Back by Popular Demand!

THE HUMAN COMEDY

Written and Directed by Thom Babbes

Produced by Crystal Jackson

Playing September 30 - November 5 , Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm (NEW TIME!) and Sundays at 2:30 pm in the David Schall Theatre

Set in war front America in 1942, this coming-of-age tale tells the story of Homer Macaulay, a 14-year-old boy who delivers telegrams at night to make money for his family. During the course of two days, Homer grows from an idealistic boy to a mature young man as he struggles with the unfairness of the world around him and the pain of families to whom he delivers the War Department’s death notices. 

But in the midst of the decaying idealism of small-town America, and the loneliness of growing up, Homer finds hope in humanity through Mr. Grogan, the old alcoholic telegrapher, and Mr. Spangler, the manager of the telegraph office who becomes a father figure. In these men, Homer learns to see the goodness in people no matter how desperate or broken they may be. He also finds the true meaning of home.

The World Premiere of

LEWIS AND TOLKIEN

Written and Directed by Dean Batali

Produced by Marc Whitmore, Lori Berg, and Rob Loos

Playing October 27 - December 3 , Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm (NEW TIME!) and Sundays at 2:30 pm in the Crossley Theatre with additional matinees November 4, November 25, and December 2 at 2:30 pm. There will be no performance on Friday, November 24th.

Set in Oxford, England in the autumn of 1963 at the famous “Rabbit Room” of the Eagle and Child Pub, this play is something of a return to the familiar for C.S. Lewis (author of The Chronicles of Narnia) and J.R.R. Tolkien (who wrote The Lord of the Rings). Filled with humor, rousing debate, and reconciliation, the two men learn the true value of their friendship with a little help from a few pints of beer and the energetically curious barmaid, Veronica.

The award-winning actors co-op presents

TWELFTH NIGHT

Written by William Shakespeare

Directed by Michael T. Kachingwe

Produced by Lorinda Hawkins Smith

Playing April 5th - May 12th, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 2:30 pm in the David Schall Theatre.

Stranded on the coast of Illyria, the quick-witted Viola assumes the disguise of a page boy for Duke Orsino and finds herself at the center of an explosive love triangle in which identity, passion and gender all threaten to come undone. Bursting with vitality and romance, Twelfth Night gives us one of Shakespeare’s most remarkable heroines matching wits with a host of captivating characters—from the love-struck Olivia to the puritanical Malvolio.

We’re thrilled to announce our spring 2023 season!

THE HUMAN COMEDY

Written and directed by Thom Babbes. Based on the novel by William Saroyan.

March 10-April 16, 2023

David Schall Theatre

TORNADO

Written by Chris Cragin-Day

Directed by Linda Kerns

April 21-May 28, 2023

Crossley Theatre

A heartfelt thank you to our donors and subscribers for giving during our thrive campaign. You made this season possible!

Look out for casting and ticket information coming in January and February 2023!

For the first time ever we are taking the show on the road as Actors Co-op proudly presents the inaugural Co-op To You church tour. 

Actors Co-op is bringing this audience favorite, AN EVENING WITH C.S. LEWIS, to churches with the desire to see the gospel flourish in the arts community. If you can provide a performance space, an audience, and an opportunity to share who we are with your community, Actors Co-op will bring the show to you.

Updated March 4, 2022

The L.A. County Public Health Officer has released new guidelines.

As of March 4, 2022:

• Masking indoors is recommended but optional in some settings, including theaters.

• Showing proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test is no longer required for small indoor venues, including theaters.

If you are feeling at all sick with cold or flu-like symptoms, we kindly ask you to not attend and reschedule your tickets.

Thank you for your cooperation and for helping us have a safe return to the theater!

Welcome back to YOUR theatre company!

As we prepare to open our doors again, we are seeking new company members!

Entering its 30th Anniversary Season, Actors Co-op is an award-winning, dues-paying membership company of Christian artists operating under AEA’s Membership Company Rule.

Seeking talented, diverse artists to join our company this Fall 2021. Please visit our Auditions page for information on how to submit.

