January | 2014 | Intimate Excellent

Tim Cummings, Bill Brochtrup (photo by Ed Krieger)

The Fountain Theatre’s  acclaimed production of Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart directed by Simon Levy earned 4 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award nominations, including Best Production (Revival) and Best Lead Performance for actor Tim Cummings.

The LADCC Award nominations for The Fountain Theatre are:

  • Best Production (Revival) –  The Normal Heart
  • Best Lead Performance –  Tim Cummings, The Normal Heart
  • Best Sound Design –  Peter Bayne, The Normal Heart
  • Best Video Design – Adam Flemming, The Normal Heart 

For the full list of nominees: Click Here

The 45th Annual Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards ceremony will take place on Monday, March 17, 2014 at The Colony Theatre, located at 555 N. Third Street in Burbank. 

Posted in Acting, actors, Arts, arts organizations, performing arts, plays, Theater, theatre

Tagged 2013 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards, actors, Adam Flemming, Fountain Theatre, LADCC, Larry Kramer, Los Angeles, nominations, performing arts, Peter Bayne, plays, Revival, Simon Levy, The Normal Heart, theater, theatre, Tim Cummings

Enjoy these glorious photos by Bruce Bisenz capturing the passion and excitement of our Forever Flamenco concert on January 19 starring Lakshmi Basile and company. Featuring artists Lakshmi Basile, Pedro Cortes, Luis de la Tota, Jesus Montoya, and Jeff Pekarek. Produced by Deborah Lawlor and now in its 13th smash year, our Forever Flamenco series has established the Fountain the hottest flamenco venue in Los Angeles. Check out Bruce’s photos and see why! 

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Posted in arts organizations, Dance, dancer, flamenco, Fountain Theatre, performing arts, singer, Theater, theatre

Tagged Bruce Bisenz, Deborah Lawlor, Flamenco, flamenco dance, flamenco guitar, flamenco music, Forever Flamenco, Fountain Theatre, Jeff Pekarek, Jesus Montoya, Lakshmi Basile, Los Angeles, Luis de la Tota, Pedro Cortes, performing arts, photography, theater, theatre

Here’s a special treat for Fountain Folk: get an inside peek at a new play written by a nationally acclaimed and award-winning playwright, screenwriter and director.  This Sunday at 2pm, as part of our ‘Open Stage’ festival of guest events, the Fountain will host a reading of Mother of the Maid written and directed by Jane Anderson.

Jane’s new play, Mother of the Maid, is the tale of Joan of Arc, as seen through the eyes of her mom who is doing her very best to accept the fact that her daughter is different. The reading features Jenny O’Hara, Mathew Gottleib, Sophie Ullett, Jack Kutcher, Markie Post, Gabrielle Sunday, Corinne Shor. 

Born in the Bay Area of Northern California in 1954, Jane Anderson discovered her drive for show business early on. After a few years in college, Anderson moved to New York City to pursue an acting career. In 1975 she was cast in the Off-Broadway premiere of David Mamet’s breakout play, Sexual Perversity in Chicago.

Besides acting, Anderson also worked as a stand-up comedian. It was during the creation of her routines that she discovered her passion for writing. She moved to Los Angeles in the early 1980s, earning her livelihood writing for film and television. The Challenger space shuttle disaster inspired her to write her first play, Defying Gravity. Her next play, The Baby Dance, tackled the subject of adoption. Her plays have been produced Off-Broadway and in theaters around the country, including Arena Stage, Actors Theater of Louisville, The McCarter Theater, Long Wharf, ACT, the Geffen Theater and The Pasadena Playhouse. Her published plays: Looking for Normal, The Baby Dance, Defying Gravity, Smart Choices for the New Century, Lynette at 3AM and The Last Time We Saw Her. The Quality of Life, premiered at the Geffen Playhouse and was directed by Ms. Anderson.

For her first feature screenplay, Anderson wrote a romantic comedy called It Could Happen to You about a policeman and a waitress who receives his winning lottery ticket as a tip.

While Anderson and her partner, Tess Ayers, were in the process of adopting their son, Raphael, she got word that her play The Baby Dance was to be made into a TV-movie. When actress-producer Jodie Foster offered her the chance to direct, Anderson took the opportunity to work on the story that so closely paralleled her own life. The movie adaptation, which starred Laura Dern and Stockard Channing, won a Peabody Award, a Golden Globe nomination and three Emmy nominations for best writing and made-for-TV film.

