Performances Magazine San Diego | La Jolla Playhouse, June/July 2023

IS IT THURSDAY YET?

Begins July 11

HUNTER S. THOMPSON MUSICAL

Begins August 29

INNOVATION NIGHT

October 3

contents

P1 Program

Cast, performances, who’s who, director’s notes, donors and more.

4 In the Wings

The world premiere of Love

All at La Jolla Playhouse; summer concerts at The Rady Shell; a new exhibit at Mingei International Museum; and more.

10 Feature: Mainly Mozart’s Big Festival

In its 35th anniversary year, the Mainly Mozart All-Star Orchestra Festival expands to two new La Jolla venues: The Conrad and Epstein Family Amphitheater.

13 Dining

Where to dine in S.D. in June, including Kinme Omakase, Mister A’s, Serea, Leave of Absence, Louisiana Purchase and Bun & Patti.

24 Parting Shot

The Flame of Friendship sculpture at the San Diego Convention Center, created by Mexican painter and sculptor Leonardo Nierman.

JUNE 2023

PUBLISHER

Jeff Levy

EDITOR

Sarah Daoust

ART DIRE CTOR

Carol Wakano

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Glenda Mendez

PRODUCTION ARTIST

Diana Gonzalez

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Stephanie Saad Thompson

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

Kerry Baggett

ACCOUNT DIRE CTORS

Walter Lewis, Jean Greene, Tina Marie Smith

CIRCULATION MANAGER

Christine Noriega-Roessler

BUSINESS MANAGER

Leanne Killian Riggar

MARKETING/

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Dawn Kiko Cheng

DIGITAL PROGRAM MANAGER

Audrey Duncan Welch

DIGITAL MANAGER

Lorenzo Dela Rama

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Ted Levy

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A Meeting of the Wives

TONY AWARD-winning Broadway sensation

SIX The Musical arrives at the San Diego Civic Theatre, June 27-July 9. Presented in the form of a pop concert, the campy British musical comedy—with music, book and lyrics by Roby Marlow and Lucy Moss—introduces us to the six wives of Henry VIII, who go from tudor queens to pop icons. In a modern retelling (spanning 500 years), each wife tells her story to see who suffered the most at the hands of the notorious, ruthless King of England, who reigned in the 1500s. The “winner” of this makeshift competition of sorts gets to be the lead singer of the band. The seemingly outrageous plotline somehow works, further enhanced by an electric score. In fact, the Broadway album, SIX: Live on Opening Night, surpassed 6 million streams in its first month— debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard cast album charts. 1100 Third Ave., downtown, broadwaysd.com

The North American tour of SIX The Musical stops by San Diego Civic Theatre, June 27-July 9.

Well Stitched

A POWERFUL NEW exhibit is now on view at Mingei International Museum: 25 Million Stitches: One Stitch, One Refugee. Guest curated by Korean-American fiber artist Jennifer Kim Sohn, it’s a community project that acknowledges each displaced person with a hand-sewn stitch—using estimates by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The show comprises 2,000 embroidered, hand-stitched muslin panels that combine to make 408 floor-to-ceiling flags. Sohn and a team of volunteers crowd-sourced 2,300 stitchers from 37 countries and all 50 U.S. states. Personal narratives are woven in throughout, bringing to light the humanity behind the numbers. The exhibit is on view through Oct. 15. 1439 El Prado, Balboa Park, mingei.org

June’s Must-See Shows

LA JOLLA PLAYHOUSE presents the world premiere, Love All, June 3-July 2—centered on the triumphs and extraordinary life of iconic tennis star and social justice champion, Billie Jean King. Written by Anna Deavere Smith, the play follows King’s journey on and off the court. lajollaplayhouse.org The Old Globe brings us Shakespeare’s romantic comedy Twelfth Night—at its outdoor Lowell Davies Festival Theatre, June 4-July 9; Kathleen Marshall directs. theoldglobe.org At Cygnet

Theatre June 7-July 2, Keiko Green’s world premiere, Sharon, is billed as a Hitchcockian comedic thriller— focused on a mother and son who run an apartment building together. cygnettheatre.com Lamb’s Players Theatre presents off-Broadway sensation Cotton Patch Gospel, June 17-Aug. 20. Based on the book The Cotton Patch Version of Matthew and John by Clarence Jordan, with music by Harry Chapin, the musical features a live band of blues and bluegrass musicians. lambsplayers.org

WEST COAST PREMIERE JUNE 7–JULY 2

DIRECTED BY DAVID ELLENSTEIN

While sitting on her favorite park bench in Washington, D.C., Eleanor Roosevelt reveals the many facets of the dynamic and iconic First Lady. Award-winning actor Kandis Chappell takes on the portrayal as the witty, feisty, vulnerable woman who was considered the heart of FDR’s presidency. Exploring both the public and private persona of this remarkable woman, Mark St. Germain (Dancing Lessons, Becoming Dr. Ruth, Freud’s Last Session) deftly captures the essence of the woman who left an indelible mark on American history.

northcoastrep.org | 858-481-1055

group sales: 858-481-2155, x202

Clockwise from top: The Old Globe campus; playwright Anna Deavere Smith; a panel in 25 Million Stitches

“Brilliant and emotionally resonant.”

— WALL ST. JOURNAL

Summer Season at The Rady Shell

THERE’S NOTHING LIKE a summer concert at The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park Since opening in August 2021, the San Diego Symphony’s outdoor home along the bayfront has established itself as a world-class concert venue and architectural marvel. This summer, The Shell will host the likes of Diana Ross, John Legend, Earth, Wind & Fire, The Beach Boys, Trombone Shorty,

From left: San Diego Symphony maestro Rafael Payare; trumpeter Pacho Flores.

Counting Crows and many more. The Symphony’s Conrad Prebys 2023 Summer Season kicks off June 30 with its Opening Night, featuring Music Director Rafael Payare conducting; and special guest, renowned trumpeter Pacho Flores. The Symphony’s packed summer lineup also includes a tribute to Aretha Franklin on July 2, featuring vocalist Capathia Jenkins; “Beethoven by the Bay” on Aug. 4; and the Tchaikovsky Spectacular on Sept. 1, ending with Tchaikovsky’s epic 1812 Overture. Nab tickets now. 222 Marina Park Way, downtown, theshell.org

Mainly Mozart Magic

In Its 35th Anniversary Year, the Mainly Mozart All-Star Orchestra Festival Expands to Two New La Jolla Venues

WHEN PERFORMING

ARTS groups across the country closed their doors during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, the future was uncertain for many. How long would the lockdown last? How could they continue to

bring their performances to the public? And most importantly, when it finally ended, would audiences return in person?

For San Diego’s Mainly Mozart, celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, the pandemic provided

some clear answers and an outcome no one might have predicted—least of all its co-founder, CEO and Artistic Director, Nancy Laturno. In July 2020, just a few months after the lockdown began, Mainly Mozart became

the first arts organization in the U.S. to perform live classical music in front of live audiences since the start of the pandemic. In October 2020, the group performed what was California’s first live classical concert series in

by STEPHANIE SAAD THOMPSON

front of a live audience; and then innovated with the Mainly Mozart Dual Orchestra drive-in festival—where musicians from the Los Angeles Philharmonic and San Francisco Symphony

/CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

Love All is the triumphant story of the rise of sports icon and social justice pioneer Billie Jean King. The trailblazer for equality faced tough competition on the court and adversity in the world against a backdrop of the massive social changes of the 1960s and ‘70s. Love All evokes the highs and lows of Billie Jean’s extraordinary career, and asks not just what it takes to be a champion, but what it takes to change the course of history.

YOU’RE HERE.

Congrats, You’ve Picked a Great Performance!

Check out the interactive version of this theater program magazine and enjoy even more insight into the performers, creative talent and theater activities that are behind it all.

LINKS TO PERFORMERS’ SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS

MULTI-MEDIA PRESENTATIONS ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE.

UNDERSTUDY UPDATES

THEATER SUPPORT OPPORTUNITIES INSIDER SCOOPS FROM THEATER AND MUSIC PROFESSIONALS

UPCOMING SHOWS AND CONCERTS AROUND TOWN

It’s the new way to read the program, it’s

The Artistic Director’s Circle Season Sponsors

Theodor

S. & Audrey S. Geisel Fund

Jeanne Herberger

Joan & Irwin Jacobs

Sheri L. Jamieson

La Atalaya Fund

Rebecca Moores Foundation

Jordan Ressler Charitable Fund of the Jewish Community Foundation

PRODUCTION SPONSORS

Weston Anson - In Loving Memory of Susan Bailey Anson, Michael Bartell & Melissa Garfield Bartell, Denise & Lon Bevers, Gail & Ralph Bryan, Brian & Silvija Devine, Edgerton Foundation, The Estate of Pauline Foster, Lynn Gorguze & Scott Peters, Kay & Bill Gurtin, Debby & Hal Jacobs, Lynelle & William Lynch, Perlmeter Family Foundation, Karen & Jeffrey Silberman, Molli Wagner, Steven Strauss & Lise Wilson, Mandell Weiss Charitable Trust

Denise & Lon Bevers

Jay Jeffcoat

A MESSAGE FROM THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Dear Friends,

More than thirty years ago, I had the great honor to direct the world premiere of Anna Deavere Smith’s Fires in the Mirror, a solo show about the civil unrest sparked by racial divisions between the Black and Jewish communities in Brooklyn’s Crown Heights neighborhood. That show, like everything Anna has created since, is a potent, provocative and deeply-moving exploration of justice and equality.

It's no surprise, then, that Anna would be drawn to the story of Billie Jean King. Though Billie Jean’s exploits on the tennis court are legendary, her contributions to equity in the sporting world and our larger society have had an even larger, more lasting impact. In creating the Women’s Tennis Association fifty years ago this June, she laid the foundation for increased gender parity in terms of recognition, respect and remuneration. She navigated her personal life with just as much grace and integrity, becoming a champion of LGBTQ+ rights against a backdrop of intolerance.

Of course, much of what Billie Jean fought against is still very much alive in our world. Look no further than the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team, which successfully reached a settlement with the U.S. Soccer Federation to provide its players with tens of millions of dollars in back pay in 2022. Or the resurgence of anti-LGBTQ+ laws bubbling up in state legislatures around the country. But just as Billie Jean stood on the shoulders of giants like Althea Gibson, a new generation of athletes and activists is carrying on her battle.

In addition to welcoming back Anna – whose play Let Me Down Easy was co-produced by La Jolla Playhouse and San Diego Rep in 2011 – I’m delighted that director Marc Bruni is making his Playhouse debut. On Broadway, at the Kennedy Center and across the country, Marc’s productions are excitingly vivid, inventive and theatrical. Together, Anna and Marc have created a tribute to a living legend – and a compelling drama about how the past can show us the way forward.

CHRISTOPHER ASHLEY

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

La Jolla Playhouse acknowledges the land on which our theatres sit as the unceded territory of the KUMEYAAY NATION. Today, the Kumeyaay people continue to maintain their political sovereignty and cultural traditions as vital members of the San Diego community. Their contributions to our region are tremendous and we thank them for their stewardship.

THE RICH FAMILY ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF LA JOLLA PLAYHOUSE

DIRECTED BY BASED ON THE LIFE OF BILLIE JEAN KING

ANNA DEAVERE SMITH BY MARC BRUNI

FEATURING

BIANCA AMATO*, SUMMER BROYHILL*, GENO CARR*, REBECCA S’MANGA FRANK*, WYNN HARMON*,

SPENCER MCCABE HUNSICKER*, ELENA HURST*, BEN JACOBY*, CHILINA KENNEDY*, NOAH KEYISHIAN*,

LENNE KLINGAMAN*, JOHN KROFT*, NANCY LEMENAGER*, MIKAELA MACIAS, COLBY MUHAMMAD ‡, ELLEN NIKBAKHT‡, KATE ROCKWELL*, ALLISON SPRATT PEARCE, JUSTIN WITHERS*, SHANA WRIDE*

SCENIC DESIGN

COSTUME DESIGN

LIGHTING DESIGN

SOUND DESIGN

PROJECTION DESIGN

CO-WIG AND HAIR DESIGN

DRAMATURG

SENSITIVITY SPECIALIST

DIALECT COACH

NEW YORK CASTING

IN-HOUSE CASTING

STAGE MANAGER

ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER

PRODUCTION MANAGER

GENERAL MANAGER

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

ROBERT BRILL

ANN HOULD-WARD

JIYOUN CHANG

DARRON L. WEST

S. KATY TUCKER

JARED JANAS; CASSIE WILLIAMS

ALISA SOLOMON

ANN JAMES

AMY STOLLER

THE TELSEY OFFICE, KARYN CASL, C.S.A., CHARLIE HANO, C.S.A.

JACOLE KITCHEN

BRIAN BOGIN*

TOPAZ COOKS*

BECCA DUHAIME

RYAN MEISHEID

ERIC KEEN-LOUIE

Christopher Ashley

The Rich Family Artistic Director of La Jolla Playhouse

Debby Buchholz Managing Director of La Jolla Playhouse

THE CAST

(in alphabetical order)

Ilana Kloss/Alice Marble/Others Bianca Amato*

Althea Gibson Rebecca S’Manga Frank*

Psychiatrist/Merv Rose/Ted Tinling/Others Wynn Harmon*

Rosie Casals Elena Hurst*

Bill Moffitt/Jack Kramer/Others Ben Jacoby*

Billie Jean King Chilina Kennedy*

Frankie Durr/Betty Moffitt/Others Lenne Klingaman*

Larry King John Kroft*

Gladys Heldman Nancy Lemenager*

Marilyn Barnett Kate Rockwell*

Margaret Court Allison Spratt Pearce

Arthur Ashe Justin Withers*

Love All will be performed with a 15-minute intermission.

UNDERSTUDIES

Summer Broyhill*

Geno Carr*

Spencer Hunsicker*

Noah Keyishian*

Mikaela Macias

Colby Muhammad‡

Ellen Nikbakht‡ Shana Wride*

Understudies are never substituted for listed roles unless a specific announcement is made at the time of the performance.

ADDITIONAL STAFF

Assistant Director Katie Grant

Script Supervisor Kirsten Kelso

Assistant Stage Managers Emily Searles*, Kira Vine*

Associate Costume Designer Somie Pak

Associate Projection Designer Blake Manns

Associate Scenic Designer Justin Humphres

Assistant Scenic Designer Nicholas Ponting

Assistant Sound Designer Salvador Zamora

Production Assistant Ruby Hays

Tennis Consultants Debby Jacobs, Brett Dickinson

People and Culture Consultants Cornerstone Consulting HR

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Marlyne Sexton • Tawani Foundation • Deanna Brown

Harriet Leve • Roy Gabay • Stephanie Sandberg • Trey Tetreault

The last monologue of the play is based on verbatim excerpts from an interview of Ilana Kloss conducted by Anna Deavere Smith

BIANCA AMATO*, Ilana Kloss/Alice Marble/ Others

La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Broadway: Macbeth, Arcadia, The Coast of Utopia. Off-Broadway: Stupid Fucking Bird, The Painted Rocks at Revolver Creek, King Lear, The Broken Heart, Neva, The Importance of Being Earnest, Trumpery, Mr. Fox: A Rumination. Regional: Private Lives (Elliot Norton, Emory Battis Awards), The Taming of the Shrew, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Arcadia, As You Like It, Pygmalion, Pride and Prejudice, Topgirls, Proof, Greek, Kindertransport, A Doll’s House, Under Milk Wood. Television/Film: Xpats, Binnelanders, Warrior, The River, The Kissing Booth, Our Girl, Elementary, Law and Order: SVU, Powers, Alpha House, Unforgettable, The Big C, Blue Bloods, The Good Wife, Sex and the City, Isidingo, The Adventures of Sinbad, Gegen Den Wind. Bianca is an Audie Award-winning narrator of more than 100 audiobooks.

SUMMER BROYHILL*, Understudy

La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Broadway: Hairspray. National Tours: Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Hairspray. Off-Broadway: Killer Therapy (Players Theatre), The Independents (Soho Playhouse), The Day Before Spring (York). Regional: The Last Five Years (Virginia Stage, Weathervane), Tarzan (Tuacahn), Kiss Me, Kate opposite Davis Gaines (concert) and Romeo and Juliet, As You Like It, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Twelfth Night and Julius Caesar, all at The Old Globe. Education: M.F.A from Old Globe/USD, B.M. from FSU. She is also a playwright. summerbroyhill.com, @summerbroyhill on Instagram.

GENO CARR*, Understudy

La Jolla Playhouse/Original Broadway Cast: Come From Away. Off-Broadway: Bush Wars. National Tours: Come From Away, Grease, Buddy Holly Story, Phantom. Favorite Regional: Allegiance, How the Grinch Stole Christmas (The Old Globe); Tateh in Ragtime (Moonlight); Leo in The Producers, Harold in The Full Monty (Merry-Go-Round Playhouse); Charlie Baker in The Foreigner (Lamb’s Players); Dr. Madden in Next to Normal (San Diego Musical Theatre); Orin in Little Shop of Horrors, Guiteau in Assassins (Cygnet Theatre); Thurio in The Two Gentlemen of Verona (Maine Shakespeare Festival). Education: M.F.A., Acting/Directing, Sarah Lawrence College; Dual B.A., Music and Theatre, Hartwick College. Awesome Wife and Son: Nancy and Elliott.

REBECCA S’MANGA FRANK*, Althea Gibson

La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Off-Broadway: At The Wedding (Lincoln Center); Is Edward Snowden

Single (New Ohio Theatre); Coriolanus (Red Bull Theatre); The Broken Record (Fringe Festival). Regional: Indecent (Oregon Shakespeare) We, The Invisibles (Victory Jory Theatre); Twelfth Night (African American Shakespeare Company); Intimate Apparel (Alter Theater); This World in a Women’s Hands (Shotgun Players); and ….And Jesus Moonwalks the Mississippi (Cutting Ball Theater). TV/Film: Prodigal Son (FOX), Faces (Apple TV+), Elementary (CBS). M.F.A., NYU Tisch.

WYNN HARMON*, Psychiatrist/Merv Rose/ Ted Tinling/Others

La Jolla Playhouse: Silent Edward. Broadway: Porgy and Bess (broadcast "Live from Lincoln Center" on PBS). International: Candide, The Music Man, West Side Story (France, Sardinia, Oman). Off-Broadway: The Lucky One (Mint Theatre). Regional: The Constant Wife, plus ten Shakespeares (Old Globe); Candide, Show Boat, Lost in the Stars (Kennedy Center); Love's Labour's Lost, The Alchemist (Shakespeare Theatre Company); A Moon for the Misbegotten (Long Wharf/ Hartford Stage/Alley); The Habit of Art (Studio Theatre); The Heidi Chronicles (Arena Stage); The Music Man, Lost in the Stars, Carousel, Camelot, Ariadne in Naxos (Glimmerglass Festival). TV: Law & Order: SVU, Madam Secretary, The Knick.

