February | 2019 | Intimate Excellent

Stanley Wolpert, 2017.

by Stephen Sachs

Shortly after Stanley Wolpert met Dorothy Guberman in an American government class at New York City College in 1953, he knew he wanted to marry her. They both knew. They had been thrown together to buy a present for a class professor, yet it was clear very quickly to these two perceptively analytical yet free-minded young people that they were meant to be life partners. They married six weeks later, on June 12th. Their bond continued sixty-five years. Stanley Wolpert passed away last Tuesday, on February 19th. He was ninety-one years old. 

I met and knew Stanley through Dorothy, who joined our Fountain Theatre’s Board of Directors and now serves as its President. Stanley and I chatted often at Fountain opening nights and fundraising events. Always gracious, charming and warm-hearted, Stanley was a sharp-eyed gentleman with an easy smile and a comfortable manner that belied his stunning intellect and depth of knowledge. To me, the first few months after meeting him, he was simply “Dorothy’s husband” — a moniker for which I’m sure he’d have been happy to be known. But soon I discovered how formidable he truly was. Yes, Stanley was Dorothy’s husband, her partner, fellow traveler, her best friend. I quickly learned he was also Stanley Wolpert: nationally heralded scholar, author, lecturer and beloved UCLA teaching professor, the foremost historian of India in the United States. 

The son of Nathan and Frances Wolpert, Stanley grew up in Brooklyn. He attended Brooklyn Technical High School and the New York State Maritime Academy.  On his twentieth birthday, while serving as an engineer aboard a U.S. Merchant Marine ship, Stanley set sail to Bombay, India, for the first time. What he experienced there, the first day, would transform him.  

Urn with Mahatma Gandhi ashes carried to confluence of rivers Ganges, Yamuna and Saraswati at Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India, February 12, 1948.

On the day Stanley arrived in Bombay, Mahatma Gandhi had been killed just two weeks earlier and the nation was overwhelmed by grief. Stanley had never seen anything like it. Standing on a hilltop overlooking the holy Ganges River, he witnessed millions of mourning Indians rush to touch the ship moored at the sandy riverbank on which Gandhi’s ashes were placed to be scattered into the water below. As the ashes touched the water, the sea of countless mourners joined in a great roar of “Mahatma Gandhi ki jai” — victory to Mahatma Gandhi. Some wept. Some stood mute, their hands clasped before their faces. The scene of teeming multitudes deeply impacted the young engineer from Brooklyn. 

“That early encounter with India,” wrote Stanley, “Changed the course of my life.”

Returning home to Brooklyn, Stanley abandoned his career in marine engineering for the study of Indian history. He received a B.A. from New York City College in 1953 and was awarded the Pell Medal for academic achievement in History.  A fellowship from the Ford Foundation enabled him to pursue Indian Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, learning Sanskrit and earning his Ph.D. in 1959. His dissertation, published as Tilak and Gokhale, was selected for the Watumull Prize of the American Historical Association in 1962, recognizing “the best book on the history of India originally published in the United States.”

Stanley Wolpert became a world-renowned historian of India. He began teaching in the Department of History at UCLA in 1959. Over the years, he helped build the ranking of the History Department nationwide. He was appointed Chairman of the Department and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and was honored with UCLA’s Distinguished Teaching and University Service awards. His devotion to teaching earned him the gratitude and affection of thousands of students over the course of his 59-year teaching career. 

Every work morning, Stanley would walk from his Westwood home to the UCLA campus. He’d grab a coffee and a bagel at a nearby coffee shop. On campus, he’d stride up the five flights of stairs to his office, balancing coffee and bagel, then plop at his desk to prepare for class, do research and write. Stacks of books littered his office. His advice to young writers was “Read everything.” His classroom was a mecca for history students for nearly six decades. He taught his last seminar at UCLA at 90.  

In addition to his national reputation as a teacher and scholar, Stanley was a distinguished author. When Dorothy was asked if Stanley missed New York, she answered that as long as Stanley had his typewriter, he was fine where he was. He published fifteen books, including several highly praised textbooks and four novels, and was Editor in Chief of the Encyclopedia of India. His celebrated novel on the assassination of Gandhi, Nine Hours to Rama, was made into a feature film in 1963 starring José Ferrer. His A New History of India was hailed as “the best textbook on Indian history now available.” 

