Have you heard of a poet named June Jordan? I had not, but I have long understood the intensity of the civil rights era. And that’s all I needed to immerse myself in Poetry for the People: The June Jordan Experience at the Fountain Theatre. In a unique documentary format, Jordan’s formidable career unspools with newsreels, poetry written by you and me, as well as the musicality of her poetry brought forth by her long-time collaborator and partner, Adrienne Torf. All this is woven into a seamless narrative assembled by Torf and Raymond O. Caldwell, who also directs. The result is not only enlightening, but enriching. Under Caldwell’s guidance, six skilled performers, America Covarrubias, Naseem Etemad, Kita Grayson, Mackenzie Mondag, Savannah Schoenecker andJanet Song bring June Jordan’s poetry to life.
Jordan grew up in the Bed-Sty neighborhood of New York City, the daughter of a postalworker who made sure he taught his precocious child how to read as soon as he could. June’s formative years encompass the emerging civil rights movement, all while she was developing her poetic voice in her march through the educational system, and finally, her tenure at Cal-Berkeley. At times influenced by the “beats,” and others by gospel notes, Jordan’s poetic voice grew creatively throughout her life.
As with any documentary, many hands combine to make it a seamless experience. The notable video projections by media designer Deja Collins pop in the midst of scenic designer Matt McCarron’s backgrounds, while costumer Wendell Carmichael’s functional garb transcends time periods. By far the most intricate aspect is the music, accomplished by sound designer Andrea Allmond blending previous orchestrations with Adrienne Toft’s compositions.
Can you tell how impressed I was to finally learn about such an artistic giant? I’ll leave the actual music and poetry to your ears as you travel from the 50s to 20th century’s end. And I hope your own poetry that you create, demonstrating Jordan’s innovative “Poetry for the People” process in several artful interludes, will inspire you even more!
At press time it was announced that on Tuesday, February 24, the production will travel to Berkeley for a performance at The Freight in collaboration with UC Berkeley; another chance to experience Jordan’s groundbreaking “Poetry for the People” program.
Poetry for the People continues Fridays, Saturdays, and Mondays at 8PM and Sunday at 2PM through March 29th, at the Fountain Theatre, 5060 Fountain Ave. in Los Angeles; To choose your seats and to “Name Your Price,” The Fountain Theatre’s unique “living ticket,” visit fountaintheatre.com.
