The year is almost over . One thing 2016 made clear is the diversity of our country. Different cultures, communities, points of view. And a great need to understand, respect and connect with each other.
We believe theatre serves a critical role in creating empathy and deepening understanding between people. We believe that by telling personal, human stories that dramatize lives from different communities, we stop seeing those cultures as “the other”. There is no “other”. There is only ourselves. Together.
Troy Kotsur and Deanne Bray are two fabulous actors and members of our Fountain family. You’ve seen them both on TV, in film, and on our stage. You were dazzled by Troy’s lead performance in our Sign Language/English world premiere of Cyrano. And before achieving the ground-breaking lead role in her own TV series, Deanne earned her first professional stage acting job at the Fountain Theatre twenty-five years ago. They now have an eager message to share with you. Take a look and enjoy!
TheFountain Theatre andDeaf West Theatrebrought their lyrical and romantic deaf/hearing updated-version of Cyrano to New York last Monday, April 29, for a special staged reading at the acclaimedNew York Theatre Workshop. The staged reading was performed for a full house of NY theater producers and invited VIP’s for the purpose of solidifying interest in a possible New York production.
Four original cast members were flown in from Los Angeles: Troy Kotsur, Paul Raci, Victor Warren and Al Bernstein. The rest of the ensemble was cast with local New York actors Matt Biagini, Robert De Mayo, Samira Wiley, John McGinty, Puy Navarro, James W. Guido, Alexandria Wailes, Richard Dent, and original cast member Maleni Chaitoo who happens to now live in NY.
The company rehearsed with director Simon Levy for only three days. Our thanks to our friends atPrimary Stagesfor providing their rehearsal studios to the Cyrano company. Also in attendance at rehearsals were playwright Stephen Sachs, Deaf West Artistic Director David Kurs, Fountain Producing Artistic Director Deborah Lawlor, DWT Founder Ed Waterstreet and his wife, actress Linda Bove.
The highly regarded New York Theatre Workshop is the Tony-winning company dedicated to developing new plays and musicals. Over their 30-year history, they have launched many acclaimed productions and have transferred several to Broadway, including Rent, Dirty Blonde, Homebody/Kabul, Peter and the Starcatcher, Once, and more. The Cyrano staged reading was held Monday in the NYTW upstairs rehearsal hall. An invited list of producers and VIP guests attended, including representatives from New York Theatre Workshop, The Public Theater, Manhattan Theatre Club, Primary Stages, 59E59 Theatres, Broadway director Jeff Calhoun, and more. The actors performed Cyrano entirely memorized and off-book and cleverly incorporated the use of captioning and video design on a large TV flat screen monitor.
Our sincere and heartfelt thanks to our Cyrano donors who contributed to our fundraising campaign and made this very important New York opportunity possible: Phillip Baron, Cal Bartlett, JB Blanc, Eve Brenner, Carlease Burke, Johnny Clark, Kyle Colerider-Krugh, Cathy Colloff, Debra Conklin, James Conley, Kimberly Cyzner Family, Lorraine Danza, Timothy Davis-Reed, Fred Dean, Donna Duarte, Susan Duncan, Michael Edwin, Mark Freund, Amy Frost, Heidi Girardoni, Jane Gordon, Gaby Gross, William Dennis Hurley, Trice Koopman, Ken LaZebnik, Robert Leventer, Dennis Levitt, Ruth Linnick, Betsy Malloy, Caitlin Marcus, Donne McRae, Susan Merson, Mills, Michelle Montooth, Joel Moreno, Russell Nore, Jenny O’Hara, Susan Oka, Z. Oppenheim, Patricia Parker, Cynthia Paskos, Patty Paul, Terry Paule, Sharon Perlmutter, Ralph Pezoldt, Allison Pickering, Lawrence Poindexter, Priscilla Pointer, Bill Pugin and The Sign Language Company, Terri Roberts, Mark Routhier, Rita Schneir, Sandy Schuckett, Susanne Spira Survivors Trust, Suanne Spoke, Marjorie Throne, Eileen T’Kaye, Zoltan & Dorcas Tokes, Andrede Toledo, Tate Tullier, Jessica Turner, Nick Ullett, Heidi Girardoni, Carol Watson, Marianne Weil, William Wilk. We could not have done it without you!
