Mike Ricci's Production
of We Won't Pay
Cast
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Antonia
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Meghan Pavich
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Margherita
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Amy Koivisto
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Giovanni
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Chris Snyder
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Police Sgt, State Trooper, Undertaker, Old Man
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Joe Galatz
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Luigi
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Norm Wilson
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Crew
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Stage Manager
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Sarah Stone
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Technical Director
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Mike Ricci
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Assistant Technical Director/ |
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Dan Dolinar
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Set and Sound Design
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Mike Ricci
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Lighting Design
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Lorna Grant
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Scenic Artist/Set Decoration
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Ellie Ricci
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Costumes
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Mike Ricci, Dorothy Simkins
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Props
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Gretchen Mayer, Mike Ricci, |
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Set Construction
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Dan Dolinar, Mike Ricci, Rory Kick |
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Dialect Coach
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Tony Veneziano
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Sound Engineer
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Dan Dolinar
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Light Board Operator/Design Assistant
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Cindy Eisbrenner
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Sound Operator
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Josh Bresler
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Backstage Crew
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Jon Stone, Nathan Torrey
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Box Office
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Christine Olson, Dorothy Simkins,
Jan Carey |
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Program Ads |
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Bobby Ballard |
Director Notes
Every once in awhile, I come across a play that reminds me of the power of a live performance, and the ultimate magic of theatre to transform an audience. Such a play is "We Won't Pay!! We Won't Pay!!", written by Italian playwright Dario Fo (who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1999), it speaks to the tricky balancing act most of us endure in order to make ends meet while trying to live in relative happiness. The recent problem with corrupt CEO's and business managers, politicians lying and clergy scandals, economic slumps job layoffs, rising proces and a minimum wage that doesn't keep pace with inflation - all of this provides Dario Fo with more than enough material to fashion his story about two struggling families and the lengths they go to in trying to stay afloat. Of course, since the play is a comedy, Mr. Fo goes to great lengths to make sure we are thorougly entertained while getting across his not so subtle message of people needing to take their destiny into their own hands. Although his plays have been produced around the world, he is not as well known in this country, possibly because of his politics (he is a self-described Marxist), and his refusal to sugarcoat the very real problems he sees with the way modern society is governed.
The play has been described by various critics as "Karl Marx meeting Groucho Marx", and "I Love Lucy" meets "The Honeymooners". While this may be a quick and simple description of the play, it does offer some insight into the direction Mr. Fo intended. With a blend of laughter and gravity he opens our eyes to abuses and injustices in society, and seeks to give us a way out, or at least a way to empower us to act. Perhaps we can all get inspiration from the way Giovanni and Antonia travel through their own journey to enlight meet. It is a fact that many of us are driven by some kind of hunter- whether it is the literal hunger for food, or the metaphorical hunger for change. This hunger is shared by the characters in the play, and underscores much of their actions. Hunger can drive people to do desperate things, and in this desperation that humor abounds. This may be one of Mr. Fo's greatest gifts - the ability to see comic possibilities when surrounded by seeming hopelessness. The great clowns of yesteryear - Chaplin and Keaton, knew this well. Dario Fo joins them as one of our great jesters.
Play Photos
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