When I was young, I dreamed of running away and joining a theatre company when I grew up. Now that I’ve “grown up,” I realized that I don’t have to run away. I can live that dream right here at the Fountain Theatre.
That realization came at the memorial service for Diana Gibson. I decided to step up and volunteer, to carry on Diana’s tradition and help build relationships and support for my favorite theatre, the Fountain!
For me, The Fountain Theatre is a unique and important place.
No other theatre in Los Angeles demonstrates the same commitment in its work to presenting socially conscious and relevant work that gives voice to groups of people who are not widely represented. The Fountain is accessible and responsive to the work of renowned playwrights like Athol Fugard. Where else can you see a production of The Blue Iris and then have the opportunity to talk with him after the show? Where else can you see the work of a new playwright like Tarell Alvin McCraney and meet him after the show?
I want more young people to experience the life of the theatre. Not only by coming to see plays, but also by learning about the process of creating a production. I support this theatre because it has a commitment to under-represented groups of people and reaches out to people of all ages and gives them the opportunity to see creative, relevant, dynamic, progressive productions.
I want to be part of a community with these values. Don’t you?
The Fountain Theatre has been nominated for ten NAACP Theater Awards for two of its acclaimed productions in its 2012 season: the Los Angeles Premiere of In The Red and Brown Water by Tarell Alvin McCraney and the United States Premiere of Athol Fugard’s The Blue Iris.
NAACP Theater Award nominations for the Fountain Theatre are:
IN THE RED AND BROWN WATER
Best Producer – Stephen Sachs and Deborah Lawlor
Best Director – Shirley Jo Finney
Best Lead Actress – Diarra Kilpatrick
Best Supporting Actress – Iona Morris
Best Supporting Actor – Gilbert Glenn Brown
Best Choreography – Ameenah Kaplan
Best Costumes – Naila Aladdin Sanders
Best Lighting – Jose Lopez
THE BLUE IRIS
Best Costumes – Naila Aladdin Sanders
Best Lighting – Jeff McLaughlin
“We’re very pleased and delighted by these nominations,” beamed Fountain Co-Artistic Director Stephen Sachs. “And we’re proud that both of our nominated productions were premieres of new plays by two important, acclaimed playwrights — one a rising new voice in the American Theater, the other a master on the international stage.”
The Los Angeles 2012-13 theater award season is off to another good start for the Fountain Theatre. It was recently announced that the Fountain also earned 8 Ovation Award nominations including Best Season and Best Production of a Play.
“The Blue Iris”
The NAACP Theatre Awards is presented by the Beverly Hills/Hollywood NAACP Branch. Ron Hasson is Branch President and Tia Boyd is the Executive Producer for the NAACP Theatre Awards Show. The prestigious star-studded gala is produced for the purpose of honoring artists among the best in the field of entertainment.
This year’s awards show will be held on Monday, November 11, 2013, at 6:00 P.M. at the historical Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills, California, formerly known as the Fox Wilshire Theatre. Here is the full list of all nominations.
The Fountain Theatre has been honored with 8 Ovation Award nominations, including the prestigious categories of Best Season and Best Production of a Play, it was announced last night at an event hosted by LA Stage Alliance. The Ovation season ran from September 2012 to August 2013 and includes the Fountain productions of The Blue Iris, In the Red and Brown Water, On the Spectrum and Heart Song.
Founded in 1989 and considered to be LA’s version of the Tony Awards, the LA STAGE Alliance’s Ovation Awards are the only peer-judged theater awards in Los Angeles. Each year over 400 productions in the region compete for Ovation Award consideration.
This marks the 4th time that The Fountain Theatre has been nominated for Best Season since the category was created 5 years ago, winning the award in 2011. The Fountain Theatre has the distinction of earning more Ovation Award nominations and winning more Ovation awards overall than any other intimate theatre in Los Angeles.
“We are particularly pleased with our Best Season nomination because it reflects the overall excellence and diversity of our work year round,” says Fountain Co-Artistic Director Stephen Sachs. “We’re delighted that In The Red and Brown Water earned such recognition and proud to be the first theatre to introduce the work of playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney to LA audiences.”
The 2013 Ovation Award nominations for the Fountain Theatre are:
Best Season (The Blue Iris, In the Red and Brown Water, On the Spectrum, Heart Song)
Best Production of a Play (In the Red and Brown Water)
Best Director (Shirley Jo Finney, In the Red and Brown Water)
Best Ensemble in a Play (In the Red and Brown Water)
Best Lead Actress in a Play (Diarra Kilpatrick, In the Red and Brown Water)
Best Featured Actress in a Play (Peggy Blow and Iona Morris, In the Red and Brown Water)
Special Ovation Honor to Jeff Teeter for video design (On the Spectrum)
The Ovation Awards ceremony will take place on Sunday, November 3 at 7 pm at San Gabriel Mission Playhouse, 320 S. Mission Drive in San Gabriel. For more information, visit www.OvationAwards.com.
“As with all great love stories, there are obstacles,” says Jacqueline Schultz, director of the West Coast premiere of Ken LaZebnik‘s play “On the Spectrum,” now playing to terrific reviews at the Fountain Theatre in Los Angeles. Quirky and unexpected, “On the Spectrum’ is a love story with a difference; in LaZebnik’s award-winning play, an online e-chat blossoms into a courtship between two young people with autism. “Ken’s play is original, charming and moving.”
