The Fountain Theatre is a theatre in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

. Along with its programming of live theatre, it's also the foremost producer of

flamenco Flamenco (), in its strictest sense, is an art form based on the various folkloric music traditions of southern Spain, developed within the gitano subculture of the region of Andalusia, and also having historical presence in Extremadura and ...

on the

West Coast West Coast or west coast may refer to: Geography Australia * Western Australia *Regions of South Australia#Weather forecasting, West Coast of South Australia * West Coast, Tasmania **West Coast Range, mountain range in the region Canada * Britis ...

History

The Fountain Theatre was founded in

in 1990 by co-artistic directors Deborah Lawlor (wife of Robert Lawlor) and Stephen Sachs. Simon Levy, producing director and

dramaturge A dramaturge or dramaturg is a literary adviser or editor in a theatre, opera, or film company who researches, selects, adapts, edits, and interprets scripts, libretti, texts, and printed programmes (or helps others with these tasks), consults auth ...

, joined in 1993 as a resident director, producer, and playwright. The Fountain Theatre's activities include a year-round season of fully produced new and established plays. It has mounted 35 world premieres and also 31 US, West-Coast, Southern-California, or Los Angeles premieres. The Fountain also offers a full season of multi-ethnic dance, being the foremost presenters of flamenco in Los Angeles, educational outreach programs, and national/international tours. Fountain Theatre projects have been seen in Los Angeles,

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

, Santa Barbara,

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, and

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

, among other cities and countries.

Flamenco

The Fountain Theatre showcases

every month, and is the foremost producer of flamenco on the West Coast. The theatre is featured prominently in the 2011 documentary, '' Kumpanía: Flamenco Los Angeles''. Live performances and interviews with flamenco dancers and musicians filmed in the theatre are presented, and co-artistic director Deborah Lawlor is also interviewed in the film.

Awards and honors

Fountain Theatre productions have won more than 220 awards for all areas of production, performance, and design. The Fountain Theatre has received more nominations and won more awards than any other intimate theater in the history of the

Ovation Awards The Ovation Awards are a Southern California award for excellence in theatre, established in 1989. They are given out by the non-profit arts service organization LA Stage Alliance and are the only peer-judged theatre awards in Los Angeles. Winne ...

. The Fountain has been honored with a Certificate of Appreciation from the Los Angeles City Council for demonstrating years of artistic excellence and "enhancing the cultural life of Los Angeles". It was the recipient of the 2004 Hollywood Arts Council's "Charlie" Award for Live Theatre and Significant Artistic Contribution to Hollywood. In 2009, the ''

LA Weekly ''LA Weekly'' is a free weekly alternative newspaper in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1978 by Jay Levin, who served as president and editor until 1991. Voice Media Group sold the paper in late 2017 to Semanal Media LLC, whose paren ...

'' named the Fountain Theatre as "one of the Best Theatre Companies of the Decade". In 2011, ''Broadway World'' said, "The Fountain Theatre is by the far the best and the brightest that Los Angeles has to offer." In 2012 the

Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...

declared "The Fountain Theatre is one of this country's best intimate regional houses."

Productions

*''The Normal Heart'' (2013) by

Larry Kramer Laurence David Kramer (June 25, 1935May 27, 2020) was an American playwright, author, film producer, public health advocate, and gay rights activist. He began his career rewriting scripts while working for Columbia Pictures, which led him to Lo ...

*''Heart Song'' (2013) by Stephen Sachs *''On the Spectrum'' (2013) by

Ken LaZebnik Ken LaZebnik (original Czech surname Lazebník) (born November 11, 1954) is an American writer, best known for his work in television, film, and theatre. His work has appeared in films such as ''A Prairie Home Companion'' and in television shows ...

*''

In the Red and Brown Water The ''Brother/Sister Plays'' is a triptych of plays written by American playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney. Overview Over the course of three years, McCraney wrote the Brother/Sister Plays while studying at Yale. He describes them as a triptych r ...

'' (2012–2013) by

Tarell Alvin McCraney Tarell Alvin McCraney (born October 17, 1980) is an American playwright, screenwriter, and actor. He is the chair of playwriting at the Yale School of Drama and a member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Ensemble. He co-wrote the 2016 film ''Moonlight ( ...

*''The Blue Iris'' (2012) by

Athol Fugard Athol Fugard, Hon. , (born 11 June 1932), is a South African playwright, novelist, actor, and director widely regarded as South Africa's greatest playwright. He is best known for his political and penetrating plays opposing the system of apart ...

