The question is immediate for the Fountain. Rehearsals for our next production — opening next month in January — are underway. The play, set in Mexico, is the West Coast Premiere of El Nogalar by Latina playwright Tanya Saracho. The characters in the play are all Mexican. Our cast of five actors are Latina/Hispanic/Latino. We would cast it no other way.
The cast of “El Nogalar”.
At the Fountain, reflecting cultural diversity on our stage is at the heart of our artistic mission. We believe that the culture from which any play is drawn is core to the story it is telling and the characters that inhabit that story.
We are who we are. And we are where we come from. Our racial/ethnic/cultural/tribal/spiritual/religious DNA is core to influencing who we are and helps dictate the stories we tell. For the Fountain, our allegiance is to the truth of the voice of the playwright.
This issue has resurfaced because playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis recently spoke out against the casting of two white actors as the Puerto Rican lead characters in a professional production of his Tony-nominated play The Motherfucker With the Hat at TheaterWorks in Hartford, CT. The Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors complained to the theater, TheaterWorks, noting that the production had casting calls in New York City, a training ground for many Hispanic actors, and yet still cast two Caucasians.
Guirgis, who discussed his concerns with the play’s director, Tazewell Thompson, and executives at TheaterWorks for weeks, said in an interview that he decided to make his concerns public because the TheaterWorks executives “are in a position of accountability and yet refuse to take responsibility for mistakes in the casting.” The production has ended, but Mr. Guirgis decided it was still worth speaking up because he hoped other theaters would make the effort to cast Hispanic actors, when available, in the two lead roles.
“I know there are parts of the country where it’s harder to find a lot of Latino actors,” Mr. Guirgis said. “But this play was cast in New York City and in Hartford, and you can’t tell me that there weren’t qualified Latino actors to play characters who are Puerto Rican.”
In Hartford, Connecticut, the mayor is Puerto Rican.
Steve Campo, the executive director of TheaterWorks, said “The actors that ended up being cast were, from the perspective of the director, the two best actors for the roles. Now is that debatable? Well, it’s certainly debatable in a hypothetical sense. But it’s ultimately a matter of very subjective and complex judgment calls.”
Manuel Alfaro, executive director of the Hispanic Organization of Latino Actors, says: “From all I’ve learned it sounds like the director hired two actors with whom he had worked before, and as a result he essentially discriminated against well-qualified Hispanic actors across the New York region.”
Stephen Adly Guirgis spoke for himself in a recent post on the NY Times blog, ArtsBeat:
The facts of what occurred during the casting process for my play at TheaterWorks in Hartford are inarguable. They pre-cast two Caucasian actors in their 20’s to play the two late-30’s Latino leads in the play, and they never auditioned a single Latino actor for either role. When questioned about this, they blamed the casting director, they claimed the play was originally written for Caucasian actors, and, among other excuses and lies, they maintained that some Puerto Ricans have blonde hair and freckles (true enough), and that these were the two very best actors for the roles — even though they never allowed even one Latino actor to audition for roles that were literally written for them. Those are the facts.
Maybe you’re reading this and thinking, “What’s the problem? It’s their theater; they can do what they want.”
So what’s the big deal here then? The theater made an “artistic choice.” Denzel Washington played Brutus on Broadway and this is America, and “color blind casting goes both ways” so shut up and be grateful your play got produced. Well, fair enough, except this is not about Denzel Washington. Or James Earl Jones. Or “Miss Saigon.” Or Joe the Plumber. Or Joe the Theater Professor spouting off about Albee and Beckett and blackface on Twitter. I don’t care about any of that.
What I do care about — deeply — is that I wrote a play where the two leads are clearly Latino, and Latino actors were completely shut out of the casting process for those two roles. TheaterWorks — intentionally or unintentionally — practiced de facto discrimination against Latino actors who get too few opportunities to compete for roles in the industry to begin with. These roles were specifically Nuyoricans in their late 30’s, and not a single actor of that stripe was even invited to audition. I saw the production. I took the cast out for drinks afterwards. They are talented, nice people.
Ben Cole and Clea Alsip in the TheaterWorks production.
But what I saw on that stage was young, white, otherwise talented actors who were regrettably ill-equipped to even approach a three dimensional rendering of the characters they were assigned to portray. And the entirely white audience on the night I saw the show ate it up like pie. It was surreal. I felt like I was in a time warp. It felt like I was witnessing something that I had only read about in history books. It felt like a modern day minstrel show. And all this in a city with a 40 percent Latino population, and in a play cast, not in Indiana or Wyoming, but New York City and Hartford.
Theaters always talk about “broadening” their audiences. Well TheaterWorks picked a decent play to do that with, but then they they did the most non-inclusive thing possible.
Bobby Cannavale and Elizabeth Rodriguez in the New York production.
When we did the play in New York, we had the most genuinely diverse audience in town, and it was amazing, and everyone felt it , and it felt like we had an audience that was representative of the city we lived in. Yes, Chris Rock had something to do with that. But the audience, for whatever reason, they liked the play. And old and young and black and white and Latin and gay and straight and tourists and bridge and tunnel and New Yorkers sat side by side — and the only other place that regularly happens is on the subway. I profoundly wish it could have been like that in Hartford.
Part of why I tend to write multi-ethnic plays is exactly for that reason — so that on stage and off, people of different backgrounds might share an experience together in a theater that they otherwise might not have. I’m not a fanatic about casting. I’ve seen all types of folks successfully play all types of characters in my plays. If Latinos had been seen for these roles in Hartford, you’d get little argument from me. If I had been invited to the auditions and Ben Cole and Clea Alsip were far and away better than everyone else who came in, I would have fought for them. But that is decidedly not what happened.
As always, there are no winners here. If TheaterWorks had really wanted to protect their director, they would have taken some responsibility. And if the director wanted to protect these unfairly scrutinized actors, he would have cast them in another play. And perhaps if I wanted to protect myself, I would have stayed off of Facebook. But I do not care about that. Because right is right. This is America in the year 2011. Do better or step down.
What can small theaters conclude from this not-so-small drama? Well, for those casting my plays my suggestion is that if the part calls for a specific race or ethnicity, make it a point to cast it that way if at all possible. Sometimes it is not possible to find exactly who you’re looking for, and that’s okay. But you cheat yourself and the audience and the experience if you fail to try. Casting is always a challenge, but know that my plays work best and come alive most often when populated by actors of beautifully contrasting sizes, shapes, colors, and biographies.
We agree. The notion of “color blind casting” can sometimes be admirable. Sometimes, it makes no sense. But the Fountain chooses not to be blind. We prefer to see. We choose the authenticity of seeing all the colors that enrich the palette of human beings — and to reflect that marvelous diversity on our stage.
Tanya Saracho
El Nogalar playwright Tanya Saracho recently founded and launched the Alliance of Latino Theatre Artists in Chicago. ALTA is a service organization dedicated to furthering the Chicago Latino Theatre movement by promoting, educating, representing, and unifying Latino & Latina artists and their allies.
Ms. Saracho has strong feelings about the issue of authentic casting.
“In many ways, playwrights have little power when they lease out a play,” says Tanya. “And that’s exactly what it is when a play is mounted; the leasing of a script to a producing theater. You can’t be as involved in the experience as you might with the first production.”
“In Chicago, I’ve been blessed to work with amazing casting directors who have taken my career trajectory in the Latino Theater movement into consideration when casting my plays at their institutions. And now that I start to venture out of the Midwest, every theater I’ve worked with has been more than accommodating, they have been downright unwavering in their support. Basically, my casting breakdowns have always been more than respected and for this I am more than grateful.”
“But that is not always the case. I have been following the controversy regarding Stephen Adly Guirgis’ public protest regarding his Motherfucker with a Hat casting at Theaterworks in Hartford and it has been surprising to see the “Well, why doesn’t the playwright pull the play if he doesn’t like it” reaction. As if Adly Guirgis was crying wolf in some way, or being ungrateful. It’s been mind boggling. So has the reaction from fellow artists who keep throwing out the notion of color blind casting during the classical plays; it isn’t the same argument. It’s a bit sickening, all of it, because you’d think artists with open minds would understand where the playwright is coming from when he defends his intent. I couldn’t stand with Stephen more on this issue, because it’s not only about the art of it, it is about the maladministration and the malicious omission of the playwright’s intent when it comes to his creation; his characters. I think the whole thing has been massively mismanaged on the part of the theater and I’m so proud that Stephen had the agallas to speak out against it in a public forum.”
“Because all a playwright can do is hope and trust that the lessee whom he entrusted his words to will have the best interest at heart. She or he can only go on faith that his intentions will be respected. And I’m not talking merely hers/his artistic intentions, I’m talking about her/his view of the world, which intrinsically involves gender and race and ethnicity as it did in the casting breakdown of The Motherfucker with the Hat. By omitting – and not even allowing Latin@s to audition for the parts as required – the theater violated the view of the world it was intended to represent. If Theatreworks Executive Director, Steve Campo (is he Latin by the way?) and those people crying foul cannot see that THAT is the crux of this argument then we are in bad shape.”
On August 28, 1955, 14-year-old Emmett Till was abducted from the home of his great uncle, Mose “Preacher” Wright, in the still-dark hours of a Mississippi morning. The two abductors were white; one of them carried a flashlight and a gun. Together, they forced the black teenager into the back of a pick-up truck and drove off. Three days later, Emmett’s naked, bloated body was recovered from the Tallahatchie River. He had been savagely beaten, shot in the head, and his face mutilated beyond recognition. A heavy, metal cotton gin fan had also been tied around his neck – with barbed wire.
The boy’s body was so disfigured that Mose Wright could only identify him by the distinctive ring he was wearing. It was silver, square-shaped, and had belonged to Emmett’s deceased father. It was engraved with the initials L.T.: Louis Till.
This Friday, August 28, marks the 65th anniversary of the murder of Emmett Till. His death, and its aftermath, are largely credited with sparking the Civil Rights Movement. Rosa Parks had Emmett Till on her mind when she refused to surrender her seat to a white passenger. She thought about going to the back of the bus. But then she thought about Emmett Till and couldn’t do it.
To honor him, and in recognition of all the challenges for racial equality that have followed from then till now, the original cast and director of the Fountain Theatre’s widely acclaimed, multiple award-winning 2010 production of The Ballad of Emmett Tillby Ifa Bayeza will reunite for a live-streamed reading of the play. This highly produced presentation, which includes music, sound, and visual imagery, will take place at 4 p.m. PT / 7 p.m. ET and be available this year for on-demand viewing at www.fountaintheatre.com/fountain-digital/the-ballad-of-emmett-till-2020. Pay-per-view tickets are $20.00. Shirley Jo Finney again directs Bernard K. Addison, Rico E. Anderson, Lorenz Arnell, Adenrele Ojo and Karen Malina White, all reprising their original roles in Bayeza’s powerfully theatrical intermingling of history, mystery and legend, punctuated with music and poetry.
And on Thursday, August 27, Fountain Theatre artistic director Stephen Sachs will chat with playwright Bayeza during his bi-monthly installment of Theatre Talk at 4 p.m. PT / 7 p.m. ET. That conversation will air live on Zoom, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and the Fountain website at http://www.fountaintheatre.com.
Emmett’s mother, Mamie, had warned her son before he left their Chicago home that the Mississippi Delta was a whole different world than he was used to when it came to race relations. Segregation was a stricter practice down in the Delta. She worried that her fun-loving son, who was known for telling jokes and pulling pranks, and who used whistling to help control a stutter, could easily find himself in trouble in the unforgiving Jim Crowe south without realizing it.
She was right.
When Mamie was told of the terrible news, she insisted that the body of her only child – who she fondly called Bobo – be returned to Chicago. According to a January 11, 2003 article in The Washington Post following her death on January 6th, Mamie collapsed at the train station when she saw what was left of her son and cried out, “Lord, take my soul.”
Mamie became determined that her son would be seen, exactly as death left him. He would not disappear, like driftwood floating down the Tallahatchie River, to be remembered only by friends and family and then, finally, to be forgotten altogether. No, she wanted his killers, and indeed the whole world, to see what racial hatred, ignorance and bigotry was doing everyday, without regret, to black people everywhere, and what it had done to one particularly cherished life. A young black life that mattered.
“Let the people see what they did to my boy,” Mamie Till famously said. And they have, for 65 years. Today, a simple Google search easily pulls up a plethora of photos, articles, and books about the life and death of Emmett Till, including historian Elliot J. Gorn’s 2018 book, Let the People See, and Timothy B. Tyson’s 2017 book, The Blood of Emmett Till.
Till’s brutal death was already making headlines, and Mamie invited even more media to cover the funeral and the viewings, including the well-known black publication, Jet magazine (which created The Emmett Till Project to commemorate the 60-year anniversary of his death and the trail that followed.) She insisted on an open casket – albeit, one with a glass top because the stench from the decaying body in the Illinois summer sun was overwhelming. She invited the public to attend. And they did, by the thousands. The viewing of Emmett Till’s body went on for four days.
The photo of Mamie Till Mobley mourning over her son’s open coffin was a catalyst for the civil rights movement.
From the same TWP article: “Thousands lined the streets outside the Chicago funeral home. Thousands more walked past the open casket. They wept. They wailed. They seethed.
Photographers snapped close-ups of a boy’s body so disfigured that the human eye instinctively turns away. Those hideous pictures galvanized a nation.
All but two of Bobo’s teeth were missing. His ear was gone, an eye detached, his face and body horribly swollen after 72 hours in the Tallahatchie River.
His crime? This young black boy from Chicago spending the summer with relatives didn’t really understand Jim Crow. To impress friends, it is alleged that he talked fresh or whistled at a married white woman in Money, Miss.
That’s all it took to end a life.
A couple of weeks later, a trial was held for 24-year old Roy Bryant and his half-brother, 36-year-old John William “J.W.” Milam, in a segregated courthouse in Sumner, Mississippi. Bryant was the husband of Carolyn Byrant, the woman who had accused Till of “ugly remarks” and vague improprieties. The Bryant’s also owned the small store that Till and his friends had stopped at to buy some bubble gum. (The site of Bryant’s Grocery and Meat Market is now memorialized with a Mississippi Freedom Trail Marker.)
Mose Wright chose to appear at the trial. This short-statured black man stood tall that day in court when he pointed to his nephew’s accused white killers, Bryant and Milam, and positively identified them. Then, after less than an hour of deliberation, the all-white jury declared the men “not guilty.” The state, the jury claimed, had failed to prove the identity of the body. A separate kidnapping charge was also filed against the pair, but they never were indicted.
Both men eventually died of cancer: Milam in 1980 and Bryant in 1994. In 2017, Carolyn Bryant confessed to The Blood of Emmett Till author Timothy B. Tyson that the 14-year-old-boy from Chicago had never accosted her, or touched her, in any way. “Nothing that boy did could ever justify what happened to him,” she said.
In the more than five decades that have passed since August 28, 1955, thousands of other black men, women and children have needlessly died as the result of racial violence and divisiveness. They breathe no more, but the Civil Rights Movement continues. We march for the fallen, and we say their names: Eric Garner. Michael Brown. Trayvon Martin. Tamir Rice. Philando Castile. Ahmaud Arbery. Breonna Taylor. George Floyd. And so many more.
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 6th, 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.
Posted in actors, cafe, designers, director, environment, Executive Producer, Fountain Theatre, nuclear engineers, The Children, Theater, theatre
Tagged Andrew Hammer, Butler Pantry Catering, Christian Mejia, Elizabeth Elias Huffman, Lily Knight, Lucy Kirkwood, Marc Antonio Pritchett, Naila Aladdin Sanders, Ron Bottitta, shen heckel, Simon Levy
As 2020 continues on its perilous path and our theatre sits empty, we look back at a jam-packed and deeply rewarding 2019. It was only last year but it feels like a century ago. Enjoy!
Posted in actors, Arts, Arts education, arts organizations, cafe, designers, director, Drama, Education, Fountain Family, Fountain Theatre, Gay, hip hop, Hollywood, Los Angeles, new plays, non-profit organization, performing arts, plays, playwright, racism, Social justice, stage, Theater, theatre
Tagged 2019, Arts education, Between Riverside and Crazy, Daniel’s Husband, Flamenco, Fountain Theatre, Hype Man, Los Angeles, Ms. Smith Goes to Washington, outreach, theater, theatre, Walking the Beat
by Terri Roberts
Friday, March 13th, was a very strange day.
I run the Fountain Theatre’s charming upstairs café. Normally, Fridays at the Fountain would be the start of a five-show weekend through Monday night. Six, if we had a Sunday evening Flamenco show as well. There would be a palpable energy in the air.
But on Friday, March 13th, LA’s growing COVID crisis had become critical. The public portions of the theatre – the stage and the café – had been shuttered. The offices were being closed as well.
I should have been working on Friday, March 13th. By 4pm, Pandora would have been rocking one of my favorite show tune stations, and I’d have been singing along with Wicked and A Chorus Line and Into the Woods behind the closed café door as I got the coffee going, bagged chips and cookies for sale, and chatted with local baker Tracy Green when she delivered her weekly order of scrumptious organic mini muffins. I would have caught up with staff when they wandered in for coffee or a snack. I would have arranged fresh flowers on the café tables. Watered the plants out on the deck. Set out food items, made sure the fridge was stocked, and ensured there was plenty of wine on the back counter.
