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CLOSED Sunday, March 23rd
From the creative team and author of Exits and Entrances! THE U.S. PREMIERE OF ATHOL FUGARD'S NEWEST PLAY VICTORY Directed by Stephen Sachs Starring: Morlan Higgins (Exits and Entrances) Lovensky Jean-Baptiste Tinashe Kajese Produced by Simon Levy and Deborah Lawlor American Theater Magazine Article, March '08 L.A. Times Article, February '08
RAVE! - L.A. TIMES - "UTTERLY GRIPPING! What distinguishes "Victory" isn't the novelty of its engaging plot, but the all-encompassing humanity with which it is observed. It's a piece, in other words, for actors to bring to three-dimensional life, and that is exactly what Sachs' trio manages to trenchantly achieve." - Charles McNulty RAVE! - VARIETY - "Trio of superb performances and Stephen Sachs' exquisitely nuanced staging bring the play alive on three distinct levels of appreciation." - Bob Verini RAVE! - WALL STREET JOURNAL - "One of California's best drama companies! - supremely well acted... staged with relentless intensity... worth a trip from wherever you may happen to live." - Terry Teachout ***GO!*** - L.A. WEEKLY - "Three performances of ravishing subtlety, under Stephen Sachs' thoughtful and loving direction." - Steven Leigh Morris RAVE! - HOLLYWOOD REPORTER - "Profoundly intimate and rocked by emotional explosions. The play is a model of precise, efficient construction, calculated so carefully that the flow of the story and its mostly small twists and turns function as organically as fiction ever can, setting the stage for three outstanding performances." - Laurence Vittes ***RECOMMENDED!*** - L.A. TIMES - "COMPELLING! SHATTERING! Stephen Sachs directs a strong cast." - Charlotte Stoudt ***3 1/2 STARS!*** - DAILY NEWS - "Throat-clutcher of a production! Important play by an important playwright." - Evan Henerson ***CRITIC’S PICK!*** - BACK STAGE WEST - "Director Stephen Sachs achieves a brilliant ensemble effort. In a physically meticulous portrayal, Higgins expertly plays a man well beyond his own years. He also masters the regional accent (supported by dialect coach JB Blanc) and achingly conveys the tragedy of a once-powerful but now-broken-down individual. Jean-Baptiste is at once terrifying and pitiable in a performance brimming with intelligence and finely focused energy. Kajese is a heartbreaker as the good girl gone astray, giving a superbly nuanced characterization." - Les Spindle RAVE! - CURTAINUP - "Under Stephen Sachs' taut direction, the play singes with suspense and fear." - Laura Hitchcock RAVE! - PARK LABREA NEWS & BEVERLY PRESS - "A splendid work of art!... Superb dialogue and even better performances make this a document to be seen, and re-seen, and discussed, and thought about, and considered, and see again." - Madeleine Shaner RAVE! - ENTERTAINMENT TODAY - "Under the sharp directorial skills of the Fountain’s co-artistic director Stephen Sachs... once again this durable theatre venue has stepped up to the plate bigtime. The design elements, from Travis Gale Lewis’ gloriously detailed set to the precise regional dialects coached by JB Blanc, are exceptional and the acting is first rate - probably why Fugard refers in the program to the Fountain as “his home in America.” - Travis Michael Holder RAVE! - L.A. CITY BEAT - "Stephen Sachs is an expert at extracting every drop of drama from a racially charged script. Victory had me literally on the edge of my chair." - Don Shirley RAVE! - TALKIN' BROADWAY - "STELLAR! A taut and intense piece, and director Stephen Sachs never lets the tension lag. But more than being about three characters, a break-in and a gun, Fugard's script is about the experience of South Africa today. And, even more than that, Fugard's play transcends South Africa and is easily relevant to any society in which there is a racial or class divide." - Sharon Perlmutter SANTA MONICA DAILY PRESS - "Another emotional blockbuster from South Africa’s Athol Fugard." - Cynthia Citron RAVE! - CULTUREVULTURE.NET - POWERFUL! BEAUTIFULLY CAST! Victory is as tight and complete as the room where the post-apartheid tragedy plays out. This is a drama with story and character development leaving nothing that could be edited out, nor anything that need be added. It is rewarding to see such a meaningful subject handled with the dexterity of a surgeon. - Karen Weinstein RAVE! - WHAT THE BUTLER SAW - "SENSITIVE AND POWERFUL!...This ensemble cast is stupendous, top notch." - James Scarborough This is the U.S. Premiere of the new play by internationally acclaimed playwright Athol Fugard (Master Harold and the Boys, The Island, Blood Knot, Sizwe Bansi is Dead, Exits and Entrances, and the Academy Award-winning Best Foreign Film, Tsotsi). A powerful and moving drama about the betrayal of hope in the "New South Africa." L.A. Times Article 1/21/08 TheatreMania Article 1/22/08 Wikipedia Entry on Athol Fugard “Spellbinding!” – Johannesburg News Agency