SPENCER MCCABE HUNSICKER*, Understudy

La Jolla Playhouse: The Outsiders. Regional: Mary Stuart (Pioneer Theatre Company); Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Noorda Center). UC San Diego: Hells Canyon, The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity.

ELENA HURST*, Rosie Casals

La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Off-Broadway: Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 (Lucille Lortel Winner, Best Revival), Summer & Smoke, LULU. Regional: Tina Modotti, A Christmas Carol. International Tour: Andalé Raul!, Pizcas. TV/Film: Homeland, Elementary, Tales from the City, The Changeling, Pottersville, Home. Video Games and Cartoons: Get Rolling with Otis, Grand Theft Auto, Mafia, Gotham Knights. Narration for Smithsonian Channel and Tubi. Education: B.S. Radio, TV, Film from UT Austin.

BEN JACOBY*, Bill Moffitt/Jack Kramer/Others

La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Broadway: over three years as Barry Mann in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. Off-Broadway: The Streets of New York (Mark Livingstone, Irish Rep.), world premiere of Penelope, or How the Odyssey Was Really Written (Odysseus, York Theatre, Cast Album). National Tour: 25th Anniversary production of The Phantom of the Opera (Raoul, original tour cast). Regional: Milwaukee Rep., Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Ogunquit Playhouse, Marriott Lincolnshire, Gulfshore Playhouse, Weston Playhouse and more. TV: When They See Us (Netflix), The Good Wife (CBS), Madame Secretary (CBS). M.F.A.: UC Irvine.

THE COMPANY

CHILINA KENNEDY*, Billie Jean King

La Jolla Playhouse: Mary in Jesus Christ Superstar. Broadway: Annie in Paradise Square, Carole in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Mary in Jesus Christ Superstar. National Tours: Dina in The Band's Visit (Toronto Theatre Critics Award), Sophie in Mamma Mia!. Off-Broadway: Binky in This Ain't No Disco. Regional: The Grapes of Wrath, Kiss Me, Kate (Stratford Festival); Major Barbara, Summer and Smoke (Shaw Festival); A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder (The Old Globe, CT and Hartford Outer Critics nominations); The Importance of Being Earnest (Neptune Theatre). Film/TV: The 2015 Kennedy Center Honors (as Carole King), With Me (BravoFact, NY Shorts and Whistler Film Festivals), The Human Voice (Toronto OIC). Education: Bermingham Conservatory for Classical Theatre (Stratford), Sheridan College Musical Theater Performance. Other: Lyricist/Composer for With(out) Her, Artistic Producer for Eclipse Theatre Company, Toronto. Winner of two Toronto Theatre Critics Awards and four Broadway World Awards.

NOAH KEYISHIAN*, Understudy

Noah Keyishian is a recent M.F.A. graduate from UC San Diego. La Jolla Playhouse credits: Here There Are Blueberries. UC San Diego credits: Thicker Than; The Winter's Tale; Dance Nation; Hells Canyon; The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity; Twelfth Night; Prepared; A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Other theater credits: Are You There? (Humana Festival of New American Plays); Tell the Truth; A Christmas Carol; Dracula; The Brief History of Francois Le Chou Chou (Actors Theatre of Louisville) and Favors (Manhattan Repertory Theater). Film credits: Happy Yummy Chicken.

LENNE KLINGAMAN*, Frankie Durr/Betty Moffitt/Others

La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Broadway: Waitress (Dawn). 1st National Tour: Waitress (Dawn). OffBroadway: The Underlying Chris. Regional: Hamlet in Hamlet (Colorado Shakespeare); Fingersmith (A.R.T.); Romeo & Juliet, Appoggiatura (Denver Center); Tartuffe (Berkeley Rep/Shakespeare Theatre/South Coast); Murder on the Orient Express (Cincinnati Playhouse); Anna Karenina (Capital Stage); Richard III, The Rehearsal (A Noise Within); To Kill a Mockingbird (St. Louis Rep); Twelfth Night (Shakespeare Santa Cruz). Media: FBI: Most Wanted, Chicago Med, Cold Case, Welcome to Sanditon. Education: M.F.A., University of Washington. The Heart Is the Hunter on Spotify/Apple Music; upcoming second album and a new play. She’s workshopped Love All for the last year and is thrilled to be part of its world premiere. Thanks to Karyn & The Telsey Office. @lenneklingaman.

JOHN KROFT*, Larry King

La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Off-Broadway: Dan Cody’s Yacht (MTC), The Weak and the Strong (La Mama). Regional: The Tempest (Guthrie), Dutch Masters (Northern Stage), Lifespan of a Fact (Pioneer Theater Company), The Great Gatsby (Bay Street), and Bram Stoker’s Dracula (Williamstown Theater Festival). TV: Blue Bloods (CBS), Red Oaks (Amazon), Andy Warhol Diaries (Netflix). Film: Master (Amazon), Maestro (upcoming) and other shorts. Narration: for Audible.com and Recordedbooks.com. Education: B.F.A. Juilliard.

NANCY LEMENAGER*, Gladys Heldman

La Jolla Playhouse: How to Succeed… starring Matthew Broderick. Broadway: Chicago, Movin’ Out, Never Gonna Dance, Kiss Me, Kate, Dream, How to Succeed…, Guys and Dolls and Meet Me in St. Louis. Lincoln Center: How to Transcend a Happy Marriage, by Sarah Ruhl. TV: Girls on the Bus (HBO), Poker Face (Peacock), City on a Hill (Showtime), For Life (ABC), WeCrashed (Apple TV), FBI (CBS). Film: Oceans 8, The First Purge. Nancy is a professor at Pace University where she teaches theater, dance and acting.

MIKAELA MACIAS, Understudy

La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Regional: Chronicles of Kalki, Mother of the Maid (Moxie Theatre); Into the Breeches (North Coast Repertory Theatre); The Mad Ones (Wildsong Productions); SD Fringe Festival: Body Talk, Songs for a New World (Teatros San Diego); Noel, Noel (San Diego Symphony); Ofrendas en Pandemia (TuYo Theatre). Education: B.A. in Theatre Performance at San Diego State University (upcoming).

COLBY MUHAMMAD‡ , Understudy

Colby is thrilled to be making her La Jolla Playhouse debut! UC San Diego credits: Just the Two of Us, Bunny, Bunny, Dance Nation, Nonna Kills the President, and In the Red and Brown Water. Select Theatre credits: Anything Goes, Spunk!, and Fabulation, or the Re-Education of Undine.

Education: Musical Theatre BFA from Howard University, MFA Acting candidate at UC San Diego class of '24. @colbynatasha

ELLEN NIKBAKHT‡ , Understudy

La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Regional: Fun Home (Kansas City Rep); Peter and the Starcatcher, Urinetown, Candide, Mr. Burns: a Post Electric Play, Threepenny Opera (Clarence Brown Theatre). Other: Indecent (Chautauqua Theatre Company). Currently a UC San Diego M.F.A. Acting Candidate.

KATE ROCKWELL*, Marilyn Barnett

La Jolla Playhouse: Hollywood (Mabel Normand). Broadway: OBC Mean Girls: the Musical (Karen Smith, Drama Desk & Helen Hayes nominations), OBC Bring It On: the Musical (Skylar), Legally Blonde (Margot), Rock of Ages (Sherrie Christian), and Hair. Regional: The MUNY (Tarzan, Beauty and the Beast, The Sound of Music), Arena Stage (Carousel). TV/Film: Tick, Tick…Boom (Netflix), Harlem (Amazon Prime), Blue Bloods (CBS), Almost Family (Fox), Deadbeat (Hulu), High Maintenance (HBO), Sex and the City: the Movie. Her album Back to My Roots was released on Broadway Records in 2018. Follow her for cute baby & dog pictures @katerockwellnyc

ALLISON SPRATT PEARCE, Margaret Court

La Jolla Playhouse: Janice in Come From Away, Victoria in Sideways and Cry-Baby. Broadway & Off-Broadway: Curtains, Good Vibrations, CryBaby, Enter Laughing, and Cabaret (national tour).

Regional: Jane in Emma, Phoebe in As You Like It (The Old Globe); Emily in Disgraced, Suzanna in Black Pearl Sings (SDREP); Eliza in My Fair Lady, Katherine Parr in The Last Wife (Cygnet); Reno in Anything Goes, Maria in The Sound of Music (SDMT). Appears in numerous commercials & ads. M.F.A in Drama from USD/Old Globe, B.F.A. in Music Theatre from Elon University. www.allisonsprattpearce.com. Love All!

JUSTIN WITHERS*, Arthur Ashe

La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Off-Broadway: Days of Rage (Second Stage Theater, Dir. Trip Cullman).

Regional: American Underground (Barrington Stage Company), Thirst (Contemporary American Theater Festival). TV: The Good Fight. Film: A Shot through the Wall. Education: B.F.A. from Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University; Studied abroad at Shakespeare’s Globe in London.

SHANA WRIDE*, Understudy

La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Regional: The Old Globe, The Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles, Idaho Shakespeare Festival, The Colony Theatre, Open Fist Theatre, Diversionary Theatre, Cygnet Theatre, North Coast Repertory Theatre, Intrepid Theatre, Moxie Theatre, Compass Theatre, San Diego Repertory Theatre, Gaslamp Quarter Theatre and Sledgehammer Theatre. She is the recipient of a San Diego Critics Circle Craig Noel Award for her solo performance in 2.5 Minute Ride (Diversionary Theatre) and for her role as Amanda in Private Lives (Cygnet Theatre). She co-hosted the nationally syndicated radio show, Women Aloud, with actor/ comedienne Mo Gaffney. shanawride.com

ANNA DEAVERE SMITH, Playwright is a writer and actress. She’s credited with having created a new form of theater, under the banner: On the Road: A Search for American Character. Using verbatim excerpts of interviews about current social issues, she constructs and performs dramas that tell the stories of our time from multiple points of view. Plays and films based on them, include Fires in the Mirror and Twilight: Los Angeles, Let Me Down Easy, and Notes from the Field. Her work as an actress on television includes Inventing Anna, The West Wing, Nurse Jackie, and black-ish. Mainstream movies include The American President, Rachel Getting Married, and Ghosted. President Obama awarded Smith the National Endowment for the Humanities Medal. She’s the recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship, several Obie awards, two Drama Desk awards, the George Polk Career Award in Journalism, and the Dean’s Medal from the Stanford University School of Medicine. She was a runner-up for the Pulitzer Prize and nominated for two Tony Awards. She’s a University Professor at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. She has several honorary doctorate degrees including those from Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, Spelman College, Prairie View University, and Oxford. She will be the 73rd Andrew W. Mellon Lecturer in the Fine Arts at the National Gallery of Art in 2024. She was recently appointed to the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities by President Biden.

BILLIE JEAN KING

Please see full bio on page 11.

MARC BRUNI, Director most recently directed the critically-acclaimed Guys and Dolls at the Kennedy Center, where he also directed The Music Man, How to Succeed…, and 50 Years of Broadway. He directed the Tony, Grammy and Olivier Award-winning Beautiful: The Carole King Musical on Broadway, in the West End, US/UK Tours, and in Australia, winning the Helpmann and Green Room Awards for Best Direction of a Musical. His production of Trevor: The Musical (Off Broadway’s Stage 42) is currently streaming on Disney+. Other selected credits include The Explorers Club (Manhattan Theater Club), Ordinary Days (Roundabout), Old Jews Telling Jokes (Westside Theatre and Royal George - Jeff Award nomination for Direction), Other People’s Money (Long Wharf - CCC Award nomination), I Hate Hamlet (Bucks County), The Sound of Music (Chicago Lyric Opera), The Tale of Despereaux (with PigPen Theatre Co.- Old Globe, Berkeley Rep), The Nutty Professor (Ogunquit), Hey, Look Me Over!, Paint Your Wagon, Pipe Dream and Fanny for NY City Center Encores! and seven shows for the St. Louis MUNY. He is a graduate of Dartmouth College.