By 6:30pm, actors would have been dropping by to say hello, and get a pre-show caffeine fix as they ate their dinner. If patrons had arrived early, I would have invited them to have a seat and get comfortable while I finished setting up. We would have talked about the show they had come to see and where they had traveled from to see it. Long distance drives from Orange County, Santa Barbara, and Long Beach are not uncommon (and on a Friday night, no less!) Patrons of the Fountain are extremely loyal, and LA’s notorious Friday night traffic has never stopped any of them from persevering to see a great show.
I’d have set out fresh creamer for coffee by 6:45pm and cut fresh lemon wedges for tea. I’d have changed the music to something more appropriate for the show, and turned on the video monitor to run the scroller of past Fountain Theatre productions. I’d have clicked on the twinkle lights draped around the café and the deck, and lit the votive candles that add such warmth and invitation to the space. The stage would have been set. Lights and sound would have been ready. I would have opened the door to let the audience in.
Opening night of Human Interest Story, Feb 15, 2020.
It would have been another Friday night at the Fountain Theatre café. Engaging with patrons. Stepping out from behind the bar to hug a friend who had come to see the show. Getting buzzed off the buzz in the room. And answering a barrage of questions about past productions:
What was that wonderful play about the painting? Either Bakersfield Mist or My Name is Asher Lev. Both featured a painting and had storylines about art.
What was the show about the Latino restaurant workers? I couldn’t stop thinking about it.My Mañana Comes. Yes, a lot of people had that reaction.
What was the one about the border wall and the guy in prison?Building the Wall.
Do you remember the show about the Black girl who was a runner? Sure! It was In the Red and Brown Water, by Tarrell Alvin McCraney. It was the first play in his Brother/Sister trilogy. We also did the second one in that series, The Brothers Size.
Theatre. History. Story-telling. Energy. Friends. Connecting the dots. And, of course, lots of coffee. These were my Friday nights at the Fountain. Until Friday, March 13th. When everything changed.
I have happily worked at the Fountain for over a decade. I’ve been part of dozens of shows in a variety of capacities: production/assistant stage manager, props designer, casting associate, costume maintenance and more. For the past two years I have also been the manager of the charming Fountain Theatre café. I must say, I absolutely love it.
I run the café as I run a show, and I am nourished by it in the process. I am fed by the support of our devoted patrons, by sharing stories of past productions, by greeting first time visitors who inevitably want to know how long we’ve been around, what kinds of shows we do, and, ultimately, how they can become a member. And then there is the question I hear all the time, from guests old and new: will the café ever be open outside of show times? (Answer: it is a long-distance dream.) I feel gratitude every time I’m asked that, because it means they’re comfortable in this charming, funky space. They tell me how much they love the rainbow tables and walls, the gallery of production photographs, the mismatched collection of couches and chairs, the open deck with the hummingbird feeder and the little garden and the view to downtown LA. They want to hang out all day long. They feel a sense of peace, of connection in the space.
Kitchens are often referred to as the heart of a home, and the café is the gathering place of the Fountain Theatre. The room where we all come together to share meals, to talk, to take meetings and to rest. The stage downstairs is the soul of the Fountain. But the café, I believe, is its ever-beating, ever-welcoming, wide-open heart.
So for now, while this pandemic reigns, my Friday nights are different. It’s been nearly four months since I didn’t work that Friday night in March – and I feel it. I miss the energy, the shows, the patrons, the actors, the laughter and the hugs, the fellowship and the connection. But in time, we will tell our stories again. In time, the theatre will open up again. In time, we will gather in the café again. That charming rainbowed place of nourishment and peace and of welcoming home. And in time, we’ll re-connect to each other, again.
Posted in Arts, arts organizations, cafe, Fountain Theatre, Los Angeles, non-profit organization, performing arts, restaurant, Theater, theatre
Actors from “Joy Luck Club” and “Hannah” in Fountain cafe.
Ever question if LA has a real theatre community? A true sense of camaraderie? Doubt no more. Last night, members of the cast from the Sierra Madre Playhouse production of The Joy Luck Club swarmed to the Fountain Theatre to support friends and colleagues in our California Premiere of Hannah and the Dread Gazebo. After the performance, members from both companies gathered in our upstairs cafe to celebrate and congratulate each other.
It was fitting that the visit happened on Labor Day, the national observance of the value of work. For people who work in the theatre, there is a fervent dedication to the art form and a palpable cord of goodwill between artists.
The bond between the Joy Luck and Hannah casts — both with Asian actors — began when the company of Joy Luck sent a funny and warm-hearted good luck video from the Sierra Madre Playhouse to the Hannah group days before its opening at the Fountain.
The Hannah company replied, posting their own video to the Joy Luck cast.