An announcement on dates of our return will be coming soon!

As spirits rise with the vaccine rollout and California’s plummeting positivity rates, we are getting ready for our curtain to rise again! We are elated to be getting ready for a joyful, healing, and safe return to the theater soon!

As guidelines continue to evolve, we remain closed and committed to the health and safety of our theater community. We will provide updates for our reopening and the precautions we are taking for the care and comfort of our audiences.

Curtains Up! Light the Lights!

AND THE NOMINEES ARE …

We are thrilled to announce the nominees for LA Stage Alliance’s 31st Annual Ovation Awards (2019/2020): 

Best Production of a Musical (Intimate Theater)

Miracle on 34th Street: A Live Musical Radio Play

Fight Direction

Richard Soto - A Body of Water 

Sound Design (Intimate Theater)

Robert Ramirez - Miracle on 34th Street: A Live Musical Radio Play

Costume Design 

Jessica Champagne-Hansen - Miracle on 34th Street: A Live Musical Radio Play

The ceremony will be taking virtually and the date is TBD.

Congratulations to all the nominees!! 

A CO-OP CHRISTMAS 

Two Evenings of Wonder, Love, and Light 

DECEMBER 18TH AND DECEMBER 19TH 5PM PST

Join us around your own hearth!
Light a fire in your fireplace (or a candle will do!), grab a cozy blanket, turn on your laptop or TV and let Co-op stream Christmas cheer directly into your home! 

The two-night event will be streaming on Youtube Live on December 18th & 19th 5pm PST. 
Each night features different Christmas stories with different casts. So, make sure to RSVP for both nights to experience all the joy and wonder!

👀A Peek Behind-the-Scenes of A Co-op Christmas

Members began filming for A Co-op Christmas last week!! After tech drop-offs, lighting and sound checks, prop making, and online rehearsals, we are ready to go and bring audiences Christmas cheer through this new online medium!

Don’t miss A CO-OP CHRISTMAS December 18th & 19th 5pm PST streaming on YouTube Live!

Make sure to RSVP for your seat at the (virtual) theater!

Reservations are FREE!

My First American Christmas

As we approach what will be a unique Christmas season in a challenging year,

board member and company member, Eva Abramian, shares a unique story from Christmas past

Prior to that Christmas in 1994, we were used to celebrating the holiday after the New Year, in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. You see, Armenians as part of the Apostolic church have kept the tradition of celebrating Christ’s birth on January 6th.  Although, the festivities would start on New Year’s Eve. The New Year's table was always full, even when the times were tough. And the times were tough! We had just experienced the collapse of the Soviet Union and independent Armenia was not doing well economically. However, as a child I had no clue. I thought mom liked to skip eating eggs for breakfast, I thought she liked to drink tea from a tiny cup. I didn’t know she was rationing. She’d even make us new outfits from old pairs of her clothing, sometimes sewing by candlelight when our lights were off during the “dark times” when electricity was scarce. But all her prep paid off for New Years. The table was set with tolma (stuffed grape leaves), ham, blinchik (crepe filled with ground beef, a Russian appetizer), at least three different types of salad, tuh-tu (pickled vegetables), cheese, and greens. That night we were told that Santa Claus or as I knew him, “The Winter Grandpa'', would visit during the night and we would find something special waiting for us under our pillows when we awoke the next morning, on New Year's Day. Only the children received gifts, and it was just one gift per child. I do not remember adults ever exchanging gifts. Right after midnight on New Years Eve, we would start visiting our family and friends, and neighbors’ homes, and my dad would always take cognac. This visiting of family and friends tradition would last for days, and sometimes weeks.

Christmas on January 6th was much quieter, and more Christ centered than what I noticed in America, which seemed to be centered more on Santa and gifts. There were no gifts exchanged.  On January 5th, Christmas Eve,  we would attend church service, light a candle for our loved ones and pray, then we would light a candle and bring it home, symbolizing the light of Christ coming into our home. Some would bring holy water, and blessed salt as well. Dinner was simple, typically with red wine, trout fish, rice pilaf mixed with raisins (my aunt Susan says it's symbolic; that the rice are the nations, and the raisins are the disciples going into them). We’d pray before dinner and say lots of toasts.

