We Won't Pay! We Won't Pay! by Dario Fo

When I recently put pen to paper to write about Dario Fo’s play We Won’t Pay! We Won’t Pay! I was surprised to discover that I had difficulty with the task. This was particularly flummoxing because I have known Dario Fo’s work since I was introduced to it – over twenty years ago – as an undergraduate student at Emerson College where Fo scholar and translator Ron Jenkins was a professor. I have also had the pleasure of reading and seeing several of Fo’s plays, so as I mention, it was disconcerting to feel at a loss when writing about the play I had chosen to direct. 

When I wrote about the serious nature of Fo’s life and work, and the political underpinnings of this play, I knew I was selling it short because the fact that Fo’s plays are grand farces with very funny satire and physical comedy was not coming across. When I focused my writing on the comic aspects of the play, I knew that I was not giving enough credence to Fo’s significant political activism. 

So, in the process of writing about the play I found myself walking a bit of a tightrope; trying to strike a balance. And then it hit me. Not only is this the challenge when writing about the play, this is the much more significant challenge when directing the play: how to strike the right balance between the serious aspects of the piece, and the very funny comedic genre Fo uses to explore the issues at hand. 

Our rehearsal process has been joyful. I feel lucky to be directing this generous company of actors who have thrown themselves into the work of bringing these outlandish characters to life. The hilarity in We Won’t Pay! is great fun to rehearse, explore and stage. It has also been important to recognize the darker moments and to allow the gritty reality to show through the farce. Fo and Rame are very smart: all of the elements – both dark and light – are there, they simply must be allowed to exist side-by-side. 

I know our production will make you laugh. I hope it will nudge you to think as well.  

Jan Mason, Director

If you’re not familiar with the work of playwright Dario Fo, his name may ring a bell as the recipient of the 1997 Nobel Prize in Literature. Fo is not only a playwright, he is also an actor who performs, and frequently improvises his own work, altering the piece, incorporating current events to make it relevant to each location in which he performs. This re-writing of his plays through improvisation was the reason that his receipt of the Prize was widely celebrated by theatre artists while it sent shockwaves through the literary world, for his work is not simply literature, it is also an oral craft originating from the storytelling traditions of the medieval traveling players (the guillari), and the Italian theatrical form of Commedia dell’Arte. 

The Swedish Academy’s citation for the Prize reads, “Dario Fo emulates the jesters of the Middle Ages in scourging authority and upholding the dignity of the downtrodden. With a blend of laughter and gravity he opens our eyes to abuses and injustices in society….”

It is challenging to describe Fo’s work, particularly to an audience who may not be familiar with his oeuvre, because as the above citation aptly states, his work blends laughter and gravity. To focus on the comedy without giving credence to his political activism does a disservice to Fo and to the work. It is impossible to write about Dario Fo’s activism without mentioning his wife and longtime artistic partner, Franca Ramé, who served as his editor, collaborator, and as a leading actor in his plays. Together they dedicated their lives to shining a light on injustice for which they made significant financial, professional and personal sacrifices. 

Fo scholar, translator and Wesleyan Professor of Theatre, Ron Jenkins, describes the work of Dario Fo as a “comedy of hunger.” His characters aren’t simply hungry for food, they are hungry for dignity and for justice. Written in 1974, We Won’t Pay! We Won’t Pay! remains one of Dario Fo’s most produced plays. It is striking how relevant the ideas in the play still are today. Dealing with issues such as the abuse of power and economic hardship, one could liken it to a battle cry for the 99%. In spite of the political message, Fo keeps the audience laughing and entertained with his zany characters and situations.

The hilarity in We Won’t Pay! has been great fun to rehearse. Dario Fo is very clever: all of the elements – both dark and light – are there, you simply must allow them to exist side-by-side. I suspect our production will make you laugh. I hope it will make you think as well.  

Jan Mason, Director