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Event
LOVESWELL - One Night Only Benefit Performance
LOVESWELL is hitting the stage again after a successful 6 week premier earlier this year. This time for one night only as a benefit for a wonderful charitable cause.(See info below)
Written, Performed, and Surfed by Award Winning actor/playwright John Fortson and Directed by One of LAs Most Gifted Performance Directors, Terrie Silverman,...
Loveswell is a hilariously intimate view of a man fighting for his relationship in the first year of having a baby through all the ups and downs of marriage as told through the eyes of a surfer. A story that will leave you"...laughing and crying and very very touched."
ABOUT THE BENEFIT:
ALL PROCEEDS will go to a very special woman who is constantly reaching out to others in her community and throughout Los Angeles by helping them share their stories through teaching creative writing and performance. Thus she has given voice to thousands of people including special workshops for the physically challenged, kids at high risk, and lower income individuals. This woman is my director, Terrie Silverman
Terrie had taken a risk and rescued an older, little chihuahua/terrier dog she named Winston, after John Winston Lennon. She never thought she could care for a dog, but Winston and Terrie quickly became inseperable. Little Winston had become a true companion, happiest by Terrie's side.
Two years and two months later, Terrie had taken Winston to visit a usual stop at their local "on the leash" dog park. While visiting, Winston was severely attacked by a Pit Bull that was "off the leash." The owner of the Pit Bull never stepped forward to help or claim his/her dog. Terrie rushed little Winston to the hospital.
Winston required major surgery. They operated on his spine and hind legs and thought he may never walk again. After two weeks, Winston was allowed to come home, seemingly making a miraculous recovery. But three days later, he passed away. This has been extremely sad for Terrie, but overwhelming as well leaving her with more than $8000 in debt from the hospital bills.
An email was circulated by Terrie's family and friends to all of the many people Terrie has worked with asking if there was anything anyone could do. Terrie has been working with me for the last 6 years helping to develop my writings into one person plays. During that time Terrie herself has directed both of my critically and audience acclaimed plays of the same name, LOVESWELL.
Terrie has changed my life as she has many others through her positive encouragement and gentle guidance. I was happy to offer a night performing my show on her behalf as a way to say thank you for all she has done in my life.
I hope you will join me for this very special night.
WHY CRITICS AND AUDIENCES RAVE FOR LOVESWELL:
"Recommended!!"
"Loveswell is a one-man show about the ups and downs of a modern-day relationship. With the ocean and surfing as the backdrop, Fortson invites us to navigate the wave of love in this terrific portrayal of love and marriage.
Fortson revives people from his past that have impacted his life, but it is his interactions with Christie, the woman he loves, that are at the core of this story. She's his best friend, his lover, but also the one who challenges him and it is this clashing of personalities that make this relationship passionate and entertaining to watch.
It's a great show full of funny monologues and poignant moments that showcase Fortson's versatilitly as an actor. There are hilarious scenes...I recommend this show; Loveswell is a wonderful peek into the complexities of a relationship as experienced by a man. I was moved by its honesty and its depiction of the realities facing people today when trying to make relationships work."
--Elizabeth Lopez, ReviewPlays.com
"Loveswell nearly knocked me out of my seat...laughing and crying and very very touched. The play was wonderful and I'm recommending it to friends." - Marian Silverman
"Awesome! I laughed and cried. Every woman must bring her man, so they can learn how to love a woman! John's acting and writing are pure genius!" - Grace Lewitt
"A comic, zen-like examination of courtship and marriage, John Fortsons Loveswell examines romance through the eyes of a surfer. Fortson is an excellent mimic, capturing the emotional essence of each person... Director Terrie Silverman develops fine pacing that benefits from Fortson's good timing and energy..."
--Tolucan Times
"Loveswell is unquestionably the very best one man show I have ever seen. Its a fiercly brave, beautiful and honest portrayal of true love from the point of view of a hopeless romantic. I found the writing and acting to be incredibly moving and poignant and the parallels between my marriage and the play astounded me. I have a new found appreciation for my husband and I am inspired and awe-stuck by John Fortson's flawless and authentic acting skills". - Katie Mack
"I saw Loveswell days ago - and I can't stop thinking about it! Different parts keep coming up in my mind - it was, truly, an inspriational piece of theater. Thank you!"
-Lynn Jordan, Producer
"I want to go home and give my husband a hug!" - Theatre Goer
"Actor-writer John Fortson possesses that rare combination of vulnerability and humor. A handsome, surfer jock with an innocent heart and an undying love for his tempestuous wife, he glides from hysterical mimicry to heartbreaking revelation in a moment. His show really is like riding an endless wave. You won't realize you've traveled such a distance with him until the lights go out. Bravo!"
-- Susan Isaacs, Actor & Writer-"Angry Conversations With God"
"It was so wonderful seeing Loveswell! - I've sent emails- hope to be sending people. I just thought it was tremendous. John is such a great actor- and a great one to watch. Authentic, generous with us, committed."
- Mim Abbey
"We really enjoyed it. Funny, charming and heartfelt." - Rob Pearlstein, Oscar Nominated Director(Our Time Is Up)
"Loveswell is such a wonderful little discovery to find in the middle of Hollywood. A show with deep heart and soul, and many, many laugh out loud moments. Its billed as being about surfing, and it does honor the sport in such a way that it compels you to want to get out and surf the first chance you have. But mostly it is a deeply touching, and extraordinarily forethcoming lovestory. I have been thinking about Loveswell all day. I just found the show to be SO powerful, and so full of heart and soul and HILARIOUS on top of it all!!!! Both John's writing and performance were pure perfection."