Jane Anderson

Anderson’s next foray into balancing her theatre work with film came when HBO wanted to adapt her play Looking for Normal (which won the 2001 Ovation Award for Best New Play) into a movie. The movie, titled Normal, told the story of a father who confesses to his family his desire for a sex change operation. The moving film received three Golden Globe nominations, six Emmy nominations, while Anderson herself scored nominations from both the Writers and Directors guilds for best writing and directing.

Anderson continued to write for HBO, and the ground-breaking work on their The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom, which stared Holly Hunter, gained her an Emmy, a PEN Award and Writers Guild Award for best teleplay.

Vanessa Redgrave in Anderson’s “If These Walls Could Talk”

Anderson wrote the TV movies When Billie Beat Bobby, starring Holly Hunter, and the Emmy-nominated first episode of  If These Walls Could Talk II, staring Vanessa Redgrave. However, even with her busy Hollywood schedule, Jane’s theater work (including Food & Shelter, Smart Choices for the New Century, Lynette at 3AM, and The Last Time We Saw Her) have had runs Off-Broadway and in regional theaters all over the country, including Actors Theater of Louisville, Williamstown, McCarter Theater, Long Wharf and Pasadena Playhouse.

Anderson made her feature film directorial debut with 2005’s The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, the story of a 1950s housewife who writes advertising jingles to help keep her family afloat. Continuing the theme of advertising, she joined the team of writers of the critically acclaimed AMC series Mad Men for the show’s second season.

Jane resides in Los Angeles with Tess and Raphael, where she continues to write for both stage and screen.

Join us this Sunday at 2pm! Be part of the creative process in the development of an exciting new play at the Fountain Theatre.

To reserve your seat and more info: Click Here Now 

Posted in Arts, arts organizations, director, Drama, Fountain Theatre, new plays, performing arts, plays, playwright

Tagged ACT, actors, Actors Theater of Louisville, Arena Stage, Corinne Shor, Defying Gravity, Emmy Award, Fountain Theatre, Gabrielle Sunday, HBO, If These Walls Could Talk, Jack Kutcher, Jane Anderson, Jenny O’Hara, Joan of Arc, Long Wharf, Looking for Normal, Los Angeles, Mad Men, Markie Post, Mathew Gottleib, Mother of the Maid, new play, new play development, new plays, Open Stage, performing arts, plays, playwriting, Sophie Ullett, The Baby Dance, the Geffen Theater and The Pasadena Playhouse, The McCarter Theater, Vanessa Redgrave

Hit Play Originally Created, Developed and Launched at the Fountain Theatre 

Kathleen Turner will return to the West End to star opposite Tony-winning actor Ian McDiarmid in the U.K. premiere of Stephen Sachs‘ Bakersfield Mist, beginning performances May 10 at the Duchess Theatre prior to an official opening May 27.

Bakersfield Mist was created and produced at the Fountain Theatre in Los Angeles where Sachs is co-artistic director. The Fountain production, the first in a rolling world premiere supported by the National New Play Network‘s Continued Life of New Plays Fund, was a smash hit, earning rave reviews and running seven months including three extensions.

Inspired by true events the play asks vital questions about what makes art and people truly authentic. It won the 2012 Elliot Norton Award for Best New Play.

In the play, Maude (Turner), a fifty-something unemployed bartender, has bought a painting for a few bucks from the thrift store. Despite almost trashing it, she is now convinced it’s a Jackson Pollock worth millions. But when world-class art expert, Lionel Percy (McDiarmid), flies over from New York and arrives at her trailer park home in Bakersfield to authenticate the painting, he has no idea what he is about to discover.

In a press statement, Turner commented, “The shock and humor of diametrically opposed cultures with the transformative power of art – pure joy.” McDiarmid added, “I liked the idea and comic potential of two passionately opinionated cultural opposites engaged in a life-changing battle for the soul of a great painter.”

Nica Burns, co-producer of the play with Sonia Friedman Productions, Darren Bagert/Martin Massman and Chris & Kelbe Bensinger, added, “When we were lucky enough to hear Kathleen Turner and Ian McDiarmid read the play for us, the chemistry between these two great stage actors was thrilling. It has been eight years since Kathleen stunned London audiences with her extraordinary award winning performance in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? This is a fantastic role for her return to the London stage.”

