The Fountain Theatre ignites its stage with the West Coast premiere of “Poetry for the People: The June Jordan Experience,” a theatrical celebration of one of America’s most fearless writers and human rights activists.
Written by Fountain Theatre artistic director Raymond O. Caldwell and composer Adrienne Torf, who was Jordan’s longtime collaborator and life partner, this award-winning production began last weekend and runs through March 29 with Caldwell directing. Three preview performances are set for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
Described as “part performance, part concert, part revolution,” the production weaves together Jordan’s poetry with live music and dance “to illuminate the life and legacy of a woman who believed that poetry is a political act,” according to organizers. Six performers — America Covarrubias, Naseem Etemad, Kita Grayson, Mackenzie Mondag, Savannah Schoenecker and Janet Song — bring Jordan’s words to life, accompanied by Torf on piano.
The production also draws from Jordan’s collaboration with composer John Adams. She was the lyricist for his opera about the 1994 Northridge earthquake and features renditions by Sweet Honey in the Rock, the a cappella ensemble that set Jordan’s poems to song.
“June reminds us that love must be at the center of every revolution,” Caldwell said. “In today’s fractured political climate, her voice is more urgent than ever. We’re not just staging her work — we’re channeling her joy, her rage and her uncompromising vision.”
Jordan was born in Harlem in 1936 and challenged boundaries as a poet, essayist, teacher and activist. “Fiercely committed to civil rights, women’s rights, LGBTQ+ visibility and freedom from oppression in all its forms,” she wrote 27 volumes across genres and contributed articles to The Progressive, The Village Voice, The New York Times, Ms. Essence and The Nation.
“With language that embraced both the lyrical and the vernacular, Jordan insisted that poetry belong to the people,” according to play organizers.
In 2019, she was inducted onto the National LGBTQ Wall of Honor in the Stonewall National Monument.
Jordan died from breast cancer in 2002.
Caldwell and Torf, who was Jordan’s artistic collaborator for 19 years until her passing in 2002, worked together to develop the show from artifacts, writings, testimonials, songs and other historical sources.
“This work carries all of whom June was, capturing not just her artistry but her presence,” Torf said. “It allows audiences to feel like they’ve spent an evening with her — inspired, challenged, and embraced.”
The production originally premiered in the nation’s capital, where it was the recipient of the 2023 Helen Hayes Charles MacArthur Award for Outstanding New Play.
Jordan once declared: “Poetry is a political act because it involves telling the truth.”
Fountain Theatre organizers said the stage production invites LA-area audiences into Jordan’s revolutionary truth — and the dialogue she sparked that continues.
“Poetry for the People: The June Jordan Experience” opens Saturday at 8 p.m., with performances thereafter on Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. through March 29, organizers said. No performances will take place Feb. 2 and Feb. 23.
Three preview performances are set this week for 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Community Conversations, unique post-performance engagement opportunities for audiences including poetry writing workshops, take place every Friday. The performance on Friday, Feb. 13 is Black Out Affinity Night, which organizers said “is an opportunity for an audience self-identifying as Black to experience the performance together in a safe and inclusive space.”
Ticket prices are $16.50 to $49.50. The Fountain Theatre is at 5060 Fountain Ave. in East Hollywood. Attendees may go upstairs to relax before and after the show at a cafe, organizers said.
Reservations and information are available via 323-663–1525 or FountainTheatre.com.