What happens now? We’ll see what the future holds for our unique, thrilling and moving ASL/spoken English version of Cyrano. In the meantime, enjoy these snapshots of the rehearsal process and the staged reading!
We’ve launched an Indiegogo campaign to raise the support needed
to get our team to New York. Be a part of it!Everyone who gives is a winner! See our prizes!Any amount will help make this dream a reality.
Congratulations to Michelle Montooth
Last week’s bonus contest winner! She won a romantic dinner for 2 at Le Petit Restaurant. Michelle says:
“Cyrano was one of the best theater experiences I’ve ever had. And since I’m a theatre junkie, that’s saying something.”
The Fountain’s co-production of Cyrano has been invited to New York. In just two weeks, our talented lead actors and artistic team will be performing for
The New York Theatre Workshop, the Tony-winning company that launched Rent, Dirty Blonde, Homebody/Kabul, Peter and the Starcatcher, Once,and more. This will be a staged reading for NY producers and investors with the goal of launching a NY production. To make this dream come true, we need you.Join Us!
Our Sold-Out Award-Winning Smash Hit Drew Rave Reviews and National Attention in LA
WINNER! 4 LA Drama Critics Circle Awards
including Best Play and Best Production
CRITIC’S CHOICE!– Los Angeles Times
“Irresistible! Consistently beautiful!
Critic’s Pick! – Backstage “GO!” – LA Weekly
“Perfection!” – SoCalTheatre
“A masterpiece!” – Examiner
“A powerhouse piece of theatre!” – StageHappenings
Fountain Honored for ‘Cyrano and ‘In the Red and Brown Water’ and Best Season in 2012
Last night was a memorable evening for the Fountain Theatre at the 2012 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards. The Fountain swept all major categories, winning all 6 awards it was nominated for and, in addition, being honored for overall excellence with the Polly Warfield Award for Best Season. The Fountain/Deaf West production of Cyrano won 4 awards including Best Production of the Year. The Fountain’s acclaimed In the Red and Brown Water was honored for Direction and Best Ensemble.
The Fountain Theatre won 7 LA Drama Critics Circle Awards:
Best Season 2012 – El Nogalar, Cyrano, The Blue Iris, In the Red and Brown Water
Best Production – Cyrano
Best Director – Simon Levy, Cyrano
Best Director – Shirley Jo Finney, In the Red and Brown Water
Best Lead Performance – Troy Kotsur, Cyrano
Best Ensemble – In the Red and Brown Water
Best Writing (Adaptation) – Stephen Sachs, Cyrano
“Cyrano” team: Deaf West Artistic Director David Kurs, director Simon Levy, producer Deborah Lawlor, playwright Stephen Sachs, actor Troy Kotsur.
‘In the Red and Brown Water’ cast member Iona Morris enjoys the gala.
The LADCC Awards ceremony was held at the Los Angeles Theatre Center. The LA theater community enjoyed socializing with refreshments in the spacious lobby before and after the event. The crowd was an eclectic mix of theater artists, producers and journalists. In attendance from the Fountain Theatre were Co-Artistic Director Stephen Sachs, Producing Artistic Director Deborah Lawlor, Producing Director Simon Levy, director Shirley Jo Finney, publicist Lucy Pollak, and members of the cast from Cyrano and In the Red and Brown Water. Deaf West Artistic Director David Kurs accepted the Best Production Award for Cyrano on behalf of the both companies.
Simon Levy accepts Best Director Award for ‘Cyrano’.
“We are grateful for the Best Season Award because in 2012 we continued our longtime artistic relationships with old friends Athol Fugard and Deaf West, ” says Fountain Co-Artistic Director Stephen Sachs. “And we introduced important new playwrights Tanya Saracho and Tarell Alvin McCraney to Los Angeles audiences. Most important, our 2012 season exemplified the heart of our artistic mission: to create and produce new work that reflects the diversity of Los Angeles. Our four productions in 2012 included a new play by a Latina playwright, a new play performed in two languages serving the deaf community, the newest play by South Africa’s greatest writer, and a thrilling new work by a brilliant young African American playwright. ”
The Fountain Theatre will be honored tonight at the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards when the Fountain is presented with the 2012 Best Season Award. The 2012 Fountain season included the west coast premiere of El Nogalar by Tanya Saracho, the world premiere of Cyrano by Stephen Sachs, the United States Premiere of The Blue Iris by Athol Fugard, and the Los Angeles Premiere of In the Red and Brown Water by Tarell Alvin McCraney. The award is accompanied by an honorarium funded by the Nederlander Organization.
