education & outreach

Pay What You Can Night
Once a week we offer a performance for the entire community. Anyone cAN come to see a show, regardless of income. We ask people interested in seeing a performance to pay only what they can afford. 

Accessibility for the Hearing Impaired and visually impaired
For every production we presented a special performance for patrons who are deaf and hard of hearing with trained sign-language interpreters, and a performance for those who are visually impaired, with an Audio Describer.

  



Student Matinees
Students from local high schools are invited to special matinee performances of selected Gang shows. After the performance, a question/answer period is opened between students and artists.

 

DEAD MAN WALKING SCHOOL THEATER PROJECT
To widen the circle of public discourse on the death penalty, The Actors' Gang is working in conjunction with Sister Helen Prejean and the Death Penalty Discourse Center to offer the stage adaptation of Tim Robbins' Dead Man Walking for production by High Schools and Universities. Schools are required to involve at least two disciplines or departments, other than Theater, (sociology, theology, humanities, criminal justice, etc.) in simultaneous study projects on the issue of capital punishment. For more information,  CLICK HERE!

The Actors’ Gang Summer Camp One-Week Intensives

This summer The Actors’ Gang is offering two one-week summer camps for Teens and Pre-teens at The Ivy Substation in Culver City.  The one-week camps are perfect for both the beginning actor and the most advanced actor and is designed for students who are interested in exploring all aspects of creating theater.  Each camp is divided into a morning and afternoon session, which will be taught by Actors’ Gang teaching artists and professional actors.  The camps will include workshops in the unique acting technique of The Actors’ Gang, which is based in the physical and improvisational style of commedia ‘del arte. In addition, guest workshops will focus on movement, voice, costume, make-up and much more!   The goal is for students to develop their own creative voices through learning the principals of the performing arts.  Each camp will culminate in an open workshop for family and friends to observe the work the students created throughout the week.

Dates & Times:

Teen One-Week Intensive: July 7th  – July 11th              
9AM-3PM  (Ages 13-17)

Pre-Teen One Week Intensive: July 21st  – July 25th      
9AM-3PM  (Ages 8-12)

*Lunch will not be provided for either camp. 

Tuition: $350 per week intensive. 

To download an application, please click here:  

For more information & to reserve a spot, please contact:

Vanessa Mizzone
Director of Education 
The Actors’ Gang 
(310) 838-4264 X 14
education@theactorsgang.com

The Actors’ Gang Education Initiative – a collaboration between The Actors’ Gang, Culver City Unified School District and SONY Pictures Entertainment

 

Residencies with Culver City High School Performing Arts Academy and Culver Middle School

This program is a year long residency at The Ivy Substation with Culver City Middle School and The Academy of Visual and Performing Arts, based at Culver City High School, in which artists from The Actors’ Gang work with students to develop their own creative voices.  The residency is designed to teach youth about themselves and their environment while they learn the principles of the performing arts.  The students are trained in the physical acting style of The Actors’ Gang, which is based in commedia del’ arte.  The first semester is centered on playing theater games to enhance focus and ensemble building among the group.  Students work with Gang company members to develop their own stock characters based in commedia del’ arte.

 

The second semester focuses on the process of structuring these characters into a free performance workshop for invited friends and family at The Ivy Substation.  Students will learn how to write their own text, in addition to working with classical text.  Students participate not only as actors, but also as writers, directors, and designers in this process of developing theater.

 

Residencies with La Ballona Elementary School

In the first semester, Gang company members work with third through fifth graders from La Ballona Elementary School. In this residency, the students come to The Ivy Substation twice a week after school and learn the basics of playwriting, acting and movement. In addition to the principles of theater, students are given the skills in teamwork and conflict resolution. Through theater games and the creative process of preparing for a show, students learn to work together with respect and trust.  The residency culminates with participation in The Actors’ Gang Annual Holiday Show, which features students and professional actors on the company’s mainstage. In lieu of an admission charge for this performance, community members are asked to bring an unwrapped toy for a child in need which is then distributed to the community.

 

In the second semester, students continue to work the Gang company members twice a week, but the training focuses more on the physical acting style of The Actors’ Gang, which is based in commedia del’ arte.  Through costumes and make-up, students develop their own character images and work together to develop their storytelling skills.
 

STUDY guides

The Actors' Gang designs Study Guides for classroom use in conjunction with each of our mainstage productions, as well as for general audience preparation prior to seeing the performance. Click on the links to download our guides free of charge!

"THE WOMEN OF LOCKERBIE" STUDY GUIDE

"DRUMS IN THE NIGHT" STUDY GUIDE

"1984" CLASSROOM GUIDE

Workshops with UCLA
The Actors’ Gang annually conducts a week-long, intensive workshop for UCLA students. In addition, we partner with third year MFA students to help facilitate and educate the high school students in our residency with the Culver City High School Academy for the Visual and Performing Arts.
 

NOT FOR PROFIT FUNDRAISERS

The Actors’ Gang donates a limited number of tickets for charitable fundraising events.

Donation requests must be made by fax or mail only. No phone calls or e-mails, please. The fax number is 310-838-4263 and the address 9070 Venice Blvd.; Culver City, CA 90232.

Please include the following information: The name of your organization on official letterhead, the contact information of the person who is to receive the donation (keep in mind the person must be able to receive mail at the address printed on the letterhead; this is especially important for schools and universities), the name and date of your event, and the tax ID number proving your organization's nonprofit status. Your request will not be considered until all of this information is provided. Requests will be filled on a first come, first served basis. Due to our limited staff, please allow 3-4 weeks for processing. Unfortunately, because of the number of requests, we cannot send confirmation to all who apply. No follow-up calls, please.

 

 
 

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