Happy opening night to the cast and crew of Joy Luck Club at Sierra Madre Playhouse (Victor S Chi Shar Liu Christine Liao Tim Dang Yee Eun Nam Lee Chen-Norman Grace Shen Christopher Chen and everyone) !!!!! — ❤ the cast of Hannah and the Dread Gazebo at East West Players and Fountain Theatre 🎭🥰👏👏👏👏💐
Posted by Jully Lee on Saturday, August 24, 2019
Last night, cast members from The Joy Luck Club were at the Fountain supporting their fellow players. The Hannah cast will soon do the same. Theatre can be a competitive business. It can also be a haven for friendship and support.
Enjoy these photos from last night’s visit.
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Get tickets/more info on Hannah and the Dread Gazebo and The Joy Luck Club.
Posted in actors, Arts, arts organizations, Asian, cafe, Drama, Fountain Theatre, Hollywood, immigration, Korean, Los Angeles, new plays, non-profit organization, performing arts, plays, Theater, theatre
Tagged actors, Asian, community, East Hollywood, East West Players, Fountain Theatre, Hannah and the Dread Gazebo, Hollywood, Korean, Los Angeles, Sierra Madre Players, The Joy Luck Club, theater, theatre
The Hannah company gathers for a party photo.
A packed house of passionate theatregoers, donors and guests, friends and family, and the invited press enjoyed Saturday night’s Opening performance of our California Premiere of Hannah and the Dread Gazebo by Jiehae Park. A collaboration between the Fountain Theatre and East West Players, the audience reflected a lively engagement from the communities of both companies.
Following the performance, guests enjoyed a catered reception upstairs in our charming cafe. The delicious Korean cuisine was served by Kimbap Paradise, with Korean beer provided by Lotte Beverage America.
Enjoy these photos!
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Hannah and the Dread Gazebo continues in a limited run to Sept 22. Tickets/More Info
Posted in actors, Arts, arts organizations, Asian, cafe, Fountain Theatre, Hollywood, Korean, Los Angeles, new plays, non-profit organization, performing arts, plays, Theater, theatre
Tagged actors, Barbara Goodhill, Bryan P. Chesters, Diana Buckhantz, Dick Motika, Fountain Theatre, Gavin Lee, Hahn Cho, Hannah and the Dread Gazebo, Janet Song, Jeff Cason, Jennifer Chang, Jerrie Whitfield, Jiehae Park, Jully Lee, Kimbap Paradise, Korean, Los Angeles, Lotte Beverage America, Monica Hong, Nyla Arslanian, opening night, Oscar Arslanian, Randy Tamura, Snehal Desai, Stephen Sachs, theater, theatre, Wendy Chang, Wonjung Kim, Ximon Wood
Want to join our Fountain Family? Now is the perfect time. We are hiring folks for two positions: House Manager and Sidewalk Cafe Manager. Both jobs start next week, Wednesday October 17, as we begin performances for our exciting West Coast Premiere of Cost of Living by Martyna Majok. The play won the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
House Manager – audience relations, distribute programs, assist patrons in seating. Looking for pleasant person with excellent people skills, articulate, assertive, trouble-shooter and problem-solver.
Sidewalk Cafe Manager – To manage and operate our new sidewalk cafe cart. This concessions cart in front of our theatre is a new addition to our audience services, allowing patrons who can’t climb the stairs to our indoor/outdoor cafe on the second floor the ability to buy snacks on the front sidewalk. Seeking a charming individual who enjoys engaging with people, well organized, can handle money and credit card sales via Square, some minor paperwork.
Dates: Oct 17 – Dec 16
Performances: Fri 8pm, Sat 2pm & 8pm, Sun 2pm, Mon 8pm
Rate of Pay: $12 per hour.
Each performance runs approx 1 hour 40 mins (no intermission). Arrive 1 hour before curtain, stay 30 mins after.
The Fountain Theatre is a non-profit arts organization with a hiring policy of diversity and inclusion. All positions are open to any applicant, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity or sexual orientation.
Posted in arts organizations, cafe, Fountain Theatre, Hollywood, Los Angeles, new plays, non-profit organization, performing arts, plays, Theater, theatre
Tagged cafe, employment, Fountain Theatre, Hollywood, House Manager, job, Los Angeles, Now Hiring, sidewalk cafe, theater, theatre
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.
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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
The company of ‘The Chosen’
A beautiful and heartfelt performance was followed by a lively party as cast and audience members celebrated the opening of The Chosen at the Fountain Theatre on Saturday night, January 20th. The sold-out house leapt to their feet in a standing ovation, then gathered upstairs in our indoor/outdoor cafe for food, drink and festivities with the company.
