In Juan and John, according to Center Theatre Group, which programs the Douglas, "Smith recalls an event he witnessed on TV as a youth — the day in August 1965 that Juan Marichal of the San Francisco Giants repeatedly struck Los Angeles Dodgers catcher John Roseboro in the head with his bat and the bench-clearing brawl that ensued. Marichal and Roseboro eventually reconciled their differences and Smith, in the telling of their story, poignantly draws upon the violent history of the 1960s and also of more personal memories of his parents and his childhood."

Juan and John had its world premiere in December 2009 at The Public Theater in New York. Read Playbill.com's earlier Brief Encounter interview with the playwright-actor, who talks about Juan and John.

Patricia McGregor is the associate director for Juan and John; costume design is by Candice Cain; lighting is by Justin Townsend; and sound and video are by Marc Anthony Thompson, who worked with Smith on the Obie Award-winning A Huey P. Newton Story. Smith's The Watts Towers Project was presented at the Douglas in 2006.

Tickets for Juan and John are $25, and are available by calling (213) 628-2772, online at www.CenterTheatreGroup.org, in person at the Center Theatre Group box office at the Ahmanson Theatre or two hours prior to performances at the Kirk Douglas Theatre box office.

The Kirk Douglas Theatre is located at 9820 Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA.