanna is teaching drama at Ambassador Theater's Outreach Programs and has also taught special outreach programs with Classika-Synetic Theatre at Arlington schools with Lilia Slavova and drama classes at Classika. She graduated magna cum laude from the Mount Vernon College of The George Washington University and earned her Acting Diploma in Poland. For over 15 years she served as Executive Director of the Institute for Education and Membership Chairman of the ABC XXI Child Awareness Program for Poland, which supports the emotional health and rights of children and adolescents through reading programs, awareness, education, and action.

Ms. Bondarewska has received various honors, including 2015 and 2014 DC Metro Theater Arts Best Director, Best Play Award, 2013 Helen Hayes Canadian Partnership Award, the St. Cyril and Methodius Award of excellence in promoting the Bulgarian Culture, Julia Heflin Performing Arts Award, recognition by Who's Who Among Students in American Universities, identification as a National Dean's List Scholar, and others.

Julia Tasheva
Artist, Master Puppeteer, Puppet Designer, Mime and Puppet Coach. Julia Tasheva holds a Master’s degree in puppetry from the National Academy of Film and Theater Art in Sofia, Bulgaria. She is an award-winning puppeteer, having won best actress in the Bulgarian National Puppetry Awards for her role as Pinocchio. Ms. Tasheva is also an accomplished mime, having toured Europe with the Theatre for New Forms and Balagan Mime Theatre. She is also an award-winning visual artist. She has extensive experience with a wide variety of puppet systems as well as acting, pantomime, teaching ,coaching and designing throughout the Washington Metro Area with shows such as: The Princess and the Pea, The Moonflower, Sleeping Beauty, Ugly Duckling, Cinderella, A Wondrous White Winter, The Three Little Pigs, The Nutcracker, The Snow Child and Mother Goose at Classika Theatre in puppeteer/leading roles and as puppet coach, puppet designer, and live actor. She designed puppets and sets for Kashtanka and Beauty and the Beast at Northern Virginia Community College and for Alice in Wonderland, Matsukaze, The Snow Child, The Story of the Lost Sock, The Penguin Story and Mother Goose at Classika Theater, and for Hopa Tropa and Hopa Tropa:Kukerica at Ambassador Theater. In addition, she designed and starred in several one-person touring puppet and mime shows including The Snow Child, Spooky Boo House, and The Forgotten Birthday.

Joe Martin
JOE MARTIN has worked as a director, playwright, translator and author since 1982. He was for 14 years Artistic Director of the Washington Laboratory Theatre, Open Theatre/DC. He has directed and created over 50 productions and performance works. He began his work in Vancouver where he co-directed Shakespeare and Restoration Theatre productions at the Firehall Theatre. Abroad his work has included El Trato (created with Juan Tovar in Mexico at the Compañía Nacionál), in Bucharest, Jose Rivera’s Marisol; in Canada, Passion Play, Richard III, A Midsummer Night’s Dream; in Jerusalem and Bethlehem two touring Athol Fugard productions, Boesman and Lena and The Island (which in 2015 garnered best Director and Best Actor in the Darqa International Summer Festival in Jordan) and Boesman and Lena. In Washington his work has appeared at Church Street Theatre, Open Theatre/DC, Metro Stage, DCAC, Source Theatre, Georgetown Theatre, Joy of Motion, and he served as dramaturg for Peer Gynt at the Shakespeare Theatre. His productions in the D.C. area include: Parabola (A dance theatre work); Woyzeck, The Match Girl’s SNOW QUEEN (His collaboration with composer Anna Larson); Anatole’s Lover (an original play on the death penalty); The Receiver (another original script); Strindberg’s A Dream Play; two collaborations with Zeljko Djukich, The Wedding/The Chalk Cross/The Beggar by Brecht, and the US touring production of Heiner Muller’s Quartet; Rumi’s MATHNAVI (A touring production). His productions with his students at American University and Johns Hopkins have included diverse works such as Suddenly Last Summer by Tennessee Williams, The Front Page, and Sam Shepard’s Simpatico.

An author of 10 books, fiction essays, and collections of plays and translations, theatre works, he has served as both Fulbright Scholar and Fulbright Specialist in Theatre. He is Senior Lecturer in Theatre at Johns Hopkins University.

Moriah Whiteman
Moriah Whiteman (Margherita) was recently seen as Chantall in Ambassador Theater’s production of Smartphones, A Pocket-Size Farce. She holds an MFA from The University of Southern Mississippi, where she learned to fuse her love of art with her commitment to social and political change. Since moving to DC, she has been able to work as both a theatre educator, and performing artist. Favorite past roles include Young Woman in Machinal and Elizabeth with Southern Arena Theatre’s production of Taking Steps. When she’s not working in the theatre, she’s outside playing and daydreaming or sipping coffee with a book.

Eliza Anna Falk
Eliza Anna Falk ( Literary Director) joined the Ambassador Theatre in early 2013 as a Creative and Editorial Consultant, in time to contribute to the success of the Literary Café event at the Embassy of Austria. Soon after she assumed the role of a Literary Associate Director and provides literary support to the theater’s productions, working with the Artistic Director on research and plays’ development. Her contributions include essays and articles; press releases, play bills and programs, aticc.org blog entries, as well as editorial work and occasional translations i.e. poems by Ireneusz Iredynski. Eliza’s passion for theatre and writing is also being realized through her work as a writer/reviewer for DC Metro Theatre Arts, covering plays, musicals and concerts. Graduate of Warsaw and Sydney Universities, she holds a Bachelor of Social Work and Policy and an M.A. in British Film and TV. She is also a CELTA (Cambridge) qualified teacher of English. Her past employment encompasses work for the Australian federal government, including diplomatic postings to Moscow and Warsaw, teaching English, and interior design and styling projects. Eliza is an avid theatre and film goer and lover of arts and travel. Past resident of Warsaw, London, Moscow, Paris and Sydney, she is thrilled to be able to experience life in cosmopolitan DC and collaborate with its vibrant theatre scene.

Sigríður Jóhannesdóttir (Costume Designer)
Sigríður or Sigrid as she is called here in the United States is a native of Iceland.
She came to the United States 1988 to pursue her Masters of Fine Arts degree in Theatre Design after having taught Icelandic and History at Fjölbrautaskóli Suðurnesja, (college) in Keflavik, Iceland for several years.
One year after her graduation 1992, she started her own decorative arts company; Scene Studios, Inc., www.scenestudios.com as well as Dedua, www.dedua.com, a business focusing on fashion accessories. She still runs both companies in Alexandria, Virginia.
Through the years she has designed costumes for various theatrical productions in Washington D.C. as well as worked for the Washington Opera. She is the resident costume designer for The Washington Stage Guild and The Ambassador Theatre in DC. She has taught theatrical design at American University in Washington DC, and in Morgantown, West Virginia. Presently she is in her fourth year of serving as a costume design professor at George Washington University.

Darren Marquardt
Darren Marquardt (Giovanni) is making his Ambassador Theater debut in They Don’t Pay! We Won’t Pay; Credits: Ballet NOVA, The Nutcraker, Drosselmeyer; Charm City Fringe Fatherland, Frank Berger; ,DC Dead, Mutation, Zombie Janitor; Faction Of Fools, Fool For a Day; Our Town, Simon Stinson, Theatre Lab, Long Island Sound, Evan Lorimor;, Rockville Little Theater, The Tempest, Antonio; Synetic Theater, The Tempest (understudy); Jekyll & Hyde, Father; Upstart Crow, Six Degrees of Separation, Flynn Kitteridge; Castaways Repertory Theatre, Taming of the Shrew, Grumio; Prince William Little Theater, Baby The Musical, Alan; One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, Mr. Harding; Rooftop Theater, Out of Order, Det.; Eden Productions, American Alias, John List; River Bend productions, the Quantum Suicide of Sophie Miller; American Dance Montage, founding member; George Mason University, BFA Dance

E-hui Woo (Lighting Designer)
E-hui Woo (Lighting Designer) is a Singaporean lighting designer new to the DC area and she is really excited to be working with Ambassador Theater for the second time!

