Los Angeles Dreaming

The Fountain Theatre is one of the major venues for serious drama in Los Angeles, so it’s no surprise that Cost of Living by playwright Martyna Majok, winner of the 2018 Pulitzer for best play, is making its West Coast premiere there. The drama won a plethora of awards and was named one of the best plays of 2017 by the New York Times.

Following the Fountain’s mission of producing plays that reflect diversity and inclusion, the drama focuses on the realities facing people with physical disabilities.

John (Tobias Forrest) plays a privileged grad student who has cerebral palsy. Ani (Katy Sullivan) is a foul-mouthed quadriplegic. Their caregivers, Jess (Xochitl Romero) and Eddie (Felix Solis) also have problems. Although their two stories run on a parallel tracks, the characters’ lives are ultimately intertwined.

I had the opportunity to chat with Tobias Forrest about his character and his own personal life as a quadriplegic actor. Forrest has a spinal cord injury resulting from an accident in 1998 when he dove off a waterfall into shallow water at the Grand Canyon.

He has since built a successful acting career, performing in his wheelchair.

Forrest has had guest starring roles on television shows like Weeds and was the lead in the award-winning play Pyretown in Pittsburg and Los Angeles. Currently, he appears in Special Unit a film available on iTunes and Amazon.

He was also a singer with the Los Angeles based funk/rock band Cityzen, which has performed at The Roxy, The Whiskey and the House of Blues.

According to Forrest, acting in Cost of Living, with its overlapping conversations, is a lot like performing live music where musicians sometimes play together and other times perform alone.

The play also requires him to get into the mind of a person whose disability differs from his own injuries.

“I am also conscious to honor those with cerebral palsy and do my best to bring an authentic portrayal of this problem. My character allows me to make choices I don’t ordinarily get to do. It’s a rare opportunity for an actor with disabilities.”

Katy Sullivan reprises the role of Ani. She previously performed the role at the Williamstown Theatre Festival and its off-Broadway production. She is also disabled.

Although Cost of Living deals with the serious issues facing people who daily deal with physical disabilities, it comes with a healthy dose of humor. It also has some male nudity.

According to Fountain Theater Artistic Director Stephen Sachs, “The play provides us with the opportunity to bring actors with and without disabilities together and allows us to reach out and serve a specific community. At the same time, its themes are profoundly universal, illuminating the human condition.”

Cost of Living runs November 2nd through December 16th. Mondays, Fridays, and Saturdays 8p.m.; Sundays 2 p.m. Tickets $40-$45. Seniors 65+ $35; Students with ID $25. Mondays $40 or pay what you want when available. 5060 Fountain Ave. (323) 663-1525 or FountainTheatre.com. Secure on-site parking $5.