“The play is at once a contained and savage thriller and a political microcosm. The sense of lives lived side by side yet worlds apart, and of the insidiousness of hierarchical social patterns, continually reasserts itself… fiercely beautiful.” – London Times
“A tight and fascinating look at captive and captor … all three characters share a chronic and enduring lack of understanding which perpetuates the divide between them. A political statement about the dichotomy between the privileged and the deprived in South Africa today.” – British Theatre Guide
“Thought-provoking and brutally honest … Fugard is still finding much to say about the ironies and divisions inherent in the birth of the ‘New South Africa’ … Stunning … a powerful and disturbing picture of a victim of political and cultural change.” – The Stage, UK
“Latest play shows true mastery of Fugard … This is vintage Fugard at his best, teasing Sophoclean debate and drama from a gritty human situation. In dialogue as sharply honed and pared down as his best.” – The Independent, UK “Fugard’s latest play erupts with emotion … goes right to the heart of contemporary South Africa’s impasse. Go and see this play!” – Cape Times
“South Africa is in denial about its problems, busy blaming the past while taking no responsibility for the present … South Africans want to cling to the moment when the miraculous happened, and not deal with the squalor and betrayal of the present.” – Athol Fugard, on Victory
Set Design - Travis Gale Lewis Lighting Design - Christian Epps Sound Design - WavMagic (David Marling) Costume Design - Shon Le Blanc Prop Design - John Minchin Makeup Design - Judi Lewin Fight Director - Doug Lowry Dialect Coach - JB Blanc Publicist - Lucy Pollak Production Stage Manager - Kerrie Blaisdell Technical Director - Scott Tuomey
Previews began 1/17 Opened 1/25 Closes 3/23 Running time is 70 minutes No Intermission Tickets can be purchased at: 323-663-1525 or online at http://fountaintheatre.com/buytickets.html |
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EXTENDED BY POPULAR DEMAND! MUST CLOSE 11/18 NOT SEEN IN LOS ANGELES IN OVER 25 YEARS! Tennessee Williams' THE MILK TRAIN DOESN'T STOP HERE ANYMORE L.A. Weekly - GO! - "SUPERB! - Director Simon Levy and a terrific cast headed by Karen Kondazian do a magnificent job of bringing this black comedy to life. In a passionate performance, Kondazian plays Flora Goforth, a drug-addled, wealthy widow holed up in an Italian villa. She’s ostensibly writing her memoirs with the help of her devoted secretary, Blackie (Lisa Pelikan), but it’s not going well and their work is interrupted when a young man trespasses on the grounds to deliver a book of poetry to Flora. His name is Christopher Flanders (Michael Rodgers), but as the Witch of Capri (Scott Presley in drag) warns Flora, the young man has been nicknamed The Angel of Death in light of his past visits to aging divas. The production design is as superb as the cast. Shon Le Blanc’s costumes evoke both the excesses and reserve of the early 1960s. Kathi O’Donohue’s gorgeous lighting suggests the beauty of the Italian coast as reflected on Travis Gale Lewis’ multi-functional set." - Sandra Ross
Back Stage West - CRITIC'S PICK! - "Fascinating production! - Karen Kondazian blows out the fenestration and lets the bats barrel-roll out of her belfry as she wrestles with the role of 'Georgia swamp bitch' cumfaded, oft-married international beauty Mrs. Goforth... If there's a bold choice Kondazian missed, I couldn't spot it. - Helpmate and secretary to the moribund Mrs. Goforth is the crisply efficient Blackie, brought to life by Lisa Pelikan in a most engaging way. She never once runs out of ways to react to the compounding weirdness around her. - Director Simon Levy skillfully manages to make this world of isolation, privilege, deception, lust, and hallucination work as a richly textured whole." - Wenzel Jones L.A. Times – “TALENTED CAST! – The Fountain Theatre’s new production lunges into this problematic play with energy and enthusiasm… the cast is deliciously game.” – David Ng CurtainUp.com - "Even in the sad last years of his life when drugs, drink and the death of his longtime companion Frank Merlo had blurred his focus, Tennessee Williams could craft wonderful lines. Nor had he lost his sense of theatre or his gift for creating full-blooded many-faceted characters. - It's getting the best performance it's likely to have at the Fountain Theatre under the direction of Simon Levy, whose intuitive understanding of the playwright has earned him exceptional privileges from the vigilant Williams estate. - Karen Kondazian as Sissy has the exceptional range to contrast the flamboyance, sensuality and power of an international celebrity with the vulnerability of a lonely child and Michael Rodgers catches the disillusioned spirituality of Christopher Flanders with dry gallantry. As Blackie, Lisa Pelikan , looking like a young Deborah Kerr, gives the play a sense of balance, playing the audience's advocate with a yearning delicacy." - Laura Hitchcock IN Magazine - "COURAGEOUS! - Levy's handsomely staged production (awesome set by Travis Gale Lewis, fine costumes by Shon Le Blanc, marvelous lighting by Kathi O'Donohue, superb sound effects by David B. Marling) is crisply professional. Kondazian is a consummate actress... Rodgers is superb... Pelikan brings welcome down-to-earth realism to her role... Rhino Michaels, Dominic Acosta and Lauren Silvi offer fine support. Valiant production under Simon Levy's assured direction." - Les Spindle