Regional lighting design credits include Legally Blonde, Jr. & Alice in Wonderland, Jr. (Adventure Theatre MTC), Talley's Folly (Peter's Alley Theatre Productions), Stone Tape Party: The Re-Mix (Nu Sass Productions), A Very Pointless Holiday Spectacular (Pointless Theatre), and Shrek, The Musical (Ovations Theatre). Associate/Assistant lighting design credits include Smartphones (Ambassador Theater), Nuevas Aventuras de Don Quijote (GALA), Friendship Betrayed (WSC Avant Bard), The Daughter of the Regiment (Madison Opera), The Sound of Music, and The Matchmaker (Hope Summer Repertory Theatre). E-hui is also a regular overhire electrician at Shakespeare Theatre Company, Arena Stage and Signature Theatre.

E-hui worked in a variety of capacities back home before coming to the US, and during her study abroad semester in London, she interned with renowned dance company, Akram Khan Company, and the Finborough Theatre. She has also been part of several festivals including Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival (2015), the inaugural Ithaca Fringe (2014), American Realness 2014 in NYC, and Singapore Arts Festival 2011 (now known as the Singapore International Festival of Arts).

Current & upcoming designs include The Maid's Tragedy (Brave Spirits Theatre), The Wiz (Barrie School), Seussical Jr. and Sweeney Todd (Ovations Theatre), and much more in the works!

Mitch Irzinski
Mitch Irzinski (Luigi) is thrilled to be working with Ambassador Theater for the first time. Mitch has been acting professionally in the Washington DC area on both the stage and screen for nearly 10 years, with such theater companies as King's Players, Georgetown Theater Company, Synetic Theater, Zemfria Stage, Firebelly Productions, and many more. Much love to this incredibly talented cast and crew.

Daniel Rovin
Assistant to the Artistic Director

Daniel Rovin is a graduate of the National Conservatory for the Dramatic Arts. He first appeared with Ambassador Theater in Summer at Nohant (Rousseau). In addition to acting for stage and film, he performs original poetry throughout the DC region.

Xandra Weaver
Xandra Weaver (Stage Manager) has a great love of the process of theater and the creation of art that has led her into working both behind the scenes and onstage. Her career includes working for many years providing sound and lights for professional and amateur shows as well as makeup work for a feature film called “For the Glory”. At college, she specialized in makeup to earn her theater degree, and discovered a love for directing and play-writing. She's also been a nominee for the WATCH awards for her makeup work with the company of "The Producers" with TAP. She would like to thank Mari Davis for being her strong center and her soulmate.

Peter Orvetti
Peter Orvetti has been acting in the Washington area for the past three years. His most recent major role was in the Capital Fringe Festival hit production "Districtland". He has also appeared in two productions with Arcturus Theater Company, "3 by Samuel Beckett" and "Full Bloom". Peter has worked with Elden Street Players, SCENA, Silver Spring Stage, and Spooky Action Theater, among others. He is a member of the improv troupe Imaginary Numbers and is currently filming the web series "The B League".

Rachael Knoblauch
Rachael Knoblauch ( Set Designer) is a graduating senior from University of Maryland, Baltimore County where she has spent the past four years studying the design and construction of scenery as well as costume. She has largely collaborated in academic theatre--working as assistant designer, costume artisan, and scenic painter, among other things, for multiple departmental productions. Most recently she completed work as scenic designer for UMBC's production of "Gum" by Karen Hartman.

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AMBASSADOR THEATER

Category Archives: They Don’t Pay? We Won’t Pay

A Video Message from DARIO FO about “They Don’t Pay? We Won’t Pay!

Housewives Get Desperate in Dario Fo’s They Don’t Pay, We Won’t Pay by Eliza Anna Falk

“They Don’t Pay? We Won’t Play!” GoFundMe Campaign

Celebration of Dario Fo Feb 26 – March 26, 2016

JOHAN PADAN AND THE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA
(Johan Padan a la Descoverta de le Americhe) By Dario Fo
Featuring Mario Pirovano
Feb 26, 2016 MORE INFO to REGISTER will come soon! Do not call please!
at the Embassy of Italy

MASTER CLASS with MARIO PIROVANO

They Don’t Pay? We Won’t Pay!
By Dario Fo
Translated by Jon Laskin and Michael Aquilante
Produced By Hanna Bondarewska
Directed by Joe Martin
March 3-March 26, 2016
at FLASHPOINT, 916 G Street, NW, Washington DC

JOIN OUR CIRCLE OF SUPPORTERS: https://www.gofundme.com/y8c72qp8
TICKETS ONLINE

FROM TRANSLATORS – Jon Laskin and Michael Aquilante

DARIO FO – The Jester of our times

DC PREMIERE of THEY DON’T PAY? WE WON”T PAY!