*''

Cyrano Cyrano may refer to: Astronomy * 3582 Cyrano, a small main belt asteroid * Cyrano (crater), a lunar impact crater that lies on the far side of the Moon Stage and film * ''Cyrano'' (Damrosch), a 1913 opera by Walter Damrosch * ''Cyrano'', a 195 ...

'' (2012) by

Edmond Rostand Edmond Eugène Alexis Rostand (, , ; 1 April 1868 – 2 December 1918) was a French poet and dramatist. He is associated with neo-romanticism and is known best for his 1897 play ''Cyrano de Bergerac''. Rostand's romantic plays contrasted with t ...

, adapted by Stephen Sachs *''El Nogalar'' (2012) by

Tanya Saracho Tanya Selene Saracho is a Mexican-American actress, playwright, dramaturge and screenwriter. With a background in theater before writing for television, she co-founded in 2000 and was its co-artistic director for ten years. She also co-founded ...

*''Bakersfield Mist'' (2011) by Stephen Sachs – an NNPN Rolling World Premiere *''

A House Not Meant to Stand ''A House Not Meant to Stand'' is the last play written by Tennessee Williams. It was produced during the 1981–82 season at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago by Gregory Mosher and published for the first time in 2008 by New Directions.

'' (2011) by

Tennessee Williams Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983), known by his pen name Tennessee Williams, was an American playwright and screenwriter. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the thre ...

* '' The Train Driver'' (2010–2011) by

* ''

Opus ''Opus'' (pl. ''opera'') is a Latin word meaning "work". Italian equivalents are ''opera'' (singular) and ''opere'' (pl.). Opus or OPUS may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Opus number, (abbr. Op.) specifying order of (usually) publicatio ...

'' (2010) by

Michael Hollinger Michael Hollinger (born January 13, 1962 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania) is an American playwright who is currently an associate professor of theatre at Villanova University and an alumnus of New Dramatists. He received a Bachelor of Music in viola pe ...

* ''The Ballad of Emmett Till'' (2010) by Ifa Bayeza * ''

Shining City Shining, The Shining or Shinin may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''The Shining'' (novel), a 1977 novel by Stephen King ** ''The Shining'' (film), a 1980 film by Stanley Kubrick starring Jack Nicholson ** ''The Shining'' (TV miniseries), a 199 ...

'' (2009) by

Conor McPherson Conor McPherson (born 6 August 1971) is an Irish playwright, screenwriter and director of stage and film. In recognition of his contribution to world theatre, McPherson was awarded a doctorate of Literature, Honoris Causa, in June 2013 by the Un ...

* ''Coming Home'' (2009) by

* ''

The Accomplices ''The Accomplices'' is a 2007 play by ''New York Times'' reporter Bernard Weinraub. It premiered at The New Group in New York City in 2007 and played thereafter in regional theatres. The play is based on Hillel Kook's wartime experiences in th ...

'' (2009) by

Bernard Weinraub Bernard Weinraub (born December 19, 1937) is an American journalist and playwright. Early life and education Weinraub was born in 1937 in New York City.Robert W. WelkosBernard Weinraub explores media frenzy in 'Above the Fold' ''The Los Angeles ...

; remounted at the Odyssey Theatre * '' Photograph 51'' (2009) by Anna Ziegler * ''

Gem of the Ocean ''Gem of the Ocean'' (2003) is a play by American playwright August Wilson. Although the ninth play produced, chronologically it is the first installment of his decade-by-decade, ten-play chronicle, ''The Pittsburgh Cycle'', dramatizing the Afri ...

'' (2009) by

August Wilson August Wilson ( Frederick August Kittel Jr.; April 27, 1945 – October 2, 2005) was an American playwright. He has been referred to as the "theater's poet of Black America". He is best known for a series of ten plays, collectively called ' (or ...

* ''The Accomplices'' (2008) by

* ''And Her Hair Went With Her'' (2008) by Zina Camblin – an NNPN Rolling World Premiere * ''Victory'' (2008) by

* ''

The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore ''The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore'' (1963 in literature, 1963) is a play in a prologue and six scenes, written by Tennessee Williams. He told John Gruen in 1965 that it was "the play that I worked on longest," and he premiered a version ...

'' (2007) by

* ''Taking Flight'' (2007) by Adriana Sevan * ''Sojourn at Ararat'' (2007) by Gerald Papasian and

Nora Armani Nora Armani (Arabic: نورا أرماني), ( hy, Նորա Արմանի) is an actor and film-maker. She was born in Giza, Egypt of Armenian parents, educated and trained in England and as an actor has appeared on stage and screen worldwide pe ...

