January 2022

by Terri Roberts

Happy New Year! After a long and tumultuous 2021, the hope and promise of the first calendar page of 2022 has arrived.

At the Fountain, we have much to look forward to in the months ahead. New, exciting productions are already in the works (more news on them to come), but first we wrap up our LA premiere presentation of Lucy Kirkwood’s Tony-nominated drama, The Children. This critically-acclaimed production returns to our indoor stage on Saturday, January 8^th, to begin the countdown of its final seven performances.

Directed by Simon Levy, The Children stars Ron Bottitta, Elizabeth Huffman and Lily Knight as longtime friends and work colleagues at a British nuclear power plant who are reunited after decades apart when one of the trio surprises the other two with an unplanned visit and an unthinkable request. Kirkwood’s funny and astonishing play is a taut and disquieting thriller about responsibility, reparation and moral accountability. The Children is a provocative legacy drama that asks the big questions we often try to avoid but ultimately must always face: what is our responsibility to the future? To ourselves? To our children?

Lead L.A. Times theatre critic Charles McNulty declared that, “…we hang on to every word… Lucy Kirkwood’s The Children follows the wisdom of the environmental slogan “think globally, act locally.”… What Kirkwood excels at is creating characters that audiences want to learn more about… The Fountain bravely continues to bring L.A. audiences important contemporary works the larger theaters in town still haven’t the courage or vision to produce.” (CLICK HERE for links to reviews and to read pull quotes from them.)

If you haven’t yet seen the show, you still have time. The Children runs through Sunday, January 23^rd, with performances Saturdays and Monday the 10^th at 8pm, and Sundays at 2pm. (Dark on Monday, the 17^th, in observance of Martin Luther King Day.)

CLICK HERE to make reservations.

Please Note: All Covid protocols are followed and enforced. Audience members will be temperature checked and must show proof of full vaccination to be admitted. Masks are mandated and must be worn at all times inside the theatre, except when eating or drinking. Our upstairs café is open and waiting for you.

Terri Roberts is a freelance writer and the Coordinator of Fountain Friends, the Fountain Theatre’s volunteer program. She also manages the Fountain Theatre Café.

The award-winning Fountain Theatre is now casting the following lead role for our upcoming production of the West Coast Premiere of On the Spectrum by Ken LaZebnik, directed by Jacqueline Schultz. The play has been awarded a 2012 Steinberg/American Theatre Critics Association New Play Award citation and Granted a 2011 Edgerton Foundation New American Play award. Dates: Previews March 9 – 15, runs March 16 – April 28. 

NOW CASTING:

[CORMAC ”MAC” SHERIDAN], lead role, early 20’s, is ”on the spectrum” with Asperger’s Syndrome.   Mac has a BFA in Electronic Design, is applying to Law School and yearns to find a job. Seeking a thin, wiry, Geeky-looking Nerd type character actor who is quirky, kinetic, funny, warm and deeply likable and can carry the lead role in a play. A unique “geek” or “nerd” character actor with strong stage acting chops who can be/look “on the spectrum” and yet be intelligent, articulate, funny, wonderfully bizarre and off-kilter and still warm our hearts. 

Email headshot & resume to: [email protected]

Christina Rice and Wendy Horowitz from Los Angeles Central Library pick up Ed Krieger archives at Fountain Theatre.

Photographer Ed Krieger captured hundreds of L.A. theater productions over the course of 40 years before his death on December 16, 2020. Now, the Fountain Theatre has arranged for his large collection of photos, negatives, slides and digital files to be permanently housed at downtown’s Los Angeles Central Library, where it will be archived as part of the library’s Photography Special Collections.

For decades, through the lens of his camera, Krieger chronicled the production history of local stages. His production stills captured the essence of live performance at such venues as the Fountain Theatre, Skylight Theatre, Boston Court, El Portal, Laguna Playhouse, Rubicon Theatre, Downey Civic Light Opera, Ford Amphitheatre, Hollywood Bowl and many more. His images appeared in the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Variety and the Hollywood Reporter. American Theatre magazine highlighted Krieger in its 2015 feature on nationally recognized theater photographers.