In addition to the 2012 Best Season Award, The Fountain Theatre has also earned 6 LA Drama Critics Circle Award nominations for its acclaimed 2012 productions of Cyrano and In the Red and Brown Water:
Best Production – Cyrano
Best Director – Simon Levy, Cyrano
Best Director – Shirley Jo Finney, In the Red and Brown Water
Best Lead Performance – Troy Kotsur, Cyrano
Best Ensemble – In the Red and Brown Water
Best Writing (Adaptation) – Stephen Sachs, Cyrano
The Fountain Theatre’s Award-Winning 2012 Season
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More Infoon the LA Drama Critics Circle Awards. Tonight’s award ceremony is at the Los Angeles Theatre Center at 7:30pm.
Troy Kotsur and Paul Raci in a scene from “Cyrano”.
Cast Performs Scene from ‘Cyrano’ at Deaf West Fundraiser
Cast members from our acclaimed co-production of Cyrano were asked to perform a scene from the play at a Deaf West fundraising event honoring Ed Waterstreet last Saturday at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City. A co-production between Fountain Theatre and Deaf West Theatre, Cyrano ran for four sold-out months at the Fountain and has been honored with four Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award nominations for Best Production, Best Director, Best Lead Actor and Best Writing.
The funny and charming ‘balcony scene’ from Cyrano was performed by cast members Troy Kotsur, Paul Raci and Erinn Anova. The gala evening also included remarks by actresses Marlee Matlin and Deanne Bray, former Mark Taper Forum Artistic Director Gordon Davidson, Broadway director Jeff Calhoun, and Fountain Co-Artistic Director Stephen Sachs.
Troy Kotsur and Erinn Anova in “Cyrano” at the Fountain Theatre (2012).
Just announced: The Fountain Theatre has earned 6 LA Drama Critics Circle Award nominations for its acclaimed 2012 productions of Cyrano and In the Red and Brown Water. In addition, the Fountain has also been honored by the LADCC with the Polly Warfield Award for Best Overall Season in 2012.
The 2012 LADCC Award nonminations for the Fountain:
Best Production – Cyrano
Best Director – Simon Levy, Cyrano
Best Director – Shirley Jo Finney, In the Red and Brown Water
Best Lead Performance – Troy Kotsur, Cyrano
Best Ensemble – In the Red and Brown Water
Best Writing (Adaptation) – Stephen Sachs, Cyrano
The Polly Warfield Award for an excellent season in a small to mid-size theater will be awarded to The Fountain Theatre. The 2012 Fountain season included the west coast premiere of El Nogalar by Tanya Saracho, the world premiere of Cyrano by Stephen Sachs, the United States Premiere of The Blue Iris by Athol Fugard, and the Los Angeles Premiere of In the Red and Brown Water by Tarell Alvin McCraney. The award is accompanied by an honorarium funded by the Nederlander Organization.
The Fountain/Deaf West Theatre world premiere co-production of Cyranoran for 4 sold-out months in 2012 and drew much critical acclaim. In the Red and Brown Wateropened in October to rave reviews including being heralded as “Best in Theater 2012” by the Los Angeles Times. The acclaimed production has been extended and is still running at the Fountain to Feb 24th.
“In the Red and Brown Water” at the Fountain Theatre
Enjoy this new video created from our critically acclaimed sold-out 2012 production of Cyrano. This world premiere of a new play, a re-imagined sign language spin on the romantic classic Cyrano de Bergerac reset in a modern city, has been named a Theater Highlight of 2012 by LA Stage Times.
In this funny, poetic and powerful co-production between Fountain Theatre and Deaf West Theatre, Cyrano is a brilliant deaf poet in love with a hearing woman.