Turner, who is currently appearing in the title role of Mother Courage at Washington DC’s Arena Stage (through March 9), has previously appeared onstage on Broadway in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Indiscretions, The Graduate, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and High. Other stage credits include The Killing of Sister George (Long Wharf Theatre, New Haven) andRed Hot Patriot: The Kick Ass Wit of Molly Ivins (Philadelphia Theater Center, LA’s Geffen, and DC’s Arena Stage).

McDiarmid, who is best known for his role as Darth Sidious/Emperor Palpatine in the “Star Wars” film series, has worked extensively in the theatre, including an 11-year stint when he was joint artistic director of London’s Almeida Theatre. He appeared there in Brian Friel’s Faith Healer, subsequently winning a Tony Award for reprising the role on Broadway in 2006. Other theatre acting credits include Life of Galileo for the RSC, Timon of Athens at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, The Emperor and Galilean at the National Theatre and Henry IV at the Donmar Warehouse.

The play will be directed by Polly Teale, joint artistic director of Shared Experience, for whom she has directed Jane Eyre, Brontë, After Mrs. Rochester, Bracken Moor, Mary Shelley and Speechless, amongst others. She co-directed War and Peace in a co-production for the National Theatre and Mill on the Floss. “Brontë” has been adapted as a feature film for Film Squared/Pathé.

Playwright Stephen Sachs

Playwright Stephen Sachs is co-artistic director of the Fountain Theatre in Los Angeles. His other plays include Heart Song (Los Angeles 2013, Florida Rep 2014), Cyrano (LA Drama Critics Circle Award for Best New Play, Ovation Award nomination), Miss Julie: Freedom Summer (LADCC and LA Weekly Award nominations),  Gilgamesh  (Theater@Boston Court), Open Window (Pasadena Playhouse, Media Access Award), Central Avenue(PEN USA Literary Award Finalist), Sweet Nothing in my Ear (PEN USA Literary Award Finalist, Media Access Award), Mother’s Day, The Golden Gate (Best Play Award, Dramalogue) and The Baron in the Trees. 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.

The London production will run at the Duchess Theatre, May 10 through August 30. The design team includes scenic designer Tom Piper, lighting designer Oliver Fenwick and sound designer Jon Nicholls.  Bakersfield Mist is produced in the West End by Nica Burns, Sonia Friedman Productions, Darren Bagert/Martin Massman and Chris & Kelbe Bensinger. 

Bakersfield Mist is a work of fiction. Although based on actual events, the characters and events in the play are fictionalized and are not intended to accurately depict or resemble any actual person or event, living or dead. Names, characters, places and incidents have been changed for dramatic purposes.

For more information, go to www.BakersfieldMist.com

Posted in Acting, actors, Arts, arts organizations, Bakersfield Mist, Drama, Fountain Theatre, new plays, performing arts, plays, playwright, Theater, theatre

Tagged actors, Bakersfield Mist, Best New Play, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Chris & Kelbe Bensinger, Darren Bagert, Darth Sidious, Deborah Lawlor, Duchess Theatre, Elliot Norton Award, Emperor Palpatine, Faith Healer, Fountain Theatre, Ian McDiarmid, Jackson Pollock, Kathleen Turner, Life of Galileo, London, Los Angeles, Martin Massman, National New Play Network, new plays, Nica Burns, NNPN, performing arts, plays, playwriting, Polly Teale, Simon Levy, Sonia Friedman, Sonia Friedman Productions, Star Wars, Stephen Sachs, theater, theatre, Tony Award, West End, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Based on the best-selling novel by Chaim Potok, the stage adaptation of My Name is Asher Lev by Aaron Posner is a fast-moving theatrical journey in which all the characters in the play are performed by three talented actors.  Playing many roles requires that each actor combine versatility with emotional depth and complexity. And a fearless sense of fun.

Meet our extraordinary cast of our upcoming Los Angeles Premiere of My Name is Asher Lev:   

Jason Karasev

Jason Karasev plays the lead role of Asher Lev.  Jason was born and raised in Chicago, where he has performed with the Tony-Award winning Victory Gardens and Steppenwolf Theatres, to name a few. In Los Angeles, Jason produced and starred in Stephen Belber’s Tape, which took Best of Fringe Honors at The Hollywood Fringe Festival. He has also been seen as Phil in A Boys’ Life (Crown City) and as Naz in Philip Ridley’s Mercury Fur (Ovation Nomination). Some of his Chicago Theatre credits include Stanley in Neil Simon’s Broadway Bound (The Drury Lane), Zoran in Tesla’s Letters (Timeline Theatre Co.), Stone Cold Dead Serious (The Athenaeum), The Last Night of Ballyhoo (Merle Reskin) and References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot (Bailiwick Rep.). Jason’s film and TV credits include the hit MTV series Disaster Date, Nickelodeon’s iCarly, Improvised, Shoot The Moon, and Evidence. Jason has trained and performed at the renowned Second City, Chicago with recent SNL cast member Jason Sudeikis and is a Graduate of The Theatre School at DePaul University.