“The Los Angeles Public Library is honored to be chosen as the custodian of Ed Krieger’s photographic archive documenting almost 40 years of local theater,” says Senior Librarian Christina Rice. “This collection will be an incredible supplement to our theater photos from the Herald Examiner newspaper image archive, and builds on the incredible wealth of materials in our Literature and Fiction Department which chronicles Los Angeles theater productions from the late 19th century to the present. We’re excited to be a go-to source for local theater research.”

Krieger’s children, Will Krieger and Courtnay Krieger, said in a statement, “We thank the Los Angeles Public Library for archiving our father’s work. We are happy to know that his photography will be preserved for the future and shared with others.”

By Terri Roberts

I have a ritual I perform every night, no matter what. I write out a list of the things I am grateful for that day and text it to a dear friend. He, in turn, sends me his nightly Gratitude List as well. We have been doing this, without fail, for almost two years now.

This simple little exercise keeps us focused on the important things in our lives. The things that really matter. And while yes, we sometimes note gratitude for such mundane (but still important) things such as paying the bills, gas in the car, and a working AC on a blistering summer day, our lists are mostly filled with thankfulness for friends and family, meaningful work, joy in simple things, and actions that reflect a refusal to live in the shadow of doom and gloom.

That does not mean, however, that life is lived on a pink cloud. Far from it.

Invariably we each have days where there’s just not a drop of gratitude to be found. Anywhere. Problems at work, health issues, financial stresses, family challenges, the nightly news and the state of the state/country/world can all be tenacious and debilitating in their grip. And so it becomes a wonderful thing – and something else to be deeply grateful for – to have someone there to offer perspective, support, and unflagging friendship and love. We have each pulled the other out of the roadside ditch many times, and are closer for it.

Here at the Fountain, the list is long of similar struggles. But the list of our blessings is even longer. Our amazing supporters and donors. A devoted board of directors. Tremendous plays, performers, and production teams. The generous grantors who believe in our work and the power of theatre to create awareness and change – and help to fund it. A blossoming volunteer program with folks eager to help however they can. Ever-evolving programing to extend our reach into the community even deeper and further than before. A small, but very mighty, staff. And always, a willingness and determination to keep theatre alive and well.

Having an attitude of gratitude is not just putting on a happy face and ignoring the problems before us. It is an action we take. It is a conscious shift in perspective to find the positive in the negative, the good in the bad. An unimaginable pandemic lockdown encouraged us to find new ways of keeping our art alive. The technology of Zoom kept us connected with members of our Fountain Family. The incredible blessing of owning our building and property allowed us to apply for funding to build an outdoor stage in our parking lot – and to make that stage available to other local artists and companies who have either been displaced by Covid or are not yet ready to return to an indoor space. Indeed, the Fountain overflows with blessings.

So tell me – what are you grateful for this Thanksgiving? What’s on your Gratitude List? I would love to know! Email me at [email protected] and share with me what fills your heart with thankfulness and joy. With your permission, I will share some of your thoughts in an upcoming blog. Gratitude, after all, is not restricted to one day of the year. An attitude of gratitude is something to be cultivated year-round. Writing out, on a regular basis, what brings you thankfulness and joy is a powerful way to do that.

I wish you all a blessed Thanksgiving. And for all you have done for all of us here at the Fountain Theatre, “I can no other answer make but thanks and thanks and ever thanks…”

Terri Roberts is a freelance writer and the Coordinator of Fountain Friends, the Fountain Theatre’s volunteer program. She also manages the Fountain Theatre Café.

Troy Kotsur and Erinn Anova in “Cyrano” at the Fountain Theatre (2012).

Just announced: The Fountain Theatre has earned 6 LA Drama Critics Circle Award nominations for its acclaimed 2012 productions of Cyrano and In the Red and Brown Water.  In addition, the Fountain has also been honored by the LADCC with the Polly Warfield Award for Best Overall Season in 2012.

