The Fountain Theatre commemorates the emancipation of enslaved women and men in Texas on June 19, 1865 — the last state to abolish slavery in the U.S. following the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 — with a special event at the Fountain’s new Covid-safe outdoor venue in East Hollywood. The Fountain’s Juneteenth Celebration will take place on Saturday, June 19 beginning at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public.
The Fountain event will feature dancing with D.J. Earry Hall as well as special guests. Food and handcrafted items will be available for purchase from Black vendors and artisans, including Mama Aunties Vegan Goodies; Gloria Shelby-Dyer (SoBeltClothing.com and Affirmation Mirrors); Nappilynaturals/Sharon Williams; B.T. Williams Handmade Jewelry; and Brilliance Ltd.
The celebration will immediately follow a 5 p.m. matinee performance of the Obie award-winning play An Octoroonby Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, a Los Angeles premiere production that is inaugurating the Fountain’s new outdoor stage (separate, ticketed admission).
Counting down to the June 19 event, the Fountain will also host a virtual Juneteenth panel discussion, moderated by playwright, performer and founder/artistic director of Minneapolis-based Carlyle Brown & Company Carlyle Brown and featuring panelists Miami Herald journalist Bea L. Hines; performance artist, educator and linguist Vanya Allen; and playwright/screenwriter Keith Josef Adkins, on Monday June 14 at 1 p.m. PT. The discussion will be available live on Zoom, and will also be live-streamed on the Fountain’s social media platforms, where it will remain available to view on demand throughout the week.
On Tuesday, June 15, the Fountain will post a spoken word video created in honor of Juneteenth by Loyola Marymount University’s Theatre in Color. The LMU video will also remain available to view on demand throughout the week.
Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Liberation Day and Emancipation Day, has been celebrated by African Americans on June 19 every year since the late 1800s.
Earlier this year, the Fountain received approval from the City of Los Angeles to install the outdoor stage for the purpose of safely presenting live performances and other events during the pandemic. Construction is now complete, with the opening of An Octoroon slated for June 18.
An Octoroon is Jacobs-Jenkins’s gasp-inducing deconstruction of a moustache-twirling melodrama by 19th century playwright Dion Boucicault that twists a funhouse world of larger-than-life stereotypes into blistering social commentary.
For more information about the Juneteenth events, An Octoroon and the Fountain Theatre, call 323-663-1525 or go to www.fountaintheatre.com.
Posted in African American, Fountain Theatre, Theater, theatre
Tagged African American, An Octoroon, Bea L. Hines, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, Carlyle Brown, Earry Hall, Fountain Theatre, Gloria Shelby-Dyer, Juneteenth, Keith Josef Adkins, Los Angeles, Mama Aunties Vegan Goodie’, theater, theatre, Theatre in Color, Vanya Allen
by Logan Myles Stacer
For 31 years, the Fountain Theatre has proudly maintained its identity as Intimate and Excellent. With the opening this month of An Octoroon, we are doubling down on our commitment to leading the way.
June 18th marks a turning point, not just for the Fountain Theatre but for Los Angeles theatre writ large. The opening of Branden Jacob-Jenkins’An Octoroon brings with it a re-centering of the role that theatre can play in helping communities to heal.
The Fountain holds the distinction of being the first intimate theatre in Los Angeles granted permission by Actors’ Equity, the union that governs stage actors and stage managers, to re-open in the wake of falling COVID-19 infections. The timing of that approval also allows us to acknowledge Juneteenth in a more expansive way, by building out programming that continues the conversation on the themes of both An Octoroon and that important day.
Logan Myles Stacer
Juneteenth is a national holiday that commemorates June 19th, 1965 – the day that the news of emancipation finally made it to the state of Texas, officially marking the end of chattel slavery in the United States. While President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation was issued on January 1st, 1863, it still took two and a half years for that news to travel to Texas. There are many different theories as to why this happened, but the fact remains that the Texas economy was able to benefit from slave labor for more than two years after the rest of the country abandoned it. Appropriately, in 1980, Texas became the first state to recognize Juneteenth as a state holiday. Today, 47 states and the District of Columbia also accept Juneteenth as a state or ceremonial holiday.
Black independence, Black commerce, and Black solidarity will be on display at the Fountain Theatre throughout the week of Juneteenth. On Monday, June 14th, at 12pm, we will host a virtual panel discussion moderated by Carlyle Brown, noted playwright/performer/artistic director of the Minneapolis-based Carlyle Brown & Company. On Tuesday, June 15th, we’ll be sharing a poem performed by LMU’s Theatre in Color. And during our actual Juneteenth celebration, we’ll be hosting Black-owned businesses such as MamaAunties Vegan Goodies, Nappily Naturals, B.T. Williams’ handmade jewelry, and more, at the theatre. There will also be art from the New Black City art exhibit on display.
We encourage you to join us in experiencing An Octoroon and our additional Juneteenth programming as we celebrate the grand re-opening of the Fountain Theatre and our beautiful new Outoor Stage. Previews for An Octoroon begin June 11; opening night is June 18. Performances are Fridays-Mondays at 7pm through Sept. 19. Tickets range from $25-$45; Pay-What-You-Want seating is available every Monday night in addition to regular seating (subject to availability.) Tickets are on sale now via the Fountain box office at (323) 663-1525, or on our website at www.fountaintheatre.com.
Logan Myles Stacer is the Assistant Community Engagement Coordinator at the Fountain Theatre.
Posted in African American, An Octoroon, COVID-19, Fountain Theatre, Outdoor Stage, race, racism, slavery, Theater, theatre
Tagged Actors Equity Association, B. T. Williams, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, Carlyle Brown, Juneteenth, MamaAunties Vegan Goodies, Nappily Naturals, Theatre in Color
Jane Anderson reads message from Co-Artistic Director Stephen Sachs
The beautiful hilltop home of playwright/screenwriter Jane Anderson and author/producer Tess Ayers was the lovely location on April 14 of a special gathering of VIP donors and Fountain Friends supporting our Southern California Premiere of Daniel’s Husband. The funny and poignant new play by Michael McKeever on gay marriage is currently playing at the Fountain Theatre to rave reviews, heralded as Critic’s Choice in the Los Angeles Times.
After enjoying wine and hors d’oeuvres prepared by Alligator Pear Catering, the group assembled to hear director Simon Levy speak about his vision for the play.
“There is a commitment to tell these stories on our Fountain stage,” said Jane Anderson, reading a letter from Co-Artistic Director Stephen Sachs, who was in New York that evening. “Stories of struggle in the gay community as they fight for the most fundamental of all human rights: to be who we are and love whom we choose. In these dark, hateful times, Daniel’s Husband invigorates us with this one simple truth: love is worth fighting for.”