Actors Jonathan Arkin, Alan Blumenfeld, Dor Gvirtsman and Sam Mandel were feted by Fountain VIP donors, invited guests and members of our Board of Directors.
Looks like the Fountain has another hit on its hands. performances for The Chosen are already selling out in advance. Get Tickets/More Info
Posted in actors, arts organizations, Books, cafe, designers, director, Drama, Fountain Theatre, Hollywood, Jewish, Los Angeles, new plays, non-profit organization, performing arts, plays, Theater, theatre
Tagged actors, Alan Blumenfeld, Chaim Potok, Daniel Sachs, DeAnne Millais, Dionna Daniel, director, Don Zachary, Dor Gvirtsman, Ejike Ndefo, George Roland, Jacqueline Schultz, Jonathan Arkin, Miranda Stewart, opening night, party, Rabbi Daniel Bouskila, Sam mandel, Simon Levy, Stephen Sachs, The Chosen, Victoria Ndefo
The company of Runaway Home celebrates after final performance
There was a moment yesterday during the final curtain call of our acclaimed world premiere of Runaway Home that crystalized our expeirience throughout the entire eight-week run. The audience leaped to their feet in an exuberent standing ovation, stomping and clapping, while the actors lovingly tossed colorful mardi gras beads from the stage. Both sides of the stage shared a joyful moment of festive celebration that captured the spirit of this funny, endearing and poignant new play.
Following Sunday’s final performance, a lively reception was held in our upstairs cafe. The rain forcasted for the afternoon never appeared as the cast joined friends and patrons for a warm-hearted reception that included bowls of hot chili and plates of sweet potato pie.
Enjoy these photos from the post-show party. Another splendid Fountain Theatre production completes its successful run.
Posted in actors, arts organizations, cafe, Drama, Fountain Theatre, Los Angeles, new plays, non-profit organization, performing arts, plays, Theater, theatre
Tagged Armando Rey, Brian Tichnell, Camille Spirlin, Deborah Lawlor, Fountain Theatre, Jeremy J. Kamps, Jeris Poindexter, Karen Malina White, Leith Burke, Los Angeles, Maya Lynne Robinson, party, Runaway Home, Simon Levy, Stephen Sachs, theater, theatre
Chef Baltazar Gaytan
If you’ve visited our Fountain Café in the last three months, you’ve already noticed the number of changes occurring. With its cheese and delicious snicker doodles topped with black Himalayan salt, its savory pastries, improved wines, finer coffee, its warm and inviting atmosphere, the Café is becoming the place to visit before and after shows here at the Fountain Theatre. Your Fountain Theatre experience is not complete without a drink on our rooftop patio, deep in discussion over the play you just saw.
We cannot talk about the Café’s stunning transformation without hailing our new breakout chef, Baltazar Gaytan. Originally from Salinas, California, Baltzar studied at Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts Academy in Pasadena and is wowing crowds with his inventive baked goods and dedication to the Café.
The Fountain cafe busy and buzzing.
While Baltzar’s skills speak for themselves, we sat down for a little Q&A to learn more about the Fountain’s chef and mastermind of the Café, as well as his goals for the future.
Tell us about your background. Where did you grow up and study cooking?
I grew up in a family of six with a single mother in Salinas, CA. We weren’t the most financially stable family, but it taught me to be resourceful and creative with my limited ingredients. A few years after high school, I decided to take a leap and decided to refine and expand my culinary knowledge at Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts Academy in Pasadena, CA.
Was there one person or one event in your life that turned you on to cooking?
During my gap years, my mother became more ill due to a genetic kidney disorder that my family carries. Unfortunately, this brought on a great deal of dietary restrictions, limiting her to an incredibly bland diet. After doing more research, I began to understand what grains and proteins she could have, giving me the ability to make her flavorful dishes despite her restrictions. While she was stubborn about this at first, she began to look forward to see what I’ve created for her. The joy that I gave to my mother when she eat was the point when I decided that I had a talent and it should be shared with others to enjoy.
What is it about cooking that fuels your passion?
I love the magic that I get to make. I mean, look at some of the plates that chefs are doing. They are works of art. We have an open mind to where we almost never say no. If no answer is provided, we seek that knowledge in the hopes of having a culinary breakthrough. The one who discovers the perfect potion. Chefs can play mad scientist, we just try and try until we figure out the perfect potion.
