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Captive Audience at The Actors Company

Dates: 6/6/2025 - 6/27/2025 Limited Tickets Remain

📍 Theatre:
The Actors Company

Castle Valdez (Live)
916 N Formosa Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90046

Phone: (323) 463-4639

Tickets: $15.00

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Captive Audience

In its world premiere at The Hollywood Fringe 2025: Captive Audience is a semi-immersive dramatic experience where YOU the audience are taken captive by the end of the 60 minute show. A frighteningly familiar show dreamed up by Co-writers Austin Valdez (Director) & Verity Van Dams (Producer) for this year's Hollywood Fringe Festival. You're playing the live studio audience for fictitious late night talk show "Hey Zeus What's Happening?!" (Don't worry: the cast won't pull you up on stage, but they will acknowledge you are there) where you witness witty host Zeus McGuire change drastically when the cameras switch off. Forced into an interview with a corrupt politician he'd rather not shake hands with; Zeus is further galled when he's limited to soft ball questions and ego fluffing lay ups. Is he even a real journalist anymore? Watch how Zeus gets pushed over the edge in this 1hr drama... or is it a political farce? Just like real life: you're not sure whether to laugh, scream or intervene. Find your seat in The Actors Company's "Other Space" theater, because once you're in it: you can't leave.

Content Warning: Faux Firearm (not loaded with anything -not even blanks- just a prop) // Sexual Harassment 


Preview: June 6th @ 5pm

Run: June 15th @ 5pm // June 21st @ 1:30pm //  June 25th @ 10pm // June 27th @ 7pm

Cast and Creative Team for Captive Audience at The Actors Company

Cast

Austin Valdez
Austin Valdez
Host: Zeus McGuire
Austin Valdez is absolutely thrilled to return for another year of Fringe Fest fun and frivolity. Previously, Austin has been seen on stage as the comical Cookie in Return to the Forbidden Planet The Musical at the Edinburgh Fringe and more recently as pop star Trey in the drama Two Weeks featured at the 2023 Hollywood Fringe. Outside of Fringe rehearsals, Austin can be heard hosting his very own podcast titled AustinMyMind where he shares all about theme parks in movies, movies in theme parks and everything in between! None of this would’ve been possible without the love and support of my family and friends. Domestic and abroad, I love you all.
Jim Nieb
Jim Nieb
Senator Maurry Reeves
Jim is so excited to be doing another Fringe show this year with this passionate group of creators. He has been living and working in Los Angeles since 2004 and was a working actor on the east coast for almost 15 years before that. One of his favorite jobs was working on the Jimmy Kimmel Live show dozens of times in so many capacities. Jim trained from 2005 until 2010 and taught from 2009 until 2017 at Playhouse West. There he started and ran his own improv comedy program for 8 years while also teaching Meisner classes. Since 2017 he has been honored to be teaching the advanced acting classes at the Margie Haber Studios Monday through Thursdays (as well as improv classes a few sessions a year.) He really doesn't agree with Senator Reeves so please don't throw things at him. He can also balance various things on his face. Many thanks to Brian Lally for making the introductions to Verity through his podcast. Jim is repped by The Library Agency for theatrical, Commercial Talent for commercials and managed by Curtis Bechdholt at A.D.S. Management. Also, please remember to brush and floss and be kind to small animals.
Verity Van Dams
Verity Van Dams
Producer Madelin, PA Riley & Makeup Artist Arianna
Repped by Elle Potruch of EP Talent, Verity is an award winning actor and Hollywood Fringe veteran who started her career touring throughout London, UK after training as a Musical Theatre singer. Now an experienced multi-rolling actor and swing (she'll certainly need those skills in this play: playing three characters!) Verity has since been in many a stage show across the UK and California including musicals and plays at the Edinburgh & Hollywood Fringes. Before moving permanently to the US Verity worked as a singer-songwriter under Hi 5 director Jonathan Geraghty and BAFTA Award winning director Craig Lines on a multimedia children's project in The Philippines and Canada (tea: that's where Austin and Verity met!). Having since shifted her professional focus to TV, Film & VoiceOver (See V in "The Late Night Creep" premiering June 13th!) Verity continuously studies the Meisner Technique under the supervision of esteemed teacher and trusted friend Brian Lally in weekly classes at LOLAS Acting School in Burbank.
Alef Orixa
Alef Orixa
Reeves' Security detail
Alef Orixa is a dynamic and deeply present actor whose work spans screen and stage—from sharing scenes with Robert De Niro in Amsterdam (dir. David O. Russell), to embodying layered characters in acclaimed indie films like I Am More Dangerous Dead, Phoenix and the upcoming The Butcher’s Daughter. A classically grounded performer with an instinct for tension and nuance, Alef brings a powerful stillness and magnetic physicality to the role of Buckridge, the bodyguard in Captive Audience. Whether navigating silence or sudden violence, Alef commands the space with understated precision. Beyond the craft, he’s a longtime vegan, wellness advocate, and former stand-in for some of Hollywood’s most iconic talent. His performances are infused with purpose—embodying the kind of actor who listens as hard as he strikes.

Creative Team

Verity Van Dams Valdez
Verity Van Dams Valdez
Producer/Co-Writer
Verity is a professional singer-songwriter and published poet. This is the first play of Verity's to be produced and they are very proud to be producing it themselves with beloved co-writer and life partner Austin. This piece is a microcosm of modern political media madness and is dedicated to anyone who would rather scream into a pillow than watch the news right now. You are not alone!
Austin Valdez
Austin Valdez
Director/Co-Writer
While this is his first time writing and directing for the Fringe, Austin has worked as a guest director on a variety of projects such as the drama web series How To Write Your Soul, a festival nominated short film titled Boxes, a writer for a children’s educational show named Skoolbo, a treatment writer for Bazelevs Productions and is currently in pre-production on a brand new anthology audio series called Square Pilots, premiering later this summer. Outside of Fringe rehearsals, Austin can be heard hosting his very own podcast titled AustinMyMind where he shares all about theme parks in movies, movies in theme parks and everything in between! Special shoutout to my Mom and Dad for always supporting me in being an "Actor-slash-Writer". Love you both.
"Millie" Mildred Hufflepup
"Millie" Mildred Hufflepup
Emotional Support Production Assist.
Millie has really enjoyed having Jim over for rehearsals. She thinks he smells great! Why is everyone yelling? Here, have a toy. No actually, you can't have it. Can I have some peanut butter? OH! A noise! Did you hear it too?

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About the Theatre

The Actors Company

916 N Formosa Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90046

Phone: (323) 463-4639

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The Actors Company is at 916 N Formosa Ave., Los Angeles, CA.

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