Jacqueline Schultz
Schultz is an award-winning actress and a theater director at The Help Group’s Summit View School for students with learning differences. The Help Group is the largest and most innovative nonprofit of its kind in the U.S. serving children with autism, learning differences and other special needs. She was immediately drawn to the project. “Theater is about all of those things that help children learn,” says Schultz. “The art form has a special way of helping autistic children learn because it helps kids discover how to act together with others.”
In LaZebnik’s play, Mac has Asperger’s, and Iris is autistic. Many people on the autism spectrum take pride in their distinctive abilities and “atypical” ways of viewing the world. Mac (Dan Shaked), whose mother Elizabeth (Jeanie Hackett) provided years of mainstreaming and therapy, passes as “typical.” He connects online with Iris (Virginia Newcomb), an activist who proudly champions her autism as a difference, not a disorder. A relationship quickly forms between the two.
“The play demonstrates how technology has allowed the characters to communicate what’s inside, rather than be judged on the outside,” says Schultz.
Dan Shaked and Jeanie Hackett
“Part of the love story is a mother’s love for her son,” says LaZebnik. “His mother has been his guardian and shield, his whole life. The potential of him going off with this girl obviously is hard for her, and it’s hard for him to contemplate leaving her.”
“Iris has an opinion. Elizabeth has an opinion. Mac bridges both of those worlds,” says Schultz. “Ken does a great a job of breaking down the myths about autism and autistic people. They can feel. They can fall in love. They can get actively involved in their own community.”
“I would love it,” LaZebnik says, “if people saw these characters as just two unique human beings who fall in love.”
Ken LaZebnik
Winner of a 2012 Steinberg/American Theatre Critics Association New Play Award citation and a 2011 Edgerton Foundation New American Play award, “On the Spectrum” was commissioned by Mixed Blood Theatre in Minneapolis, where artistic director Jack Reuler directed the premiere as part of the Center of the Margins Festival. Ken LaZebnik has written two other plays about autism: Vestibular Sense, which also premiered at Mixed Blood, was honored with an award from the American Theatre Critic’s Association at the Humana Festival in Louisville; and Theory of Mind, commissioned for young audiences by Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, has also been produced in Minnesota, Hawaii and Michigan, and was published by Dramatic Publishing.
Schultz has worked as a theater director/educator with learning disabled students for over 12 years. As a professional actress, she was recently seen at the Fountain in the U.S. premiere of Athol Fugard’s “The Blue Iris.”
Ken LaZebnik’s “On the Spectrum” is earning wonderful reviews and is currently running at the Fountain Theatre in Los Angeles through April 28.
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.
The 34th annual L.A. Weekly Theater Awards, celebrating the best work on LA’s intimate stages will be at the Avalon on April 8. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., show starts at 7:30 p.m.
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
Athol Fugard outside The Fountain Theatre in 2012.
Anyone who follows the Fountain Theatre knows about our longtime artistic friendship and association with Athol Fugard. The internationally acclaimed South African playwright considers The Fountain Theatre his artistic home in the United States. The Fountain has launched 6 premieres of Athol’s new plays since 2000. Fugard’s newest play, receiving its world premiere later this month at The Fugard Theatre in Cape Town, is his his first written entirely in Afrikaans. Fugard’s plays have often been translated into Afrikaans but Die Laaste Karretjiegraf (“The Last Buggy Grave”) is his first play written in the native language of his beloved and beleaguered homeland.
Fugard reveals that he had promised his late mother that he would write at least one Afrikaans play in his lifetime and that he would highlight the plight of the Karretjie people (“buggy people”) of her beloved Karoo.
South Africa’s “buggy people” in The Karoo.
“The Karoo’s buggy people are the gypsies of South Africa” he says. “In this country of ours where both blacks and whites make such harsh demands on the land, one must remember, the car people are the direct descendants of the original landowners, the Khoi and the San.”
Is he nervous about the upcoming opening night? “The premiere of a new piece is always a time for fear and trembling,” he laughs with just a touch of seriousness.
“But this one is perhaps different, because ultimately I make a promise to my mother, Elizabeth Magdalena Potgieter, to write a play in her language.”
Fugard explains how he came to his subject. “A major incentive was the anthropologist Riana Steyn. Her master’s dissertation on the car people inspired me to write the play. “
“Earlier, the buggy people’s lives were hard, but they were free. They could move from place to place. The whole bloody Karoo was theirs. Now they have nothing. “
Fugard’s “The Blue Iris” at the Fountain Theatre (US Premiere, 2012).
In the new play, Koot and Sarah meet after many years on a farm in the Karoo at the grave of Koot’s mother, Mieta Ackerman. During Koot’s years of roaming he was the informal spokesman for a team of Karretjie sheepshearers at the Brug outspan. He has just been released from prison where he served time for murdering his second wife. During his detention in the local prison, Ouma Mieta looked after his children. Sarah is of Afrikaner descent and has in the meantime completed her dissertation in Anthropology on the subject of Karretjie children.
Although Afrikaans is both Sarah and Koot’s mother tongue they are worlds apart; they are, however, connected by shared experiences of pain, guilt, remorse, love and ultimately hope. Die Laaste Karretjiegraf is a story about the Karretjie People and a tribute to the heritage of the direct descendants of South Africa’s first inhabitants. This is a way of life which, for various reasons, has come to an end and has, in more ways than one, been laid to rest with Ouma Mieta in her grave.
Many of Athol’s plays are, in part, autobiographical. Is there a piece of himself in this newest work?
“The last buggy grave in the Karoo. This is me. ” says Fugard.
