Loveswell :: About Loveswell

Surf’s Up in the Valley with

Written, performed and surfed by John Fortson

Directed by Terrie Silverman

A man in love, a surfer at heart…
It’s all he can do to keep his head above water

Coming Spring 2009!

For surfer, John Fortson his most challenging wave turns out to be the girl he married. With Loveswell, John dives in to the complexities of modern married life. In his effort to evolve and understand his relationship with his love, John explores the ever-changing nature of the mysteries of a man and a woman, portraying multiple characters in this solo performance as he relates his stories through his first love and passion, surfing. John discovers daily activities with his wife, like sleeping in the same bed, doing all the dishes, and driving to the movies, have become life defining moments.

Honest, raw, hilarious, and incredibly poignant, John shares all as he opens his heart, deconstructs the man he has become, and searches within himself for the man he wants to be. As he struggles to let go of societal perceptions of “a real man,” we get to witness the transformation and rebirth of a man really living in the moment.

**Because Loveswell deals honestly with marriage and relationship we ask that all attendees be at least 16 years of age. Thank you.**

About JOHN FORTSON

The son of a naval officer, John grew up traveling the world, even living in Japan for three years. He quickly fell in love with surfing at the age of 10 when his family settled near the ocean in Jacksonville, Florida. He fell in love again, with acting, his senior year of high school, when John’s teacher encouraged him to audition for Christian in Cyrano de Bergerac. John won the role and an award for best performance. While attending the University of North Florida, John won a prime role opposite Emmy Winner Michael Emerson in Othello and in many productions around town including: Scapino, Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, Rumors, and The House of Blue Leaves at the famed Theatre Jacksonville.

He no sooner earned his BA, than was found by New York, Broadway Actress and American Academy Teacher, Kathryn Laughlin who took him under her wing for two years of study before encouraging him to move to Los Angeles. During that time, John began booking professional jobs immediately, earning him both his SAG and AFTRA cards; including a lead role for CBS’s Rescue 911, a supporting role in his first feature film, The Young and the Ruthless, and several commercials.

Since moving to Los Angeles, John has appeared in numerous films and television shows including: ER, 7th Heaven, starring in the indie feature Nice Guy Syndrome, Letting Go, Rockets Red Glare with Amanda Foreman, and with Jim Belushi in Overnight Delivery for New Line (though uncredited). Currently he can be seen on the festival circuit in the award winning indie films: Lather, Rinse, Repeat opposite Golden Globe Nominee Troy Garity, Marshall Bell, and Sharon Madden, playing James Spader in My Big Fat Independent Movie, and Last Stop Café. Coming out soon, John stars in the romantic comedy, Definite Maybe, in the tense relationship drama Graves Method, and in Magnetic Poles. Appearing in over 30 commercials, his most unforgettable moment was hanging on the outside of a tower at 1000ft in an award winning Coke spot for writer/director Kirk Jones (Waking Ned Devine).

He has kept a close relationship to the stage earning LA theatre credits in: Originating the role of Freddy in Sebastian and the Tattooed Love Librarian at the Secret Rose Theatre, Gabe in Dinner With Friends at the Carter Thor Studio, Nathan the Wise at the Lillian, Val in Orpheus Descending, Trepleff in The Seagull, Tom in The Glass Menagerie at the Venice Rose, Stucco People at the Glaxa, and It’s All About You at the Tamarind.

John has continued to hone his craft in the Master Classes of famed acting teachers, Howard Fine, Jay Goldenberg, Eric Morris, with the LA comedy troupe, The Groundlings, and most recently with Roy London protégées Cameron Thor and Alice Carter.

John began writing at an early age and has continued as way to create more challenging roles for himself. After several screenplays, he began writing personal stories from his life that he put together; first as a screenplay, then as a play, but kept seeing as a one person show.

That led to his most exciting project to date, Loveswell. The production culminates two years work developing material in writing/performance teacher, Terrie Silverman’s Truth, Lies, & Memory classes (creativerites.com).

This process has led to invitations to perform self written pieces for Executive Producer and Head Writer Jill Soloway’s (Six Feet Under) SitnSpin, sponsored by Comedy Central at The Hudson Theatre, for the Street Credibility exhibit at the MOCA at the Geffen Contemporary, and in countless LIFESTORIES productions at Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center. Loveswell combines John’s loves of surfing and acting with his third, his marriage of seven years to actress Christie Lynn Smith.

John loves to travel, surf, scuba dive, hike, and to combine these loves as much as possible. This has taken him to Costa Rica, Tahiti, the Turks & Caicos Islands, Bahamas, Hawaii, Australia, and Europe. Nothing compares though, to holding the hand of his wife and walking the neighborhood at sunset.



			Surf’s Up in the Valley with Written, performed and surfed by John Fortson Directed by Terrie Silverman A man in love, a surfer at heart… It’s all he can do to keep his head above water Coming Spring 2009! For surfer, John Fortson his most challenging wave turns out to be the girl he married. With Loveswell, John dives in to the complexities of modern married life. In his effort to evolve and understand his relationship with his love, John explores the ever-changing nature of the mysteries of a man and a woman, portraying multiple characters in this solo performance as he relates his stories through his first love and passion, surfing. John discovers daily activities with his wife, like sleeping in the same bed, doing all the dishes, and driving to the movies, have become life defining moments. Honest, raw, hilarious, and incredibly poignant, John shares all as he opens his heart, deconstructs the man he has become, and searches within himself for the man he wants to be. As he struggles to let go of societal perceptions of “a real man,” we get to witness the transformation and rebirth of a man really living in the moment. Because Loveswell deals honestly with marriage and relationship we ask that all attendees be at least 16 years of age. Thank you. About JOHN FORTSON The son of a naval officer, John grew up traveling the world, even living in Japan for three years. He quickly fell in love with surfing at the age of 10 when his family settled near the ocean in Jacksonville, Florida. He fell in love again, with acting, his senior year of high school, when John’s teacher encouraged him to audition for Christian in Cyrano de Bergerac. John won the role and an award for best performance. While attending the University of North Florida, John won a prime role opposite Emmy Winner Michael Emerson in Othello and in many productions around town including: Scapino, Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, Rumors, and The House of Blue Leaves at the famed Theatre Jacksonville. He no sooner earned his BA, than was found by New York, Broadway Actress and American Academy Teacher, Kathryn Laughlin who took him under her wing for two years of study before encouraging him to move to Los Angeles. During that time, John began booking professional jobs immediately, earning him both his SAG and AFTRA cards; including a lead role for CBS’s Rescue 911, a supporting role in his first feature film, The Young and the Ruthless, and several commercials. Since moving to Los Angeles, John has appeared in numerous films and television shows including: ER, 7th Heaven, starring in the indie feature Nice Guy Syndrome, Letting Go, Rockets Red Glare with Amanda Foreman, and with Jim Belushi in Overnight Delivery for New Line (though uncredited). Currently he can be seen on the festival circuit in the award winning indie films: Lather, Rinse, Repeat opposite Golden Globe Nominee Troy Garity, Marshall Bell, and Sharon Madden, playing James Spader in My Big Fat Independent Movie, and Last Stop Café. Coming out soon, John stars in the romantic comedy, Definite Maybe, in the tense relationship drama Graves Method, and in Magnetic Poles. Appearing in over 30 commercials, his most unforgettable moment was hanging on the outside of a tower at 1000ft in an award winning Coke spot for writer/director Kirk Jones (Waking Ned Devine). He has kept a close relationship to the stage earning LA theatre credits in: Originating the role of Freddy in Sebastian and the Tattooed Love Librarian at the Secret Rose Theatre, Gabe in Dinner With Friends at the Carter Thor Studio, Nathan the Wise at the Lillian, Val in Orpheus Descending, Trepleff in The Seagull, Tom in The Glass Menagerie at the Venice Rose, Stucco People at the Glaxa, and It’s All About You at the Tamarind. John has continued to hone his craft in the Master Classes of famed acting teachers, Howard Fine, Jay Goldenberg, Eric Morris, with the LA comedy troupe, The Groundlings, and most recently with Roy London protégées Cameron Thor and Alice Carter. John began writing at an early age and has continued as way to create more challenging roles for himself. After several screenplays, he began writing personal stories from his life that he put together; first as a screenplay, then as a play, but kept seeing as a one person show. That led to his most exciting project to date, Loveswell. The production culminates two years work developing material in writing/performance teacher, Terrie Silverman’s Truth, Lies, & Memory classes (creativerites.com). This process has led to invitations to perform self written pieces for Executive Producer and Head Writer Jill Soloway’s (Six Feet Under) SitnSpin, sponsored by Comedy Central at The Hudson Theatre, for the Street Credibility exhibit at the MOCA at the Geffen Contemporary, and in countless LIFESTORIES productions at Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center. Loveswell combines John’s loves of surfing and acting with his third, his marriage of seven years to actress Christie Lynn Smith. John loves to travel, surf, scuba dive, hike, and to combine these loves as much as possible. This has taken him to Costa Rica, Tahiti, the Turks & Caicos Islands, Bahamas, Hawaii, Australia, and Europe. Nothing compares though, to holding the hand of his wife and walking the neighborhood at sunset.