Coming Home | Intimate Excellent

28 Jun 2022

Simone Missick, Taraji P. Henson, and Tina Lifford

They are, first and foremost, talented actresses now starring in some of the most popular shows on television. They are strong women conquering an industry dominated by men. They are women of color leading a new wave of diversity now finally being demonstrated on TV screens. And they are all members of the Fountain Family, seen in acclaimed productions on our intimate Fountain stage

Simone Missick is now taking TV by storm co-starring as Misty Knight on the new Netflix series Marvel’s Luke Cage. She plays the first black female superhero in the history of television. The new series is now being seen in 180 countries. There is already talk of giving Simone her own series in a Misty Knight spinoff.

Simone Missick as Misty Knight in ‘Marvel’s Luke Cage’

Simone’s launch to TV stardom is the stuff of local LA theatre legend. She was catapulted from acting in a play at the intimate Fountain Theatre to co-starring in a new popular television series as an iconic Marvel superhero. It’s the kind of plucking from obscurity to stardom of which most actors dream.

Simone Missick in ‘Citizen: An American Lyric’ at the Fountain Theatre

Simone got the call to audition for the series while appearing on stage at the Fountain Theatre in our 2015 hit production of Citizen: An American Lyric. Shuttling back and forth between auditioning for the TV role and performing weekends at the Fountain, she knew it was a longshot. Suffering from a head cold, she flew to New York one final time to audition and test for the part. Sworn to secrecy by TV producers, Simone couldn’t share details with her Fountain cast about the role she was up for. But we knew it was big and important. We all waited.

Then she got word.

“I got a call from Jeph Loeb who was the head of Marvel. He kind of just said, ‘Prepare for your life to change,’” says Simone. “And what does that even mean for an actor who’s been working, doing theatre and short films in LA for 10 years? You can just never anticipate when that call is going to come, what it will really be. It was amazing.”

Tina Lifford

Tina Lifford was also on stage at the Fountain with Simone in the same production of Citizen: An American Lyric. She now co-stars as Violet Bordelon, an aunt to the three estranged Bordelon siblings on OWN’s acclaimed drama Queen Sugar. The new series was created, directed and executive produced by Ava DuVernay. Oprah Winfrey also serves as executive producer.

Queen Sugar is groundbreaking. It is produced by a black-owned network and overseen by two black women—one who owns the network (Winfrey) and the other (DuVernay) as showrunner, head writer and director. All of the directors guiding every episode in season one have been women.

“It’s exciting that we get to represent the excellence that is living in people of color,” says Tina. “The excellence that hasn’t necessarily had a platform before, which is why Ava is championing the whole inclusive movement. She is saying, there’s all of these stories and talents in every face of talent-making to tell those stories, and we’re going to show you who they are. That’s exciting.”

Taraji P. Henson was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance in the film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. She now stars as Cookie Lyon on the smash hit Fox series Empire, for which she won a Golden Globe Award and has twice been nominated for an Emmy. In 2016, Time magazine named Henson one of the 100 most influential people in the world on the annual Time 100 list.

Taraji P. Henson as Cookie Lyon on ‘Empire’

Taraji appeared in our Fountain west coast premiere of The Darker Face of the Earth by Rita Dove. She has maintained her connection with the Fountain Family, seeing Fountain productions and visiting with our casts and companies after performances.

Taraji P. Henson and the cast of ‘The Ballad of Emmett Till’

The Los Angeles Times has dubbed Diarra Kilpatrick as “a force of nature”. She is not only a dynamic actress. She is a gifted writer and ambitious creator. Her American Koko digital series, originally produced for her YouTube channel, received the Best Web Series Award at the American Black Film Festival and was lauded as a “Web Series You Should Be Watching” by Essence Magazine. ABC’s streaming service ABCd has now acquired American Koko, with Emmy winner and Oscar nominee Viola Davis producing.

“Diarra is an exceptional talent in that she cannot be put in a category,” says Davis. “She has a unique voice that transcends her generation.”

