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Tony-nominated ‘The Children’ by Lucy Kirkwood
asks big questions in L.A. premiere at Fountain Theatre
LOS ANGELES (UPDATED Nov. 24, 2021) — What is our responsibility to the future? What legacy do we want to leave? The Los Angeles premiere of The Children, written by Lucy Kirkwood and directed by Simon Levy, asks those questions and more in its Los Angeles premiere at the Fountain Theatre. Performances begin on the Fountain’s indoor stage (with all health and safety guidelines strictly adhered to) on Saturday, Nov. 6. The run continues through Jan. 23.
Kirkwood’s funny and astonishing Tony-nominated play is a taut and disquieting thriller about responsibility, reparation and what one generation owes the next. With the outside world in chaos following a devastating environmental disaster, two retired nuclear engineers live a quiet life in a remote cottage on the lonely British coast — until a surprise visit from a former colleague upends the couple’s equilibrium and trust.
The cast includes Ron Bottitta (Hir, Faith Healer, Arsenic and Old Lace, The Arsonists at the Odyssey Theatre; Superior Donuts, Yes, Prime Minister at the Geffen; Oppenheimer, Honky, Razorback at Rogue Machine Theatre, where he also hosts the company’s Rant and Rave spoken word series); Elizabeth Elias Huffman (artistic director of Chain Reaction Theatre in Pittsburgh, most recently seen on stage in The Oldest Profession by Paula Vogel at Portland’s Profile Theatre); and Lily Knight (Ovation, LADCC and Stage Raw award nominee for A Small Fire at the Echo Theater Company; A Delicate Balance at the Odyssey; Three Days in the Country, The Crucible, Peace in Our Time, The Autumn Garden at Antaeus, where she is a member).
“What I love about the play,” says Levy, “is that it tackles these enormously important contemporary issues about our responsibility to the planet, to each other, to future generations, and grounds them in funny, complex, identifiable characters grappling with a moral dilemma that, quite frankly, all of us are confronting, right now, in real time.”
“The nuclear disaster the town is struggling to survive could be anything — it could be COVID, or climate change,” says Fountain artistic director Stephen Sachs. “The moral dilemma is: what world are we leaving to our children?”
The Children premiered at the Royal Court Theatre in London in 2016, then transferred to the Manhattan Theatre Club on Broadway the following year. In 2019, The Guardian placed The Children on its list of “greatest theatrical works since 2000.” London’s The Independent called millennial playwright Kirkwood “the most rewarding dramatist of her generation.”
The Fountain creative team includes scenic designer Andrew G. Hammer; lighting designer Christian V. Mejia; sound designer Marc Antonio Pritchett; costume designer Naila Aladdin Sanders; choreographer Annie Yee; and dialect coach Nike Doukas. The production stage manager is Gina DeLuca. Stephen Sachs and James Bennett produce for the Fountain Theatre. Producing underwriters include Sheila and Alan Lamson, and Carrie Chassin and Jochen Haber. The executive producer is Karen Kondazian.
Founded in 1990 by artistic director Stephen Sachs and Deborah Culver, the Fountain Theatre has won hundreds of awards for all areas of production, performance and design, and provides an essential voice for the citizens of Los Angeles. Dedicated to community, the Fountain produces outstanding theater that challenges thinking and shines an artistic light on the many under-represented voices and cultures within Los Angeles. Eric Garcetti joined with the Los Angeles City Council to commend the Fountain for “achieving a position of leadership in the Los Angeles theatre community… producing meaningful new plays of social and political importance that enrich the lives of the citizens of Los Angeles.”
Performances of The Children take place Nov. 6 through Jan 23 on Fridays at 8 p.m.; Saturdays at 8 p.m.; Sundays at 2 p.m.; and Mondays at 8 p.m. (dark Dec. 20 through Jan. 7; no Friday performances in January). Three preview performances will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 3; Thursday, Nov. 4; and Friday, Nov. 5, all at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $25–$45; Pay-What-You-Want seating is available every Monday night in addition to regular seating (subject to availability). The Fountain Theatre is located at 5060 Fountain Avenue (at Normandie) in Los Angeles. Secure, on-site parking is available for $5. The Fountain Theatre is air-conditioned and wheelchair accessible. Patrons are invited to relax before and after the show at the Fountain’s indoor/outdoor café.
Proof of vaccination and mask-wearing will be required of all patrons. Admittance limited to ages 12+. All current CDC and local guidelines regarding seating and masks will be followed at each performance.
For reservations and information, call (323) 663-1525 or go to www.FountainTheatre.com.
Details for Calendar Listings
‘The Children’
WHAT:
The Los Angeles premiere of Lucy Kirkwood’s funny and astonishing Tony-nominated The Children is a taut and disquieting thriller about responsibility, reparation and what one generation owes the next. With the outside world in utter chaos following a devastating environmental disaster, two retired nuclear engineers live a quiet life in a remote cottage on the lonely British coast — until a surprise visit from a former colleague upends the couple’s equilibrium and trust.
WHO:
• Written by Lucy Kirkwood
• Directed by Simon Levy
• Starring Ron Bottitta, Elizabeth Elias Huffman, Lily Knight
• Presented by The Fountain Theatre
WHEN:
Previews: Nov. 3, Nov. 4, Nov. 5
Performances: Nov. 6, 2021 – Jan. 23, 2022 (dark Dec. 20 – Jan. 7)
• Wednesday at 8 p.m.: Nov. 3 ONLY (preview),
• Thursday at 8 p.m.: Nov. 4 ONLY (preview),
• Fridays at 8 p.m.: Nov. 5 (preview), 12, 19, 26; Dec. 3, 10, 17; (dark Dec. 24, Dec. 31, Jan. 7, 14, 21)
• Saturdays at 8 p.m.: Nov. 6 (Opening Night), 13, 20, 27; Dec. 4, 11, 18; Jan. 8, 15, 22 (dark Dec. 25, Jan. 1)
• Sundays at 2 p.m.: Nov. 7, 14, 21, 28; Dec. 5, 12, 19, Jan. 9, 16, 23 (dark Dec. 26, Jan. 2)
• Mondays at 8 p.m.: Nov. 15, 22, 29; Dec. 6, 13, Jan. 10, 24 (dark Nov. 8, Dec. 20, Dec. 27, Jan. 3, Jan. 17)
WHERE:
The Fountain Theatre
5060 Fountain Ave.
Los Angeles CA 90029
(Fountain at Normandie)
HOW:
(323) 663-1525 or www.FountainTheatre.com
• Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheFountainTheatre
• Follow us on Twitter: @fountaintheatre
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/fountaintheatre/
TICKET PRICES:
• $25 – $45
• Pay-What-You-Want seating is available every Monday night in addition to regular seating (subject to availability).
PARKING:
Secure, on-site parking: $5
OTHER:
• Performed on the Fountain Theatre’s indoor stage
• Proof of vaccination will be required of all patrons.
• Admittance limited to ages 12+.
• All current CDC and local guidelines regarding seating and masks will be followed at each performance.
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