Cast members from Daniel’s Husband then read selections from the play.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
The entertaining event, hosted by Jane Anderson and Tess Ayers, was a delightful success. Attending were Oscar Arslanian, Bill Brochtrup, Diana Buckhantz, Denis Cagna, Carrie Chassin, Deborah Culver, Tim Cummings, Ken Debie, Jose Fernando, Richard Gallegos, Jackie Goldberg, Barbara Goodhill, Ron Guzman, Jochen Haber, Karen Kondazian, Simon Levy, Ed Martin, Carlos Medina, Jenny O’Hara, Nick Ullett, Don and Suzanne Zachary, Jason and Allison Zelin.
Info on Daniel’s Husband
Posted in actors, Arts, arts organizations, Board of Directors, director, Fountain Theatre, Hollywood, Los Angeles, new plays, non-profit organization, performing arts, plays, stage, Theater, theatre
Tagged Alligator Pear Catering, Barbara Goodhill, Daniel’s Husband, Fountain Theatre, gay, gay marriage, Jane Anderson, Los Angeles, Michael McKeever, Simon Levy, Stephen Sachs, Tess Ayers, theater, theatre
The Fountain parking lot was transformed for the VIP evening.
Much about last Saturday night’s VIP performance of Cost of Living at the Fountain was out of the ordinary. Our exclusively invited guests drove up to the Fountain to discover a team of valet parking attendants waiting to park their cars for them. The performance of Martyna Majok’s funny and poignant play starred two fabulous actors with disabilities in lead roles — a first for our theatre. And the classy post-show reception was vibrantly staged in the outdoor parking lot, not in our upstairs cafe, to allow full access for our guests in wheelchairs.
What remained consistent that evening was the excellence of the work on stage and the support of our Fountain Family. The theatre brimmed with many of the generous Fountain donors, underwriters and producers who made our west coast premiere of this Pulitzer Prize winning play possible.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Executive Producers Barbara Herman and Susan Stockel were joined by Producing Underwriters Diana Buckhantz, Lois Tandy, and Miles and Joni Benickes. Other guests included Fountain Board members Karen Kondazian, Dick Motika, Jerrie Whitfield, as well as Marc and Aliza Guren, Cecile Keshishian, actor Alan Mandell, Beth Stoffmacher from the National Arts and Disability Center, and Peter L. Thompkins.
The delicious food was provided by Alligator Pear Catering. Long strands of newly installed lighting twinkled across the Fountain parking lot. The decorated outdoor setting provided a classy and delightful ambience for our invited guests and the Cost of Living company. Although this was the first time we transformed our parking lot into an outdoor soiree, judging by Saturday night’s success it won’t be the last.
Get Tickets/More Info on Cost of Living.
Posted in actors, Arts, arts organizations, disability, Drama, Fountain Theatre, Los Angeles, new plays, non-profit organization, performing arts, plays, stage, Theater, theatre
Tagged Alan Mandell, Aliza Guren, Alligator Pear Catering, arts, Barbara Herman, Bethh Stoffmacher, Cecile Keshishian, Cost of Living, deaf actors, Diana Buckhantz, Dick Motika, disability, donors, drama, Fountain Theatre, Jerrie Whitfield, Karen Kondazian, Lois Tandy, Marc Guren, Martyna Majok, Miles Benickes, National Arts and Disability Center, party, Peter L. Thompkins, Pulitzer Prize, reception, Susan Stockel, theater, theatre
Students can now see a Friday night play free at the Fountain.
When Artistic Director Stephen Sachs shared his thoughts on the Fountain Theatre blog last Friday, he never dreamed his post would go viral. It did, big time. His observations on the free performance of Broadway’s “To Kill A Mockingbird” at Madison Square Garden for 18,000 high school students drew 65,975 views to the Fountain blog and was shared by more than 39,000 people on Facebook, sweeping the globe in 111 countries.
Central to the Fountain is the impact the post had on one person: Sachs himself.
“I am blown away by the post’s popularity,” he says.
For Sachs, reading the avalanche of online comments the post triggered as it was shared around the world was overwhelming and eye-opening. “For me, the post became more than a feel-good story about young people experiencing live theatre. For me, it is a call to action.”
What action is the Fountain taking?
Starting this weekend with the current production of Human Interest Story, the Fountain Theatre launches a new program called Free Student Fridays. Any high school or college student may see a play at the Fountain on Friday for free. To reserve online, students use the promo code FreeStudent. A valid school ID card must be shown at the box office window on the night of the performance. Seats are subject to availability.
“This program is a modest start, but it’s a start,” admits Sachs. “We may not have 18,000 seats like Madison Square Garden, but if we can inspire the young minds and open the young hearts of 80 students on Fountain Avenue every Friday night, we’ll have humbly done our part to help make the world a better place.”
Who knows? A free performance for 20,000 students at L.A.’s Staples Center may one day be on the horizon. Until then? There’s a seat for any student at the Fountain.
Click this link to book tickets for a Free Student Friday. Info on Human Interest Story.
Posted in Arts, Arts education, arts organizations, Drama, Education, Fountain Theatre, Hollywood, non-profit organization, Outreach Program, performing arts, plays, Theater, theatre
Tagged Broadway, college, educational outreach, Fountain Theatre, free, Free Student Fridays, high school, Hollywood, Los Angeles, Madison Square Garden, outreach, Stephen Sachs, student, theater, theatre, To Kill a Mockingbird
Students prepare to see “To Kill a Mockingbird” at Madison Square Garden.
by Stephen Sachs
There hasn’t been that much rapturous cheering in Madison Square Garden since the Knicks won their last championship in 1973. But the thunderous hollering heard this Wednesday at the sold-out arena was not for a basketball game. It was for a play.
On Wednesday, 18,000 middle and high school students from Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island attended a free one-time special performance of the Broadway production of “To Kill A Mockingbird” at Madison Square Garden arranged by producer Scott Rudin, the MSG organization and the city of New York. That’s right. 18,000 kids sat and watched a 3-hour drama in the cavernous home of the Knicks. Who would have thought it possible?
The result? By all accounts, everyone there on that school-day afternoon – actors, audience, organizers – have been forever changed by the experience. And, I hope, so has our field, as the impact of this one-time event ripples nationwide for years.
Artistic Directors like me have been wringing our hands over the same question for decades. How do we get younger audiences to come to our theatre? How do we engage young people today in our ancient art form? How do we not only hold their attention but excite them enough to want to come back to our theatre?
This week, one answer came. And it showed me that maybe we’ve been asking ourselves the wrong question. Sometimes we must bring the mountain to Muhammed.
