BIDDY MASON Comes to Inner-City Arts This Month

The Fountain Theatre’s “Fountain for Youth” arts education wing joins forces with Inner-City Arts, The Autry Museum of the American West and CounterBalance Theater to present Biddy Mason, a theatrical blend of video projection, music, song, movement and dramatic storytelling that brings the powerful and inspiring true story of an extraordinary Los Angeles citizen to life. Ten student performances take place May 20 through May 24 followed by two public performances for adults on May 31 and June 1. All performances take place at the Rosenthal Theatre, located atInner-City Arts in downtown Los Angeles.

Based on a short story by Dana Johnson and adapted and directed by Annie Loui, Biddy Mason dramatizes theremarkable, little-known story of Bridget “Biddy” Mason who, born enslaved, went on to become one of the first prominent citizens and landowners in Los Angeles. After marching 1700 miles on foot alongside her owner’s wagon train from Mississippi to California, Mason petitioned for and won her freedom in court. Saving the money she earned as a midwife and nurse, she transformed herself into a successful businesswoman and philanthropist who built schools, fed the poor, and helped launch the First AME Church.

“Biddy Mason’s life unfolds from enslavement to entrepreneurship, inspiring audiences young and old,” says Loui. “Her tale must be told — particularly to inner-city young people, who feel empowered watching an exceptional woman of color rise from hopelessness and poverty to become a leading citizen of Los Angeles. This production will be the first live, professional performance of a theatrical work for many inner-city students. They will remember this experience all their lives.”

Founded in 1989, Inner-City Arts brings the benefits of a safe, creative environment to children in downtown neighborhoods, engaging young people in the creative process in order to shape a society of creative, confident and collaborative individuals. Believing the arts and creativity are transformational, Inner-City Arts envisions a society that honors the human capacity for creativity and values its cultivation in the education of young people. 

The Fountain Theatre’s Fountain for Youth arts education umbrella also includes Fountain Voices, providing students in under-served schools with the opportunity to tell their own stories while engaging with each other through acting games and writing exercises, and Walking the Beat, a groundbreaking community-building program that sees cops and kids working together to create theater.

The Autry Museum of the American West brings together the stories of all peoples of the American West, connecting the past with the present to inspire our shared future. The Autry presents a wide range of events and public programs including lectures, films, theater performances, festivals and family activities. The Autry’s collection of more than 600,000 pieces of art and cultural objects includes one of the largest and most significant of Native American materials in the United States 

CounterBalance Theater is a movement-based theater company located on the campus of UC Irvine that constructs physical theater based on great literature. It celebrates the timelessness of the classics by re-telling stories viscerally for a contemporary audience.

Ten student performances of Biddy Mason will take place May 20 through May 24. Two public performances will take place on Friday, May 31 and Saturday, June 1, each at 8 p.m. Tickets to public performances are $20. The Rosenthal Theatre at Inner-City Arts is located at 720 Kohler St.  Los Angeles, CA 90021. Parking is free in the lot across the street from the theater, and there is ample street parking. For more information and to purchase tickets, call (213) 627-9621 or go to inner-cityarts.org/biddymason.

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