Diarra Kilpatrick “In the Red and Brown Water”

Diarra starred in the Fountain Theatre’s acclaimed and award-winning Los Angeles Premiere of Tarell McCraney’s In the Red and Brown Water. Diarra played Oya, a lightning-fast runner, in the stunning and lyrical drama. Since that dazzling production, Diarra has been sprinting ever since. She is now also developing The Climb for Amazon. She will write and star in the project.

Deidrie Henry on ‘Game of Silence’

The list of Fountain actresses goes on. Deidrie Henry has mesmerized audiences in such Fountain productions as Yellowman and Coming Home. She co-starred as Detective Liz Winters on the NBC TV series Game of Silence and is the national TV commercial character Annie for Popeyes. Monnae Michaell (Citizen: An American Lyric) plays Nina on the new TV series The Good Place. Tonya Pinkins (And Her Hair Went With Her) is Ethel Peabody on the television show Gotham. Tinashe Kajese will be seen in the upcoming TV movie The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. Fountain veterans Tracie Thoms, Karen Malina White, Juanita Jennings, Adenrele Ojo are seen often on TV.

“I’m always thrilled to see one of our actors, any actor, male or female, succeed in the film and TV industry,” says Co-Artistic Director Stephen Sachs. “But to see these extraordinary women achieve these accomplishments and create change, knowing that they come from our Fountain Family, makes me even more delighted and proud.”

Posted in African American, artist, arts organizations, Fountain Theatre, movies, non-profit organization, performing arts, plays, television, Theater, theatre

Tagged actress, African American, American Koko, Ava DuVernay, Citizen: An American Lyric, Coming Home, Deidrie Henry, Diarra Kilpatrick, diversity, Empire, Essence Magazine, Fountain Theatre, Game of Silence, Gotham, In The Red and Brown Water, Jeph Loeb, Juanita Jennings, Karen Malina White, Los Angeles, Marvel’s Luke Cage, Misty Knight, Monnae Michaell, Oprah Winfrey, Queen Sugar, Rita Dove, Simone Missick, Stephen Sachs, superhero, Taraji P. Henson, Tarell Alvin McCraney, television, The Good Place, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, theater, theatre, Tina Lifford, Tinashe Kajese, Tonya Pinkins, Tracie Thoms, TV, TV Series, Viola Davis, women in theatre, Yellowman

Victoria and I have been residents of Los Feliz for more than 25 years. We love theatre and we fell in love with The Fountain Theatre the first time we saw a play there about ten years ago. We immediately became subscribers even though we subscribe to other theatres in the greater Los Angeles area. We are continually impressed by the originality and quality of the plays at the Fountain, as well as the intimate environment. As such, The Fountain is a great place to see the plays of great writers like August Wilson and Athol Fugard; and we have seen them all, – Gem of the Ocean, The Train Driver, Coming Home, Exits and Entrances, and the most recent classic, The Blue Iris. We will be remiss if we do not mention the professionalism and friendliness of The Fountain staff. They have always been gracious in accommodating us since our business requires frequent travel out of town.

– Dr. and Mrs. Ejike Mdefo

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

Tagged Athol Fugard, August Wilson, Coming Home, Ejike Mdefo, Exits and Entrances, Fountain Family, Fountain Theatre, Gem of the Ocean, Los Angeles, Los Feliz, memmer, new plays, plays, subscribe, subscriber, The Blue Iris, The Train Driver, theater, Victoria Mdefo

Christa and William Wilk

We have been married for 41 years and are retired teachers who enjoy live theatre in Los Angeles. Season subscribers to eight theatres and the Los Angeles Stage Alliance, we are thrilled to be in the L.A. area where there is always great live theatre. We’re not limited to theatre and attend Early and Chamber Music concerts and view exhibits at local art museums.

The Fountain Theatre stands out for its bold presentations that inform and challenge us with regard to politics, race relations, war, people’s complex lives, and more. Many of the Fountains plays are first runs and premiers or ones too challenging for larger stages. It’s hard to pick a favorite play, but some are: Master Class (Terrence McNally), Bakersfield Mist (Stephen Sachs), The Ballad of Emmett Till (Ifa Bayeza), Coming Home (Athol Fugard) and several by Tennessee Williams. With picks like these what is not to like?