- Tracy Thorpe, actress, Second City Alum
"My husband Adam and I really enjoyed the show. We were completely impressed by John's talent."
- Maria Stanton Chester
"I am stoked on LOVESWELL; a terrific one-man show at the Hudson Theater about love and relationships through the perspective of a surfer/actor. Funny, really well-written, wonderfully acted, poignant and thoroughly entertaining. I highly, HIGHLY recommend it."
- Josh Daugherty, Actor/Producer
"My wife came home after seeing Loveswell and started hugging and loving on me. I told her she could go see Loveswell every night!" - Jonathan Dane
"What a fabulous play and an amazing actor! I am blown away by John's refreshing honesty and openness."
- Lizzie Maxwell, Producer/Director
"Saw it last weekend - it was really fun!" - Sharon Smith Holly
"Smart and funny!" - Mark Fox
"Such an inspiration. What bravery...it was so funny, so moving - incredible work. Thank you!"
- Kurt Haas, Director
"With his perfect surfer body, John enacts the "joyous, exhilirating dance of surfing. Ably directed by Terrie Silverman..."
--Entertainment Today
"Loveswell was incredible. We talked about it on the way home and this morning!" - Janey Eisner
"Loveswell was really awesome, and even though my life is very different, when it comes to loving somebody, it is very much the same. Well done!" - Jeroen Vahrmeijer
I am so relieved to see a man be brave enough to stand on stage and speak the truth. It was such a reinforcement of the amazing human being John is. It was thrilling to watch John leap around and bare his soul. Uncomfortably real and relatable at times... it voiced so many feelings I've had in my relationships. Alicia Hannah
"Really beautiful work..." - Tish Hicks
FANTASTIC!! Such a great show!! We have been going through similar things, so it was so nice to see that we're not the only couple that goes through "stuff" and what a great show it made. John was AWESOME!!
-Angela Schnaible
Our whole family enjoyed the show. A very touching romantic dramedy. -Pat Funare
"I was so touched...What honesty...Incredibly raw and compelling...made me laugh and cry!" - Morgan Mead
"a very good show... rather brave and so true..."
- Max Stefanelli
"A MUST! For anyone in a relationship. Everyone will enjoy the wild ride John takes us on. Filled with romance and laughter and an honest look at the challenges with the battle of the sexes" and the realities of marriage. I recommend this uplifting and insightful experience! John's acting and writing is charming, witty and pure genius! The second time I saw it, it just got better!"
--G. L.
"What John is doing is truly wonderful."
---Ed LaDou
"John Fortson has taken the painful and awkward moments of his marriage and life, and turned them into a story full of hilarity and vulnerability. If he is as he's as graceful onstage as he is on a board, he must be a fantastic surfer. Ms. Silverman's direction has brought out the best of John's emotional and physical life, and she's made great use of sound,lighting and space. Worth the trek!"
--S. I.
"Loveswell is an unexpected delight. Not because I didn't think I'd be entertained, but because John Fortson portrays so vividly--and amusingly-a range of characters--those in his life that he loves best--that I felt I came to know them."
--Mary Fischer (Oprah Magazine)
"It will appeal to anyone who has passion or anyone who is trying to figure out love in their relationship because he embodies all the difficulties, the absurdities and the ironies about his own relationshipintimate, hilarious, thought provoking
--Glendale News-Press
"...truly impressive.."
"John Fortson's solo-performance play "Loveswell" explores a surfer's struggle to balance the demands of his marriage with his love for waves, but what is truly impressive about the play is how honestly and bravely he addresses this material. The typical stereotypes we associate both with surfers and with marriages are thrown out the window. Instead, Fortson insists on 100% authenticity in his approach. The result is an experience that raises all sorts of important questions about love, and even gives us a glimpse of the possibilities Mother Nature offers us in our search for a meaningful life."
--Scott Grusky, SunsetSurf.com
"Loveswell, a solid 10..."
"On my own scale of 1 - 10 based upon my own enjoyment, Loveswell was a solid 10. My wife and I have spoken about it since and I still think of moments in it. I loved the multi-dimensional approach you took jumping across feelings, characters, scenes, time, space, etc. I related with, and even learned from, your play, particularly about love, marriage, and the perfect surfer metaphor's application to marriage. I squarely related with the parental issues, the disappointments, and the way you captured it all. It was excellent and funny."
--Robert Sainberg, Theatre Attendee
"John's work is what any woman wants to hear; a man thinking about and struggling with - that is, how can I be the best man I can be and yet also be "her" man, for her? Your work is sensitive, moving, deep, and beautifully written. You have patience and poetry in your voice. There is also a determination to really figure out the truth, morally and ethically. Your search for identity, both as a man and as a married man, is rigorously honest."
-Writer/Actress Marni Pomerantz
"John's performance was engaging, refreshing and earnest. The writing was clean, honest and unflinching. The show paints a singular portrait of a man's struggle to define himself within his relationship to his wife admidst the confusing and chaotic shifting of our cultural tides. John's sincerity and thoughtfulness was touching and inspiring. In the end, he gave me a lot of hope for the men in this town!"
-Wendy Passmore,Theatre Attendee
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LocationThe Zephyr Theatre
7456 Melrose Ave.
West Hollywood, CA 90046
United States
Categories
| Minimum Age: 16 |
| Kid Friendly: No |
| Dog Friendly: No |
| Non-Smoking: No |
| Wheelchair Accessible: No |
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