and, SEEN!

small stage, big cast! (The Fantasticks- East County Performing Arts)

We would ride inside a wooden crate until we vomited to see this show.

delicate (Primary Trust, La Jolla Playhouse)

We would walk 45 minutes in freezing New England with no gloves to see this show. By Eboni Booth Directed by Knud Adams Winner of the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for Drama Happy hour is a state of mind. When Primary Trust by Eboni Booth premiered in New York in 2023, The Observer said, “it will restore your faith in theatre’s elemental storytelling powers.” The Daily Beast said it’s “pretty darn near to perfect.” Don’t miss the West Coast premiere of this award-winning New York Times Critic’s Pick play that will surprise you, and fill you with hope. Kenneth, a 38-year-old bookstore worker in a small upstate New York town, spends his evenings sipping mai tais at the local tiki bar with his best friend Bert. When he’s suddenly laid off, Kenneth faces challenges he has long avoided—with transformative and heart-warming results. Primary Trust is a touching story of new beginnings, old (and new) friends, and finding the courage to see the world for the first time.

We don’t hate it (Dracula, a Comedy of Terrors @Old Globd)

We would ride hobby horses around Balboa Park a couple times to see this show. In the Annie-to-Endgame scale, this show is as challenging as the Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged). West Coast premiere By Gordon Greenberg and Steve Rosen Directed by Gordon Greenberg Celebrate Halloween with a new side-splitting adventure based on Bram Stoker’s classic tale that’s sure to induce blood-curdling screams—of laughter! Famed vampire hunter Jean Van Helsing and her motley crew chase Count Dracula around the English countryside in a madcap race to save his innocent victims. Gordon Greenberg and Steve Rosen return to The Old Globe following their wildly popular Ebenezer Scrooge’s BIG San Diego Christmas Show! and Crime and Punishment, A Comedy. Filled with their signature imaginative staging, irreverent farce, and special effects, this hilarious scarefest is the perfect way to get spooky this season!

magical scenic reveal [Murder on the Orient Express (Old Globe)]

We would spend a LOT of time on a train to see this show. On the Annie-to-Endgame scale, this show is as challenging as a BBC Mystery Theatre episode. Adapted for the stage by Ken Ludwig Directed by Peter Amster Get ready for a glamorous and enthralling journey in this adaptation of Agatha Christie’s masterpiece. On a train traveling through Europe, a wealthy American tycoon is found dead in his compartment, the door locked from the inside. Enter world-famous detective Hercule Poirot, who must navigate a train full of suspects and solve the murder before the killer strikes again. With humor and romance, Tony Award–nominated playwright Ken Ludwig takes audiences on a thrill ride in a spectacular production whose gorgeous designs and innovative staging are a true knockout. This production includes mild language and violence. Total running time: Two hours and 15 minutes (two acts with one intermission).

Metatheatrical book report; an ode to stage blood (Henry 6 part 2, Old Globe)

You would have to bring this show to us. In the Annie to Endgame Scale, this show is a theatre history lecture with pretty slides. World premiere adaptation By William Shakespeare Adapted and directed by Barry Edelstein A once-in-a-generation event comes to San Diego in 2024: The Old Globe becomes one of only a small handful of theatres in the country’s history to complete Shakespeare’s canon with Henry 6, the largest Shakespeare production the Globe has ever presented. Acclaimed Shakespeare director and the Globe’s Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Barry Edelstein turns the rarely produced Henry VI, Parts I, II, and III into a thrilling two-part event, running simultaneously through the summer in our beautiful outdoor theatre. Two ruling families of England, the Yorks and the Lancasters, fight each other in a high-stakes civil war for power known as the Wars of the Roses. These adaptations include everything people love about the Bard—ingenious language, vibrant characters, breathtaking battles, and sweeping crowd scenes—as they explore the impact of national politics on individual lives. And the action is framed by a design team working at the very top of their craft, and a sprawling cast of professional actors and local community members.

yes, and: Shakespeare edition [Henry 6.1 (Old Globe)]