The play’s usual Broadway home is the Shubert Theatre, where it commands an average ticket price of $162. The one-time performance at The Garden was free. For many kids, they were seeing a professional play – in an unusual setting — for the first time.
“This is a one-of-a-kind event — 18,000 young people who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford to see a Broadway play are going to be introduced to American theater,” playwright Aaron Sorkin said.
The cast of To Kill a Mockingbird take their bows on stage after a special performance for students at Madison Square Garden in New York.
In a week of nothing but bad news for our country, this gives me hope. And shatters a few myths theater-makers may hold about young people.
The attention span of teens is too short. The myth we keep telling ourselves is that the light-speed tempo of video games have accelerated the viewing habits of young people to such a degree that they’ll never sit still for a serious play. A musical, maybe. A rock musical, certainly. Not an issue-driven drama. But the 18,000 students at Madison Square Garden not only sat still and listened to “Mockingbird”, they were riveted in their seats.
Young people are only interested in contemporary stories about themselves. It’s okay to offer them hip hop plays, urban musicals, modern teen comedies about their world today. A drama from another time period? Too risky. This week, however, a multitude of students from New York were engrossed by a fable that takes place in 1934 Alabama. Want to make it worse? It’s a play adapted from a book they are assigned to study as homework in class, for crying out loud. A theatre producer’s nightmare, right? Wrong.
Young people hate theatre. Not true. They just have fewer opportunities to see it. And when they do? “It’s so exciting,” said high school junior Michelle Hernandez. “It’s amazing,” said student Justine Jackson. “The story is very real and you can relate it to modern society,” said junior Andy Lin. “Specially racism because it’s still going on.” The 18,000 students were clearly swept up in the play and the excitement of the event. The setting of Madison Square Garden seemed to set them free to react openly in ways they would never dare in a conventional theatre. They laughed, they gasped, they shouted, and they cried. They cheered Atticus Finch like he was a rock star.
Regional theaters across the country have educational outreach programs that include bringing their productions of plays to schools for students to enjoy and benefit by seeing. It’s a failsafe strategy that is not going anywhere. A theatre importing its production to a school campus is one thing. Partnering with Madison Square Garden is another.
The conventional model of bussing students to your theatre holds its own many benefits. But I hope the “Mockingbird” event inspires theater organizations across the country to think outside the box in their own community. To explore unconventional venues and unique partnerships to help bring the power of theater to young people nationwide.
Could the “Mockingbird” event happen in Los Angeles? Can we imagine 20,000 students from across the Southland coming to Staples Center to watch a performance of “Death of A Salesman”? Why not? It takes a mayor, a theatre producer and a city believing that it’s important and willing to make it happen. As NY Mayor Bill de Blasio said: “The only way to change your world is if you decide it is your world to change.”
And you must find like-minded partners who are willing to change it.
Stephen Sachs is the Artistic Director of the Fountain Theatre.
Posted in Arts, Arts education, arts organizations, Drama, Education, Fountain Theatre, Los Angeles, new plays, non-profit organization, Outreach Program, performing arts, plays, stage, Theater, theatre
Tagged Aaron Sorkin, Bill de Blasio, Broadway, Fountain Theatre, Harper Lee, high school, Los Angeles, Madison Square Garden, New York, Scott Rudin, Stephen Sachs, students, theater, theatre, To Kill a Mockingbird
Toward the end of the 1946 film classic It’s A Wonderful Life, when George Bailey is in the throes of an existential crisis, fearing his life has no value or meaning, the angel Clarence tells him, “You’ve been given a great gift, George. A chance to see what the world would be like without you.”
After two months under stay-at-home orders and my theatre temporarily closed, I’m beginning to feel the same gift has been given to me by COVID-19.
Every theatre in our nation is now dark. For now, theatre as an art form performed on a stage for a live audience, does not exist. And no matter which epidemiological model you look at, theatres won’t be reopening in this country any time soon. For those of us who create theatre, the coronavirus is giving the public the chance to see what the world would be like without us.
That is why, like George Bailey haunting his hometown, I now find myself thrown into the same kind of twilight zone, an alternative reality—an upside-down world I no longer recognize, discombobulated. How did things change so quickly? One day my theatre is full, earning rave reviews, selling out. The next day it is closed. On Thursday we’re winning awards, delighting donors and board members. On Friday I am furloughing my staff and applying for unemployment.
Do you know the actor’s nightmare? Ever had it? The one where you’re suddenly thrown onstage into a play in front of an audience, but you don’t know your lines, you can’t find your script, and you don’t even know what play you’re supposed to be doing? That is how life feels to me now: a COVID nightmare. But I never wake up.
If I don’t have a theatre, who am I? Sometimes the most forceful way to discover your place in a culture or a community is to find yourself suddenly yanked from it. All I know is that a world without live theatre is a world I don’t want to live in.
Clicking on a play reading on Zoom is no substitute. Maybe you feel differently, but I personally feel glutted with Zoom meetings and online theatre events by now. My idea of well used stay-at-home time is not watching another online festival of hastily written five-minute plays streamed by a struggling theatre company. Though novel at first, the relentless onslaught of online content by terrified theatres has spread as widely and aggressively as the virus itself. Don’t get me wrong: I love National Theatre Live. Who doesn’t? But who has the millions of dollars to produce and promote at that level? Call me old-fashioned, but I still find the difference between watching a play online vs. experiencing it live in a theatre like the difference between watching porn on your laptop and actually making love.
All the Broadway tributes now streaming online during this shutdown do prove one thing: Theatre people are well-suited to rise above an emergency. Disaster is part of our DNA. Crisis is status quo in the theatre. Calamity is business as usual. We live and breathe uncertainty and panic. Philip Henslowe, the beleaguered and always-in-debt theatre owner in Shakespeare in Love (screenplay written by playwright Tom Stoppard) aptly sums up our philosophy:
Henslowe: Mr. Fennyman, allow me to explain about the theatre business. The natural condition is one of insurmountable obstacles on the road to imminent disaster.
Fennyman: So, what do we do?
Henslowe: Nothing. Strangely enough, it all turns out well.
Fennyman: How?
Henslowe: I don’t know. It’s a mystery.
How will this horrific pandemic turn out well for me and my theatre? It would help to have a guardian angel. I don’t mean a corporate sponsor or a high-level donor—I mean like Clarence. My own personal celestial bodyguard to protect me from both spiritual and physical harm. Instead, I see only the Angel of Death. COVID-19 is killing people. Loss is everywhere. We are losing our jobs, our theatres, our audiences, our homes. Our loved ones. Our art form, not to mention our species, is under threat. There is a general, base-level sadness lurking inside all of us like a contagion. Laughter will come when it comes. But it just might be harder, and take a while longer, to get there.