My first Christmas in America was overwhelming, to say the least. My aunts, Susan and Anush, took me Christmas shopping. They kept asking me what I wanted. I came from modesty and wasn’t able to say anything. I think it was becoming frustrating for them, constantly holding up items and asking, “This? Or this?”.  I distinctly remember them holding up two nightgowns, a grey one with a teddy bear on it, and a pink one with colorful ice cream on it. Seven-year-old me really wanted to be liked and accepted. I took a moment to think of which choice would be the correct answer. If I say bear, they’ll think I’m simple, if I say ice cream, they’ll think I’m wild. They took my silence as indecisiveness and bought both, making me cringe with embarrassment.

I went from sharing a streetlight with neighbors in Armenia due to limited electricity, to walking down streets of Pasadena looking at homes covered with Christmas lights and decorations. I don’t think I can explain that experience, except that it was…captivating. On December 25th, we had a huge dinner at my uncle’s house, where my family was staying since we had only immigrated to America a month and a half before.  All my other aunts and uncles and cousins joined. I remember a whole roasted pig on the table and my uncle joking that I’d have to eat the pig’s nose. I was laughing because I knew it was a joke but horrified that he might mean it. I remember one uncle playing the piano, another playing the accordion, my cousin playing dhol (an Armenian percussion drum) everyone else dancing and singing along. I got to sing and recite poems; it was all very thrilling. I received multiple gifts, there was so much wrapping paper piled up, and after each gift I’d go and kiss the person who gave it. It was such an overwhelmingly exciting, and high-spirited night, full of love, joy and laughter. Later, I asked, does this mean we won’t be celebrating Christ’s birth on January 6th, anymore? The answer was, we are the first Christian nation, our religion is very much a part of our identity, of course we will, don’t worry, we’ll celebrate both. And…..we have. Looking back, I always thank God for that one special Christmas, where I got to experience the blessings of such love and joy from my family. 

Pictured Left: Eva (left) wearing her teddy bear nightgown, singing with her cousin Ani (right). Gata, an armenian pastry, is seen in the foreground
Pictured Right: Eva’s uncles playing piano and accordion

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From Our Home to Yours

An Abramian Family Recipe

Gata:

Traditional Armenian pastry

Prep time

50 mins

Cook time

25 min

Ready in

1 hour 15 min

Yields

20-24 pieces

Ingredients for Dough 

3 cups (each 250ml) flour

1 cup sour cream, or yogurt

2 eggs

250gr butter

3/4 baking soda, combined with 2 drops of vinegar

Ingredients for Filling

2 cups of flour

1 cup sugar

250g butter

1/5 teaspoon vanillin (vanilla extract can be used as a substitute)

Instructions

1. Mix the following ingredients: flour with salt and baking soda.

2. Add the butter, the egg and sour cream (or yogurt) and start mashing all ingredients together.

3. Divide the dough into three parts, and place them for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

4. Prepare the filling: Mix sugar,vanillin and flour. Take the butter and rub it into flour dough. Make sure once you're done the dough looks like sand.

5. Shape the dough with rolling pin into 1-1.5 cm phyllo and add the filling as it is shown in the picture.

6. One more time you need to shape the dough into 3 rolls. Brush the dough with the beaten egg. You can also draw lines on the dough as it is shown in the picture by using a fork.

7. Cut the dough into medium size pieces.

8. Bake them in the oven for 20-25min at 175C(350 F). Use baking paper.

(Recipe from Hubpages- Armenian pastry -Traditional Gata)

As we approach what will be a unique Christmas season in a challenging year,

member-on-leave, Heidi Palomino, shares a unique story from Christmas past

“One of my favorite Christmas memories is when ten of my cousins flew in from out of town (Washington State AND Peru!) when my sister and I were about 8 and 10 years old. It was a dream come true and a total Christmas wonderland. Breakfasts consisted of holiday pancakes, junky cereal, hot coco, there was candy everywhere, and huge dinners were followed by Christmas movies and games. We could not wait for Christmas. In fact the advent calendar was the most important part of the house as we counted down. 

