Their accountant predicted that The Actors' Gang didn't have enough money in the budget to produce any plays. The company's artistic director, Oscar-winner Tim Robbins, and other members of the theatrical troupe refused to let a little thing like the economy keep them from producing theatre, so they called all their friends to put together the WTF?! Festival fundraiser, and came up with enough events to fill several months on the calendar.
Who comes out when Tim Robbins calls? Highlights include Jack Black and Kyle Gass as the band Tenacious D, contributing an audacious house concert on Oct 17 (their film Tenacious D: The Pick of Destiny will screen Oct 28). Jackson Browne will bring his guitar out for an intimate set on Oct 24. Ben Gibbard, the lead singer of Death Cab for Cutie and The Postal Service, is performing a collection of his music in the 100-seat theater on Nov 21, and Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine performs with Shooter Jennings Dec 5.
Other events include All Cake No File & With a Bible and a Gun, "a Johnny Cash prison tribute cooking show-concert," (multiple dates), Pen Center USA conversations with various writers, Pen American performance/reading of award-winning manuscripts from Pen's Prison Writing Program, Vox Femina choral concert followed by Christmas caroling, plus more concerts and lots of film screenings.
Through October 24, you can also catch the latest Actors' Gang stage productions, The Need to Know, A one-woman show written and performed by former Air Force Intelligence Analyst, April Fitzsimmons; and Death and Giggles, featuring former Cirque du Soleil performer Daisuke Tsuji.
The scheduling is laid out as Documentary Tuesdays, Film Wednesdays, Theater Thursdays, Fun Fridays, and Music Saturdays. Event prices range from free to $150.
For the full schedule, visit www.wtffestival.theactorsgang.com.
Support the arts and pay full price if you can (you know really cool people will be there!), but if you're strapped by the economy too, check Goldstar.com for discounted tickets to some events.