Richard Montoya and Roger Guenveur Smith to Chat 'American Venice' at the Douglas

Award-winning Los Angeles writer-performers Richard Montoya ("Chavez Ravine" and "Water & Power") and Roger Guenveur Smith ("Rodney King" and "The Watts Tower Project") will take part in a DouglasPlus: Conversations event, "Excavating Venice of America," on Wednesday, June 1 at 8 p.m., at Center Theatre Group's Kirk Douglas Theatre.

Montoya and Smith will be joined by three guest speakers to discuss the iconic Southern California community of Venice in conjunction with the artists' new work-in-progress, tentatively titled "American Venice."

The speakers include Alison Rose Jefferson, Ph.D., a historian and heritage conservation consultant; Josh Kun, an associate professor of communications and journalism and author of the book "To Live and Dine in L.A."; and George Pryce, a third-generation Venetian who is a distinguished founder of the pioneering journal "Modern Black Men" and former head of publicity for Death Row Records. CTG's Associate Artistic Director Diane Rodriguez will be the evening's moderator.

Together with these speakers, Montoya and Smith will share surprising, epic -- and true -- stories of L.A.'s shared, and often contested, history. Topics will include Jim Crow laws, California dreaming, contemporary art, leisure and amusement, rock 'n' roll, gangland warfare, wildcat oil greed, urban decay and religion.

Audiences will get a glimpse into the creative process of two great theatre artists/anthropologists as they do the research to help create their new play. Montoya and Smith will also read excerpts from the piece.

Tickets for DouglasPlus: Conversations - "Excavating Venice of America" can be reserved for a $5 fee (per ticket) online at www.CenterTheatreGroup.org or by calling CTG Audience Services at (213) 628-2772, or free of charge in person at the Center Theatre Group box office (at the Ahmanson Theatre at the Music Center in Downtown Los Angeles) or at the Kirk Douglas Theatre box office two hours prior to the event. There will be a reception in the theatre's lobby following the discussion.

The Kirk Douglas Theatre is located at 9820 Washington Blvd. in Culver City, CA 90232. Ample free parking and restaurants are adjacent.

Photo by Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging