The Fountain Theatre has extended the Los Angeles premiere of Tarell Alvin McCraney's lusciously theatrical and boldly original In the Red and Brown Water through the end of February, in honor of Black History Month. Performances will continue through December 16 as previously scheduled, then resume on January 5 for an additional eight weeks through February 24.
Lyrically weaving together elements of urban contemporary realism with West African mysticism,
In the Red and Brown Water tells the tale of Oya, who can run faster than anyone-but not fast enough to escape her destiny. Her journey from the promise of youth to the complicated yearnings of womanhood is joyous, raucous, raw and brazenly beautiful.
The Fountain production has been declared "100% Sweet" by
Bitter Lemons, a website that aggregates Los Angeles theater reviews, and which, in a rare editorial comment, writes, "Once again, the Fountain Theatre shows that they are the class of Los Angeles theater, big or small… this is simply what theater is meant to be." The
Los Angeles Times raves, "CRITIC'S CHOICE! Beyond the fact that it is sensational, the Fountain Theatre's production of 'In the Red and Brown Water'… introduces Los Angeles audiences to a dramatic poet in the process of discovering his singular voice and shows how magnificently one of L.A.'s better small theaters can serve bold new talent." The
LA Weekly agrees, "GO! A visceral fable that rises up from the underbelly of America," and
Back Stage calls
In the Red and Brown Water "a production that explodes in sounds, images, and extraordinary performances."
It took the Fountain three years to obtain rights to produce McCraney's play, which first exploded on the theater scene with a production at New York's Public Theatre in 2009. On his personal Facebook page,
Los Angeles Times Theater Critic Charles McNulty posts, "I love [the Fountain Theatre] production -- even more than the one at
The Public Theater. LA Theater is not to be underestimated!"
In the Red and Brown Water is helmed by multiple award-winning director
Shirley Jo Finney. Diarra Kilpatrick stars as Oya in "a lead performance that is so good you wonder if somehow the designers may have concocted some kind of CGI image in front of your eyes instead of a living breathing human being; her movement, range of emotion and depth of passion is so indescribable that it will literally take your breath away." (
Colin Mitchell,
Bitter Lemons). The ensemble also includes Dorian Christian Baucum, Peggy A. Blow,
Gilbert Glenn Brown, Justin Chu Cary,
Stephen Marshall, Simone Missick,
Iona Morris,
Theodore Perkins and Maya Lynne Robinson.
Performances of
In the Red and Brown Water continue through February 24 on Thursdays (through December 13 only), Fridays and Saturdays @ 8 pm and Sundays @ 2 pm (dark December 17 through January 4). Tickets are $30 on Thursdays and Fridays and $34 on Saturdays and Sundays through December 16 only; beginning January 5, all tickets will be $34 except students with ID, which are $20and seniors which are $25 at Thursday (through December 13) and Friday (through February 22) performances only. The Fountain Theatre is located at 5060 Fountain Avenue (at Normandie) in Los Angeles. Secure, on-site parking is available for $5.00. The Fountain Theatre is air-conditioned and wheelchair accessible. For reservations and information, call
(323) 663-1525 or go to
www.FountainTheatre.com.
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