A 19-year-old son faces the hardest day in his life when he testifies in federal court against his father after informing on him to the FBI. The Fountain Theatre presents the world premiere of Fatherland, a new work of verbatim theater conceived and directed by Fountain artistic director Stephen Sachs. Performances take place February 25 through March 30, with Pay-What-You-Want previews beginning February 22.
The first defendant to stand trial for the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol, Guy Reffitt was found guilty on five criminal counts and sentenced to 7¼ years in prison — based in part on emotional testimony by his son. Fast-moving, powerful, and theatrical, Fatherland erupts verbatim from official court transcripts, case evidence, and public statements.
“This play is not a political diatribe,” says Sachs. “It’s the true personal story of a father and a son and the dangerous propaganda that drove them apart. Every word of it is true. It’s a shout of warning in this election year.”
”The heartbreaking family tragedy at the center of this true story is a brilliant window on the staggering human costs of the rise of fascism and the assault on democracy in America,” comments Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning playwright Robert Schenkkan, whose play Building the Wall debuted at the Fountain in 2017.
Ron Bottitta (previously seen in Fountain Theatre productions of The Lifespan of a Fact and The Children, the voice of Carver Butcher on Call of Duty: Vanguard) stars as The Father, opposite Patrick Keleher (recurring co-star, The Egos on Amazon Prime) as The Son. Anna Khaja (AMC’s The Walking Dead: World Beyond) and Larry Poindexter (ABC’s Station 19, Days of Our Lives) take on the roles of the U.S District and Defense Attorneys.
The creative team includes scenic designer Joel Daavid; lighting designer Alison Brummer; sound designer Stewart Blackwood; costume designer Danyele Thomas; properties designer Jenine MacDonald;and graphics designer David Mellen. The production stage manager is Sati Thyme. Barbara Herman is executive producer; Dr Robert G Meadow and Carrie Menkel Meadow are producers; Simon Levy and James Bennett produce for the Fountain Theatre.
Stephen Sachs is the award-winning author of 19 plays produced in theaters across the United States and translated worldwide. His international hit, Bakersfield Mist, ran for three months on London’s West End starring Kathleen Turner, and Sweet Nothing in my Ear was made into a TV movie starring Marlee Matlin and Jeff Daniels. Over a theater career spanning nearly 40 years, Sachs has been honored with multiple awards, including the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award and two Ovation Awards for Best Director. He was recently honored by the Los Angeles City Council for “his visionary contributions to the cultural life of Los Angeles.”
The Fountain Theatre is dedicated to presenting outstanding theater that challenges thinking while shining an artistic light on social justice issues and on the diverse voices and cultures within Los Angeles. The L.A. City Council commended the Fountain for “achieving a position of leadership in the Los Angeles theatre community… producing meaningful new plays of social and political importance that enrich the lives of the citizens of Los Angeles.” The Fountain is the recipient of the Los Angeles Drama Circle’s Margaret Harford Award for sustained excellence in theater, presented for “outstanding productions of meaningful new plays and first-class performances spanning three decades.” Los Angeles Times theater critic Charles McNulty hailed the Fountain, stating “No L.A. theater has done a better job of asking us to reexamine our lives through the lens of acute contemporary drama.”