The outdoor balcony of the Fountain cafe.
Had you been to the Fountain Theatre before becoming the new chef?
I have once back in January to see Bakersfield Mist. I was visiting my childhood best friend Marisela Hughes (Fountain’s Box Office Manager). I enjoyed the theatre and its intimate, classic theatre ambiance.
How did you become the new chef at the Fountain?
By faith actually, when I decided to move down to Hollywood, the Fountain has been looking for a chef to take over after Bakersfield Mist. Marisela was helping me look for a job and this one seemed to be the perfect match. The universe will tell us when to make a move. And if we don’t make them our selves, well, sometimes the universe will force us to make that change. It’s a growing opportunity and effect that is designed to happen.
Chef Baltazar
What kind of changes are you making to the new cafe? How is it now different?
When I walked into the café for the first time as Chef, I saw this vision of comfort, warmth with a little bohemian/Mediterranean chic, lanterns and a garden. Patrons can have a nice romantic dinner underneath the open sky with a glamorous view of the skyline of downtown LA. So here I am, providing quality product made by myself. I’m now providing as many in-home goods as I can possibly produce. Part of this is introducing a cheese course, our first introduction to savory goods. From there we work our way up based on demand and profit. I’d like to turn the Café into a bistro with warm foods and table-side service, being open on days that there isn’t a show going on. Great Performing Art should be accompanied by great food. I’m seeing brunches and dinner parties before the show happening in the future.
What are you hoping to achieve with the new Fountain cafe?
Success! I want to introduce myself as an artist and introduce the beauty in culinary arts. How ones own imagination can go beyond just the eyes, but into taste the stimulate memories and sensors—just like in the theatre.
Fountain folk enjoy the cafe on a warm summer night.
What words would you choose to describe the new Fountain café?
Welcoming, peaceful, fun, adorable, hidden oasis, no sense of time and space. These are a few words of which I’ve already heard people say about the New Café
How do you see a Fountain patron’s dining experience in the cafe complementing their experience of seeing a play here?
Well you’d start off with getting a great parking space. Not just that but you’re going to save yourself time. From transporting from place to place and, lets be real, finding parking in LA on a Saturday evening isn’t the most pleasant of task. But once you get here you’ll feel like you’re just at home. In an intimate setting just like our theatre, only a select few will be joining you in a journey that is unique, artistic and creative. No two menus will be alike. The Fountain Café will be the most exclusive dinning destination in Hollywood.
What can we look forward to in the cafe? Any new items or ideas you can share for what’s coming?
We’ve already implemented new items to the café such as gourmet cheese plates and freshly baked beer bread, complete with bacon marmalade and freshly whipped honey butter. We use fresh herbs from the herb garden that I began to grow on the porch, in many of the items now being served. I make a classic from a classic (i.e. PB&J Cookie) I’m letting you enter my mind of culinary imagination, where there is no walls. Brunch and dinner before the show are all on the horizon for the Fountain Café.
More on our website
Posted in arts organizations, cafe, Fountain Theatre, Hollywood, non-profit organization, performing arts, Theater, theatre
Tagged Bakersfield Mist, Baltazar Gaytan, cafe, chef, cooking, food, Fountain Theatre, Hollywood, Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts Academy, Los Angeles, Marisela Hughes, theater, theatre, wine
The facts of what occurred during the casting process for my play at TheaterWorks in Hartford are inarguable. They pre-cast two Caucasian actors in their 20’s to play the two late-30’s Latino leads in the play, and they never auditioned a single Latino actor for either role. When questioned about this, they blamed the casting director, they claimed the play was originally written for Caucasian actors, and, among other excuses and lies, they maintained that some Puerto Ricans have blonde hair and freckles (true enough), and that these were the two very best actors for the roles — even though they never allowed even one Latino actor to audition for roles that were literally written for them. Those are the facts.
The photo of Mamie Till Mobley mourning over her son’s open coffin was a catalyst for the civil rights movement.
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
by Terri Roberts
Kitchens are often referred to as the heart of a home, and the café is the gathering place of the Fountain Theatre. The room where we all come together to share meals, to talk, to take meetings and to rest. The stage downstairs is the soul of the Fountain. But the café, I believe, is its ever-beating, ever-welcoming, wide-open heart.
Want to join our Fountain Family? Now is the perfect time. We are hiring folks for two positions: House Manager and Sidewalk Cafe Manager. Both jobs start next week, Wednesday October 17, as we begin performances for our exciting West Coast Premiere of Cost of Living by Martyna Majok. The play won the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