THEN, one unexpected night changed everything. It started with a sniffle here and there from my sister, and then a cough from the baby, and then a sneeze  from my eldest cousin, until before you know it, on Christmas Eve all ten of us cousins had a fevers and we were sick with a flu. You’d think the memory would be awful and miserable, but funnily enough all I remember is being sick with some of my best friends who happened to be my cousins, piled in the living room with blankets and pillows and tea galore while our moms and dads and aunts and uncles were taking care of us; determined to make Christmas wonderful despite the circumstances. 

 I came across a photo of us all not too long ago at that Christmas and we were all ghost white with red watery eyes, clearly very ill, but there was a fondness to that memory. I knew we were miserable, but God didn’t highlight that miserable flu in my memory. He highlighted the memories of being snuggled and comforted and taken care of by family at every turn. To this day, I don’t remember one present I received that year. All I remember is the love and the family that I was surrounded with. 

By God’s grace, everyone was perfectly healthy by the time it was time for my cousins to fly back home, and miraculously, none of the adults got sick. It was a very strange, 24 hour Christmas flu that to this day we all look back on 20 years later and can’t help but chuckle and smile at “The Christmas when all the kids were sick.” 

From Our Home to Yours

The Palomino Family Christmas Recipes:

So many amazing Christmas Recipes! I have to share two. One form each side of the family. 

My Mom’s famous Pfeffernusse:
AKA German Spice Cookies

(Not the exact recipe, because you know mom’s and their secret cookie recipes but this one is pretty darn close!)

Prep Time 25 minutes 

Cook Time 15 minutes 

Total Time 40 minutes 

Ingredients

• ½ c brown sugar

• ½ c molasses

• ¼ c salted butter

• 2 tsp fresh orange zest, (roughly ½ of a large orange)

• 2 eggs

• 3 c unbleached all purpose flour

• ½ tsp cinnamon

• ½ tsp ground black pepper

• ½ tsp ground anise

• ¼ tsp baking soda

• ½ - 1 c powdered sugar, (for coating)

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, cream together the brown sugar, molasses, butter, zest and eggs. Beat until light and creamy.

2. Add the flour and spices to the wet ingredients. Mix by hand until well combined.

3. Shape the dough into a ball. (It will be slightly sticky.) Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight. (While not a 100% necessary step, resting allows the flavors to come together and the peppery-ness of the dough to mellow.)

4. When you are ready to bake your cookies, preheat your oven to 350F.

5. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and shape into 1” balls (roughly 1 Tbsp of dough). (If the dough is too sticky, slightly grease your hands.) Place the dough balls 2” apart on a greased baking sheet.

6. Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes, until puffy and firm to the touch.

7. Remove the cookies immediately from the baking sheet and let them cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack.

8. Place the powdered sugar in a paper bag. Add the cookies 2-3 at a time and toss them in the powdered sugar. (The cookies should be cool enough that the powdered sugar doesn't melt, but warm enough that it slightly sticks.) If necessary, toss the cookies twice in powdered sugar, to get a nice coating.

9. Return the coated cookies to the wire rack to finish cooling.

10. Store the pfeffernusse an air-tight container for up to a week.

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Tia Vicky’s Flan

Flan. A Classic.
(Again…. My Peruvian Aunt (Tia Vicky) has an amazing recipe that remains a secret, but this one is close!)

Ingredients

• 1 cup white sugar

• 3 eggs

• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk

• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt sugar until liquefied and golden in color. Carefully pour hot syrup into a 9 inch round glass baking dish, turning the dish to evenly coat the bottom and sides. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, beat eggs. Beat in condensed milk, evaporated milk and vanilla until smooth. Pour egg mixture into baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil.

