THEATRE news, REVIEWs,
& interviews
FIASCO THEATER’S BARTLEBY at The Old Globe
There are few phrases in literature more quietly unhinged than “I would prefer not to.” And in Fiasco Theatre’s 'Bartleby”, now playing at The Old Globe through March 22, that polite little sentence lands like a stick of dynamite in an otherwise well-oiled office machine.
Interview: Charlie Barnett of HEDDA GABLER at The Old Globe
Interview with Charlie Barnett, currently playing George in HEDDA GABLER at The Old Globe through March 22nd.
SOMEWHERE OVER THE BORDER at Cygnet Theatre
“Somewhere Over the Border,” now playing at Cygnet Theatre through March 15, wraps that hope in music, metaphor, and a road-trip structure in a production that is charming and colorful on its surface, but anchored by performances strong enough to carry its deeper weight.
THE RECIPE at La Jolla Playhouse
At its best, “The Recipe” at La Jolla Playhouse is as warm and inviting as a kitchen in winter: fragrant with possibility, anchored by love, and anchored even more firmly by two utterly charming leads. At nearly two hours and 45 minutes, however, this ambitious new musical sometimes forgets that even the richest dish benefits from reduction.
HEDDA GABLER at The Old Globe
“Hedda Gabler” by Henrik Ibsen, now given a taut new version by Erin Cressida Wilson and directed with precision by Barry Edelstein at The Old Globe, stars Katie Holmes in the title role through March 22nd.
HOW TO SUCCEED... at San Diego Musical Theatre
“How to Succeed…” remains a slick, silly, and sharply performed romp—one that knows exactly what kind of absurd world it’s skewering, and does so with a grin.
THE APIARY at New Village Arts
I’ve watched (and loved) enough sci-fi movies to know that any animals kept in a lab eventually come for the humans. Monkeys. Sharks. Dinosaurs. So you can’t blame me for being deeply suspicious of the bees in the lab in 'The Apiary” now playing at New Village Arts through February 22, 2026.
AUDITION SIDES at Riot Productions
“Audition Sides” At Riot Productions understands a specific kind of theatrical purgatory: the audition room, and then raises the stakes even more in this one-act.
SIX at Broadway San Diego
“SIX” feels like a New Year’s resolution set to a killer beat: ditch the old hierarchies, turn up the volume, and let the queens run the show. All hail, indeed.
The 2025 Theatre I Kept Thinking About, Long After the Applause
Think of it not as a “Best of” but as a yearbook of some of the San Diego shows that lingered with me long beyond closing in 2025
Interview: Andrew Polec of DR. SEUSS’S HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! at The Old Globe
Interview with 5-time Grinch, Andrew Polec, about slipping back into Grinch-mode, backstage Whoville traditions, audience antics, and the fan mail (and fan art)!
A MAGICAL HOLIDAY: CHRISTMAS AT THE JOAN at Cygnet Theatre
Cygnet Theatre’s “A Magical Holiday: Christmas at The Joan” is precisely what its title promises: a bright, polished, joy-forward holiday revue that knows its job is to lift spirits, sparkle confidently, and send you back into December humming.
RENT at New Village Arts
New Village Arts’ production of "Rent" understands the heart of the piece, even if some of the sharpest edges are softened.
Interview: Erica Marie Weisz of MISTLETOE MELODIES WITH ERICA MARIE! at Scripps Ranch Theatre And New Village Arts
Interview with Erica Marie Weisz about her new one-woman show “Mistletoe Melodies with Erica Marie!” is a brand-new, stripped-down holiday gem—just Erica, a piano, and a sleigh-full of warmth.
THE WAVERLY GALLERY at Backyard Renaissance
Backyard Renaissance delivers an exquisite reminder: we do not choose when the people we adore begin to fade, but we do get to decide how fiercely we hold them while they do.
TO MY GIRLS at Diversionary Theatre
“To My Girls” has an excellent cast and direction, and what begins as a sun-drenched escape quickly turns into a messy, deeply funny excavation of chosen family, generational baggage, and the versions of ourselves we perform for the people who know us best.
MASTER CLASS at Roustabouts And Scripps Ranch Theatre
"Master Class," running through December 14 in a co-production between The Roustabouts Theatre Company and Scripps Ranch Theatre, revisits Maria Callas in the final chapter of her performing life; when her voice had faded, yet her fervor for her art had not
WORKING GIRL at La Jolla Playhouse
Based on the beloved 1988 film but modernized around the edges, “Working Girl” at the La Jolla Playhouse has big expectations and even bigger hair, but never quite hits the mark.
Interview: Berto Fernández And Giovanny Diaz De Leon of ¡CÓMO EL GRINCH ROBÓ LA NAVIDAD! at The Old Globe
An Interview with Berto Fernández and Giovanny Diaz de Leon, who bring Old Max and Young Max to life ¡Cómo el Grinch robó la Navidad!' a world premiere Spanish language concert adaptation, “Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” at The Old Globe.
THE STRANGERS at Chalk Circle Collective
“The Strangers” is the kind of production that invites discussion; some will love its chaos, others may resist it, but Chalk Circle Collective handles its complexity with ambition and clarity.