Stephen Sachs
We are all George Bailey. We have dreams unrealized. We are stressed by daily life. We don’t fully appreciate what we have or what we’ve managed to accomplish. We focus on what serves ourselves and ignore what really matters. We get caught up in achieving “great things” instead of appreciating the value of doing small things in a great way. And we are closer than we realize to a huge, catastrophic meltdown triggered by a single financial calamity.
Theatre is community, the intertwining of human lives. And community is infectious, transmitted from person to person. The ripple effect of the stories we tell in a theatre spreads from one human being to another, and then emanates outward, forever. That is why, to me, to have our theatres silenced by a virus, is like a crime against humanity. Our humanity.But, as Clarence tells George, “Each man’s life touches so many other lives.”
My hope for myself is to emerge from this pandemic with a heightened sense of purpose. The great plays have shown me that a person with a strong central purpose can overcome any obstacle. To paraphrase Nietzsche, when you have a why to live for, you can bear any how. Theatre is one of my whys.
After two months holed up at home, I am starting to experience what the ancient Greeks called anagnorisis: a sudden realization of truth about myself and the true nature of my current situation. Before the pandemic, I would sometimes complain about running a theatre: the paperwork, the endless meetings, the donor parties. The season budgets and the hustling for money to pay for them. The long hours, the low pay, the constant pressure to achieve. After 30 years I felt old, overworked, exhausted. Now I want it all back. All I want now is what I had all along.
My wake-up call is the same as George Bailey’s epiphany, as he pleads to Clarence to end his never-been-born nightmare. Like George, I just want to return to the things and the work and the people I love. Like George, I just want what I already had. I miss the magic. The truth is that even when facing catastrophe, the life that I have in the theatre is wonderful.
Like George Bailey, I want to live again.
Stephen Sachs is a playwright, director, and the artistic director of the award-winning Fountain Theatre in Los Angeles.
This post originally appeared in American Theatre Magazine.
Posted in Art, Arts, arts organizations, COVID-19, Drama, film, Fountain Theatre, Hollywood, Los Angeles, movies, performing arts, Theater, theatre
Tagged Clarence, coronavirus, COVID-19, film, Fountain Theatre, George Bailey, Guardian Angel, It’s a Wonderful Life, Jimmy Stewart, Los Angeles, movie, National Theatre Live, online streaming, Shakespeare in Love, Stephen Sachs, theater, theatre, Tom Stoppard, Zoom
Enjoy this short video clip of the cast from In the Red and Brown Water having a great time at a recent dance rehearsal.
In the Red and Brown Water Oct 20 – Dec 16 (323) 663-1525 More
Posted in actors, Arts, Dance, Fountain Theatre, new plays, performing arts, plays, playwright, theatre
Tagged “I Love Music”, Ameenah Kaplan, Dance, Diarra Kilpatrick, Dorian Baucum, Fountain Theatre, Gilbert Glenn Brown, In The Red and Brown Water, Iona Morris, Justin Chu Cary, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Premiere, Maya Lynne Robinson, new plays, O’Jays, Peggy Blow, plays, Shirley Jo Finney, Simone Missick, Stephen Marshall, Tarell Alvin McCraney, Theodore Perkins
Hannah and the Dread Gazebo by Jiehae Park, opening at the Fountain Theatre on August 17th in its Southern California Premiere, has been named a finalist for the Francesca Primus Prize, sponsored by the American Theatre Critics Association and the Francesca Ronnie Primus Foundation. The award, presented annually since 1997, recognizes the best work by an emerging woman playwright who has not yet achieved national prominence.
Hannah and the Dread Gazebo earned glowing reviews in its recent world premiere at Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland.
“Masterful! So powerful and indescribably beautiful.” – Stanford Daily
“This is theater as it should be — blisteringly original, acerbically funny, powerfully dramatic and deeply thought-provoking.” – Mail Tribune
Playwright Jiehae Park
In the funny and poignant play, Hannah is two weeks away from becoming a neurologist when she gets a strange package in the mail from her grandmother in South Korea, who may or may not have just ended her own life. A surreal adventure leads Hannah on a journey back to her homeland and the forbidden Demilitarized Zone that divides South and North Korea. A startling comedy about a daughter, a mother, a grandmother and the mystery that connects them.
The Fountain Theatre partners with East West Players in the Southland premiere directed by Jennifer Chang. As the nation’s premier Asian American theatre organization, East West Players produces artistic works and educational programs that foster dialogue exploring Asian Pacific experiences.
Named in honor of Francesca Primus, a playwright, dramaturg, theater critic, and ATCA member who died of cancer in 1992, the Primus Prize was originally administered through the Denver Center Theatre Company. Since 2002, ATCA has adjudicated the award, which includes a $10,000 grant presented through the generosity of the Primus Foundation as well as a plaque for the winning author. The winner will be announced in July.
Posted in Arts, arts organizations, Asian, Drama, Fountain Theatre, Los Angeles, new plays, non-profit organization, performing arts, plays, playwright, stage, Theater, theatre
Tagged American Theatre Critics Association, Ashland, Asian, ATCA, Denver Center Theatre Company, East West Players, Francesca Primus, Hannah and the Dread Gazebo, Jiehae Park, Korea, Korean, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, performing arts, playwright, theater, theatre
The Fountain Theatre’s Los Angeles Premiere of Reborning by Zayd Dohrn opened last weekend to powerful reactions from audiences and critics. Reviews are starting to trickle in and already the production has been hailed by LA Splash as “another hit for the Fountain Theatre” with “fabulous acting.”
Reborning is a funny and riveting comedy/drama about creating family and the power of healing. Directed by Simon Levy, it stars Kristin Carey, Ryan Doucette and Joanna Strapp and runs to March 15th.
Enjoy These Production Photos from ‘Reborning’
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Reborning Now – March 15 (323) 663-1525More/Get Tickets
Posted in Acting, actors, Arts, arts organizations, director, Fountain Theatre, new plays, non-profit organization, performing arts, plays, Theater, theatre
Tagged actors, arts organizations, Fountain Theatre, Joanna Strapp, Kristin Carey, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Premiere, new plays, performing arts, photos, plays, reborn dolls, Reborning, Ryan Doucette, Simon Levy, theater, theatre, Zayd Dohrn
Playwright/Director Stephen Sachs celebrates with the crowd on Opening Night.
Love was in the air on Saturday night for the opening of our world premiere of Arrival & Departure, the funny and poignant new play inspired by the classic romantic movie, Brief Encounter. Written and directed by Stephen Sachs, Arrival & Departure focuses on a Deaf man and a hard-of-hearing woman, married to different people, who meet accidentally in a New York City subway station. Their casual friendship soon develops into deeper feelings they never expected.
