Jon Kellam directs the production that runs through Aug. 30 at the Ivy Substation prior to embarking on a limited international tour. The Actors' Gang production previously played an acclaimed engagement last winter.
The cast includes Andrew E. Wheeler as Daniel Berrigan, Scott Harris as Philip Berrigan, Chris Schultz as Thomas Lewis, Colin Golden as David Darst, Corey G. Lovett as George Mische, Patti Tippo as Marjorie Melville, George Ketsios as Thomas Melville, Paige Lindsey White as Mary Moylan, Ethan Kogan as John Hogan and Adele Robbins as the Judge.
The Trial of the Catonsville Nine is based on a 1968 incident that involved "two Catholic priests, and seven Catholic activists including a nurse, a nun, an artist and four others [who] all walked into the selective service office Local Board 33, located in the Knights of Columbus building in Catonsville, Maryland, grabbed hundreds of 1-A draft files and burned them with homemade napalm in protest against U.S. involvement in Vietnam. The publicity and news coverage from the ensuing trial was instrumental in galvanizing the American anti-war movement," according to press notes.
The final Aug. 30 performance in Los Angeles serves as a gala fundraiser that includes a post-show celebration with Oscar winner and Actors' Gang co-founder Tim Robbins and United Talent Agency.
Following the West Coast run, the true-life drama will play the University of Richmond (Sept. 8-9); the Reston VA Community Center CenterStage (Sept. 12); University of Maryland (Sept. 17-17); and Australia's Brisbane Festival (Sept. 24-27). "Is there a difference between breaking the law and committing a crime?" asks director Jon Kellam in a statement. "Civil disobedience is an inherently American and truly patriotic act. The Catonsville Nine were sentenced to a collective 18-20 years in prison for a crime that caused a little more than $100 in damage. We claim to be a world leader of moral ideals and human rights, but in what ways have we allowed economic and corporate interests to overshadow that responsibility? These are some of the compelling questions that this play inspires."
The production has set design by Sibyl Wickersheimer, lighting design by Jacqueline Reid, costume design by Susan Dalian and sound design by David Robbins.
Tickets are available by phoning (310) 838-4264 or by visiting TheActorsGang.