This is the Los Angeles revival of Tennessee Williams’ rarely-produced black comedy. Flora Goforth, immensely wealthy and outrageous and living high atop her Italian villa overlooking the Mediterranean and the Divina Costiera, dictates her memoirs to her secretary, Blackie, when they are disrupted by the violent and mysterious arrival of a handsome and charismatic poet known as the “Angel of Death.” Mrs. Goforth wants him as a lover, but he’s there for other reasons. Starring as Mrs. Goforth as Blackie
Scott Presley Michael Rodgers as The Witch of Capri as Christopher Flanders
and featuring:
Dominic Acosta Travis Michael Holder Rhino Michaels Lauren Silvi
Christopher Smith Travis Michael Holder will perform on 11/9-11/11 Scott Presley will perform on 11/16-11/18 Christopher Smith will perform on 11/9-11/18
The director, Simon Levy, is known for his acclaimed Fountain Theatre productions of Tennessee Williams’ Summer and Smoke, Orpheus Descending and The Night of the Iguana. Producers - Ben Bradley and Diana Gibson Set Design - Travis Gale Lewis Light Design - Kathi O'Donohue Costume Design - Shon LeBlanc Sound Design - David B. Marling Prop Design - John Minchin Hair & Makeup - Judi Lewin Technical Director - Scott Tuomey Dialect Coach - Larry Moss Publicist - David Elzer/Demand P.R. ASMs - Sheldon Patrick & Daniel Seidner & Scott Tuomey Production Stage Manager - Elna Kordijan & Nick Frumkin EXTENDED! thru November 18, 2007 (No Performances 11/8 & 11/15) Fri - Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm Box Office: 323-663-1525 Group Sales: 323-663-1365 To Buy Online: Purchase
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August 17 - 26, 2007 (7 Performances Only!) TAKING FLIGHT written and performed by Adriana Sevan Hollywood Reporter - "Sevan... an energetic, endearing, enthusiastic performer mixes comedy with tragedy as she craftily blends the art and power of the spoken word." CRITICS' PICK! - Back Stage West - "Sevan is a remarkable actor and storyteller!" CRITIC'S PICK! - San Diego Union Tribune - "Sevan joins the ranks of the best!" TAKING FLIGHT is a one-woman show exploring the depth of friendship in the face of disaster, and the restorative power of forgiveness and redemption. In the hilarious and powerful piece, actress/writer Adriana Sevan - herself a striking and passionate Armenian/Dominican hybrid - portrays a mixed ethnic variety of several unforgettable characters: the Latina Esperanza Middleschmertz (an outrageous mixture of Carmen Miranda and Dr. Phil "in the hood"), a Haitian cab driver, a hilarious Jewish fashion-maven from Long Island, and a 90 year-old sexy grandmother. In the midst of one of America's most cataclysmic events, the diverse central characters in TAKING FLIGHT are all forced to question and confront issues of friendship, loyalty, spirituality, and love. Tickets: 323-663-1525 Group Sales: 323-663-1365 To Buy Online: Purchase
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August 13 - 15, 2007 CELEBRATION OF BERGE ZEYTUNTSYAN: A Reading of 3 of His Plays Born and Died (directed by Bianca Bagatourian) The Saddest of Sad Men (directed by Martin Bedoian) Unfinished Monologue (directed by Michael Arabian) Translated by S. Peter Crowe Featured Actors Include: Vaz Andreas, Raffi Anoushian, Shant Bejanian, Michael Goorjian, Alex Kalognomous, Buck Kartalian, Karen Kondazian, Ludwig Manukian, Anoush N’Vart, Anahid Shahrik, Loraine Shields, Lory Tatoulian, Shake Tukhmanian, Landon Vaughn, Gregory Zarian
Armenian Dramatic Arts Alliance
This is the Second Annual ADAA/Fountain Theatre Reading Series, and is the first time Berge Zeytuntsyan's plays are being presented in English in the U.S. Mr. Zeytuntsyan was born on July 18, 1938, in Alexandria, Egypt. In 1948, he repatriated to Armenia. Zeytuntsyan graduated from the Pyatigorsk Institute of Foreign Languages in Russia. He went on to also graduate from the Advanced Courses for Screenwriters in Moscow. In 1956, his inaugural collection of works, His First Friend, was published. From 1966-68, Zeytuntsyan worked as a script editor at Armenfilm, and then from 1968-75 he was the chief editor at the Yerevan Studio of TV films. He served as secretary of the Writer's Union of Armenia from 1975-86 and from 1990-91 as the acting Minister of Culture in Armenia. Berge Zeytuntsyan is the author of many plays, some of which have been translated into different languages and staged in countries around the world. Tickets: 323-663-1525 Group Sales: 323-663-1365 To Buy Online: Purchase |