* ''On the Couch with Nora Armani'' (2007) by

* ''

Miss Julie ''Miss Julie'' ( sv, Fröken Julie) is a naturalistic play written in 1888 by August Strindberg. It is set on Midsummer's Eve and the following morning, which is Midsummer and the Feast Day of St. John the Baptist. The setting is an estate of ...

'' (2007) by

August Strindberg Johan August Strindberg (, ; 22 January 184914 May 1912) was a Swedish playwright, novelist, poet, essayist and painter.Lane (1998), 1040. A prolific writer who often drew directly on his personal experience, Strindberg wrote more than sixty p ...

, adapted by Stephen Sachs * ''

Master Class A master class is a Class (education), class given to students of a particular Academic discipline, discipline by an expert of that discipline—usually music, but also science, painting, drama, games, or on any other occasion where skills are b ...

'' (2007) by

Terrence McNally Terrence McNally (November 3, 1938 – March 24, 2020) was an American playwright, librettist, and screenwriter. Described as "the bard of American theater" and "one of the greatest contemporary playwrights the theater world has yet produced," ...

at Santa Barbara Theatre * ''Taxi to Jannah'' (2006) by Mark Sickman * ''The Gimmick'' (2006) by

Dael Orlandersmith Dael Orlandersmith (born Donna Brown, 1960–) is an American actress, poet and playwright. She is known for her Obie Award-winning ''Beauty's Daughter'' and the 2002 Pulitzer Prize Finalist in Drama, ''Yellowman (play), Yellowman''. Early life Or ...

* ''Little Armenia'' (2006) by Lory Bedikian, Aram Kouyoumdjian, and Shahe Mankerian * ''

Joe Turner's Come and Gone ''Joe Turner's Come and Gone'' is a play by American playwright August Wilson. It is the second installment of his decade-by-decade chronicle of the African-American experience, ''The Pittsburgh Cycle''. The play was first staged 1984 at the Euge ...

'' (2006) by

* ''What I Heard About Iraq'' (2005) adapted by Simon Levy * ''Acts of Desire'' (2005) by Yussef El Guindi * ''

Yellowman Winston Foster , better known by the stage name Yellowman, is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall deejay, also known as King Yellowman. He first became popular in Jamaica in the 1980s, rising to prominence with a series of singles that established ...

'' (2005) by

* ''Exits and Entrances'' (2005) by

* ''Daisy in the Dreamtime'' (2004) by Lynne Kaufman, at Inside the Ford Amphitheatre * ''

'' (2003–2004) by

* ''Going to St. Ives'' (2003) by

Lee Blessing Lee Knowlton Blessing (born October 4, 1949) is an American playwright best known for his 1988 work, '' A Walk in the Woods''. A lifelong Midwesterner, Blessing continued to work in regional theaters in and around his hometown of Minneapolis thro ...

* '' After the Fall'' (2002) by

Arthur Miller Arthur Asher Miller (October 17, 1915 – February 10, 2005) was an American playwright, essayist and screenwriter in the 20th-century American theater. Among his most popular plays are '' All My Sons'' (1947), ''Death of a Salesman'' ( ...

* ''Central Avenue'' (2001) by Stephen Sachs * ''

Night of the Iguana ''The Night of the Iguana'' is a stage play written by American author Tennessee Williams. It is based on his 1948 short story. In 1959, Williams staged it as a one-act play, and over the next two years he developed it into a full-length play, pr ...

'' (2000–2001) by

* '' The Darker Face of the Earth'' (2000) by

Rita Dove Rita Frances Dove (born August 28, 1952) is an American poet and essayist. From 1993 to 1995, she served as Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress. She is the first African American to have been appointed since the posit ...

Selected actors

Alan Blumenfeld Alan Blumenfeld (born September 4, 1952) is an American character actor, best known for his role in NBC's TV series ''Heroes'' as Maury Parkman, the telepath father of Matt Parkman played by Greg Grunberg, and as Bob Buss in the telefilm ''2g ...

Seamus Dever Seamus Patrick Dever (born July 27, 1976) is an American actor known for his role as Detective Kevin Ryan in the ABC series ''Castle''. Early life Dever was born in Flint, Michigan, and moved at the age of six to Bullhead City, Arizona, ...

