POETRY FOR THE PEOPLE: THE JUNE JORDAN EXPERIENCE is Coming to Fountain Theatre

The Fountain Theatre will present the West Coast premiere of Poetry for the People: The June Jordan Experience, a bold, joyous theatrical celebration of one of America’s most fearless writers and human rights activists. Devised 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 runs January 31 through March 29 with Caldwell at the helm. Three preview performances are set for January 27, 28 and 29.

Part performance, part concert, part revolution, Poetry for the People weaves together Jordan’s electric poetry with live music and movement to illuminate the life and legacy of a woman who believed that poetry is a political act. Six dynamic performers (America Covarrubias, Naseem Etemad, Kita Grayson, Mackenzie Mondag, Savannah Schoenecker and Janet Song) bring Jordan’s searing, joyful words to life, joined 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, I Was Looking at the Ceiling and Then I Saw the Sky) and features soaring renditions by Sweet Honey in the Rock, the iconic a cappella ensemble that set Jordan’s poems to song.

“June reminds us that love must be at the center of every revolution,” says Caldwell. “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.”

Born in Harlem in 1936, Jordan shattered 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 authored 27 volumes across genres and contributed 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. In 2019, her legacy was honored with induction on the National LGBTQ Wall of Honor within the Stonewall National Monument. She 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 more.

“This work carries all of whom June was, capturing not just her artistry but her presence,” says Torf. “It allows audiences to feel like they’ve spent an evening with her—inspired, challenged, and embraced.”

The production originally premiered in Washington, DC, 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.” With this thrilling stage experience, the Fountain invites Los Angeles audiences into Jordan’s revolutionary truth—and the dialogue she sparked that still burns today.

Poetry for the People: The June Jordan Experience opens on Saturday, Jan. 31 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 (dark Monday, Feb. 2 and Monday, Feb. 23). Three preview performances take place at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 27; Wednesday, Jan. 28; and Thursday, Jan. 29. 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, an opportunity for an audience self-identifying as Black to experience the performance together in a safe and inclusive space.

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