ROBERT BRILL, Scenic Designer

Mr. Brill's designs for the Playhouse include Bhangin' It, SUMMER: The Donna Summer Musical, Chasing the Song, His Girl Friday, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Jesus Chris Superstar, The Wiz and many others. Broadway credits include Dancin', Ain't Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations (Tony nomination), Thoughts of a Colored Man, Assassins (Tony nomination), the set and club design for the critically acclaimed revival of Cabaret, Jesus Christ Superstar, Guys and Dolls (Tony nomination), Design for Living, Buried Child and others. His recent credits include Frozen for Disney Creative Entertainment, and numerous opera world premieres, including Moby-Dick, Cold Mountain, Everest and The Manchurian Candidate. A graduate of UC San Diego and a founding member of Sledgehammer Theatre, he is a recipient of the Michael Merritt Award for Excellence in Design and Collaboration, and a 2011 La Jolla Playhouse Honors Award. Mr. Brill has been a La Jolla Playhouse Artist in Residence, and is a member of the design faculty at UC San Diego.

ANN HOULD-WARD, Costume Designer

La Jolla Playhouse: Merrily We Roll Along (1985), Going to St Ives (2000). Broadway: The Color Purple, The Visit, The People in the Picture, A Free Man of Color, A Catered Affair, Company, Dance of the Vampires, Little Me, More to Love, Dream, On the Waterfront, The Molière Comedies, Beauty and the Beast (Tony Award), Timon of Athen, In the Summer House, Three Men on a Horse, Saint Joan, Falsettos, Into the Woods (Tony nom), Harrigan 'n Hart, Sunday in the Park with George (Tony nom). West End London: Beauty and the Beast (revival), Prince of Egypt, Notes from the Field, Dear World, Imagine This, Beauty and the Beast (original; Olivier Award nomination). International: Mikhailovsky Ballet, Russia; Salzburg Festival, Austria; Ben Hur Live, Schu Des Manitu, Berlin. Dance: Norwegian National Ballet, ABT, San Francisco Ballet, Lar Lubovitch Company, Alvin Ailey Dance Theater. Circus: Ringling Brothers/Barnum and Bailey 2001 & 2003. Off-Broadway: 100+ shows. Regional: 250+ shows.

THE COMPANY

JIYOUN CHANG, Lighting Designer

La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Broadway: KPOP, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow Is Enuf (Tony Award nomination), Slave Play (Tony, Drama Desk, Henry Hewes Award nominations). Off-Broadway: The Far Country (Lucille Lortel and Drama Desk Award nominations), Marys Seacole (Henry Hewes nomination), The World Is Round (Obie Award). Regional: Ride the Cyclone (Arena Stage); The Factotum (Chicago Lyric Opera); Bina’s Six Apples (Suzi Bass Award); The Public, Roundabout, NYTW, MCC, Signature, ATC, Guggenheim, Berkeley Rep, CalShakes, Guthrie, The Old Globe, OSF. Education: M.F.A. from Yale.

DARRON L. WEST, Sound Designer

is a Tony and two-time OBIE award-winning sound designer whose 30-plus-year career spans theater and dance, Broadway and Off-Broadway. La Jolla Playhouse: Healing Wars, American Night: The Ballad of Juan Jose, The Seven, The Adoration of the Old Woman, The Cosmonaut's Last Message to the Woman He Once Loved in the Former Soviet Union, BOY. His work has been heard in over 700 productions all over the United States and internationally in 15 countries. Additional honors: the Drama Desk, Lortel, Audelco awards and the Princess Grace Foundation Statue Award, among many others. Thirty-year company member designing the productions of Anne Bogart’s SITI company. His soundscapes for Photograph 51, Paradise Blue and Coal Country can be heard on Audible.

S. KATY TUCKER, Projection Designer

La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Off-Broadway: Letters from Max, a Ritual (Signature), Confidence & the Speech (Theater Row), underneath the bed (Rattlestick). Opera: Medeá, Eurydice, Verdi’s Requiem, Peter Grimes, Prince Igor (Metropolitan Opera); Florencia en el Amazonas (Chicago Lyric Opera, LA Opera, Houston Grand Opera); The Ring Cycle, Heart of a Soldier, The Flying Dutchman, Two Women (San Francisco Opera); The Ring Cycle, Elektra, il Trovatore, Written in Stone, Cosi Fan Tutti, Don Giovanni, Samson and Delilah (Washington National Opera); Orpheus and Eurydice (Seattle Opera). International: Rebecca Das Musical (Vereingte Bühnen Wien), Artus Excalibur (Theater St Gallen), En Hunds Hartja (Uppsala Stadsteater).

JARED JENAS, Hair, Wig, and Make-Up Designer

La Jolla Playhouse: The Year to Come, Queens and The Squirrels. Broadway: Good Night, Oscar, Sweeney Todd, Ohio State Murders, Kimberly Akimbo, & Juliet, Topdog/Underdog, American Buffalo, How I Learned to Drive, Jagged Little Pill, Frankie and Johnny in the Claire de Lune, Gettin’ the Band Back Together, Bandstand, Indecent, Sunset Boulevard, The Visit, The Real Thing, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill, Motown, Peter and the Starcatcher, The Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, and All About Me.

CASSIE J. WILLIAMS, Hair, Wig, and Make-Up Designer

La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Design credits include Otherworld (Delaware Theatre Company), Glimmerglass Opera Festival 2021 Summer Season, No Cowards in Our Band (Syracuse Opera and WCNY), Deathtrap (The Cape Playhouse), Ragtime (Theatre Under the Stars), A Doll’s House Part 2 (Long Wharf Theatre). Associate Design credits include Once Upon a One More Time (Broadway), Be More Chill (Broadway/London), Cruel Intentions (Maximum Entertainment), The Lighting Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical (Theatre Works), Kleptocracy (Arena Stage), Clue (Cleveland Play House) and many more. Education: B.F.A. Costume Design at State University of New York at Fredonia.

ALISA SOLOMON, Dramaturg

has worked as dramaturg on many projects with Anna Deavere Smith over the last two decades. A professor at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, she directs its concentration in Arts and Culture. She has written for The Nation, NY Times, NewYorker.com, Jewish Currents, Theater, American Theater, among others, and Village Voice, where she was on staff for 21 years. Alisa is the author of the award-winning books, Re-Dressing the Canon: Essays on Theater and Gender and Wonder of Wonders: A Cultural History of Fiddler on the Roof Thanks to Title IX, she was a college scholarship athlete.