Stanley was a man of impressive achievements. I would wager that he knew, deep in his heart and soul, that his greatest triumph was his marriage and his family. Ever a die-hard New Yorker, Dorothy begrudgingly moved to Los Angeles with Stanley in 1959 so he could pursue his teaching at UCLA. Stanley steadfastly acknowledged her contribution to his research and editor for many of his books. She joined him on numerous trips to India and was with him when he interviewed Jawaharlal Nehru for his book, A Tryst With Destiny. And Dorothy is notable in her own right. A Founding Principal of the Century City law firm of Bird, Marella, Boxer, Wolpert, Nessim, Drooks, Lincenberg & Rhow, Dorothy Wolpert was selected to Benchmark Litigation’s “Top 250 Women in Litigation” in the United States for 2017. In 2018, Dorothy was chosen by her peers for inclusion in the 2019 edition of Best Lawyers in America. Dorothy and Stanley have two sons — Daniel and Adam — and three grandchildren—Sam, Max, and Sabine.

Stanley and Dorothy were partners. In life, work, and public giving. Best friends and soul mates who read books aloud to each other in bed every night. They were, as Gandhi taught, the unity of heart, mind, body and spirit.  

A memorial for Stanley Wolpert is planned for the spring. 

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

Posted in arts organizations, Board of Directors, Books, Education, Fountain Theatre, Los Angeles

Tagged A New History of India, A Tryst with Destiny, Bird Marella, Dorothy Wolpert, Fountain Theatre, History, India, Los Anvgeles, Mahatma Gandhi, New York City College, Nine Hours to Rama, Stanley Wolpert, Tilak and Gokhale, UCLA

More Info/Get Tickets

Posted in African American, artist, Arts, arts organizations, Drama, Fountain Theatre, hip hop, Los Angeles, Music, non-profit organization, performing arts, plays, playwright, Theater, theatre

Tagged Fountain Theatre, friendship, hip hop, Hollywood, Hype Man, Idris Goodwin, justice, Los Angeles, new play, PLAY, playwright, racism, theater, theatre, West Coast Premiere

Felix Solis in “Cost of Living” at the Fountain Theatre

Two acclaimed Fountain Theatre productions in 2018 have been nominated for Los Angeles Drama  Critics  Circle Awards, it was announced today.  The outstanding Felix Solis in the Fountain Theatre West Coast Premiere of Cost of Living by Martyna Majok has been nominated for Best Featured Actor. And the dazzling video design of Nicholas E. Santiago for the Fountain World Premiere of Stephen Sachs’ Arrival & Departure was nominated Best Video Design.

Take a look Nick’s video design work in the opening sequence from Arrival & Departure:

Winners will be announced on Monday, April 8, 2019 at one of the region’s most historic and beautiful theatres, Pasadena Playhouse.

The Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle (LADCC), presented its first awards for excellence in Los Angeles, Orange County, and Ventura County a half-century ago. The Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle was founded in 1969. It is dedicated to excellence in theatrical criticism, and to the encouragement and improvement of theatre in Greater Los Angeles.

Full List of Nominees

Posted in Fountain Theatre

More Info/Get Tickets

Posted in actors, African American, Arts, arts organizations, director, Drama, Fountain Theatre, hip hop, Hollywood, Los Angeles, Music, new plays, non-profit organization, performing arts, plays, race, racism, stage, Theater, theatre

Tagged African American, backstage, behind the scenes, Chad Addison, Clarissa Thibeaux, Deena Selenow, Fountain Theatre, hiphop, Hype Man, Idris Goodwin, Los Angeles, Matthew Hancock, music, racsim, theater, theatre, urban, video

What is hip hop? A genre of music? A style of clothes? A way of life? Take a look.

In this West Coast Premiere of HYPE MAN by Idris Goodwin, a hip-hop trio is on the verge of making it big on national TV when a police shooting of a Black teen shakes the band to its core, forcing them to confront questions of race, gender, privilege and when to use their art as an act of social protest. When the Hype Man takes matters into his own hands, the ensuing beef exposes the long-buried rifts of race and privilege that divide them. Will it tear them apart or can they find a way to still breathe together?

Written by Idris Goodwin. Directed by Deena Selenow. Starring Chad Addison, Matthew Hancock, Clarissa Thibeaux. Starts Feb 23.