When asked a few years ago if someone with talent and desire to write plays should get an advanced degree in playwriting, I said unequivocally yes for two reasons:
I’m a huge advocate of graduate school of any sort. Graduate school is an indulgence that every one who can access, should. I don’t have a timeline for when, but I truly believe taking three or more years to think about things that interest you and make you passionate and advance your understanding of the world is absolutely essential—especially if you want to tell stories that you hope will mean something to an audience greater than your best buds and your mom.
As far as making theater goes, the significant career opportunities in our business are so few and far between that I would tell prospective students any leg up was worth considering seriously. For example, if your script was on a pile, or if you were applying for a directing fellowship, those letters M-F-A might advance your script/application up the stacks.
My advice to graduating MFAs used to be different too and extremely practical! As you’re thinking about that final year in the program focus on:
Having one fully realized “straight” play with no more than four characters is essential. The MFA is a launching moment and to launch in any significant way into the regional theater movement, your most realistic shot is to have one solid producible play in the most conventional sense.
Make connections with all of the play development centers (Playwrights’ Center, New Dramatists, the Lark, Sundance, Playwrights Foundation, etc.) and apply to every opportunity they offer. In other words, find an artistic home to develop as an artist. This advice hasn’t changed.
But as I experience the work the next generation of theater makers is creating and in what context, I’m beginning to shift my advice. More importantly, I’m convinced now that I’m not the right person to give advice. I’m not being humble here, but rather acknowledging that I’m giving advice from the vantage point of having a salary and health insurance and that my advice is becoming less and less practical and perhaps makes assumptions about what people want out of a career that are more about what I think they should want.
But here goes some advice anyway.
Don’t apply for an MFA in anything right out of undergrad. If you desire to be a storyteller from any vantage point (playwright, director, dramaturg, actor, designer, stage manager, etc.) spend some time living in the world and figuring out what stories you want to tell. Travel, work strange jobs, taste exotic foods, become a marathon runner, join the Peace Corps, and engage everything that feels unfamiliar.
Don’t take a menial job in a large theater just to be near established theater artists. I think the worst thing an aspiring young theater artist can do is to learn too soon the business-as-usual way of making theater.
See as much of every kind of art that you can take in. Close down your Facebook and Twitter accounts for days at a time and read novels, listen to authors read their works on podcasts, go to museums, operas, symphonies, rock concerts, and ballets.
Volunteer at places unrelated to theater. Understand that theater is a part of a whole, but not the whole.
Fall in love. Break up. Fall in love again. This can be love with people, other artists, art objects, remote camping sites, whatever.
Then after all of that, if you still find that you must tell stories, and that you must live in proximity to a stage, by all means apply to an MFA program. It will be the greatest gift you can give yourself.
For those of you graduating in the spring with your MFA:
Maybe go to New York, but maybe not.
Don’t worry about getting an agent.
Find one or two or three other people you want to make theater with and live in the same city, or rural town, or on a tropical island together, and make theater according to your mutually agreed upon definition.
Tell the stories you want to tell and only the stories the want to tell. You will get many opportunities to tell stories other people want to tell; minimize these gigs.
Introduce yourself to every theater maker who inspires you, but don’t bother to try and ingratiate yourself into institutions or try to get next to artistic directors whose work you don’t admire just on the off chance they might throw an opportunity your way. There will be plenty of time in your career for compromising and groveling. Save your knees as long as possible.
Think big. Big plays, big performances, big social change, big bold theater that will burn the house down.
For anyone trying to sort out how to make it in this business: there is no formula. As artists, I personally think rules and boundaries and formulas and systems and even institutions can dampen the possibilities for our artistic expression. And nothing can be more harmful to creativity than believing there is one path toward it.
So get an MFA, maybe. Move to New York, maybe. Write only two-handers, maybe. Buy bottles of expensive wines for Artistic Directors, maybe. But for sure, find a way to tell the stories that will choke you to your very death if they aren’t let out, and don’t make any assumptions that there’s a singular career trajectory for the theater artist.
Polly Carl is the director of the Center for the Theater Commons at Emerson College, and the editor of the online journal HowlRound.