Saturday’s Opening Night performance compelled a sold-out audience to leap to its feet in a standing ovation. Afterward, a catered reception was held in our cafe. The warm summer weather was perfect for our invited guests to enjoy the cafe’s cozy outdoor balcony.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
The cast includes Jessica Jade Andres, Deanne Bray, Adam Burch, Brian Robert Burns, Shon Fuller, Kyra Kotsur, Troy Kotsur, Aurelia Myers, and Stasha Surdyke. They were celebrated at the party by Fountain staff, members of the press, members of the Fountain Theatre Board of Directors, and family and friends. The guests were impressed by the dazzling performance, many commenting on its power and poignancy.
Arrival & Departure is performed by Hearing and Deaf actors in a fully integrated, unique blend of Open Captioning, American Sign Language and Spoken English. In this short video clip, Deaf actors Troy Kotsur and Deanne Bray address the party guests.
Get Tickets/More Info
Posted in actors, Arts, arts organizations, cafe, Deaf, director, Drama, Fountain Theatre, Hollywood, Los Angeles, love, movies, new plays, non-profit organization, performing arts, plays, playwright, Theater, theatre
Tagged actors, Adam Burch, Arrival & Departure, Aurelia Myers, Brian Robert Burns, Brief Encounter, deaf, Deanne Bray, Jessica Jade Andres, opening night, party, Shon Fuller, Stasha Surdyke, Stephen Sachs, Troy Kotsur
More Info/Get Tickets
Posted in Acting, actors, Arts, arts organizations, creativity, Deaf, director, Drama, Fountain Theatre, Los Angeles, new plays, non-profit organization, performing arts, plays, playwright, stage, Theater, theatre
Tagged actors, Adam Burch, Arrival & Departure, Aurelia Myers, Brian Robert Burns, Brief Encounter, deaf, Deanne Bray, Fountain Theatre, Jessica Jade Andres, Los Angeles, reahearsal, Shon Fuller, Stasha Surdyke, Stephen Sachs, theater, theatre, Troy Kotsur
An unforgettable love story inspired by one of the most romantic movies of all time. Stephen Sachs directs Deaf actors Deanne Bray (Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye, Heroes) and Troy Kotsur (title role in Cyrano at the Fountain, Big River on Broadway) in Sachs’ newest play, inspired by the screenplay for Noël Coward’s Brief Encounter. The world premiere of Arrival & Departure will open on July 14 and continue through September 30 at the Fountain Theatre. The cast also features hearing actors Jessica Jade Andres, Adam Burch, Brian Robert Burns, Shon Fuller, Kyra Kotsur, Aurelia Myersand Stasha Surdyke.
In Sachs’ new spin on the classic 1945 British film, a Deaf man (Kotsur) and a hard-of-hearing woman (Bray), two married strangers, meet accidentally in a New York City subway station. As their casual friendship develops into something deeper, each is forced to confront how their simmering relationship could forever change their lives and the lives of those they love.
“A train station is a place of transition, a place people go when they’re on their way to someplace else,” notes Sachs. “‘Arrival & Departure’ is not only a travel term. It expresses the journey of change that the people in this play are experiencing. What happens when you find your soul mate, but the circumstances of life get in the way?”
Kostsur and Bray are married in real life, and Sachs wrote the play with them in mind.
Deanne Bray and Troy Kotsur
“This is my valentine to the two of them,” he says. “But the characters they portray aren’t the only ones seeking human connection in the play. Other storylines interweave through the piece. Each character has a reason to reach out to someone.”
The 1945 classic film Brief Encounter, directed by David Lean with a screenplay by Noël Coward and starring Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard, was named “the most romantic film ever made” according to 101 industry experts polled by Time Out London. The Film Society of Lincoln Center named it “one of the most achingly romantic films ever made.”
The play is performed simultaneously in spoken English and American Sign Language with additional use of open captioning, so that both Deaf and hearing audiences can enjoy the production.
The creative team for Arrival & Departure includes set designer Matthew G. Hill, lighting designer Donny Jackson, video designer Nick Santiago, composer and sound designer Peter Bayne, costume designer Michael Mullen, prop master Michael Navarro, movement director Gary Franco and ASL masters Lisa Hermatz and Jevon Whetter. The production stage manager is Emily Lehrer. Simon Levy, Deborah Culver and James Bennett produce for the Fountain Theatre. Executive producers are Karen Kondazian; Diana Buckhantz and The Vladimir and Araxia Buckhantz Foundation; and Carrie Chassin and Jochen Haber. Producing underwriters include Dorothy and Stanley Wolpert; Suzanne and Don Zachary; Lois Tandy; Debbi and Ashley Posner; and The Howard and Helen Family Foundation.
Arrival & Departure is supported, in part, by generous grants from the David Lee Foundation, the Los Angeles County Arts Commission and the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.
Deanne Bray was born deaf and has been bilingual in American Sign Language and English since the age of two. She kicked off her acting career in 1991 at the Fountain Theatre, where Stephen Sachs directed her in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Bray is best known for the title role in Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye, which ran for three seasons on the PAX network. She has appeared in numerous TV shows, including a recurring role on NBC’s Heroes alongside Milo Ventimiglia and Masi Oka. On stage, Deanne has been seen in Deaf West Theatre productions of Big River, Sleeping Beauty Wakes and My Sister in This House. A graduate of Gallaudet University, she has a Masters in Sign Language Education and a California K-12 Teaching Credential from CSUN. She currently teaches ASL at Oak Park High School.
Troy Kotsur has been acting and directing for over 24 years, earning multiple awards for his work on stage. Deaf since birth, he attended Gallaudet University, where he played basketball for three years before leaving to become a professional actor with the National Theatre of the Deaf. In 1994, Troy moved to Los Angeles and joined the company of Deaf West Theatre, where he has performed in countless productions. His television guest-starring roles include Criminal Minds, Scrubs, CSI: NY and Sue Thomas F.B.Eye in a recurring role (starring alongside Deanne Bray) that became a fan-favorite. In film, he stars in Wild Prairie Rose and in the upcoming Inside Track, and he has had notable supporting roles in The Number 23 with Jim Carrey, Universal Signs and Father’s Day Breakfast. He directed the award-winning independent film No Ordinary Hero: The Superdeafy Movie, the first film in the history of SAG commercial feature films to be directed by a Deaf director and to be executive-produced exclusively by Deaf executive producers. Troy’s stage credits include the Tony Award-winning run of Big River on Broadway, as well as starring roles in Deaf West Theatre productions of American Buffalo (Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award nominee), Our Town at The Pasadena Playhouse, Cyrano at the Fountain (L.A. Drama Critic’s Circle Award for best actor, Ovation Award nominee), A Streetcar Named Desire (L.A. Drama Critics Circle and LA Weekly awards) and Of Mice and Men (LA Weekly Award for best actor).