Anna Khaja

Anna Khaja plays three roles: Asher’s mother, a rich gallery owner, and a model. Anna most recently appeared in the LA Premiere of Falling at Rogue Machine Theatre. Theatre credits also include: the extended Off-Broadway run of Shaheed: The Dream and Death of Benazir Bhutto, which she also wrote, at the Culture Project in NYC (2013); the LA premiere of Shaheed: The Dream and Death of Benazir Bhutto (Ovation Award – Lead Actress in a Play / Ovation Nomination – Best Production of a Play); David Hare’s Stuff Happens at the Mark Taper Forum (US Premiere/Ovation Nomination); Judith Thompson’s Palace Of The End at NoHo Arts Center (US Premiere/LA Weekly Award/Ovation nomination), The Cosmonaut’s Last Message (LA Weekly Award) as well as several other productions at The Open Fist Theatre; No Word In Guyanese For Me (GLAAD Award). Regional credits include the Cleveland Playhouse and the Marsh Theatre in SF. Film/TV: Yes Man, Post Grad, King of California, Order of Chaos, Reunion, California Solo, The Newsroom, The Closer, NCIS:LA,  Numb3rs, House M.D., Criminal Minds, Private Practice, Bent, Sleeper Cell, Dirt, Weeds and a recurring role as Zaafira on season 5 of HBO’s True Blood.

Joel Polis

Joel Polis takes on the greatest number of characters: he is Asher’s father, Asher’s Uncle, the Hasidic community’s Rebbe, and a noted artist who becomes Asher’s mentor. Joel is a native of Philadelphia. He attended the USC School of Theater and Yale Drama School before beginning a stage career in New York. He returned to Los Angeles to work in television and films but continued performing in theaters around the country, from off Broadway and Williamstown to San Diego and West LA. Theater credits include Pound of Flesh, Bach at Leipzig, Defiance, The Baby Dance, Julius Caesar, Family Business, Riga, Names, Oleanna, Richard 3, Three Travelers, The Merchant of Venice and After Crystal Night. He has appeared in over 120 episodic television shows, sitcoms, Movies of the Week, and a dozen feature films.  These include The Thing, Castle, It’s My Party, True Believer, Seinfeld, Law and Order, Northern Exposure, Cheers, Home Improvement, Picket Fences and Roseanne. 

My Name is Asher Lev Feb 15 – April 19 (323) 663-1525  MORE

Posted in Acting, actors, Arts, arts organizations, Fountain Theatre

Tagged Aaron Posner, actors, Anna Khaja, Bent, Broadway Bound, California Solo, Castle, Chaim Potok, Cheers, Criminal Minds, Dirt, Fountain Theatre, HBO, Home Improvement, House M.D., It’s My Party, Jason Karasev, Joel Polis, King of California, Law and Order, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Premiere, Mark Taper Forum, My Name Is Asher Lev, NCIS:LA, new plays, Northern Exposure, Numb3rs, Open Fist Theatre, Order of Chaos, ovation award, performing arts, Picket Fences, plays, Post Grad, Private Practice, Reunion, Rogue Machine Theatre, Roseanne, Second City, Seinfeld, Shaheed: The Dream and Death of Benazir Bhutto, Sleeper Cell, Stephen Sachs, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, The Closer, The Newsroom, The Thing, theater, theatre, True Believer, True Blood, USC, Victory Gardens, Weeds, Yale Drama School, Yes Man

Shhhh … it’s still a secret. But big news is coming later this week on the London opening of the hit comedy/drama Bakersfield Mist by Stephen Sachs. The all-star cast for the London production will be announced this week, as well as the director, venue and production dates. Tickets will go on sale immediately.

