The Bread and Roses Theatre Company , freshly founded by actors and directors of England's 1996-97 Royal Shakespeare Company, will produce its first independent production outside of the RSC's Barbican and Stratford Theatre's seasons, in Los Angeles.

Harold Pinter's 1960 play The Dumb Waiter will mark the company's debut production. Running at The Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute for a limited engagement, Oct. 15-Nov. 8, the production is presented through a special arrangement with Strasberg's widow, Anna Strasberg.

Dumb Waiter producer Michael Jung, also director of development of new plays at L.A.'s Mark Taper Forum, told Playbill On-Line that the project came to fruition when RSC member Mark Gillis, who stars in The Dumb Waiter, was in Los Angeles last spring. Gillis was visiting friend Ian McKellan, who was performing his one-man show at the Los Angeles Theatre Center. (See May 16 story on Playbill On-Line, Never Mind Ellen. . .).

"The project was inspired and the connections were made," said Jung.

Also appearing in the two-man play about hoodlums shacked up in the basement of an old English hotel, is Dominic Carter. The intent of the Bread and Roses Theatre Company is to continue to collaborate on studio productions other than those on RSC stages.

The Dumb Waiter runs at The Stage Lee at The Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute, 7936 Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood. For tickets ($15) or more information, call (213) 650-7777.

--By Blair Glaser