About Stephen Sachs
"One of the great citizens and artists in our city."
Stephen Sachs is an award-winning playwright, director, producer, and Artistic Director of the Fountain Theatre in Los Angeles, which he co-founded in 1990. He is the author of eighteen plays produced across the country, Off-Broadway, on London's West End, and worldwide. His acclaimed 2024 docudrama, Fatherland, enjoyed a 5-month run at the Fountain, and opens Off-Broadway at Manhattan Theatre Club (City Center) in September 2024. His comedy/drama Bakersfield Mist ran for seven months at the Fountain, then in London, starring Kathleen Turner. It is produced in regional theaters across the United States, translated into several languages, and performed worldwide. He wrote the screenplay for the film version of his play Sweet Nothing in My Ear for CBS, starring Marlee Matlin and Jeff Daniels. He has directed dozens of award-winning productions at the Fountain, in regional theaters, Off-Broadway, and the U.K. He directed the inaugural production of the Outdoor Classical Theater at the Getty Villa in Malibu and several premieres of new plays by Athol Fugard in Los Angeles and New York. Sachs was instrumental in launching Deaf West Theatre at the Fountain in 1991. He has received every theatre award in Los Angeles, most recently Stage Raw's Lifetime Achievement Award. He was honored by the Los Angeles City Council for “his visionary contributions to the cultural life of Los Angeles.”
"Artistic directors of theaters of all sizes would be wise to follow the lead of the Fountain’s Stephen Sachs, who is building audience communities eager for the challenge of path-breaking plays."
Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times
About Stephen Sachs
Theatre Maker
Conceived and directed by Stephen Sachs, Fatherland is the riveting true story of the eighteen-year-old son who turned in his father to the FBI because of his dad's role in the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6. Fast-moving, powerful, and theatrical, Fatherland erupts verbatim from official court transcripts, case evidence, and public statements. Opens Off-Broadway at Manhattan Theatre Club (City Center) on September 26.
Director
Stephen has directed dozens of award-winning productions in Los Angeles, across the U.S., Off-Broadway, and the U.K. He was twice honored with the L.A. Ovation Award for Best Director and the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Director. He has been nominated for the SDC Zelda Fichandler Award three times, recognizing an outstanding director making an exceptional contribution to theatre in their region.
Playwright
The author of eighteen plays produced in theatres across the United States, on the West End in London, translated into other languages and performed worldwide, and made into a CBS movie for television.
About Stephen Sachs
Artistic Director
Artistic Director
Artistic Director
Stephen is the co-founder and artistic director of the acclaimed and award-winning Fountain Theatre, one of the most highly regarded theaters in Los Angeles. Recipient of the Los Angeles Drama Critic Circle’s Margaret Harford Award for sustained excellence in theater, presented for “outstanding productions of meaningful new plays and first-class performances spanning three decades.”
Screenwriter
Artistic Director
Artistic Director
Stephen wrote the screenplay for the TV movie version of his play, Sweet Nothing in my Ear, on CBS, starring Marlee Matlin and Jeff Daniels.
Novelist
Artistic Director
Novelist
His historical fiction novel, Leave Me Ecstasy, tells the unforgettable true story of Mabel Todd, the remarkable young woman who fought to publish the first volume of Emily Dickinson's poetry, introducing the reclusive poet to the world.
About Stephen Sachs
Arts Leader
Stephen co-founded the Fountain Theatre in 1990. The L.A. City Council commended the Fountain for “achieving a position of leadership in the Los Angeles theatre community… producing meaningful new plays of social and political importance that enrich the lives of the citizens of Los Angeles.” Stephen was instrumental in launching Deaf West Theatre at the Fountain in 1991. Under his leadership, the Fountain became a core member of the National New Play Network. Seeking a partnership between arts makers and local government, Stephen launched a groundbreaking play-reading program at L.A. City Hall. Steering the Fountain through the COVID crisis, he installed an Outdoor Stage at the Fountain, the first venue approved by Actors' Equity Association and the City of Los Angeles during the pandemic. Stephen has been featured in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Chicago Tribune, American Theatre Magazine, Los Angeles Magazine, Back Stage, Variety, Hollywood Reporter, L.A. Stage Magazine, the London Times, the Wall Street Journal, and National Public Radio. His essays appear in American Theatre Magazine and Howlround,