Cameron Dye Cameron Dye (born April 9, 1959) is an American actor and singer. He played "Fred" in the movie ''Valley Girl'' (1983), and also had roles in ''The Last Starfighter'' (1984), ''National Lampoon's Joy of Sex'' (1984), '' Body Rock'' (1984), ''Frat ...

Bob Hiltermann Bob Hiltermann is a German-born deaf actor and drummer for Beethoven's Nightmare. He appeared in the film '' Children of a Lesser God'' and portrays Walter Novak on the television drama ''All My Children ''All My Children'' (often shortened ...

* Adam Huss *

Juanita Jennings Juanita Jennings (born September 12, 1952) is an American actress, known for her roles on television. Career Jennings won the 1994 CableACE Award for Supporting Actress in a Movie or Miniseries for her role in '' Laurel Avenue''. She guest-starre ...

Karen Kondazian Karen Kondazian (born January 27, 1950) is an American actress and author. She is a recipient of the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award's Best Actress award and is a four-time Drama-Logue Awards winner. She had a regular starring role in '' ...

Troy Kotsur Troy Michael Kotsur (; born July 24, 1968) is an American actor in theater, film, and television. His supporting role in the film ''CODA'' (2021) earned him a number of accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Scr ...

Sandy Martin Sandy Martin is an American actress, playwright, director, and producer. She is best known for her roles in the film ''Napoleon Dynamite'' and the TV series ''Big Love'', ''It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia'', and ''Ray Donovan''. Career Martin ...

Tracy Middendorf Tracy Lynn Middendorf (born January 26, 1970) is an American television, movie, and stage actress. Middendorf's most notable roles were in the horror film ''Wes Craven's New Nightmare'', the MTV series '' Scream'', and the HBO series ''Boardwalk ...

Iona Morris Iona Morris is an American actress. She has performed in numerous films and television shows, including extensive voice work in animation. Early life Iona was born in Columbus, Ohio, and is the daughter of late actor Greg Morris (1933–1996) ...

Jenny O'Hara Patricia Joanne "Jenny" O'Hara (born February 24, 1942) is an American film, television, and stage actress. She is best known for Dixie in ''My Sister Sam'' (1986–1988), Janet Heffernan in ''The King of Queens'' (2001–2007), and Nita in ''B ...

* Lisa Pelikan *

Tonya Pinkins Tonya Pinkins (born May 30, 1962) is an American actress and filmmaker. Her award-winning debut feature film ''RED PILL'' was an official selection at the 2021 Pan African Film Festival, won the Best Black Lives Matter Feature and Best First Fea ...

Larry Poindexter Larry Poindexter (born December 16, 1959) is an American actor and singer. Early life Poindexter was born in Dallas, Texas on December 16, 1959. Career He may be best-known for his role in 2003's '' S.W.A.T.'', in which he played by-the-book L ...

Priscilla Pointer Priscilla Marie Pointer (born May 18, 1924) is an American retired actress. She began her career in the theater in the late 1940's, including productions on Broadway. Later, Pointer moved to Hollywood and making appearances on television in the ...

Maya Lynne Robinson Maya Lynne Robinson is an American actress, writer and producer. She is best known for her portrayal of Geena, D.J. Conner's wife, in the '' Roseanne'' television spin-off ''The Conners'' and the role of Michelle on the CBS series '' The Unicorn. ...

* Jacqueline Schultz *

Esther Scott Esther Scott (April 13, 1953 – February 14, 2020) was an American actress. Early years Scott was born in Flushing, Queens, New York, on April 13, 1953. When she was a child the family moved to Brooklyn, New York. She developed an interest i ...

Malachi Throne Malachi Throne (December 1, 1928 – March 13, 2013) was an American actor, noted for his guest-starring roles on ''Star Trek'', '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'', ''Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea'', ''Lost in Space'', ''Batman'', '' Land ...

Nick Ullett Nicholas Metson Ullett (born 5 March 1941) is a British-born American actor. For a number of years, he was part of a comedy duo with Tony Hendra. Filmography * '' Call of Duty: Finest Hour'' (2004) (VG) (voice) (as Nick Ullet) * ''Yes, Dear'' ( ...

Karen Malina White Karen Malina White is an American film and television actress. She is best known for her roles as Kaneesha Carter in the 1989 drama film '' Lean on Me,'' Charmaine Brown during the two final seasons on ''The Cosby Show'' (1990–1992) and its sp ...

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fountain Theatre, The Theatre in Los Angeles Theatres completed in 1990 Flamenco Flamenco groups