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 "Jason Alexander masterfully directs a brilliant cast in Steven Levenson's IF I FORGET. It's worth the price of admission to see these very talented actors at work. Don't miss this one. GO!" - Performing Arts LIVE
Jason Alexander directs the Los Angeles premiere of Steven Levenson’s funny, powerful ‘If I Forget’ at the Fountain Theatre.
The Fountain Theatre presents a deeply personal play about history, responsibility, and what we’re willing to sacrifice for a new beginning. Tony Award-winning actor Jason Alexander, widely known from TV’s Seinfeld, directs the Los Angeles premiere of If I Forget by Steven Levenson, running July 23 through September 10 on the Fountain’s indoor stage. Previews begin July 20.
Levenson, the Tony Award-winning book writer of Dear Evan Hanson, drew from conversations with his own family to write this play that explores the lasting impact of the Holocaust on a Jewish family at the beginning of the 21st century. Set in the years following the dissolution of the Oslo Peace Accords between Israel and Palestine, If I Forget is a funny, powerful tale about a family—and a culture—at odds with itself.
“Inevitably, one of the first targets of any authoritarian regime is history itself—what we remember, how we remember, why we remember,” Levenson said in an interview. “The past is never neutral and history is never settled. This play doesn’t attempt to offer any answers, but I hope, in its own small way, it can help to articulate why it is so vital that we continue to ask difficult questions, to grapple with painful, uncomfortable subjects.”
“I am grateful to be able to direct a play as complex and funny and beautiful as this one,” says Alexander. “The questions it asks are so relevant to much of what we are grappling with as a society today.”
Leo Marks, recently seen in This Wonderful Life at Rogue Machine, stars as Michael Fischer, a professor of Jewish studies up for tenure at a prestigious New York university. Michael and his wife Ellen, played by Síle Bermingham (The Ruffian on the Stair at the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center), are in Washington D.C. for a family reunion to celebrate his recently widowed father’s 75th birthday. There we also meet Michael’s sisters Holly (Valerie Perri, who portrayed Emma Goldman in Ragtime at the Pasadena Playhouse) and Sharon (Samantha Klein, seen in The Last Schwartz at West Coast Jewish Theatre) Holly’s husband, Howard (Jerry Weil, a longtime member of Neo Ensemble Theatre) and her son, Joey (Jacob Zelonky, national Broadway tour of Billy Elliot the Musical). Recently widowed family patriarch Lou Fischer is played by Matt Gottlieb, previously seen at the Fountain in The Normal Heart.
With each family member committed to their own version of family history, the siblings clash over everything from Michael’s controversial book to whether they should sell the family business.
“If I Forget opens up a rich dialogue about memory, aging, the Holocaust, Zionism and freedom of expression,” says Rabbi Daniel Bouskila, who acts as a consultant on the production. “Ever relevant and meaningful for today, it will leave audiences talking long after the curtain falls.”
If I Forget premiered on Broadway at the Roundabout Theatre Company in 2017 and is a recipient of an Edgerton Foundation New Play Award. In its “Critic’s Pick” review, The New York Times called it “intellectually rigorous… speaks to both the head and the heart.” DC Metro proclaimed it “One of the greatest Jewish plays of this century.”
If I Forget runs July 23 through September 10, with performances on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. Sundays at 2 p.m. and Mondays at 8 p.m. (dark Saturday, Aug. 13 Sunday, Aug. 14 Monday, July 24 Monday, Sept. 5). Three preview performances will take place on Wednesday, July 20 Thursday, July 21 and Friday, July 22, 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) all previews are Pay-What-You-Want. 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.
Call the theater or check the website prior to each performance to find up-to-date Covid-19 protocols.
For reservations and information, call (323) 663-1525 or go to www.FountainTheatre.com
Presenter / Producer: The Fountain Theatre
Listed Categories
Theater > Drama
Theater > Theatrical Comedy
Event Phone: 323-663-1525
Venue
The Fountain Theatre
5060 Fountain Ave
Los Angeles CA 90029
Regions:
LA - Hollywood / Westside
Performance Dates: 7/22/2022 - 9/10/2022
Friday, 07/22/2022
Saturday, 07/23/2022
Sunday, 07/24/2022
Monday, 07/25/2022
Friday, 07/29/2022
Saturday, 07/30/2022
Sunday, 07/31/2022
Monday, 08/01/2022
Friday, 08/05/2022
Saturday, 08/06/2022
Sunday, 08/07/2022
Monday, 08/08/2022
Friday, 08/12/2022
Saturday, 08/13/2022
Sunday, 08/14/2022
Monday, 08/15/2022
Friday, 08/19/2022
Saturday, 08/20/2022
Sunday, 08/21/2022
Monday, 08/22/2022
Friday, 08/26/2022
Saturday, 08/27/2022
Sunday, 08/28/2022
Monday, 08/29/2022
Friday, 09/02/2022
Saturday, 09/03/2022
Sunday, 09/04/2022
Monday, 09/05/2022
Friday, 09/09/2022
Saturday, 09/10/2022
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Performance Times
• Fridays at 8 p.m.
• Saturdays at 8 p.m.
• Sundays at 2 p.m.
• Mondays at 8 p.m.
Ticket Information:
$25-$45
Pay-What-You-Want on Monday nights
Web Link for ticketing
Websites:
Event Information
Social Media or other Links:
www.facebook.com/TheFountainTheatre
https://twitter.com/fountaintheatre
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