Fountain Theatre's CITIZEN: AN AMERICAN LYRIC to be Presented as Part of Grand Performances

The Fountain Theatre's critically acclaimed, award-winning stage adaptation of Claudia Rankine's Citizen: An American Lyric has joined this summer's Grand Performances line-up. Two free, outdoor performances are set to take place on Friday, Sept. 9 and Saturday, Sept. 10 at California Plaza in Downtown Los Angeles.

Citizen was adapted for the stage by acclaimed playwright and Fountain artistic director Stephen Sachs from Rankine's National Book Critics Circle award-winning book of poetry. In this intensely provocative and unapologetic rumination on racial aggression, seemingly everyday acts of racism are scrutinized as part of an uncompromising testimony of "living while Black" in America - from the shooting of Trayvon Martin, to the tennis career of Serena Williams to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

In his "Critic's Choice" review of the Fountain production, Los Angeles Times theater critic Charles McNulty wrote, "Claudia Rankine's powerful writings about the trauma of racism make for a staging and message that resonate," while Stage Raw critic Myron Meisel called it "a transcendent theatrical experience." The original Fountain production received the 2016 Stage Raw Award for "Best Adaptation" and was remounted by Center Theatre Group at the Kirk Douglas Theatre as part of its 2017 Block Party celebration of intimate theater in Los Angeles.

Original cast members Bernard K. Addision, Leith Burke, Tony Maggio and Lisa Pescia will be joined by Monnae Michaell and Adenrele Ojo. The creative team includes video designer Yee Eun Nam, lighting designer Alison Brummer and sound designer Peter Bayne; the production stage manager is Chloe Willey.

Grand Performances' mission is to inspire community, celebrate diversity, and unite Los Angeles through free access to global performing arts. All events are free, outdoors, all ages and open to the public.

Performances of Citizen: An American Lyric take place on Friday, Sept. 9 at 8 p.m. and Saturday, Sept. 10 at 8 p.m. California Plaza is located at 350 S Grand Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90071 in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles, next to the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), The Broad and Walt Disney Concert Hall.

For more information, go to grandperformances.org