The 2012 LADCC Award nonminations for the Fountain:

• Best Production – Cyrano
• Best Director – Simon Levy, Cyrano
• Best Director – Shirley Jo Finney, In the Red and Brown Water
• Best Lead Performance – Troy Kotsur, Cyrano
• Best Ensemble – In the Red and Brown Water
• Best Writing (Adaptation) – Stephen Sachs, Cyrano

The Polly Warfield Award for an excellent season in a small to mid-size theater will be awarded to The Fountain Theatre. The 2012 Fountain season included the west coast premiere of El Nogalar by Tanya Saracho, the world premiere of Cyrano by Stephen Sachs, the United States Premiere of The Blue Iris by Athol Fugard, and the Los Angeles Premiere of In the Red and Brown Water by Tarell Alvin McCraney. The award is accompanied by an honorarium funded by the Nederlander Organization.

The Fountain/Deaf West Theatre world premiere co-production of Cyrano ran for 4 sold-out months in 2012 and drew much critical acclaim. In the Red and Brown Water opened in October to rave reviews including being heralded as “Best in Theater 2012” by the Los Angeles Times.  The acclaimed production has been extended and is still running at the Fountain to Feb 24th.  

“In the Red and Brown Water” at the Fountain Theatre

photos by Ed Krieger

More Info on the 2012 LADCC Award Nominations

Troy Kotsur and Erinn Anova in “Cyrano” at the Fountain Theatre (2012).

Just announced: The Fountain Theatre has earned 6 LA Drama Critics Circle Award nominations for its acclaimed 2012 productions of Cyrano and In the Red and Brown Water.  In addition, the Fountain has also been honored by the LADCC with the Polly Warfield Award for Best Overall Season in 2012.

The 2012 LADCC Award nonminations for the Fountain:

• Best Production – Cyrano
• Best Director – Simon Levy, Cyrano
• Best Director – Shirley Jo Finney, In the Red and Brown Water
• Best Lead Performance – Troy Kotsur, Cyrano
• Best Ensemble – In the Red and Brown Water
• Best Writing (Adaptation) – Stephen Sachs, Cyrano

The Polly Warfield Award for an excellent season in a small to mid-size theater will be awarded to The Fountain Theatre. The 2012 Fountain season included the west coast premiere of El Nogalar by Tanya Saracho, the world premiere of Cyrano by Stephen Sachs, the United States Premiere of The Blue Iris by Athol Fugard, and the Los Angeles Premiere of In the Red and Brown Water by Tarell Alvin McCraney. The award is accompanied by an honorarium funded by the Nederlander Organization.

The Fountain/Deaf West Theatre world premiere co-production of Cyrano ran for 4 sold-out months in 2012 and drew much critical acclaim. In the Red and Brown Water opened in October to rave reviews including being heralded as “Best in Theater 2012” by the Los Angeles Times.  The acclaimed production has been extended and is still running at the Fountain to Feb 24th.  

“In the Red and Brown Water” at the Fountain Theatre

photos by Ed Krieger

More Info on the 2012 LADCC Award Nominations

Posted in actors, Arts, director, Drama, Fountain Theatre, new plays, performing arts, plays, playwright, Theater, theatre

Tagged 2012 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards, American Sign Language, ASL, Athol Fugard, Best in Theater 2012, Cyrano, Cyrano de Bergerac, deaf, deaf actor, Deaf West Theatre, director, El Nogalar, Erinn Anova, Fountain Theatre, In The Red and Brown Water, LADCC, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle, Los Angeles Times, Nederlander Organization, new plays, nominations, performing arts, plays, playwriting, Polly Warfield, Shirley Jo Finney, Simon Levy, Stephen Sachs, Tanya Saracho, Tarell Alvin McCraney, The Blue Iris, theater, Troy Kotsur, West Coast Premiere, world premiere

The Fountain Theatre will be honored tonight at the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards when the Fountain is presented with the 2012 Best Season Award. The 2012 Fountain season included the west coast premiere of El Nogalar by Tanya Saracho, the world premiere of Cyrano by Stephen Sachs, the United States Premiere of The Blue Iris by Athol Fugard, and the Los Angeles Premiere of In the Red and Brown Water by Tarell Alvin McCraney. The award is accompanied by an honorarium funded by the Nederlander Organization. 

In addition to the 2012 Best Season Award, The Fountain Theatre has also earned 6 LA Drama Critics Circle Award nominations for its acclaimed 2012 productions of Cyrano and In the Red and Brown Water:

• Best Production – Cyrano
• Best Director – Simon Levy, Cyrano
• Best Director – Shirley Jo Finney, In the Red and Brown Water
• Best Lead Performance – Troy Kotsur, Cyrano
• Best Ensemble – In the Red and Brown Water
• Best Writing (Adaptation) – Stephen Sachs, Cyrano

The Fountain Theatre’s Award-Winning 2012 Season

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More Info on the LA Drama Critics Circle Awards. Tonight’s award ceremony is at the Los Angeles Theatre Center at 7:30pm. 

Posted in actors, Arts, Deaf, designers, director, Drama, Fountain Theatre, new plays, performing arts, Theater, theatre

Tagged 2012 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards, American Sign Language, ASL, Athol Fugard, Best Season, Cyrano, Cyrano de Bergerac, Deaf West Theatre, Deborah Lawlor, El Nogalar, Fountain Theatre, In The Red and Brown Water, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle, Los Angeles Theatre Center, Nederlander Organization, new plays, performing arts, plays, playwriting, Shirley Jo Finney, Simon Levy, Stephen Sachs, Tanya Saracho, Tarell Alvin McCraney, The Blue Iris, theater, theatre, Troy Kotsur

Troy Kotsur and Erinn Anova in “Cyrano” at the Fountain Theatre (2012).

Just announced: The Fountain Theatre has earned 6 LA Drama Critics Circle Award nominations for its acclaimed 2012 productions of Cyrano and In the Red and Brown Water.  In addition, the Fountain has also been honored by the LADCC with the Polly Warfield Award for Best Overall Season in 2012.

The 2012 LADCC Award nonminations for the Fountain:

• Best Production – Cyrano
• Best Director – Simon Levy, Cyrano
• Best Director – Shirley Jo Finney, In the Red and Brown Water
• Best Lead Performance – Troy Kotsur, Cyrano
• Best Ensemble – In the Red and Brown Water
• Best Writing (Adaptation) – Stephen Sachs, Cyrano

The Polly Warfield Award for an excellent season in a small to mid-size theater will be awarded to The Fountain Theatre. The 2012 Fountain season included the west coast premiere of El Nogalar by Tanya Saracho, the world premiere of Cyrano by Stephen Sachs, the United States Premiere of The Blue Iris by Athol Fugard, and the Los Angeles Premiere of In the Red and Brown Water by Tarell Alvin McCraney. The award is accompanied by an honorarium funded by the Nederlander Organization.

The Fountain/Deaf West Theatre world premiere co-production of Cyrano ran for 4 sold-out months in 2012 and drew much critical acclaim. In the Red and Brown Water opened in October to rave reviews including being heralded as “Best in Theater 2012” by the Los Angeles Times.  The acclaimed production has been extended and is still running at the Fountain to Feb 24th.  

“In the Red and Brown Water” at the Fountain Theatre

photos by Ed Krieger

More Info on the 2012 LADCC Award Nominations

Posted in actors, Arts, director, Drama, Fountain Theatre, new plays, performing arts, plays, playwright, Theater, theatre

Tagged 2012 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards, American Sign Language, ASL, Athol Fugard, Best in Theater 2012, Cyrano, Cyrano de Bergerac, deaf, deaf actor, Deaf West Theatre, director, El Nogalar, Erinn Anova, Fountain Theatre, In The Red and Brown Water, LADCC, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle, Los Angeles Times, Nederlander Organization, new plays, nominations, performing arts, plays, playwriting, Polly Warfield, Shirley Jo Finney, Simon Levy, Stephen Sachs, Tanya Saracho, Tarell Alvin McCraney, The Blue Iris, theater, Troy Kotsur, West Coast Premiere, world premiere

Photo by Jenny Graham

by Terri Roberts

Twenty months ago, the Fountain Theatre was forced to close in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Downstairs our stage was dark. Upstairs the café was empty. It was an unimaginable time.

All of that has changed now. The success of preventatives (vaccines, masks, etc.) have allowed theatres to finally re-open with safety measures in place, and so last week the Fountain flung open its brand new double front doors to accept audiences back to our beloved indoor stage. There, on Andrew Hammer’s picturesque set for a British seaside cottage — beautifully lit by Christian Mejia, detailed by props designer Shen Heckel and sound designer Marc Antonio Pritchett, and costumed by Naila Aladdin Sanders — we introduced Lucy Kirkwood’s 2018 Tony-nominated play, The Children, to Los Angeles theatre-goers. Twenty months is a long time…and when the pre-show recording welcomed everyone back, the audience erupted in spontaneous cheers and applause!

The Children, directed by Simon Levy, is set in the afterworld of a life-threatening, and wholly preventable, environmental disaster. Also an unimaginable time. Long-married Hazel (Lily Knight) and Robin (Ron Bottitta), both retired nuclear engineers who worked at the local power plant, have moved to this isolated cottage following an explosion at their former workplace. Their pick-up-the-pieces quiet coastal life is upended, however, by the arrival of Rose (Elizabeth Elias Huffman), an old friend and fellow co-worker, who arrives with secrets and surprises that bring even more upheaval and fireworks.

Saturday, November 6^th, was the official Opening Night for The Children. Following a thrilling performance, folks headed upstairs to our charming café for a tasty reception courtesy of Butler Pantry Catering. The entire building was filled with joyous embraces, vibrant conversation, and laughter and gratitude for being back together again.

Please enjoy these photos from our LA premiere production of The Children and the Opening Night reception. For information and to make reservations, CLICK HERE.

Production photos by Jenny Graham Pre-show at the Fountain Theatre Cafe Opening Night guests Yummy treats from Butler Pantry Catering Debbie and Ashley Posner Actor Ron Bottitta Conversation on the deck Director of Development Barbara Goodhill, Director Simon Levy, Executive Producer Karen Kondazian, Jacqueline Schultz

Terri Roberts is a freelance writer and the Coordinator of Fountain Friends, the Fountain Theatre’s volunteer program. She also manages the Fountain Theatre Café.

by Stephen Sachs

They are young. They are bold and self-confident. They are articulate. They are passionate. They are leading a national movement.  And they are theatre kids.

A fiercely dedicated band of teen survivors of the horrific shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, this week are earning international attention through social media for speaking out on gun control in a movement they call Never Again. This grass-roots uprising launched by young people is highly organized and gathering national momentum.  The fiery speech by student Emma Gonzalez at a Florida rally is a viral sensation. Students grilled NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch and Senator Marco Rubio at a CNN town hall.   It drew three million viewers. The nationwide protest the group is leading on March 24 in Washington, D.C., is now expected to draw more than five hundred thousand participants to the nation’s capital. Sister marches are being planned in cities around the country.  The Never Again Twitter page already has eighty-one thousand followers.

All of this from a small troupe of teenage drama kids at a Florida high school who’s only worry last week rose from the stress of trying to memorize their lines.  This week, they all have much larger roles to play.

Several of the Never Again leaders are members of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School drama club. “All these kids are drama kids, and I’m a dramatic kid, so it really meshes well,” says leader Emma González.

Being “dramatic” doesn’t make any of these young people insincere. They are furiously committed. Even so, a dark fringe of “Fake News” conspiracy wackos on the internet are already accusing some of the kids of not being real students at all, but professional “crisis actors” paid to cause trouble. Asked about this charge, student Cameron Kasky told CNN that anyone who had seen him in the school’s production of “Fiddler on the Roof” knows that “nobody would pay me to act for anything.”

Are you surprised that these teenage drama nerds are now taking the international stage by storm? I’m not.

A theatre class is more than an artistic distraction for students. It can serve as a lightning rod of empowerment for young people. For many teens, the experience of standing in a spotlight on a stage in a play or musical,  galvanizing the attention of adults in the  audience, is the first time a young person discovers that what they say matters.  They learn that words have power, that their voice can move and inspire others.

Rehearsing a play teaches young people team work, collaboration, tolerance, the importance of listening to and following direction. They learn about problem solving, discipline, goal-setting and time management. And they discover that getting something significant accomplished can also be fun.