ANN JAMES, Sensitivity Specialist

made her debut as the first Black Intimacy Coordinator of Broadway in 2021 for Antoinette Nwandu’s Pass Over. James serves as an intimacy and sensitivity consultant for Hamilton (USA) and Hamilton (UK), and is currently serving as an Intimacy/ Cultural consultant in New York City for Parade, Sweeney Todd, White Girl in Danger, How to Defend Yourself, Amani and La Jolla Playhouse’s The Outsiders. Ann has served as Intimacy Director and Sensitivity Specialist® for the provocative OffBroadway productions of Moisés Kaufman’s Seven Deadly Sins and Here There Are Blueberries by Tectonic Theatre Project, Seize the King, produced by Classical Theatre of Harlem, Twilight: Los Angeles,1992 and Dominique Morisseau's compelling play Confederates at Signature Theater. Her company, Intimacy Coordinators of Color, has partnerships with Adelphi University, New York University, Columbia University, American Conservatory Theater, Brown University, Trinity Repertory Theater, A.R.T./New York, and The American Repertory Theater at Harvard.

AMY STOLLER, Dialect Coach

2023 recipient, Ruth Morley Design Award for outstanding work in the field of theatrical design. La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Broadway: Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. Projects with Anna Deavere Smith include Notes from the Field and Let Me Down Easy, among others. Dialect design and dramaturgy for 40+ shows at Off-Broadway’s Mint Theater Co., most recently Betty Smith’s Becomes a Woman (world premiere; Outer Critics’ Circle Award nominee for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play); Noël Coward’s The Rat Trap (US premiere). Also this season: Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 (American Repertory Theater). Last season: American Jade (Bucks County Playhouse); Islander (Playhouse 46, NYC); Ann (Cape May Stage); Fires in the Mirror (Theatrical Outfit).

THE TELSEY OFFICE, Casting

With offices in both New York and Los Angeles, The Telsey Office casts for theater, film, television and commercials. The Telsey Office is dedicated to creating safe, equitable and anti-racist spaces through collaboration, artistry, heart, accountability and advocacy.

BRIAN BOGIN*, Stage Manager

La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Broadway: Mike Birbiglia: The Old Man and the Pool, Hello, Dolly!, My Fair Lady, Clyde’s, Frankie & Johnny…, The Waverly Gallery, Straight White Men, …The Great Comet of 1812, Allegiance, Constellations, War Horse, Elf, The People in the Picture, Wicked, Phantom…, Good Vibrations, Soul Doctor. Tours: Hello, Dolly!, The Book of Mormon, On Your Feet, …The Grinch, Chicago, Spamalot, Urinetown, Phantom…

Off-Broadway: Trevor, the Musical, The Toxic Avenger Musical, Heart, To My Girls, Heisenberg, The Ruins of Civilization.

Regional: Robin and the Seven Hoods (The Old Globe), White Christmas (Boston Wang Center). Love to Colin.

TOPAZ COOKS*, Assistant Stage Manager

La Jolla Playhouse: to the yellow house, Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord. Regional: Cymbeline, Intimate Apparel (Utah Shakespeare Festival); Akeelah and the Bee (Children's Theatre Company); Romeo and Juliet (The Old Globe); The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Clarence Brown Theater); Miracle on 34th Street, Memphis, Something Rotten! (Moonlight Stage Productions). M.F.A. from UC San Diego.

AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT EVENTS LOVE ALL

Talkback Tuesdays

Participate in a lively discussion with performers and Playhouse staff members immediately following these performances.

Tuesday, June 13 and Tuesday, June 20 after the 7:30pm performances

Access Performance

On select performances, La Jolla Playhouse provides American Sign Language interpretation for audience members who are d/Deaf or hard-of-hearing and audio description for patrons who are blind or have low vision.

Saturday, June 25 at 2:00 pm

Discovery Sunday

Join special guest speakers post-performance as they engage audience members in a moderated discussion exploring the themes in the play.

Sunday, December 4 after the 2:00 pm performance

Members of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States. The theatre operates under an agreement between the League of Resident Theatres and Actors’ Equity Association.

The Director is a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, a national theatrical labor union.

This theatre operates under an agreement between the League of Resident Theatres and United Scenic Artists, Local USA-829 of the IATSE.

This theatre operates under an agreement between the League of Resident Theatres and the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 122.

La Jolla Playhouse is a member of the League of Resident Theatres (LORT) and a constituent of Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national service organization for the nonprofit professional theatre.

UC San Diego M.F.A. Candidates in residence at La Jolla Playhouse.

NET GAIN

A conversation between Love All playwright Anna Deavere Smith, director Marc Bruni and Director of Artistic Development Gabriel Greene

GG: How did you both become involved with Love All?

ADS: Growing up, I was the last kid chosen for any activity that involved a ball. The teacher had to force one of the team captains to accept me as a player. Given that fact, I am not the likely candidate to write a play about a tennis champion and the other champions around her: “phenoms,” they are called. Sports writer Sally Jenkins refers to the rare species of which Billie Jean King is a part, as “physical geniuses.” Yet, throughout my career as a dramatist, my focus has been American identity and elements that have caused it to change. When approached to do this project, I said yes because I saw it as an opportunity to revisit and remember a dynamic time in American history and culture – the ‘60s and early ‘70s. There were ceilings, walls and tunnels that I had to come through. Tunnels collapsed, walls crumbled – it was a mess, a glorious one in some ways, but blood was shed too often, at home and abroad. Billie Jean King is an exceptional individual. In the midst of it, she became an agent of positive change.

MB: Harriet Leve, our producing partner on Love All – who brought this project to Anna – and I worked together on Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. I’m apparently the go-to director for any project about a woman who came of age in the ‘60s with the last name of King. In seriousness, I read Anna's first draft and found it deftly dealt with so many intersectional issues – not only women's rights, but also racism, LGBT rights and so many other things that overlap in this period, many of which I got to know very well doing Beautiful. Love All deals with a very similar timeframe, from the late 1950s until the early 1970s.

GG: Which was a particularly turbulent era for all of those intersectional issues.