More Info/Get Tickets

Posted in actors, African American, arts organizations, Drama, Fountain Theatre, hip hop, Hollywood, Los Angeles, Music, new plays, non-profit organization, performing arts, plays, playwright, race, racism, stage, Theater, theatre

Tagged Chad Addison, Clarissa Thibeaux, Deena Selenow, Fountain Theatre, hip hop, Hype Man, Idris Goodwin, Los Angeles, Matthew Hancock, music, rap, theater, theatre, West Coast Premiere

“Ms. Smith Goes to Washington” at Los Angeles City Hall

by Christine Deitner

On Thursday, January 24th a lucky group of citizens in Los Angeles was treated to a unique experience–The Fountain Theatre’s reading of a gender-switched adaptation of Sidney Buchman’s screenplay, Mr. Smith Goes To Washington.  The Fountain’s Co-Artistic Director Stephen Sachs adapted the work that was hosted by Los Angeles City Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell.  An impressively talented ensemble of tv, film, and theatre veterans gathered in the John Ferraro Council Chamber in Los Angeles City Hall and though the original work is 79 years old the gender switch makes it feel like yesterday’s tweetstorm or this morning’s news.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Sponsored, in part, by the Feminist Majority Foundation and in association with the League of Women Voters, the event’s cast included Joshua Malina, Jeff Perry, Bellamy Young, Sam Waterston, Alan Blumenfeld, Gilbert Glenn Brown, Leith Burke, Tim Cummings, Cameron Dye, Spencer Garrett, Chet Grissom, Morlan Higgins, Aurelia Myers, Jenny O’Hara, Felix Solis, Jack Stehlin, Mark Taylor, and Sal Viscuso.

Councilmember O’Farrell introduced Mr. Sachs with a moving speech about the importance of the arts in society. 

“Politics falls short of completely illuminating the complexity of issues,” he stated, “this is where the arts come in.”

In 2017, Mr. O’Farrell hosted the Fountain’s reading of All The Presidents Men and he noted that he hopes this will become an annual event.  Reflecting on the record number of women who now hold public office, O’Farrell also spoke about the role that local artists play as public servants, illuminating issues in unique ways.

In Sachs’ version, an idealistic, newly elected female senator finds herself fighting corruption in male-dominated Washington. Bellamy Young’s take on the movingly patriotic Jennifer Smith [originally Jefferson played by James Stewart] is endearing and as successful as a figure of naive nobility as Mr. Stewart was in the film.  It doesn’t seem like Mr. Sachs had to change very much beyond references to gender [Girl Rangers here instead of Boy Rangers] and one reference to “fake news” that worked very well in context, but boy does Jennifer Smith’s predicament feel familiar.

It’s Governor Hopper’s daughter [it was a son in the film] who encourages her father to choose Jennifer with the line “It’s 1939, not the dark ages, pop.” and a list of women who have held office before.  It shouldn’t have been surprising to hear it but we can thank Mr. Sachs for educating us about these women that included Senators Rebecca Latimer Felton [1922] and Hattie Caraway [1932].  Sam Waterston has the role of one of two villains, Senator Joseph Paine; a man who knew Jennifer’s father yet openly wonders whether they can “control a woman” in Congress.  The other is Jim Taylor, a nefarious businessman/mob figure played by Jeff Perry.

Fans of the film will know that Smith speaks fondly of his father a number of times, recalling that he often said, “Lost causes are the only ones worth fighting for.” As Jennifer learns that a swath of land in her state is going to be turned into a useless dam that is only an avenue for graft, she becomes determined to fight for that land where she was hoping to create a girls camp for young women across the nation.  Joshua Malina is her charmingly cynical assistant Chester Saunders [Jean Arthur in the film] who begrudgingly assists her in writing a bill for that girl’s camp.  As they work together, Jennifer’s enthusiasm for the bill starts to wear down Saunders’ certainty it will fail and when she becomes aware of the relief bill that includes the dam, she decides to filibuster with his help.

Paine and his pro-dam cohorts do all they can to attack Jennifer’s character as they angrily state any blocking of the relief bill will lead to starving the people.  Paine likens her attempt to hold the floor to holding the people hostage.  There was an audible gasp in the audience followed by a few laughs for this reading took place near the end of Trump’s wall-inspired government shutdown.  All of the pain that shutdown was inflicting on government workers was present in the room at that moment.

Jennifer stands firm in her convictions, even when Paine reads telegrams purportedly from her home state asking her to stop. She reads the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence and goes on till her voice is hoarse and even Paine can’t take her suffering anymore.  He breaks down and admits everything – and when Waterston embodied that moment, he tore the roof off the place, it was awe-inspiring.  Jennifer and Saunders have one last moment of celebration before the ends that felt a little rushed but that might have been due to the fact that the TVs behind the cast popped on. 

