L.A.'s Fountain Theatre enters its second decade of operation with the 40th anniversary presentation of Tennessee Williams' The Night of the Iguana, which opens Jan. 20 and runs through March 4. Simon Levy directs a cast headed by Larry Poindexter, Jacqueline Schultz and Karen Kondazian. The ensemble features Michael Edwin, Jay Gerber, Chet Grissom, Alex Lozona, Jorge Luis, Amy Lucas and Irene Roseen.

Set in a run-down Mexican resort in 1940, Iguana depicts the struggles of T. Lawrence Shannon, a defrocked priest turned tour guide. He encounters Hanna, a beautiful and gentle spinster; Maxine, the lusty proprietor of the hotel; and Nonno, the world's oldest living poet.

Levy directed the Fountain's 1999 award-winning production of Williams' Summer and Smoke. Also at the Fountain, he won Best Director awards for 1998's The Last Tycoon and 1996's Orpheus Descending, which starred Kondazian in the role of Lady.

Fountain Theatre is located at 5060 Fountain Ave. For tickets and information call (323) 663-1525.

— By Willard Manus
Southern California Correspondent