4. Bake in preheated oven 60 minutes. Let cool completely.

5. To serve, carefully invert on serving plate with edges when completely cool.

Watch WHEN WE CAN’T MEET !

In case you missed the live stream with Together LA: A Virtual Stage Festival, the full Co-op original play is available for streaming below!

Please consider donating to Co-op to help us continue to share stories and connect during this time!

🎉WHEN WE CAN’T MEET streams this Saturday, October 17th in TOGETHER LA: A Virtual Stage Festival! In honor of this, here’s a fun sneak peek behind-the-scenes of our talented cast in their home studios! 👀

Co-op’s entry WHEN WE CAN’T MEET streams 📆 OCT 17th 7pm pst 
👉Click Here to RSVP https://www.togetherlafestival.com 
Tickets are FREE!

Directed by Nan McNamara
Featuring Garrett Botts, Crystal Jackson, Linda Kerns, Natalie Hope MacMillan, and Greg Allan Martin

Some of the playwrights of WHEN WE CAN’T MEET (Crystal Jackson, Linda Kerns, and Nan McNamara) zoomed in with Stage Explorations to talk about their craft and their original 10-minute play premiering Saturday, October 17th in Together LA: A Virtual Stage Festival.

WHEN WE CAN’T MEET was written by Garrett Botts, Crystal Jackson, Linda Kerns, Greg Allan Martin, and Nan McNamara

Watch the interview below:

Watch the full length video:

We’re in the LA Times for our involvement in Together LA Festival!

LA Times Commentary: How L.A.’s small-theater community is fighting for its life

“This extraordinarily ambitious event, which includes short digitally produced works from 34 companies, has turned theater people into multimedia auteurs”
- Charles McNulty, LA Times 

Click here to read the full article which highlights how Actors Co-op and intimate theaters across Los Angeles are fighting to get through this time! 

Together LA Festival streams the first three weekends of October! 
Co-op’s entry WHEN WE CAN’T MEET streams 📆 OCT 17th 7pm pst 

👉Click here to RSVP. Tickets are FREE! 

Directed by Nan McNamara
Featuring Garrett Botts, Crystal Jackson, Linda Kerns, Natalie Hope MacMillan, Greg Martin 

34 intimate theatre companies have collaborated to showcase new 10-minute works created specifically for a digital platform. Together LA Festival celebrates the vibrant and diverse intimate theatre scene of greater Los Angeles to show that the theatre community has always been on the forefront of innovation. 

This festival is presented by Alternative Theatre Los Angeles and LA STAGE Alliance.

The 3-week festival will take place on Twitch the first three weekends of October!

Check back for more details!

Actors Co-op presents a new online series…

Join us in celebrating 
the birth of the dreamers, shapers, and movers of the theatre!

Actors Co-op's new online series ORIGINS celebrates the birth of plays and playwrights with monologues from our company members.

Every month, we will highlight two playwrights born within that month, explore their journey to becoming shapers of the theatre, and celebrate their work by performing a monologue from one of their plays. 

These performances will be delivered to you for safe viewing at home, via email. 

Keep a look out for our first highlighted playwright on August 7th, followed by a monologue performed by one of our company members on August 14th! 

We cannot wait to connect with our audiences in a celebration of the theatre 
and those who have shaped it!

Actors Co-op Theatre Company receives 10 SCENIES for the 2019-2020 Scenie Awards! 🎉  We are thrilled! Thank you Steven Stanley! 

OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION OF A COMEDY-DRAMA (Intimate Theater)
A Body of Water (Actors Co-op)

OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION OF A CONTEMPORARY MUSICAL (Intimate Theater)
Miracle On 34th Street: A Live Musical Radio Play (Actors Co-op)

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY-DRAMA 
Bruce Ladd in A Body of Water 

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY-DRAMA
Treva Tegtmeier in A Body of Water 

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTRESS IN A COMEDY-DRAMA (Intimate Theater)
Ivy Beech in A Body of Water 

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A LEAD ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL (Intimate Theater)
Lauren Thompson in Miracle On 34th Street: A Live Musical Radio Play

OUTSTANDING DIRECTION OF A COMEDY-DRAMA (Intimate Theater)
Nan McNamara - A Body of Water 

OUTSTANDING DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL (Intimate Theater)
Joseph Leo Bwarie - Miracle On 34th Street: A Live Musical Radio Play

OUTSTANDING FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHY
Richard Soto - A Body of Water 

OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION DESIGN (Intimate Theater)
A Body of Water (Actors Co-op)

& Our Lighting Designer for A BODY OF WATER, Andrew Schmedake, was honored as LIGHTING DESIGNER OF THE YEAR

🎉Introducing Our New Artistic Chairperson,
Nan McNamara!

“Theatre is a balm for the soul, an art form that illuminates life. Our hearts ache at not being able to share the power of story during this challenging time in our nation’s history. However, even though our stages are dark, we will continue to pursue our role as salt and light to our patrons and to our community at large. We can’t wait to see you, once again, in the dark.”

— Nan McNamara, Artistic Chairperson

NAN MCNAMARA has been a member of Actors Co-op since 1997.  She has served in leadership as Producing Director, Director of Publicity and as a member of the Board and Executive Committee.  She recently directed the world premiere of Lee Blessing’s A Body of Water (Ovation Recommended).  Other directing credits include Last Train to Nibroc and See Rock City, two of the The Nibroc Trilogy plays (Critic’s Choice-Los Angeles Times, Critic’s Pick-Backstage West, Recommended-LA Weekly).  The Nibroc Trilogy garnered six LA Weekly nominations (two wins) and a Garland Award Honorable Mention for her direction.  She also directed Actors Co-op’s 20th Anniversary season opener, the musical The 1940s Radio Hour  (which garnered four NAACP Theatre Award nominations) and the critically-acclaimed production of The Boys Next Door (Critic’s Choice-Los Angeles Times, Critic’s Pick-Backstage West).   She is an award-winning actress (Los Angeles Drama Critics Award, LA Weekly Award, StageRaw Award and others).  As an actor, Nan has appeared in the Ovation Award-winning 33 Variations, Wit, Long Day’s Journey Into Night, A Walk in the Woods, Steel Magnolias and many others.   Her television work includes Hawaii Five-0, Criminal Minds, Major Crimes, Switched at Birth, among others.  She enjoys a vibrant career in voiceover and has narrated over 100 audiobooks.  Nan has taught acting at The Imagined Life, Asuza Pacific University and Vanguard University.  www.NanMcNamara.com

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Introducing Our New Marketing Director,
Ivy Beech!

“I am thrilled to be stepping in as Marketing Director and I am excited to let Actors Co-op’s light shine boldly and brightly!”

— Ivy Beech, Marketing Director

IVY BEECH has beeen a member of Actors Co-op since 2014 but grew up going to Co-op shows as a child and was in her first Co-op play when she was in 5th grade! Ivy trained in London at Shakespeare’s Globe and London Internaional School of Performing Arts, and earned her BFA at the University of Minnesota Guthrie BFA Actor Training Program. Theatre: Stage Kiss (Geffen Playhouse), Pride & Prejudice (Guthrie Theater), Hidden People (Guthrie Theater), The Seagull(Nina), Constellations (Marianne), The Tempest (Ariel). Coop credits include: A Body of Water (Pulitzer Prize nominated Lee Blessing’s World Premier ending, Ovation Recommended), Steel Magnolias (Ovation Recommended), Anna Karenina, Cat’s Paw, My Children! My Africa!, Pride & Prejudice, The Diviners, The Devil’s Disciple. Film/TV: YOU (Netflix), Switched at Birth (ABC), Criminal Minds (CBS), The Last Protestor (Cannes Short Film Corner), Do Not Disturb (Austin Comedy Short Film Nominee - Best Actress), The Orchid, and many other short films and projects. She thanks God, her husband, and family and friends for their love and support! www.IvyBeech.com