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June 7 - July 29, 2007 20th Anniversary Revival of SOJOURN AT ARARAT Created by Gerald Papasian and Nora Armani Directed by Nora Armani Starring Korken Alexander Mary Kate Schellhardt For Reviews, please visit Press Los Angeles Times - "A labor of love!... The production, with chameleon-like grace and exquisite craft, achieves a vast scale with a lightness of being... [an] epic dramatic paean to the Armenian people." The Scotsman - "In this splendid show, Armenians light up their homeland, and with it, all humanity." The Armenian Observer - "A high caliber theatrical experience!" PICK OF THE WEEK! - LA Weekly - "Beautiful staging!" The international award-winning sensation seen on four continents and now returning to Los Angeles for a 20th Anniversary Revival. This beloved show brings to beautiful life the romance and soul of the Armenian people through its poetry and literature. It is the centerpiece of the Festival. Saturdays, 8pm Sundays, 2pm Tickets: 323-663-1525 Group Sales: 323-663-1365 To Buy Online: Purchase Ticket Prices: $25.00 - Saturday & Sunday $23.00 - Seniors (over 62) on Sundays $18.00 - Students with ID/All Shows |
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"Flamenco that sets the stage afire!" - L.A. Times The 2007 Sonidos Gitanos Southern California Tour! Sonidos Gitanos ("Gypsy Flamenco") returns from Jerez de la Frontera, Spain in a brand new show FlamenColores starring: dancer Maria Bermudez dancer Rafael Compallo singers Ani de los Reyes & Miguel Rosendo guitarists Jesus Alvarez & Nino Jero violinist Bernardo Parilla palmero/percussionist Luis de la Tota VENUES: Japan America Theatre, Los Angeles, July 21st Mandeville Auditorium, San Diego, July 22nd Majorie Luke Theatre, Santa Barbara, July 25th SEATING/DIRECTIONS/PARKING: Japan America Theatre Mandeville Auditorium Marjorie Luke Theatre Purchase Tickets for all shows: 323-663-3779 To Buy Online: Purchase Ticket Prices: $25, $40, $55, $75, $100 |
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SUMMER ARMENIAN FESTIVAL PART (one) ON THE COUCH WITH NORA ARMANI Directed by Francois Kergourlay 3 Weeks Only May 18 - June 3 A tour-de-force performed to worldwide acclaim! Rare L.A. appearance! Don't miss this funny and touching world-eye view of life from this enchanting Armenian-Egyptian-American actress, poet and storyteller. A woman's journey of belonging and not belonging, of being and discovering. "Superb! A truly fascinating theatre piece." - Talkin' Broadway. "Theatrical magic." - LA Weekly. "A spirited and spiritual journey." - Boston Globe Ms. Armani has performed the play in: This is a co-production of The Fountain Theatre and PEMART Productions. For more information about Ms. Armani, please visit www.noraarmani.com Thursdays-Saturdays, 8pm Sundays at 2pm |
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February 1 - May 6, 2007 CRITIC'S CHOICE! - Los Angeles Times August Strindberg's MISS JULIE Dangerous. Forbidden. Erotic. Set during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. (Real Life Emulates Art - see AP news article) AP Report on Mississippi Arrest See RAVE REVIEWS at CRITIC’S CHOICE! “A riveting new adaptation of Strindberg's classic about forbidden desire. Director-writer Stephen Sachs transposes the action to 1964 Mississippi, where stirrings of the civil rights movement threaten the Old South status quo … the actors seize hold of the play’s operatic emotional scale … Middendorf, a capricious seductress in a tight red dress, dominates the show, veering from imperiousness to despair, improbably turning self-hatred into an aphrodisiac … Chuma Gault is brooding and graceful … Judith Moreland strikes a strong counter note … As a trio, they lure us into Strindberg’s masterful liebestod, a dark ballad to the hungry forces within that both liberate and destroy. ” - Los Angeles Times CRITIC'S CHOICE! - "Adapter and director Stephen Sachs re-sets August Strindberg’s 1888 play in 1964 Mississippi. The tension in the original – in which a young, upper-class woman and her servant sexually cross the class divide – is multiplied by adding the racial divide. Miss Julie is white, and the servant is her father’s black chauffeur. For American audiences, the play is much more harrowing than usual. Tracy Middendorf (Summer and Smoke and After the Fall at the same theater) is a human lightning rod. Chuma Gault deftly parries her advances as the ambitious chauffeur, and Judith Moreland is superb at embodying the repressed rage of the household cook and would-be wife of the chauffeur." - Los Angeles City Beat GO! - RECOMMENDED! - "...an ensemble that’s sublime." - LA Weekly “EXCELLENT!” The talented Middendorf ably conveys Julie's enjoyment of power and manipulation … Gault is excellent, showing how the desire for Julie and a feeling of empowerment could cause John to put his life at risk, and he commands the stage with a smooth grace. Moreland is thoroughly convincing.” - Variety "FIRST CLASS! Smoldering ... a gripping piece of theater... Middendorf, with her painfully frail body, wilting beauty and halting