In Partnership with Italian Cultural Institute

Ambassador Theater Presents

The Washington DC Premiere of

THEY DON’T PAY? WE WON’T PAY!
By Dario Fo

Translated by Jon Laskin and Michael Aquilante

Produced by Hanna Bondarewska

Directed by Joe Martin and Danny Rovin

March 3 – March 26, 2016

Wednesdays – Saturdays at 7:30 pm; Matinees Sundays at 3:00 pm

Mead Theatre Lab at FLASHPOINT
916 G Street NW, Washington DC

Previews (Open Dress Rehearsals) March 1, 2 at 7:30 pm;

March 3 at 7:30 pm, VIP Opening & Reception follows

Press Night: Sat, March 5, 7:30 pm; Special Q&A after the show with the Special Guest, Italian Actor, longtime collaborator of Dario Fo, Mario Pirovano, director, Joe Martin, and actors

TICKETS ONLINE

JOIN OUR CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN

CAST & CREW

International Cultural Center

More Info:

More Info:

More Info:

JOHAN PADAN AND THE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA (Johan Padan a la Descoverta de le Americhe) By Dario Fo Featuring Mario Pirovano Feb 26, 2016 MORE INFO to REGISTER will come soon! Do not call please! at the Embassy of Italy

MASTER CLASS with MARIO PIROVANO

They Don’t Pay? We Won’t Pay! By Dario Fo Translated by Jon Laskin and Michael Aquilante Produced By Hanna Bondarewska Directed by Joe Martin March 3-March 26, 2016 at FLASHPOINT, 916 G Street, NW, Washington DC

JOIN OUR CIRCLE OF SUPPORTERS: https://www.gofundme.com/y8c72qp8 TICKETS ONLINE

More Info:

More Info:

More Info:

In Partnership with Italian Cultural Institute

Ambassador Theater Presents

The Washington DC Premiere of

THEY DON’T PAY? WE WON’T PAY! By Dario Fo

Translated by Jon Laskin and Michael Aquilante

Produced by Hanna Bondarewska

Directed by Joe Martin and Danny Rovin

March 3 – March 26, 2016

Wednesdays – Saturdays at 7:30 pm; Matinees Sundays at 3:00 pm

Mead Theatre Lab at FLASHPOINT 916 G Street NW, Washington DC

Previews (Open Dress Rehearsals) March 1, 2 at 7:30 pm;

March 3 at 7:30 pm, VIP Opening & Reception follows

Press Night: Sat, March 5, 7:30 pm; Special Q&A after the show with the Special Guest, Italian Actor, longtime collaborator of Dario Fo, Mario Pirovano, director, Joe Martin, and actors

CAST & CREW

More Info:

International Cultural Center

JOHAN PADAN AND THE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA
(Johan Padan a la Descoverta de le Americhe) By Dario Fo
Featuring Mario Pirovano
Feb 26, 2016 MORE INFO to REGISTER will come soon! Do not call please!
at the Embassy of Italy

They Don’t Pay? We Won’t Pay!
By Dario Fo
Translated by Jon Laskin and Michael Aquilante
Produced By Hanna Bondarewska
Directed by Joe Martin
March 3-March 26, 2016
at FLASHPOINT, 916 G Street, NW, Washington DC

JOIN OUR CIRCLE OF SUPPORTERS: https://www.gofundme.com/y8c72qp8
TICKETS ONLINE

THEY DON’T PAY? WE WON’T PAY!
By Dario Fo

Mead Theatre Lab at FLASHPOINT
916 G Street NW, Washington DC