Stephen Sachs is an award-winning playwright, director, producer and the co-artistic director of the Fountain Theatre, which he co-founded with Deborah Culver in 1990. He recently adapted and directed a celebrity reading of the screenplay for All the President’s Men at Los Angeles City Hall starring Bradley Whitford, Joshua Malina and Jeff Perry. His stage adaptation of Claudia Rankine’s Citizen: An American Lyric (Stage Raw Award at Fountain Theatre) inaugurated Center Theatre Group’s Block Party at the Kirk Douglas Theatre and was chosen to represent Los Angeles theater for Grand Park’s new Our L.A. Voices Arts Festival. His play Bakersfield Mist enjoyed a three-month run on London’s West End starring Kathleen Turner and is now being produced in regional theaters across the country, translated into other languages and performed worldwide. Other plays include Cyrano (L.A. Drama Critics Circle Award, Best Adaptation), Miss Julie: Freedom Summer (Fountain Theatre, Vancouver Playhouse, Canadian Stage Company, L.A. Drama Critics Circle Award), Central Avenue (PEN USA Literary Award finalist), Sweet Nothing in My Ear (PEN USA Literary Award finalist) and several others. He wrote the teleplay for Sweet Nothing in My Ear for Hallmark Hall of Fame which aired on CBS starring Marlee Matlin and Jeff Daniels. Sachs’ directing credits My Name is Asher Lev (L.A. premiere); Athol Fugard’s The Blue Iris (U.S. premiere); Bakersfield Mist (world premiere); Completeness by Itamar Moses, starring Jason Ritter; Side Man starring Christine Lahti; The Train Driver by Athol Fugard (U.S. premiere); Conor McPherson’s Shining City (L.A. premiere); the world premiere of Fugard’s Exits and Entrances at the Fountain (Ovation Award, L.A. Drama Critics Circle Award) and off-Broadway at Primary Stages; Fugard’s The Road to Mecca (L.A. premiere); Arthur Miller’s After the Fall (Ovation Award); Sweet Nothing in My Ear (world premiere); Hippolytos, inaugurating the outdoor classical theater at the Getty Villa in Malibu; and many others. Sachs was recently honored with a Certificate of Commendation from the Los Angeles City Council for “his visionary contributions to the cultural life of Los Angeles.”
The Fountain Theatre is one of the most successful intimate theaters in Los Angeles, providing a creative home for multi-ethnic theater and dance artists. The Fountain has won over 225 awards, and Fountain projects have been seen across the U.S. and internationally. Recent highlights include being honored for its acclaimed 25th Anniversary Season in 2015 by Mayor Eric Garcetti and the Los Angeles City Council; the inclusion of the Fountain’s Citizen: An American Lyric in Center Theatre Group’s Block Party at the Kirk Douglas Theatre and again, this year, as the centerpiece of Our L.A. Voices at Grand Park; and an all-star reading of All The President’s Men at Los Angeles City Hall. The Fountain’s most recent production, The Chosen, enjoyed rave reviews and ran for five sold-out months.
MORE INFO/GET TICKETS
Posted in actors, Arts, arts organizations, Deaf, Drama, Fountain Theatre, Hollywood, Los Angeles, love, movies, new plays, performing arts, plays, playwright, Theater, theatre
Tagged Adam Burch, American Sign Language, Arrival & Departure, ASL, Aurelia Myers, Big River, Brian Robert Burns, Brief Encounter, David Lean, David Lee Foundation, deaf, Deanne Bray, Diana Buckhantz, Donny jackson, Fountain Theatre, Gary Franco, James Bennett, Jessica Jade Andres, Jevon Whetter, Kyra Kotsur, Lisa Hermatz, Los Angeles, love story, Matthew G. Hill, Michael Navarro, Nick Santiago, Shon Fuller, Simon Levy, Stasha Surdyke, Stephen Sachs, Sue Thomas: F.B. Eye, theater, theatre lover, Troy Kotsur
Excitement was high and fingers were flying as the company of Deaf and hearing theatre artists gathered at the Fountain Theatre for the first rehearsal of Arrival & Departure, a new play combining spoken English and American Sign Language. The world premiere opens July 14.
The world premiere of a re-imagined modern-day stage adaptation of the classic 1945 film, Brief Encounter. A Deaf man and a hard-of-hearing woman, married to different people, meet accidentally in a New York City subway station. Their casual friendship soon develops into deeper feelings they never expected, forcing both to confront how their simmering relationship will change their lives and damage the lives of those they love forever. An unforgettable love story inspired by one of the most beloved romantic movies of all time.
Written and directed by Stephen Sachs, Arrival & Departure stars Deaf actors Deanne Bray and Troy Kotsur, with Jessica Jade Andres, Adam Burch, Brian Robert Burns, Shon Fuller, Kyra Kotsur, Aurelia Myers, and Stasha Surdyke.
The play is performed simultaneously in American Sign Language, Spoken English, and open captioning so that all audiences can enjoy the production.
Get Tickets/More Info
Posted in actors, Arts, Deaf, director, Drama, Fountain Theatre, Los Angeles, love, movies, new plays, non-profit organization, performing arts, plays, playwright, Theater, theatre
Tagged actors, Adam Burch, American Sign Language, Arrival & Departure, ASL, Aurelia Myers, Brian Robert Burns, Brief Encounter, deaf, Deanne Bray, Fountain Theatre, Jessica Jade Andres, Kyra Kotsur, Los Angeles, love story, Shon Fuller, sign language, Stasha Surdyke, Stephen Sachs, theater, theatre, Troy Kotsur
Deanne Bray and Troy Kotsur
Love is in the air this summer with the world premiere of Stephen Sachs’ new play, Arrival & Departure, inspired by the screenplay for Noel Coward’s Brief Encounter. Sachs directs his new romantic comedy/drama, opening July 14.
In this re-imagined modern-day stage adaptation of Coward’s classic 1945 film, a Deaf man and a hard-of-hearing woman, married to different people, meet accidentally in a New York City subway station. Their casual friendship soon develops into deeper feelings they never expected, forcing both to confront how their simmering relationship will change their lives the lives of those they love forever. An unforgettable love story inspired by one of the most beloved romantic movies of all time.
The play is performed simultaneously in American Sign Language, Spoken English, and open captioning so that all audiences can enjoy the production.
Joining the previously announced Deanne Bray (“Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye”, “Heroes”) and Troy Kotsur (“Cyrano”) are Jessica Jade Andres, Adam Burch, Brian Robert Burns, Shon Fuller, Kyra Kotsur, Aurelia Myers, and Stasha Surdyke.
This innovative production is supported, in part, by the David Lee Foundation and the Los Angeles County Arts Commission.
Arrival & Departure runs July 14 – September 30 at the Fountain Theatre. More Info/Get Tickets
Posted in actors, Arts, arts organizations, Deaf, director, Drama, film, Fountain Theatre, Hollywood, Los Angeles, new plays, non-profit organization, performing arts, plays, playwright, stage, Theater, theatre
Tagged Adam Burch, Arrival & Departure, Aurelia Myers, Brian Robert Burns, Brief Encounter, David Lee Foundation, deaf, Deanne Bray, Fountain Theatre, Jessica Jade Andres, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County Arts Commission, love story, Noel Coward, romantic, Shon Fuller, Stasha Surdyke, Stephen Sachs, theater, theatre, Troy Kotsur
Maya Lynne Robinson and Karen Malina White, Runaway Home, 2017.
The Beverly Hills/Hollywood NAACP Branch this week announced its nominees for the 28th Annual NAACP Theatre Awards. The nominating committee is one year behind in its honoring process, only now selecting theatre productions opening January 2017 through December 2017.
The Fountain Theatre’s acclaimed 2017 Los Angeles Premiere of Runaway Home by Jeremy Kamps has earned three NAACP Theatre Award nominations:
Best Choreography – Janet Roston
Best Director – Shirley Jo Finney
Best Supporting Actress – Karen Malina White
The mission of the Theatre Awards is to entertain, educate, and inspire the community and create diversity in the arts and entertainment industry. The branch also celebrates a four-day theatre festival, which provides a platform for theatre-makers to share their craft with an audience of their peers, the community and other individuals who celebrate live theatre in Los Angeles.
The 28th Annual NAACP Theatre Awards will be held on Monday, June 17, 2019, 6:00 p.m. at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles. More information
Posted in actors, African American, arts organizations, Dance, director, Drama, Fountain Theatre, Hollywood, Los Angeles, new plays, non-profit organization, performing arts, plays, playwright, Theater, theatre
Matthew Hancock and Jennifer Finch in “I and You”.
The Fountain Theatre’s acclaimed 2015 productions of Lauren Gunderson’s I and You and Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine have earned four NAACP Theatre Award nominations for productions presented between January – December, 2015.
The NAACP Theatre Awards is presented by the Beverly Hills/Hollywood NAACP Branch in partnership with the City of Los Angeles and Los Angeles City Council President/Councilmember District 10 Herb Wesson, Jr. and co-chaired by Byron K. Reed, Senior Vice President of Wells Fargo-West Region Community Relations, and Jeffrey Rush of Morgan Stanley Wealth Management.
“We’re always pleased to be acknowledged by the NAACP theatre committee,” says Fountain Co-Artistic Director Stephen Sachs. “We have a long and successful history of supporting and presenting the work of a rich variety of artists on our stage. Diversity and inclusion is at the core of our artistic mission.”
‘Citizen: An American Lyric’ at the Fountain Theatre
The mission of the NAACP Theatre Awards is to entertain, educate, and inspire the community and create diversity in the arts and entertainment industry. To honor LA theatre artists and celebrate live theatre in Los Angeles.
This year, the Fountain Theatre has received the following nominations:
Best Lead Male – Matthew Hancock, I and You
Best Choreography – Anastasia Coon, Citizen: An American Lyric
Best Lighting – Jeremy Pivnick, I and You
Best Set Design – Tom Buderwitz, I and You
The awards show will be held on Monday, November 21, 2016, at 6:00 p.m. at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills. More info.
Posted in African American, arts organizations, Drama, Fountain Theatre, Los Angeles, non-profit organization, performing arts, plays, Tennessee Williams, The Train Driver, theatre
Tagged Anastasia Coon, award, Beverly Hills, Citizen: An American Lyric, Claudia Rankine, Fountain Theatre, Herb Wesson, I and You, Jennifer Finch, Jeremy Pivnick, Lauren Gunderson, Los Angeles, Matthew Hancock, NAACP Theater Awards, nominations, Saban Theatre, Stephen Sachs, Tom Buderwitz
Gilbert Glenn Brown, Matthew Hancock, Theodore Perkins in ‘The Brothers Size’.
The Fountain Theatre’s acclaimed 2014 production of Tarell McCraney’s The Brothers Size has been nominated for 4 NAACP Theatre Awards. The Awards are presented annually by the Beverly Hills-Hollywood branch of the NAACP and are part of a four-day festival to honor outstanding people of color in theatre.
“We are always pleased and proud to be recognised by the Beverly Hills/Hollywood NAACP theatre committee,” stated Fountain Co-Artistic Director Stephen Sachs. “It’s a continuing affirmation to our decades-long commitment to diversity on our stage.”
For this current Award cycle, the Theatre Viewing Committee considered productions from January to December of 2014. The Fountain’s 2014 Los Angeles Premiere of The Brothers Size earned the following four nominations:
Best Playwright – Tarell Alvin McCraney
Best Director – Shirley Jo Finney
Best Choreography – Ameenah Kaplan
Best Ensemble Cast – Gilbert Glenn Brown, Matthew Hancock, Theodore Perkins
“I am excited about combining the awards show and the festival because this platform will bring thespians and theatre lovers from across the country to the city of Los Angeles to enjoy the art that is theatre,” said Ron Hasson, president of the Beverly Hills/Hollywood NAACP. “The NAACP Theatre Awards Show represents an ever-growing theatre community in Los Angeles and we want to elevate this already highly recognized event in Los Angeles and heighten its visibility nationwide.”
Winners of the 25th Annual NAACP Theatre Awards will be announced on Sunday, March 6, 2016, at a press conference and reception at the Nate Holden Performing Arts Center. More Info
Posted in Acting, actors, African American, arts organizations, director, Fountain Theatre, Los Angeles, performing arts, plays, playwright, playwriting, Theater, theatre
Tagged actors, Ameenah Kaplan, Beverly Hills/Hollywood NAACP, Fountain Theatre, Gilbert Glenn Brown, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Premiere, Matthew Hancock, NAACP, NAACP Theater Awards, Nate Holden Performing Arts Center, performing arts, plays, playwriting, Ron Hasson, Shirley Jo Finney, Stephen Sachs, Tarrell Alvin McCraney, The Brothers Size, theater, theatre, Theodore Perkins
Tamlyn Tomita and Juanita Jennings in ‘Heart Song’
Our 2013 Fountain Theatre World Premiere production of Heart Song has been nominated for 2 NAACP Theatre Awards for excellence in acting and choreography. Juanita Jennings has been nominated for Best Supporting Actress and Maria Bermudez for Best Choreography. The 24th Annual NAACP Awards ceremony will be held Monday, November 17, at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills.
