One of the strange perks of living in Culver City -- as opposed to, say, Des Moines -- is that celebrities sometimes show up at the city's Cultural Affairs Commission meetings. Last night, for example, actor Tim Robbins appeared at the city's annual Cultural Affairs Town Hall to speak on behalf of the Actors' Gang Theatre, of which he is Artistic Director. 

Robbins thanked the city for its support of the theater and affirmed the determination of the theater to continue even through challenging financial times. He also expressed his excitement about the theater's upcoming adaptation of George Orwell's 1984, now in rehearsal.

The annual Cultural Affairs Town Hall meetings are an opportunity to review -- and celebrate -- the many music, performing arts, and visual arts events that are made possible in Culver City due to the (usually partial) funding of the city's Cultural Affairs commission. Many of the past years' recipients were on hand to thank the commission and to preview their plans for 2012.