and, SEEN!

Emily’s first show-stopper (A Transparent Musical, Mark Taper Forum)

From the creators of the hit Amazon series comes a groundbreaking and timely new musical that’s delightfully queer, unapologetically Jewish, and radically joyful. Welcome to the JCC! Get ready for a remarkable theatrical experience with A Transparent Musical–an innovative and irresistible new musical based on the hit Amazon Prime original TV show by Joey Soloway. Follow Ali Pfefferman, brought to life by Only Murders in the Building’s Adina Verson, as they navigate the ups and downs of self-discovery. Ali's Los Angeles Jewish family is filled with secrets, but when their parent, Maura, transitions to the transgender matriarch she always knew she was, the family is forced to confront their own identities and navigate their relationships with each other. Through a revelatory story of acceptance and self-expression, A Transparent Musical explores the intersection of Jewish and queer history while celebrating the imperfectly human aspects of a universally relatable family.

noice (Exotic Deadly, Old Globe)

April 8 – May 7, 2023 Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre Conrad Prebys Theatre Center World premiere By Keiko Green Directed by Jesca Prudencio It’s 1999, and Ami is an awkward Asian American high schooler whose world comes crashing down with a terrible discovery: her family is responsible for manufacturing MSG, the mysterious ingredient getting all the kids hooked! Meanwhile, a cool new girl arrives from Japan, and she’s not playing by the rules. In Keiko Green’s world-premiere play, Ami vows to redeem her family name and save the world from MSG. This whimsical, time-traveling adventure, directed by the celebrated Jesca Prudencio, is a riotous and hilarious romp through wild teenaged crushes, family legacies, and the magical properties of instant ramen!

to want or not to want (The XIXth, Old Globe)

World premiere By Kemp Powers Directed by Carl Cofield Mexico City, 1968. Two Black American sprinters, the fastest men on Earth, raise their fists in protest. Inspired by real events from the historic 19th Olympic Games, and directed by Carl Cofield (Seize the King, The Bacchae), this suspenseful world-premiere play by Kemp Powers (Pixar’s Soul, One Night in Miami) chronicles the intersection of sports and activism, and shows the life-changing repercussions of being a champion who chooses to speak out. The XIXth (The Nineteenth) is supported by major production sponsors Ann Davies and Hal and Pam Fuson.

surprised and delighted AF (Empire Strips Back)

SEEN: March 23, 2023 in San Diego

it’s a bit different, isnt it (The Last Return, Town Hall Theatre, Galway, Ireland)

Druid Theatre The Last Return Town Hall Theatre By Sonya Kelly Not all good things come to those who wait One final night. One last chance. Five people queue for a ticket to the hottest show in town. All they must do is simply wait in line. But what in life is ever simple? Who will triumph, who will fail, and who will walk away with… The Last Return? A new play by acclaimed playwright Sonya Kelly, The Last Return is a thrilling comedy about conflict, peace and the pursuit of territory at any cost. Duration 90 mins, no interval / 14+ Please note that this production contains adult themes, strong language, strobe lighting and depictions of violence to others Cast includes: Ticket Person - Anna Healy Newspaper Man - Bosco Hogan Military Man - Aidan Moriarty Umbrella Woman - Rebecca O'Mara Woman in Pink - Naima Swaleh Creative Team: Writer - Sonya Kelly Director - Sara Joyce Set and Costume Design - Francis O'Connor Lighting Design - Amy Mae Sound Design and Composition - Michael John McCarthy Movement - Jessica and Megan Kennedy (Junk Ensemble) Dramatherapy - Wabriya King Hair and Make-Up - Gráinne Coughlan Associate Costume Designer - Clíodhna Hallissey Assistant Director - Katie O’Halloran Awards: Winner - Scotsman Fringe First Award 2022 Finalist - The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize

best fight sequence ever (The Outsiders, La Jolla Playhouse)

Based on the Novel by S.E. Hinton and Francis Ford Coppola’s Motion Picture Book by Adam Rapp Music and Lyrics by Jamestown Revival (Jonathan Clay & Zach Chance) and Justin Levine Music Supervision, Arrangements and Orchestrations by Justin Levine Choreography by Rick Kuperman & Jeff Kuperman Directed by Danya Taymor The story that defined a generation has been reimagined as a groundbreaking musical. In Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1967, the hardened hearts and aching souls of Ponyboy Curtis, Johnny Cade and their chosen family of ‘outsiders’ are in a fight for survival and a quest for purpose in a world that may never accept them. A story of the bonds that brothers share and the hopes we all hold on to, this gripping new musical reinvigorates the timeless tale of ‘haves and have-nots’, of protecting what’s yours and fighting for what could be.

contact improv meets poetry night: The Notebooks of Leonardo DaVinci (Old Globe)

SEEN: Feb 14, 2023. Our shortest episode yet! In which we mostly define contact improv and discuss the weather. January 21 – February 26, 2023 Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage Old Globe Theatre Conrad Prebys Theatre Center Written and directed by Mary Zimmerman You know you’re pretty special when painting the Mona Lisa is the least of your accomplishments! Leonardo da Vinci was one of the greatest thinkers of all time. Now Tony Award winner and MacArthur Genius Grantee Mary Zimmerman (The White Snake, Metamorphoses) shapes a genre-busting play entirely from da Vinci’s own notebooks. A cast of chameleon-like actors takes us on a journey through da Vinci’s mind as he considers everything from math and engineering to philosophy and love. Created by one of the most acclaimed artists working in the American theatre, this unique and breathtaking show that The New York Times called “a fun house of the mind” illuminates what it truly means to be a Renaissance man.

2022 in review

In which we discuss memorable theatrical moments and shows we saw in 2022.

(not) about gender: As You Like It (La Jolla Playhouse with Diversionary Theatre)

November 15 – December 11, 2022 Sheila and Hughes Potiker Theatre By William Shakespeare Co-Directed by Christopher Ashley and Will Davis Produced in association with Diversionary Theatre The original rom com, wild with love and high on joy In Shakespeare’s classic romantic comedy, Rosalind and Orlando meet by chance in court and have an immediate connection. When they are both banished, fate brings them together again in the Forest of Arden. Far from the restrictions of court life, we find ourselves in a vibrant new world, where identities can be fully explored and romance can blossom in multiple forms. Brought to vibrant life by a cast of trans, non-binary and Queer performers, Christopher Ashley and Will Davis’s re-imagined As You Like It is a celebration of the limitless possibilities of love and humanity. This bold and beautiful production inhabits a wonderful, ‘gender-ful’ world – a sensuous place that embraces the full spectrum of gender possibilities. Evoking the heady experience of falling in love, and underscored by heart-thumping live music, there are no boundaries in As You Like It, just endless complexities, infinite love and the joyful expression of true selves. Love is in the air!

saying the inside thoughts out loud: What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank (Old Globe)

World premiere By Nathan Englander Directed by Barry Edelstein Pulitzer Prize finalist Nathan Englander and director Barry Edelstein wowed Globe audiences with The Twenty-Seventh Man, and now they team up again for this world premiere of a modern-day comedy of friendship. What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank is Englander’s adaptation of his award-winning short story about two women, inseparable in high school, whose adult lives have taken them to opposite ends of the earth, and to wildly different experiences of culture, religion, and family. When they reunite, their bond is tested by the distance that has grown between them… and also by their husbands, who don’t exactly see eye to eye. Englander’s distinctive voice—hilarious, outrageous, and emotional—gives us a uniquely funny and smart exploration of how we see ourselves and how our friends see us. Contains strong language. This production contains the smoking of herbal cigarettes and strobe effects.