We would sail across the English Channel once to see this show. On the Annie to Endgame scale, this show is as challenging as a mediocre Shakespearean history. World premiere adaptation By William Shakespeare Adapted and directed by Barry Edelstein A once-in-a-generation event comes to San Diego in 2024: The Old Globe becomes one of only a small handful of theatres in the country’s history to complete Shakespeare’s canon with the two-part Henry 6, the largest Shakespeare production the Globe has ever presented. In One: Flowers and France, King Henry VI inherits the crown of England as a child. Absent the strong leadership of his father, who conquered France in a surprise victory, the English court is reduced to petty squabbles. The French take up arms to regain their lost territory and rally behind Joan of Arc, who claims she was sent from God to fight the English. And when King Henry marries Queen Margaret, she inflames the political disputes that roil the throne. Can the English stop arguing among themselves and unite to hold on to France? Or will their in-fighting cost them the hard-won French territory and lead to chaos at home?

drag! [Velour (La Jolla Playhouse)]

We would hang for hours from a fly line to see this show. On the Annie to Endgame difficulty scale, this play is about as hard as La Cage Aux Folles. By Sasha Velour and Moisés Kaufman Directed by Moisés Kaufman A Co-Production With Tectonic Theater Project Radical. Magical. Unforgettable. Created by groundbreaking drag artist Sasha Velour (Smoke & Mirrors, NightGowns, The Big Reveal Live Show) and legendary theatre artist Moisés Kaufman (Here There Are Blueberries, The Laramie Project), Velour: A Drag Spectacular is a sweeping, coming-of-age tale interwoven with the radical history of drag and queer expression. Inspired by Velour’s origin story as a small-town, genderfluid child turned globally-renowned drag superstar, the show unfolds through a dazzling blend of innovative projection mapping, video animation, awe-inspiring lip-sync performances, and bold personal storytelling. Known for her emotional and shocking performance art, Velour harnesses the power of drag spectacle to reveal her deepest fears (and joys) and puts them on display to immerse the audience in queer fantasia. From the often confusing yet joyous search for belonging, to the deep wells of grief that catapult us to face our inner truths, Velour: A Drag Spectacular is a tour de force, rich with humanity, beauty, and above all else – DRAG.

mild language [Ms Homes and Ms Watson - Apt 2B @ the Old Globe]

We would rather keep searching for clues than see this show. On the Annie to Endgame scale, this show is as challenging as a Hallmark movie. By Kate Hamill Directed by James Vásquez A fast-paced and wildly entertaining new play that reimagines the most iconic detective team of all time. In present-day Baker Street, steampunk hipster Shirley Holmes and her spunky new roommate Joan Watson become entangled in a series of cases all related to the same supervillain, who always seems to be one step ahead of them. From the witty imagination of Kate Hamill, one of the most popular playwrights in America, this irreverent take on the beloved characters packs nonstop laughs into a rollicking murder mystery with a bold and modern lens. BroadwayWorld proclaimed, “Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson – Apt. 2B is delightful and entertaining.”

Chains, not silk (Duel Reality, Old Globe)

We hang upside from a trapeze for 5 minutes to see this show. On the Annie to Endgame Theatre Difficulty scale, this show is as challenging as Mystere. West Coast premiere A production by The 7 Fingers Directed by Shana Carroll Originally produced and created in collaboration with Virgin Voyages The triumphant return of the company that brought Globe audiences last summer’s smash hit Passengers. Love, honor, and betrayal come to life through a blend of acrobatics, theatre, and music in this one-act romp perfect for all ages. Two feuding families engage in a battle of skill, each competition more daring than the last. While the two groups face off, cheered on by their side of the audience, a pair of star-crossed lovers struggles to escape the showdown. The exhilaration and danger of competition provide the thrilling backdrop to The 7 Fingers’s one-of-a-kind daredevil theatrical extravaganza.

rich peoples’ money [Derecho (La Jolla Playhouse)]

We would walk 20 minutes in a rainstorm to see this show. This show is about as challenging as Glass Menagerie. By Noelle Viñas Directed by Delicia Turner Sonnenberg Some storms you can’t hide from. A series of intense storms – a “derecho” – is bearing down on an affluent Virginia neighborhood near D.C., where Eugenia Silva is preparing for a crucial meeting. Eugenia is a politician hoping to join the wave of women of color elected to public office. Her sister Mercedes is a struggling musician fighting to find her way on her own terms. As winds rise and thunder cracks — and tensions between the sisters reach a boiling point — Eugenia’s political ambitions crash into Mercedes’s need to reconnect her sister with their roots.