sensuality ... she flings her body about carelessly as if she were a puppet on a perilously thin string, and her gaudy smiles are masks through which her terrible inner hopelessness and fear hauntingly glare...Gault is excellent as the chauffeur who is of two minds about rising out of his class, eloquently moving the story forward with both word and deed ... the wonderful Moreland uses her expressive body and beautiful voice to great effect ... The production is first class all around." - Hollywood Reporter “WOW! There’s no other word for Stephen Sachs’ new adaptation of the August Strindberg classic, “Miss Julie,” now having its world premiere at the Fountain Theatre. It is an intense and powerful play, flawlessly acted by Tracy Middendorf as Miss Julie, Chuma Gault as John, and Judith Moreland as Christine, the cook. Each of them goes from strength to strength under the sure hand of Stephen Sachs, who directed as well as providing this adaptation. Yet another triumph for the always-excellent Fountain Theatre.” – ReviewPlays.com “POWERFUL! The Fountain Theatre's Miss Julie is a dream come true! Sachs' adaptation breathes new relevancy into the story … Tracy Middendorf's Julie is brash, sultry, and seductive … It is Chuman Gault's John who drives the story and owns the stage as both protagonist and the most powerful presence on the small Fountain Theatre stage. He and Judith Moreland's Christine project a strength and longing that makes the transformation into simmering servitude in Julie's presence painful to watch. “ – Epinons.com a bold new adaptation written and directed by Stephen Sachs (Exits and Entrances, After the Fall) starring Chuma Gault Tracy Middendorf (After the Fall, Summer and Smoke) Judith Moreland (Ms. Middendorf's final performance is 4/20/07) alternates: Alexa Alexander, Jared Poe, Stephanie Stearns Set Design, Travis Gale Lewis Lighting Design, Kathi O'Donohue Costume Design, Shon Le Blanc Sound Design, David B. Marling Prop Design, Goar Galstyan Fight Director, Josh Gordon Voice Coach, Larry Moss Friday & Saturdays, 8pm (no Thursday performances) Sundays, 2pm Box Office and Group Sales: 323-663-1525 THERE IS NO LATE SEATING FOR THIS SHOW!
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RETURN ENGAGEMENT! ONE NIGHT ONLY! PART OF A WORLDWIDE READING MARCH 20, 2007 8:00 PM ALL SEATS $25.00 Call: 323-663-1525 for Reservations The Guardian (UK): "Every war has its antiwar classic, and here is Iraq's." WHAT I HEARD ABOUT IRAQ (A Cry for 5 Voices) adapted and directed by Simon Levy based on Eliot Weinberger's world-renowned article starring: Marc Casabani, Darcy Halsey, Tony Pasqualini, Bernadette Speakes & Ryun Yu WINNER OF THE PRESTIGIOUS FRINGE FIRST AWARD EDINBURGH FRINGE FESTIVAL, AUGUST 2006! To See Information on 2007 Performances and Events, click here WHAT I HEARD ABOUT IRAQ - Future Productions & Events The performance is 75 minutes long and there will be a post-show discussion with Special Guest, Ivan Goldman, of MFSO (Military Families Speak Out) MFSO.org. Ivan Goldman, editorial writer and journalist, lives in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., and is a columnist for The Ring magazine. His son is serving in Iraq. |
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MASTER CLASS by Terrence McNally Revived for 4 Performances Only Lobero Theatre, Santa Barbara Produced by Santa Barbara Theatre January 4-7, 2007 directed by Simon Levy Winner of the L.A. OVATION Award for Best Production of the year. Beverly Hills Outlook Theatre Award: Stage Actress of the Year (Karen Kondazian). Back Stage West GARLAND Awards: Best Actress (Karen Kondazian), Best Direction (Simon Levy), Best Sound Design (John Zalewski). Reviews www.sbtheatre.org |
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West Coast Premiere! October 19 - December 3, 2006 TAXI TO JANNAH A Bumpy Ride to Paradise by Mark Sickman directed by Deborah Lawlor produced by Diana Gibson Los Angeles Times - " A kind of 'It's a Wonderful Muslim American Life'. Director Deborah Lawlor keeps the pace up, and the likable Jahan offers a committed, starry-eyed performance in keeping with the play's unabashedly sweet tone." Hollywood Reporter - "AN EXCELLENT CAST AND AN IMPRESSIVE PRODUCTION (director Deborah Lawlor is the Fountain Theatre's respected producing artistic director)... As the philosophical cab driver seeking to establish a user-friendly neighborhood mosque, Jahan mixes electric energy and a magnetic stage presence... As his wife, Anna Khaja is radiantly beautiful... The actors are obviously well served by director Lawlor's steady hand at the rudder as she steers them through the activity and dialogue with hardly a misstep or even a momentary lack of confidence. Working on a stage that makes good, imaginative use of the theater's tight space, LAWLOR AND HER CREW SHOULD BE VERY PROUD OF WHAT THEY HAVE DONE." - Lawrence Vittes The American Muslim - “Taxi to Jannah is unique. It’s a comedy with a Muslim hero, and presents a positive view of Muslims in America.”
An American comedy with a Muslim hero! This delightful and wise comedy/drama about a devout Muslim taxi driver, Nasrudeen, who dreams of creating his own storefront mosque, humanizes and honors Islamic culture and faith, as he encounters a wide range of eccentric urban characters who impact his life in wonderfully unexpected ways. featuring: Aclan Bates, Christopher David, Yaphet Enge, Avner Garbi, Alan Goodson, Mueen Jahan, Nicholas Kadi, Anna Khaja, Raqual Newton, Maggie Peach, Sloan Robinson, Archie Lee Simpson Set Design, Scott Siedman Lighting Design, Kathi O'Donohue Costume Design, Naila Aladdin Sanders Production Stage Manager, Nicholas Frumkin Assistant Director, Danielle Marie Holland Thursdays - Saturdays, 8pm Sundays, 2pm Low-cost Previews: October 19-27 Opens: October 28
Box Office and Group Sales: 323-663-1525
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READINGS OF 3 NEW PLAYS BY ARMENIAN PLAYWRIGHTS A Project of the Armenian Dramatic Arts Alliance in collaboration with The Fountain Theatre NOVEMBER 13-15 The Scent of Jasmine By Bianca Bagatourian Directed by Michael Arabian Monday, November 13 8:00 PM A Citizen Kane type mystery about an Armenian immigrant who becomes one of the richest men in America and the measures he takes to regain the Happiness he felt as a child in the old country. Featuring: Shaunt Bejanian Karine Chakarian Magda Harout Buck Kartalian Karen Kondazian Eddie Mekka Sona Tatoyan
The Blackstone Sessions By Lisa Kirazian Directed by Ben Bradley Tuesday, November 14 8:00 PM When young African American executive Trevor leaves for the summer and hires a housekeeper for his elderly mother – retired & reclusive poet-activist Hannah Ruby Johnson & widow of the great civil rights leader Marshall Johnson – Hannah rebels by putting the uneducated Italian-American housekeeper, Gina, through the ringer. Their love-hate ‘friendship’ results in Hannah slowly introducing Gina to her world of literature and politics, but Gina’s thirst for the education she never had results in her uncovering more of Hannah’s past than anyone knew. Featuring: Bernard Addison Tene Carter Yaphet Enge Danielle Holland Alex Kalognomos Bart Myer Iona Morris Anoush NeVart Jeris Poindexter Sloane Robinson Push By Kristen Lazarian Directed by Martin Bedoian Wednesday, November 15 8:00 PM push(poosh) v. 1. to press forcefully in order to move. 2. to move illicitly. 3. Slang. to publicize or sell aggressively. 4 n. a tie between the dealer and the player in blackjack. A tense comedic drama about love, deceit, fidelity and manipulation. San Diego Arts Online calls Push a “doozy of a date night for married couples. After the proverbial curtain falls, let the what-if line of questioning begin.” Featuring: Andrea Ajemian Michael Goorjian Richard Horvitz Karen Kondazian Salli Saffiotti Anahid Shahrik Greg Zarian |
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California Premiere! New York Times "Ms. Orlandersmith is wholly original. Riveting!" 3-Week Limited Engagement! 15 PERFORMANCES ONLY! September 13 - October 1, 2006 DAEL ORLANDERSMITH (celebrated author of YELLOWMAN) in her one-woman play THE GIMMICK directed by Simon Levy CRITIC'S CHOICE! - Los Angeles Times "RIVETING AND INSPIRING! ELEGANT AND POETIC! This solo piece is guaranteed to touch the soul of anyone who's ever aspired to a better life. With understated supplemental music and lighting, Simon Levy's staging deftly showcases his performer's talents to best advantage... Orlandersmith's performance mines brutally honest anguish, longing and beauty that transcend time and place in a voice all her own. In the end, she leaves us heartbroken, stirred and above all GRATEFUL FOR LETTING US INTO HER WORLD." - Philip Brandes CRITIC'S PICK! - Back Stage West "INTENSELY INTIMATE AND POWERFUL! With pulsing physicality and a visceral embrace of language... Orlandersmith has such a strong connection to her material that it's impossible not to be completely drawn in; HER WORDS AND PRESENCE ARE INESCAPABLE... Simon Levy directs, and the production makes beautiful use of lighting by Kathi O'Donohue and sound by David B. Marling." - Jennie Webb Hollywood Reporter - "SPELLBINDING! POWERFUL! POETIC! Orlandersmith combines the riveting