We hope the Fountain continues to survive and thrive in these difficult times. – Christa and William Wilk

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

Tagged Athol Fugard, Bakersfield Mist, Christa Wilk, Coming Home, Fountain Family, Fountain Theatre, Ifa Bayeza, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Stage Alliance, Master Class, Stephen Sachs, Tennessee Williams, Terrence McNally, The Ballad of Emmett Till, William Wilk

Christa and William Wilk

The Fountain Theatre stands out for its bold presentations that inform and challenge us with regard to politics, race relations, war, people’s complex lives, and more. Many of the Fountains plays are first runs and premiers or ones too challenging for larger stages. It’s hard to pick a favorite play, but some are: Master Class (Terrence McNally), Bakersfield Mist (Stephen Sachs), The Ballad of Emmett Till (Ifa Bayeza), Coming Home (Athol Fugard) and several by Tennessee Williams. With picks like these what is not to like?

We hope the Fountain continues to survive and thrive in these difficult times.

– Christa and William Wilk

Posted in Arts, Fountain Theatre, new plays, performing arts, playwright, theatre

Tagged Athol Fugard, Bakersfield Mist, Christa Wilk, Coming Home, Fountain Theatre, Ifa Bayeza, LA Stage Alliance, Los Angeles, Master Class, museum, stage, Stephen Sachs, subscriber, Tennessee Williams, Terrence McNally, The Ballad of Emmett Till, theatre, William Wilk

Adolphus Ward is well-known to Fountain audiences for his mesmerizing and award-winning work as an actor in such acclaimed productions as Gem of the Ocean, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, Coming Home, and The Train Driver. What you may not know is that he is also a writer: a published novelist.

Adolphus has been honored with acting awards from the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle and the LA Weekly. He also holds a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration and has received writing awards from the Wisconsin Arts Board, Playwrights’ Fellowship, and the National Endowment For The Arts.

Ward has written an African-American trilogy chronicling the Tallman family: Harvest the Dust, Milk the Iron Cow, and Stand Upside Down. Harvest the Dust introduces the sharecropper’s family during the 1930’s Great Depression. Milk the Iron Cow explores how Milwaukee factories changed in the 1940’s from making autos and washing machines to building warplanes and bombs, as the Tallmans find themselves embroiled in labor struggles and the start of the civil rights movement. Stand Upside Down rests on grandson Calvin Tallman’s shoulders, which evoke white corporate shivers behind unfair policies for Black workers in the 1980’s

Adolphus in the Fountain cafe with playwright Athol Fugard.

How long have you been writing novels?

I am a writer of African-American Family Fiction. I’ve completed three novels following the lives of three successive generations of the same family. I began work on the trilogy September 1984 — I was learning to write fiction while working on the first novel: Harvest the Dust.

My story grew to be much too involved for one story.

The aim of acting and writing is, I think, much the same. Both actor and writer works to have the audience completely involved in the story. They are different in that one works on the stage and the other on the page.

I’m working on a one-man show bringing elements of the trilogy to the stage. Also, doing preliminary work on a fourth novel.

Adolphus Ward in “The Train Driver”.

I’ve lived long enough to know that people are the most important element in the quality of my life experiences. I feel that way about family, friends, and the places I hold membership. From the start the Fountain Family has been like blood-family-members to me. Ben Bradley introduced me to the rest of the staff, some patrons, and it was — and still is — like I’ve known them for years. I love the Fountain Theatre.

Were I working in a production my favorite would be that one — my next production at the Fountain will be my favorite.

Going to the City of Bones in Gem of the Ocean. Thanks August, it was a damn good trip.

Adolphus Ward and Jeris Poindexter in August Wilson’s “Gem of the Ocean”.

Posted in actors, Fountain Theatre, theatre

Tagged Adolphus Ward, African American, Athol Fugard, August Wilson, Coming Home, Fountain Theatre, Gem of the Ocean, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, Los Angeles, novel, The Train Driver, trilogy