'Confederates'

Musta’ been all that freedom talk. Fountain Theatre artistic director Raymond O. Caldwell directs the Southern California premiere of Confederates, a smart, funny and moving comedy-drama by Tony Award-nominated playwright and MacArthur “Genius Grant” recipient Dominique Morisseau. Performances run October 30 through December 13 at the Fountain Theatre, with two previews on October 28 and 29. Tickets are on sale now at FountainTheatre.com.

Fiercely funny and fearless, Confederates is a provocative examination of American institutions and Black womanhood. I

Sara is an enslaved woman who becomes a Union spy during the Civil War. Sandra is a tenured political science professor at a prestigious university in the year 2026. Their lives might be separated by more than 150 years, but the forces they navigate around race, gender, power and institutional betrayal prove disturbingly similar.

Moving between past and present with biting humor and theatrical ingenuity, Morisseau connects these two women across generations as each must decide whom she can trust, what she is willing to risk, and how to take control of her own story.

Confederates opens Friday, Oct. 30, at 8 p.m., with performances on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. through Dec. 13. (No performances on Thursday, Nov. 26 or Friday, Nov. 27). There will be three additional performances on Monday evenings at 8 p.m. on November 16, 23 and 30. Preview performances take place at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28 and Thursday, Oct. 29.

Community Conversations, unique opportunities for audiences to explore themes from the play, will take place after Friday evening performances. Friday, Nov. 13, is “Black Out Affinity Night,” an opportunity for an audience self-identifying as Black to experience the performance together. (Non-Black-identifying patrons are encouraged to select a different performance.) A day-long Black Wellness Summit featuring Black wellness leaders and organizations will take place on Saturday, Nov. 14.

Ticket prices range from $5 to $75. The Fountain Theatre is located at 5060 Fountain Avenue (at Normandie) in Los Angeles. Patrons are invited to relax before and after the show in the Fountain Theatre Café, which will feature wines from Brown Estate, a Black-owned Napa Valley winery, throughout the run.

For reservations and information, call (323) 663-1525 or go to FountainTheatre.com.