In lieu of credits, images of every woman who has held a seat in Congress appeared in succession on the screens. Members of the audience stood to applaud them, with more standing when California’s own Nancy Pelosi and Diane Feinstein appeared.  But it wasn’t till the video closed on a split screen image featuring Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren that the whole house got to their feet shouting.  It was a memorable, moving moment that reminded this reviewer of all the things that can be good and honorable and right in this country.  It also seemed like a hell of an idea for a presidential ticket in 2020 but that just shows how easy it was to get swept up in Jennifer Smith’s patriotic fervor.  Ms. Smith may seem naive and inexperienced, but that character’s faith in what is good in the country is honorable and constant – and those are traits we could all stand to develop in our own lives today.

This post originally appeared in The Theatre Times.

Posted in actors, Arts, arts organizations, Drama, film, Fountain Theatre, fundriaser, Hollywood, Los Angeles, movies, non-profit organization, performing arts, plays, Social justice, Theater, theatre

Tagged Alan Blumenfeld, Aurelia Myers, Bellamy Young, Cameron Dye, celebrity, Chet Grissom, Felix Solis, Feminist Majority Foundation, Gilbert Glenn Brown, Jack Stehlin, Jenny O’Hara, Joshua Malina, League of Women Voters, Leith Burke, Los Angeles City Hall, Mark Taylor, Mitch O’Farrell, Morlan Higgins, Ms. Smith Goes to Washington, reading, Sal Viscuso, Sam Waterston, Spencer Garrett, Stephen Sachs, theater, theatre, Tim Cummings

Matthew Hancock, Clarissa Thibeaux, Chad Addison in rehearsal for “Hype Man”

Three young actors. Different personal backgrounds. A trio of distinct professional credits in stage, TV and film. Somehow, under guidance from director Deena Selenow, they must instantly create a close bond to portray a rocketing hip hop band on the brink of national attention in the Fountain Theatre West Coast Premiere of Hype Man by Idris Goodwin, opening February 23.   

Meet the talented cast of this funny, powerful and thought-provoking new “break beat play” the Boston Globe describes using “hip hop culture as a crucible where issues of racial identity, gender inequity, ambition, and friendship collide.”

Chad Addison

Originally from outside Boston, Chad Addison  has been in LA for 13 years. He’s excited to be working in his first play with The Fountain Theatre and to be able to dive into such a poignant piece of art. Music has always been a passion for him, so it’s an honor to combine the two in such a way. He was last seen on stage in the play Connect at Theatre 68. Aside from theater, he’s been pursuing TV/Film. Some notable credits include FOX’s 9-1-1, Most Likely to Die (on Netflix), NCIS: New Orleans, Grimm, Grey’s Anatomy & Bones. He was also a producer/actor on the independent film Paint It Red, which is now streaming on demand. 

Matthew Hancock

Matthew Hancock is excited to be back at the Fountain. Favorite theatre credits include: the Los Angeles premiere of the NAACP and Ovation Award nominated The Brothers Size (Oshoosi), I and You (Anthony), Trans Scripts (Zakia). Matthew has recurred on I’m Dying Up Here (Showtime), Emmy Nominated Giants (Youtube), Five Points (Facebook Watch). In addition,  he has appeared in Snowfall (FX) and Prince of Peoria (Netflix) While not on the stage or in front of the camera, Matthew enjoys musical endeavors as Michael Siren.   He is a LA Drama Critics Circle, Stage Raw award winner and Ovation Nominee for Hit the Wall (Carson).  Matthew holds a BFA from Adelphi University (cum laude). To his incredibly supportive Family, Thank you. Follow Matthew on Instagram: @imatthewhancock.

Clarissa Thibeaux

Clarissa Thibeaux is an LA based actor/writer/producer working in television, film, theater, and new media. You can catch Thibeaux in Marvel’s Runaways as Xavin on Hulu. Previously, you may have seen Thibeaux in Echo Theatre Company’s production of The Found Dog Ribbon Dance as Trista, or in the horror films Flight 666, and Ice Sharks.  She graduated with her B.A. in Theatre Arts from San Diego State University. Thibeaux currently resides in West Hollywood, CA enjoying every opportunity that comes her way.

More Info/Get Tickets

Posted in actors, artist, Arts, arts organizations, casting, director, Drama, Fountain Theatre, hip hop, Los Angeles, Music, new plays, performing arts, plays, race, racism, stage, Theater, theatre

Tagged actors, cast, casting, Chad Addison, Clarissa Thibeaux, Deena Selenow, Fountain Theatre, hip hop, Hype Man, Idris Goodwin, Matthew Hancock, theater, theatre