THEATRE news, REVIEWs,
& interviews
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
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.
ARMS AND THE MAN at Lamb's Players Theatre
“Arms and the Man”, the classic George Bernard Shaw play, is currently skewering the romantic ideals of going to battle or falling in love with wit at Lamb’s Players Theatre through November 16th. Under the sharp and playful direction of Deborah Gilmour Smyth, it turns 19th-century notions of heroism and passion delightfully upside down. It’s brisk, bright, very funny, and may have you craving something chocolate before it’s over.
POE & MORE POE by Write Out Loud at the historic Villa Montezuma
The 1887 Queen Anne Victorian mansion is equal parts Gothic whimsy and jewel-box museum, which sets the perfect stage for“Poe & More Poe”, Write Out Loud’s annual immersion into the master of the macabre.
WE LOVERS at Loud Fridge Theatre Group
“We Lovers” is an imaginative evening that lingers like moonlight long after you leave the clearing. Directed by Kate Rose Reynolds at the Light Box Theatre in Liberty Station.
FRAGMENT/O/S OF AIR/E at OnStage Playhouse
' Fragment/o/s of Air/e' at OnStage Playhouse explores love, identity, exile, and the inescapable grip of history.
DECEIVED at The Old Globe
DECEIVED entertains as an elegant thriller, with the audience on opening night booing the villains and cheering the heroes.
COMEDY OF ERRORS at The Old Globe
'The Comedy of Errors,” now playing through August 24th zips by like a very special extended episode of a TGIF sitcom, equal parts Shakespeare and sitcom slapstick.
Interview: Playwright Dian Schaffhauser Talks LESBIANS OF SAN DIEGO, A HERSTORY IN TWO ACTS
Interview with playwright Dian Schaffhauser about creating the world premiere play “Lesbians of San Diego, A Herstory in Two Acts,” premieres July 31 and runs through August 10th
NOISES OFF is Comedic Theatrical Mayhem at The Old Globe
“Noises Off”, playing at The Old Globe through August 10, is a gloriously chaotic revival directed by Gordon Greenberg, an affectionate, expertly timed, and utterly ridiculous homage to the disaster-prone world of live theatre.
THE JANEIAD at The Old Globe
In “The Janeiad,' at The Old Globe through July 13th, playwright Anna Ziegler blends myth, memory, and modern grief into a lyrical meditation on loss and the fragile myths we build to survive it.
Interview: Ismenia Medes And Gabriel Brown on ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL at The Old Globe
Interview with Ismenia Mendes and Gabriel Brown about playing Shakespeare’s most complicated almost-couple in “All’s Well That Ends Well”, currently playing at The Old Globe’s outdoor Festival Stage through July 6th.
ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL at The Old Globe
The Old Globe gives “All’s Well That Ends Well” the royal treatment with glam costumes and a game cast, but that only goes so far in distracting from the lack of romance in this romantic comedy.
BIRTHDAY CANDLES at North Coast Repertory Theatre
“Birthday Candles”, now playing at North Coast Repertory Theatre, is a curious mix because existentialism and birthday cake are not a combo I usually crave. Yet thanks to a charming cast and a moving central performance by Margot White, this blend of humor, heartache, and hope is something richer than expected.
LA LLORONA ON THE BLUE LINE at TuYo Theatre
TuYo Theatre’s “La Llorona on the Blue Line”, written by Mabelle Reynoso and directed by Maria Patrice Amon, is an immersive production that blends myth and memory into a powerful, time-jumping ghost story—where La Llorona doesn’t just wail, she bears witness.
THE MOUNTAINTOP at New Village Arts
“The Mountaintop,” now at New Village Arts through June 22, imagines a very human Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on the last night of his life. He’s tired, cranky, chain-smoking, and wants a cup of coffee. What he gets instead is a cosmic surprise disguised as a hotel maid.
ONE OF THE GOOD ONES at The Old Globe
Gloria Calderón Kellett’s “One of the Good Ones,” now onstage at The Old Globe, is like a live taping of your favorite sitcom—complete with fast banter, heartwarming family chaos, and the kind of well-meaning disaster that can only be caused by bringing a piñata to a dinner party.
MERRY ME at Diversionary Theatre
If you like your theatre smart, sexy, and a little bit sacrilegious, then “Merry Me” is the genre-bending farce for you! Running at Diversionary Theatre through June 15th.
THE COUNTER - Coffee, Contemplation, and Connection at MOXIE Theatre
In “The Counter,” Meghan Kennedy places us in a small-town diner, where coffee is always brewing and regulars never need to look at the menu. Here, waitress Katie and diner customer Paul are two lonely people who find a connection over coffee and conversation, and a chance to change each other's lives.