Playing Against presents (One) Acts of Resistance, an evening of short plays read by an all-star cast of DMV actors. These staged readings will take place at the Busboys and Poets in Takoma (235 Carroll St NW, Washington, DC 20012) on May 11 at 7:00 pm. All involved are donating their time and talents so that 100% of the gross proceeds from this event can be donated to Common Cause, a nonpartisan, grassroots organization dedicated to upholding the core values of American democracy. Scroll down to read more about the evening’s program and performers.
Reservations are strongly encouraged. To be admitted to the reading, you must do one of the following:
1. Pay cash, 100% of which will be donated to Common Cause. No checks or credit cards.
OR
2. Show a receipt for a donation to Common Cause made in calendar year 2026.
The minimum amount with either of these options is $5 per person.
Food and drink are not included. You may order off the menu separately. We strongly urge you to arrive early and get your order in if you plan to have dinner during the reading. Doors open at 6:30 pm.
THE PLAYS
The evening will begin with an opening monologue by Rick Foucheux, who has been part of Washington’s vibrant theatre scene since 1983. He is an alumnus of the Woolly Mammoth Theatre acting company and a five-time winner of the Helen Hayes Award. He has been working with Playing Against as a performer, organizer, and now writer since early 2025.
The second reading will be The Boy, written by Rick and read by Vince Eisenson. This monologue by a young boy imagines a childhood that could have preceded the adulthood of a would-be fascist dictator.
Rounding out the evening will be a reading of The Beggar and the King, by Winthrop Parkhurst. The Beggar and the King is an early-20th-century allegorical story about a king who tries to silence the pleading cries of a defiant, hungry beggar. The play has three roles, which will be read by Erika Rose, Kimberly Schraf, and Craig Wallace.
THE PERFORMERS
Vince Eisenson has performed with various DMV theatres, including Shakespeare Theatre Company, Folger Theatre, Avant Bard Theatre, Barrabas Theater, 4615 Theatre, Faction of Fools,1st Stage, and Chesapeake Shakespeare, where he is a company member and currently in The Tempest. TV and film appearances include roles on The Good Lord Bird, Billions, New Amsterdam, Turn, The Confession, and Wonder Woman 1984. He can be seen opposite NFL legend Charles Mann in the YouTube series, Turf Valley.
Erika Rose has been nominated three times for a Helen Hayes Award and won twice. Born and raised in the DMV, she has performed with Woolly Mammoth, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Shakespeare Theater Company, Round House Theater, Imagination Stage, and New York Theater Workshop.
Kimberly Schraf is a proud DC actor of a certain age. She has performed at just about every area theatre and counts herself in privileged company with this cast. Favorite roles include Linda Loman in Death of a Salesman and Marge Murray in The Laramie Project at Ford’s Theatre; Jane Apple in The Apple Family Plays and Kyra in Skylight at Studio Theatre; Mona in The Gigli Concert and Dame Stickle in Measure for Pleasure (Helen Hayes Award nomination) at Woolly Mammoth Theatre.
Craig Wallace has appeared in multiple productions in the DC area including at Folger Theatre, Ford’s Theatre, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Arena Stage, Signature Theatre, Olney Theatre Center, Everyman Theatre, Studio Theatre, Mosaic Theater, Round House Theatre, and Woolly Mammoth Theatre. He has been nominate for four Helen Hayes Awards. His regional credits include Actors Theatre of Louisville, Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, Shakespeare Santa Cruz, and Hangar Theatre, among others. Craig holds a BFA from Howard University and an MFA from Pennsylvania State University. He’s also studied at the Royal National Theatre in London.
THE CAUSE
The beneficiary of (One) Acts of Resistance, Common Cause is calling for the invocation of the 25th Amendment, citing Trump’s reckless behavior that “will be catastrophic for generations.” Among many other actions the organization has taken to fight against the administration’s anti-democratic efforts, Common Cause has joined the NAACP and Black Voters Matter in filing a federal lawsuit challenging Trump’s executive order that attempts to seize control of who can vote in federal elections, weaponize the U.S. Postal Service against mail-in voters, and threaten local election officials with criminal prosecution.