First created and launched at the Fountain Theatre in 2011 starring Jenny O’Hara and Nick Ullett, Bakersfield Mist tells the story of Maude Gutman, a middle-aged lady who bought a painting in a thrift store for three bucks. She’s now convinced it’s a long-lost Jackson Pollock masterpeice worth millions. The play unfolds when a world-famous art expert from Manhattan arrives at Maude’s trailer park door to appraise whether her painting is, in fact, authentic. The world premiere was a smash hit at the Fountain, running for 7 months and extended three times. 

From the Fountain Theatre Production (2011)

For more info on the London Opening: BakersfieldMist.com

Posted in Acting, actors, Arts, arts organizations, director, Drama, performing arts, plays, playwright, Theater, theatre

Tagged actors, Bakersfield Mist, Fountain Theatre, Jackson Pollock, Jenny O’Hara, London, Los Angeles, new plays, Nick Ullett, performing arts, plays, playwriting, Stephen Sachs, theater, theatre, West End, world premiere

The design and production team for our upcoming Los Angeles Premiere of My Name Is Asher Lev gathered on Saturday to discuss the many design elements needed for the production. It’s going to be a beautiful and powerful production with a fluid, quick-moving mixture of set, lights, music and sound supporting three talented actors who play a variety of characters.

At Saturday’s production meeting, director Stephen Sachs spoke to the designers and shared his vision for the play. Producer Simon Levy led the meeting with Technical Director Scott Tuomey. Adding their artistic contributions were set designer Jeff McLaughlin, lighting designer Ric Zimmerman, costume designer Shon LeBlanc, props designer Misty Carlisle, and production stage manager Terri Roberts. Composer/sound designer Lindsay Jones was out-of-town but a few samples of his gorgeous original music were played.      

Based on the bestselling novel by Chaim Potok, My Name Is Asher Lev is the powerful coming-of-age story of a Jewish boy’s struggle to become an artist against the will of his Orthodox parents, community and tradition. Asher Lev could be the next Picasso. But as the son of devout Hasidic parents who struggle to understand the value of his art, Asher Lev is torn apart. He knows he is commanded to honor his parents, but he must also be true to himself. As we glimpse the pieces of Asher’s painful past, we witness events that climax in his most famous work and the decision that will change his life forever. A recent hit Off-Broadway and winner of the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play and the John Gassner Award.

The Los Angeles Premiere at the Fountain theatre stars Jason Karasev, Anna Khaja, and Joel Polis. 

Snapshots from the ‘Asher Lev’ Design Meeting

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My Name is Asher Lev Feb 15 – April 19 (323) 663-1525  MORE

Posted in Acting, actors, Arts, arts organizations, designers, director, Drama, Fountain Theatre, performing arts, plays, Theater, theatre

Tagged actors, Chaim Potok, costume design, Deborah Lawlor, Fountain Theatre, Hasidic, Jeff McLaughlin, Jewish, lighting design, Lindsay Jones, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Premiere, Misty Carlisle, My Name Is Asher Lev, new plays, Orthodox, performing arts, plays, playwriting, Ric Zimmerman, Scott Tuomey, set design, Shon LeBlanc, Simon Levy, Stephen Sachs

Manuel Guiterrez

Fanny Ara

Forever Flamenco! presents an All-Star Flamenco Weekend: Antonio Triana and Company on Jan. 17 and 18, featuring magnificent singer José Cortés (from Spain) and mesmerizing dancer Fanny Ara (born in France, trained in Spain); and Lakshmi Basile and Company on Jan. 19, featuring two guest artists – guitarist Pedro Cortés and percussionist and festero Luis de la Tota, who brings joy and fun to every show he’s in.

With only 80 seats in four rows, The Fountain Theatre is the perfect place to view Flamenco. Each show features a roster of world-class Flamenco dancers, singers and musicians drawn from the rich pool of Flamenco artists in Southern California, with additional guest artists brought from San Francisco, Albuquerque and Spain.