Written by Stephen Sachs and directed by Shirley Jo Finney, our 2013 world premiere of Heart Song earned rave reviews andan extended run. In this funny and touching comedy/drama, Rochelle is a middle-aged Jewish woman in New York City in the middle of a life crisis. Lost and alone, her life is suddenly changed when she is convinced to take a Flamenco class with other middle-aged women. The Flamenco class and its unforgettable circle of women — all shapes, sizes and colors — lead Rochelle on a journey of sisterhood, faith and discovery of her own deep inner voice.
The NAACP Theatre Awards is presented by the Beverly Hills/Hollywood NAACP Branch. The gala is produced for the purpose of honoring artists in the field of entertainment. The branch also celebrates a three-day theatre festival, which provides a platform for theatre artists to express their craft and share their contributions with an audience of their peers, the community and other individuals who celebrate live theatre in Los Angeles.
‘Heart Song’ featured flamenco choreography by Maria Bermudez.
This year’s Awards show will be hosted by Kym Whitley, star of the humorous and poignant docu-series “Raising Whitley”on Oprah Winfrey’sThe OWN Network. The awards show will take place on Monday, November 17, 2014 at 6PM at the historical Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills, California.
Full list of NAACP Award nominees.
Posted in Acting, actors, Arts, arts organizations, Dance, Drama, flamenco, Fountain Theatre, new plays, non-profit organization, performing arts, plays, playwright, Theater, theatre
Tagged actors, Flamenco, Fountain Theatre, Heart Song, Jewish, Juanita Jennings, Kym Whitley, Los Angeles, Maria Bermudez, NAACP Theater Awards, Oprah Winfrey, OWN Network, performing arts, plays, Raising Whitley, Saban Theatre, Shirley Jo Finney, Stephen Sachs, theater, theatre, world premiere
“In the Red and Brown Water”
The Fountain Theatre has been nominated for ten NAACP Theater Awards for two of its acclaimed productions in its 2012 season: the Los Angeles Premiere of In The Red and Brown Water by Tarell Alvin McCraney and the United States Premiere of Athol Fugard’s The Blue Iris.
NAACP Theater Award nominations for the Fountain Theatre are:
IN THE RED AND BROWN WATER
Best Producer – Stephen Sachs and Deborah Lawlor
Best Director – Shirley Jo Finney
Best Lead Actress – Diarra Kilpatrick
Best Supporting Actress – Iona Morris
Best Supporting Actor – Gilbert Glenn Brown
Best Choreography – Ameenah Kaplan
Best Costumes – Naila Aladdin Sanders
Best Lighting – Jose Lopez
THE BLUE IRIS
Best Costumes – Naila Aladdin Sanders
Best Lighting – Jeff McLaughlin
“We’re very pleased and delighted by these nominations,” beamed Fountain Co-Artistic Director Stephen Sachs. “And we’re proud that both of our nominated productions were premieres of new plays by two important, acclaimed playwrights — one a rising new voice in the American Theater, the other a master on the international stage.”
The Los Angeles 2012-13 theater award season is off to another good start for the Fountain Theatre. It was recently announced that the Fountain also earned 8 Ovation Award nominations including Best Season and Best Production of a Play.
“The Blue Iris”
The NAACP Theatre Awards is presented by the Beverly Hills/Hollywood NAACP Branch. Ron Hasson is Branch President and Tia Boyd is the Executive Producer for the NAACP Theatre Awards Show. The prestigious star-studded gala is produced for the purpose of honoring artists among the best in the field of entertainment.
This year’s awards show will be held on Monday, November 11, 2013, at 6:00 P.M. at the historical Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills, California, formerly known as the Fox Wilshire Theatre. Here is the full list of all nominations.
Posted in Acting, actors, Arts, arts organizations, designers, director, Drama, Fountain Theatre, new plays, performing arts, plays, playwright, Theater, theatre
Tagged actors, Ameenah Kaplan, Athol Fugard, Deborah Lawlor, Diarra Kilpatrick, Fountain Theatre, Gilbert Glenn Brown, In The Red and Brown Water, Iona Morris, Jeff McLaughlin, Jose Lopez, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Premiere, NAACP Theater Awards, Naila Aladdin-Sanders, new plays, performing arts, plays, playwriting, Shirley Jo Finney, Stephen Sachs, Tarell Alvin McCraney, The Blue Iris, theater, theatre, United States Premiere
In a first-time-ever collaboration, the Fountain Theatre and LA Opera present “Smashing Barriers in Opera andBeyond,” an in-person conversation with author, lecturer, and Metropolitan Opera commentator William Berger and internationally acclaimed opera singer Morris Robinson. This free event will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 19, at 8pm on the Fountain Theatre’s beautiful new Outdoor Stage. Mr. Berger’s latest book of recent and new essays, “Seeking the Sublime Cache,” will also be available for purchase and signing.
“Smashing Barriers in Opera and Beyond” will explore political and gender issues, not only in opera, but in the systemic marginalization of the arts in our country. What modern issues are at stake in the works of Giuseppe Verdi? What can we do about racism in the works of Richard Wagner? Why does this matter today?
“William Berger is not only a smart, witty aficionado from the Metropolitan Opera in New York,” says Stephen Sachs, Fountain Artistic Director, “he is a longtime friend. Hosting William and opera star Morris Robinson will be a treat for opera fans in our Fountain community. And partnering with LA Opera is joy.”
Come be part of the conversation and the fun! The Fountain Theatre is located at 5060 Fountain Ave., Los Angeles (at Normandie Ave.) Secure parking is offered for $5; street parking is also available. And concessions will be open with sandwiches, snacks, and drinks for sale — including beer and wine to toast Mr. Robinson, Mr. Berger and his new book, and the Fountain’s inaugural collaboration with LA Opera. Please note that admission to this event is limited to ages 12+. Proof of vaccination, as well as masks, are required for entry. For reservations and more information, call (323)663-1525 or CLICK HERE.
Posted in Fountain Theatre, Gender issues, Hollywood, LA Opera, Los Angeles, Metropolitan Opera, Opera, Outdoor Stage, performing arts, Politics, race, racism, Seeking the Sublime Cache
Tagged Fountain Theatre, Giuseppe Verdi, Los Angeles, Morris Robinson, Richard Wagner, Stephen Sachs, theater, theatre, William Berger
Logan Myles Stacer
