A Life Behind Bars

“Storytelling can be casual. It can be challenging. It can be insightful. Stories can be funny, sad, inspirational, depressing or so many other things. When you find a performer who can seamlessly blend aspects of all the above into a single, insightful show… there is reason to celebrate. Dan Ruth is such a performer.

This is a man who’s been around the streets and alleys of New York nightlife and he has absorbed the details and idiosyncrasies of the people he has mingled with there. Weaving stories together that span a long series of jobs and multiple years working (and drinking) in all types of bars in a city that has all types of bars, Ruth reveals a fascinating life that holds surprising moments of highs and lows.

The beauty here is how every aspect of the show lands with honesty. Each character demands to be heard in their own way and you want to spend time with most of them. (Others, well… we’ve all run into some jerks at a local bar, right? Those folks are here too

“Watching Dan Ruth prance, sashay, and tumble across the minimalist stage at the Lounge Theater in Hollywood in his magnificent one person play, “A Life Behind Bars,” was a mind bending emotional roller coaster ride. This production written and performed by the star is as honest and fulfilling as any show seen this year. Touted as ‘A Tour-de-force’ performance when it played off Broadway, this Fringe Festival entry is way above the rest.

Dan Ruth as the sole actor on a darkened stage is mesmerizing. His frantic movements; body and face contortions, and voice inflections are fascinating as he explains the sad, lonely and underrated life a Brooklyn bartender faced in his inevitable alcoholism downfall. This is not simply a journey of redemption, it is a renewal of the spirit. The portrayal of characters he meets along the way and his own demons is humorous and captivating. The millennial new money dudes proudly displaying ‘man buns’ highlight the attitudes reminiscence of spoiled rich

Los Angeles, CA (April 27, 2018)

Writer-actor, Dan Ruth’s “A Life Behind Bars” returns to Los Angeles as part of the Hollywood Fringe Festival 2018. “A Life Behind Bars” was universally praised by critics in New York City during its 2017 run at the Laurie Beechman Theater on Theatre Row. This past March, Ruth won the 2018 MAC Award for ‘Best Spoken Word’ and the 2018 Bistro Award for ‘Outstanding Solo Play.’

“A Life Behind Bars” opened in Los Angeles in January 2018 with two highly acclaimed performances at the Whitefire Theatre’s SoloFest and now it returns to the Lounge Theatre II for five performances beginning Thursday, June 14th at 6 pm, Sunday, June 17th at 10 pm, Monday, June 18th at 8 pm, Thursday, June 21 st at 10 pm and Sunday, June 24th at 12 pm.

Fermented in over two decades of booze and New York City gentrification, “A Life Behind Bars” is an unapologetic and hilarious look at what can happen when you reach for the stars but grab for the bottle instead. Through g