PROGRAM:

Friday, Jan. 17 at 8 pm and Saturday, Jan. 18 at 8 pm

  • Antonio Triana and Company
    • Guitarristas (Guitarists) – Gabriel Osuna, Antonio Triana
    • Cantaores (Singers) – José Cortés, Antonio de Jerez
    • Bailaores (Dancers) – Vanessa Albalos, Fanny Ara, Manuel Gutierrez

Sunday, Jan. 19 at 8 pm

  • Lakshmi Basile and Company
    • Guitarrista (Guitarist) – Pedro Cortés
    • Cantaor (Singer) – Jesus Montoya
    • Palmero/Cajonero (Percussionist) – Luis de la Tota
    • Up-right Bass – Jeff Basile
    • Bailaora (Dancer) – Lakshmi Basile

Forever Flamenco Jan 17-19  (323) 663-1525  GET TICKETS

Posted in Arts, arts organizations, Dance, dancer, flamenco, Fountain Theatre, singer, Theater, theatre

Tagged All-Star, Antonio Triana, Deborah Lawlor, Fanny Ara, Flamenco, flamenco dancing, flamenco guitar, Forever Flamenco, Fountain Theatre, Gabriel Osuna, Jose Cortes, Lakshmi Basile, Los Angeles, Luis de la Torta, Manuel Gutierrez, Pedro Cortes, performing arts, Vanessa Abalos

Celebrate the new year with vibrant new works from our friends and family. The Fountain opens her stage to 20 days of readings, workshops, and concerts from our growing community. Join us for fun, casual and engaging guest productions every weekend throughout all of January.

THE LADY’S NOT FOR BURNING

  • Friday 1/10/ 8:00
  • Saturday 1/11 8:00
  • Sunday 1/12 2:00

THE FOREST FOR THE TREES

FOREVER FLAMENCO BY ANTONIO TRIANA

  • Friday  1/17 8:00
  • Saturday 1/18 8:00

Lakshmi Basile

FOREVER FLAMENCO BY LAKSHMI BASILE

BACK TO BERLIN

  • Friday 1/24
  • Saturday 1/25

MOTHER OF THE MAID

THREE NOVELS SPEAK

Open Stage Jan 10 – 31 (323) 663-1525  MORE

Posted in Acting, actors, Arts, arts organizations, Dance, Drama, flamenco, Fountain Theatre, new plays, performing arts, plays, playwright, Theater, theatre

Tagged actors, Adolphus Ward, Antonio Triana, Back to Berlin, David Levinson, flamenco dancing, Forever Flamenco, Fountain Theatre, Jane Anderson, Lakshmi Basile, Los Angeles, new plays, Open Stage, performing arts, plays, playwriting, The Forrest For the Trees, The Lady’s Not For Burning

Actors Joel Polis, Jason Karasev, and Anna Khaja.

An exciting new journey began Saturday at the Fountain Theatre. Actors, director and production team members gathered for the first rehearsal of our next production launching our new 2014 Season: the Los Angeles premiere of My Name is Asher Lev, adapted by Aaron Posner from the beloved best-selling book by Chaim Potok (The Chosen).  Previews begin February 15th, it opens February 22nd and runs to April 19th.

The talented cast includes Jason Karasev, Anna Khaja and Joel Polis. Directed by Stephen Sachs, My Name Is Asher Lev is the powerful coming-of-age story of a Jewish boy’s struggle to become an artist against the will of his Orthodox parents, community and tradition. Asher Lev could be the next Picasso. But as the son of devout Hasidic parents who struggle to understand the value of his art, Asher Lev is torn apart. He knows he is commanded to honor his parents, but he must also be true to himself. As we glimpse the pieces of Asher’s painful past, we witness events that climax in his most famous work and the decision that will change his life forever. A recent hit Off-Broadway and winner of the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play and the John Gassner Award.

Joel Polis and Anna Khaja.

At this first meeting at the Fountain, Director Stephen Sachs spoke about the play and shared the design concepts for the production. Two sample selections from the beautiful original music score by Lindsay Jones were played. Then the actors read the script. What a thrill to hear the powerful and moving play come alive as read by this fine, gifted trio of actors.

Fountain audiences will be in for a real treat when the production opens next month to launch our new 2014 Season. Tickets to My Name Is Asher Lev are on sale and we’re already booking reservations and group sales. Don’t miss out — get your tickets now! 

Enjoy These Snapshots from the First Rehearsal! 

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My Name Is Asher Lev  Feb 15 – April 19 (323) 663-1525  MORE

Posted in Acting, actors, Arts, arts organizations, Books, designers, director, Drama, new plays, performing arts, plays, playwright, Theater, theatre

Tagged Aaron Posner, actors, Anna Khaja, Chaim Potok, Deborah Lawlor, first rehearsal, Fountain Theatre, Jason Karasev, Joel Polis, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Premiere, My Name Is Asher Lev, new plays, novel, performing arts, plays, playwriting, Stephen Sachs, The Chosen, theater, theatre