personal power of a Maya Angelou with the theatrical command of a professionally trained actress... Orlandersmith is more than a charismatic talker; she is physically gifted as well. BRILLIANT!" - Lawrence Vittes Los Angeles Sentinel - "WORDPLAY GENIUS! EMOTIONAL AND POIGNANT! Power, courage and brutal honesty are what playwright Dael Orlandersmith delivers in her one-woman show... Orlandersmith's MAGNIFICENT WAY WITH WORDS and bold expressions paint a vivid heartbreaking picture of a young black girl trying to find her way... A REMARKALBE SIGHT TO WITNESS AND EXPERIENCE!" - Mary E. Montoro LA Weekly - Writer/solo performer Dael Orlandersmith spins a UNIVERSALLY POIGNANT TALE of friendship and creative aspiration... Studded with character and detail, both the piece and performer reach a STIRRING CLIMAX in depicting one teenager’s first experience of raw betrayal." - Deborah Klugman ReviewPlays.com: "The formidable playwright is A POWERHOUSE OF AN ACTRESS. Under Simon Levy’s carefully nuanced direction, Orlandersmith becomes all the people in her world, and all the emotions as well... POWERFUL!" - Cynthia Citron
"I'm gonna be a word magician." Alexis in The Gimmick Ms. Orlandersmith populates her tale with a host of extraordinary, memorable, funny, and deeply moving characters as we journey with Alexis and her best friend, Jimmy, as they come of age on the streets of Harlem. Wednesdays - Saturdays at 8pm Sundays at 2pm MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS NOW! EXTREMELY LIMITED SEATING!!! Box Office and Group Sales: 323-663-1525
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World Premiere! August 4 - September 3, 2006 LITTLE ARMENIA written by Lory Bedikian, Aram Kouyoumdjian, and Shahe Mankerian directed by Armina LaManna produced by Deborah Lawlor and Armina LaManna starring: Maro Ajemian, Karine Chakarian, RB Dilanchian, Johnny Giacalone, Hunter Lee Hughes, Jade Hykush, Jack Kandel, Ludwig Manukian, Salem Mikhael, Anoush Nevart Associate Producer: Anahid Shahrik Assistant Director: Loraine Shields Production Stage Manager: Eleanor Wood Set Designer: Scott Siedman Lighting Designer: Henrik Mansourian Sound Designer: Shahen Hakobian Prop Designer: Goar Galstyan Costume Designer: Shon LeBlanc Photographer/Designer: Yvette Khalafian Los Angeles Times - "THE PRODUCTION IS LACED THROUGHOUT BY AN INVIGORATING HUMOR LEAVENED WITH A HEALTHY DOSE OF GENUINE SENTIMENT... Three major story lines, each crafted by a different playwright, vie for pride of place in this busy piece, which has been broadly but effectively directed by Armina LaManna, who keeps the action brisk... Larger issues - the Armenian genocide, the divide between the American dream and the American reality, and the fierce insularity of a beleagured but proud people - are touched upon, sometimes quite movingly." - F. Kathleen Foley LA Weekly - "INSIGHTFUL! APPEALING! AN HOMAGE TO THE COMMUNITY THAT SURROUNDS THE THEATER." - Steven Leigh Morris CityBeat - CRITIC'S CHOICE! - "Armina LaManna's staging is remarkably concise and consistent in tone. The text balances WARM EMOTION with a few less than flattering perspectives and a WEALTH OF LOCAL COLOR - the narrator's home is on a street only a half-block from the theater." - Don Shirley CurtainUp - "Little Armenia succeeds in giving a picture of the contemporary Armenian community and, as always, the production values at the Fountain are FIRST RATE... The dialogue is deft and director Armina LaManna integrates the stories DRAMATICALLY... SKILLFULLY WOVEN TOGETHER!" - Laura Hitchcock
In 2000, the Los Angeles City Council designated the area surrounding the Fountain Theatre as “Little Armenia." In 2005, the Fountain Theatre launched a yearlong development of a new play. Our community of Fountain Theatre writers, beginning in January 2005, went into the homes and businesses of Little Armenia to talk with and interview the citizens who live here. Based on those interviews, and their own experiences, our three writers have created a fictional play that reflects the lives of Armenians in Hollywood, what it means to be an immigrant in America, and how we define "home." Funded in part by the Los Angeles County Arts Commission. Thursdays - Saturdays, 8pm Sundays, 2pm Low-cost Previews: August 4, 5, 6, 9, 10 Opens: August 11th Added Performances at 5pm on Saturday 8/26 and Saturday 9/2. LIMITED RUN. MUST CLOSE September 3rd. Box Office and Group Sales: 323-663-1525