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School drama club.

The engine for all dramatic plays is conflict. Rehearsing a play thrusts students into roles attacking and defending both sides of an issue.  Therefore, the play teaches that no matter how dire the circumstances may seem, it remains valuable to understand and overcome opposing points of view to reach a satisfying ending.

Something magical happens to students when rehearsing a play or musical. They become a company. Adolescence can be painfully isolating. But in those brief hours of after-school drama practice, young people are forced to put down their cell phones and look each other in the eye.  They find human connection.  Friendships are formed, crushes blossom,  and leaders step forward. Perhaps most important,  kids learn that a group, working together, can deliver something meaningful and life-changing that is greater than themselves, for the benefit of the community.

When the CNN Town Hall on gun control came to a close, the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School drama club sang to the crowd. The song was written by survivors Sawyer Garrity and Andrea Peña to honor the 17 victims of the mass shooting. Their main message? “You’re not going to knock us down” and the standout line, “You may have brought the dark, but together we will shine the light.” At this moment,  those in the audiences turned the lights on their phones and stretched them above the crowd to shine their own light.

As one student asserted during a spoken word section of the performance, the students vow to “Be the voice for those who don’t have one.” A voice is a powerful thing, and theatre can be a formidable stage from which to find one’s own song.

As the Never Again mission statement declares, “Change is coming. And it starts now, inspired by and led by the kids who are our hope for the future. Their young voices will be heard. ”

If art is a reflection of who we are, where we come from, and where we are going, then whatever the students are learning in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School drama club is a lesson for us all.

Stephen Sachs is the Co-Artistic Director of the Fountain Theatre. 

Posted in Art, artist, Arts, Arts education, Drama, Education, Fountain Theatre, Los Angeles, parenting, performing arts, plays, Social justice, social media, stage, Theater, theatre

Tagged Andrea Pena, Cameron Kasky, CNN, Dana Loesch, drama, drama class, drama club, Emma Gonzalez, Florida, high school, Marco Rubio, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, National Rifle Association, Never Again, NRA, Parkland, Sawyer Garrity, student, theater, theatre, Town Hall

Know a college student looking for a job this summer? A student who likes theater? Enjoys working in an office? Is bright, organized, good with people, and eager to learn? The Fountain has a job for him/her this summer.

The purpose of the internship is to provide undergraduate students with meaningful on-the-job training and experience in working in nonprofit arts organizations, while assisting arts organizations to develop future arts leaders. Students eligible for the internship position must be currently enrolled undergraduate college students who are residents of and/or attending college in Los Angeles County. Students must have completed at least one semester of college by June 1, 2012 and be currently enrolled in a community college or a four-year university. A 10 week paid summer internship (40 hours/week) starting June 4 – August 10. Pay is $350 per week.  The Fountain is seeking an office intern for DEVELOPMENT.

DEVELOPMENT INTERN POSITION DESCRIPTION The Development Intern will receive valuable on-the-job training and professional experience in researching, writing and submitting grant proposals to foundations and other funding organizations. The intern will assist in targeting and contacting new funding sources, creating and implementing new fundraising materials, assist in individual contribution programs, and facilitate special events for donors and community partners.

SKILLS REQUIRED

The intern candidate must have basic computer and word-processing skills (PC, Word, Excel, Internet), good communication skills and pleasant phone manner, organizational skills, be detail oriented, and have the ability to multi-task in an intimate office environment. A sense of humor and a willingness to learn many aspects of theatre management. S/he should be self-motivated and have the ability to take initiative when required. S/he should also have a passion for theater. Excellent writing and editing skills. An ability to work effectively both independently and cooperatively. Creativity, enthusiasm for learning, and an outgoing, friendly demeanor.

HOW TO APPLY
To apply, please email resume and cover letter to Stephen Sachs at [email protected]. Please call 323-663-2825 with any questions.

Posted in Arts, Fountain Theatre, grants, performing arts, plays, theatre

Tagged ., college student, development, Fountain Theatre, intern, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, non-profit arts organization, Now Hiring, office, paying job, summer internship, summer job, theater management