Socialist Comedy To Open Theatre Fairfield Season

FAIRFIELD — Fairfield University’s Theatre Fairfield, the resident student theatrical company, will present as its first production of the 2007-08 season Nobel Prize-winning playwright Dario Fo’s We Won’t Pay! We Won’t Pay!, translated by Ron Jenkins. Performances will be at the Wien Experimental Theatre at The Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts Wednesday, October 31, through Saturday, November 3, at 8 pm, with matinees on Saturday and Sunday, November 3-4, at 2 pm.

Guest artist and professional clown, Adam Gertsacov is directing the production. Mr Gertsacov is a clown laureate, P.T. Barnum impersonator, a flea circus impresario, and a professor at the University of Rhode Island. His unusual background as a master of physical comedy brings a unique perspective to the piece.

“We want to expose the audience to a different type of theater. Although everything that happens on stage is based in the reality of human behavior, this show is anything but naturalistic,” said Mr Gertsacov.

We Won’t Pay! We Won’t Pay! is a farce with a message. Intertwined with uproarious humor and outlandish physical comedy are socialist themes and a belief in the common man. In the playwright’s eyes, however, it seems the common man is the uncommon person. The characters are willing to stand up and question authority, before they fall in line with society.

The play is set in a town where prices have been raised astronomically high, where no one can afford to pay the rent, the electricity, the gas; they barely even have any money for food. Thus, the townspeople decide to take matters into their own hands. Antonia (Colleen Kennedy, ’09) and Margherita (Sarah Zybert, ’09) cause a riot at a grocery store when they refuse to pay such high prices for groceries. They leave, paying little to nothing at all for their groceries. From this premise, a hilarious farce unravels.

The women try to hide their stolen food from their law-abiding husbands, Giovanni (Evan Barden, ’08) and Luigi (Nick Phillips, ’11), as well as from the police. As a last restort, the desperate women (and eventually their husbands) hide the food within their clothing, giving an illusion that some of the characters are pregnant. The action takes place on an elaborate set that resembles a trailer park and unconventionally incorporates the entire theatre.

While it was written over 30 years ago, Mr Fo’s works continues to speak to the human spirit. With humor that can be appreciated on several levels, he engages the audience with the struggle between the stereotypical “little guy” whose needs are overshadowed by ever-growing corporation. The conglomerates erect self-protective barriers causing individuals to suffer, but this play celebrates the moment when citizens stand up for their rights.

Tickets are $12 for general admission; $6 for seniors & university staff; and $5 for students. Tickets are available online at Quick.Center.com or through the box office at 203-254-4010 or 1-877-ARTS-396 (877-278-7396).