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A Tribute to the Memory of August Wilson JOE TURNER'S COME AND GONE (nominated for the Tony Award; winner of the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Play) EXTENDED THRU JULY 21, 2006! Los Angeles Times: CRITIC'S CHOICE! - "The Fountain Theatre's production resonates as a fitting memorial to a genius whose distinctive voice was stilled too soon... Director Ben Bradley and an EXCEPTIONAL CAST maximize the humor and the folkloric sweep of Wilson's vision in a RICH, LOVING AND FORMIDABLY naturalistic interpretation... an era MARVELOUSLY EVOKED." - F. Kathleen Foley L.A. Weekly: RECOMMENDED - GO! "Like many of Wilson’s plays, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone is rife with symbolism, the salient interplay of past and present, and razor-sharp dialogue. It takes a special director and cast to meld all these elements, and Ben Bradley does just that." - Lovell Estell III Back Stage West: CRITIC'S PICK! - "The Fountain's production, from start to finish, is an ELECTRIFYING REVIVAL of a powerful, unforgettable story... The Fountain is BURSTING WITH LIFE as director Ben Bradley keeps the dialogue flying and his actors in motion. Each of Wilson's plays deserves this type of treatment. And with any luck the Fountain will revisit his other works in the coming seasons." - Jeff Favre Daily News: **** (4 Stars!) - "A RARE AND SUPERB REVIVAL!... replete with spirit and magic, song and poetry, not to mention a TOP-FLIGHT CAST! Come see this fine 'Turner' before it's gone." - Evan Henerson L.A. City Beat: "STELLAR!... In the hands of director Ben Bradley, 'Joe Turner' has the stamp of a living, breathing MASTERPIECE!" - Don Shirley CurtainUp: "The production is given vitality and pace by director Ben Bradley who has assembled an OUTSTANDING CAST!" - Laura Hitchcock Orange County News Enterprise: "PICTURE PERFECT! Directed with storyboard precision by Ben Bradley... Sadly, August Wilson too has come and gone. Fortunately, he has left a singular and indelible mark on American Theater." - Ben Miles National Jewish News: "POWERFUL PRESENTATION... magnificently directed by Ben Bradley, features stunning performances by a superb cast. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION!" - Carol Kaufman Segal for full reviews, click here: Current Press and Reviews August Wilson (April 27, 1945 - October 2, 2005) was a multiple Pulitzer-winning playwright. His singular achievement and literary legacy is a cycle of ten plays, each set in a different decade, depicting the comedy and tragedy of the African American experience in the 20th century. "By writing about black people, you are not limiting yourself. The experiences of African Americans are as wide open as God's closet." - August Wilson This is the Los Angeles revival of the 3rd in Wilson's ten-play cycle. Set in a boarding house in Pittsburgh during August, 1911, African Americans from the deep and near south come north in search of loved ones and a cultural identity that was repressed by centuries of slavery, Jim Crow laws, discrimination, and Joe Turner's indentures. Estrangement and loneliness turn into connection and community in one of Mr. Wilson's most beautiful, moving and haunting plays. featuring: Bernard K. Addison, Da Shawn Barnes, Jordan Carroll, Tene A. Carter, Dele, Lorey Hayes, Nambi E. Kelley, Edwin Morrow, Adenrele Ojo, Henry G. Sanders, Scott Tuomey, Adolphus Ward, DeMont Washington, Crystal Williams Director: Ben Bradley Producer: The Fountain Theatre Production Stage Manager: Danielle Holland Set Design: Travis Gale Lewis Costume Designe: Naila Aladdin Sanders Lighting Design: Kathi O'Donohue Sound Design: David B. Marling Prop Design: Lisa Waters Dialect Coach: Larry Moss Technical Director: Scott Tuomey Publicist: Kim Garfield (kimgarla@aol.com) Thursdays-Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays at 2pm EXTENDED thru July 21st Box Office: 323-663-1525 Group Sales: 323-663-1365 |
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