ADS: The time helped make her, and she helped make the time. Billie Jean King is a living example of how one person can, through a strong vision, cause people to engage in heroic actions, even against the odds. It’s unlikely she could have been as effective as she was if it were not for the disruptions of the 1960s and ‘70s – some of them

violent. As Gloria Steinem said to me, “It took three murders to get Richard Nixon as president: two Kennedys and a Martin Luther King.” The play focuses on Billie Jean King, of course, but it also brings to life the others who helped make the seemingly impossible, possible. It also brings to life the people who presented the odds. She changed tennis, women’s sports, men’s sports, youth sports, all sports, forever.

MB: At that point there was such a wild differential in terms of the purses for women tennis players versus male players. And in light of that disparity, Billie Jean and eight other women became the “original nine,” and essentially boycotted the Pacific Northwest Tournament and created their own tournament in Houston, which is widely thought to be the beginning of what allowed women's tennis to become a sport where women can earn 50 million dollars a year.

ADS: Through her persistence in the battle for equality on and off the court, Billie Jean became a beacon for what women could become.

MB: Getting to see the germ of that is a really exciting thing. I think a lot of people’s primary experience of Billie Jean King is through the Bobby Riggs “Battle of the Sexes” match. What's fascinating about this play is that Anna chose to focus on the period prior to Bobby Riggs. It's refocusing the narrative on Billie and not making it about a man. And it illuminates aspects of her life against the backdrop of a country struggling to reckon with some of the same issues we continue to face.

GG: How has Billie Jean King’s involvement helped shape the play?

ADS: Both she and her spouse, Ilana Kloss, have been exceptionally generous – even to the point of getting me courtside seats to see Serena’s last matches. They’ve both given notes on the text. I have also been able to speak several times with Billie’s former doubles partner and soul mate, Rosie Casals. Their positive and encouraging energy, their belief in us, is invaluable.

GG: What do you hope audiences will take away from this story?

ADS: Ilana Kloss said it best: “Billie shows up. She shows up!” I hope audiences take home the following: Show up! Never take things personally. Resilience matters. 

Billie Jean King Sports Icon and Equality Champion

Named one of the “100 Most Important Americans of the 20th Century” by Life magazine and the first female athlete to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Billie Jean King is the founder of the Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative, the Women’s Tennis Association and the Women’s Sports Foundation, and part of the ownership groups of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Angel City FC and the Los Angeles Sparks.

In her legendary tennis career, King captured 39 Grand Slam singles, doubles and mixed doubles titles, including a record 20 Wimbledon championships. Her historic win over Bobby Riggs in the 1973 Battle of the Sexes, is one of the greatest moments in sports history. In June 2022, she received France’s highest order of merit, the Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur, from President Macron, and was inducted into the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee Hall of Fame as a special contributor.

In 2020, Fed Cup, the world cup of women’s tennis, was renamed the Billie Jean King Cup, making it the first global team competition to be named after a woman. In 2019, King’s Southern California roots were recognized with the opening of the Billie Jean King Main Library in her hometown of Long Beach, California. In 2006, the home of the US Open was renamed the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in honor of her accomplishments on and off the court.

In 2018, King received a Lifetime Achievement Award as part of the prestigious BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards. In 2021, she received the Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award and the Sports Illustrated Muhammad Ali Legacy Award. King serves on the board of the Women’s Sports Foundation, is an adidas Global Ambassador and is the Honorary Lifetime President of the Elton John AIDS Foundation and a past member of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition. King is a New York Times best selling author and her memoir, ALL IN: An Autobiography, was published by Knopf in 2021 and released in paperback in 2023.

Billie Jean King in action at Wimbledon, circa July 1973. King won the Women's Singles Final, beating Chris Evert of the United States in straight sets. Photo by Ed Lacey/Popperfoto via Getty Images.

CHRISTOPHER ASHLEY, The Rich Family Artistic Director of La Jolla Playhouse has served as La Jolla Playhouse’s Artistic Director since 2007. During his tenure, he directed the world premieres of Come From Away, Diana: The Musical, Memphis, Escape to Margaritaville, The Squirrels, A Dram of Drummhicit, Restoration and Chasing the Song, as As You Like It, His Girl Friday, Glengarry Glen Ross, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Freaky Friday and Xanadu. He also spearheaded the Playhouse’s Without Walls (WOW) initiative, the DNA New Work Series and the Resident Theatre program. Mr. Ashley recently directed Come From Away for AppleTV+ Diana: The Musical for Netflix. Other screen credits include Jeffrey and Lucky Stiff, and the American Playhouse production of Blown Sideways Through Life for PBS. Mr. Ashley’s Broadway credits include Come From Away (Tony and Outer Critics Circle Awards), Diana: The Musical, Escape to Margaritaville, Memphis (Tony Award nomination), Xanadu, Leap of Faith (Drama Desk Award nomination), All Shook Up and The Rocky Horror Show (Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle Award nominations). He also helmed productions of Come From Away in London (Olivier Award nomination), Toronto, Australia and on national tour. Other national tours include Escape to Margaritaville, Memphis, Xanadu, All Shook Up and Seussical: The Musical. Additional New York stage credits include Blown Sideways Through Life, Jeffrey (Lucille Lortel and Obie Awards), The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told, Valhalla (Lucille Lortel Award nomination), Regrets Only, Wonder of the World, Communicating Doors, Bunny Bunny, The Night Hank Williams Died and Fires in the Mirror (Lucille Lortel Award), among others. Mr. Ashley is the recipient of the Princess Grace Award, the Drama League Director Fellowship and an NEA/TCG Director Fellowship.

DES McANUFF, Director Emeritus

served as La Jolla Playhouse’s Artistic Director from 1983 through 1994, and from 2001 through April 2007. Under his leadership, the Playhouse garnered more than 300 awards, including the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre. His Playhouse to Broadway credits include: SUMMER: The Donna Summer Musical; Doctor Zhivago; Jesus Christ Superstar; Jersey Boys (four Tony Awards); Billy Crystal’s 700 Sundays (Tony Award); How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (five Tony nominations); director and co-author with Pete Townshend on The Who’s Tommy (Tony and Olivier Awards for Best Director) and Big River (seven Tony Awards), among others. He also directed the premieres of Aaron Sorkin’s The Farnsworth Invention and Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, which he co-wrote. Opera credits: Faust (The Met, ENO). Film credits: Cousin Bette (director), Iron Giant (producer, BAFTA Award) and Quills (executive producer). Recipient of the Drama League’s 2006 Julia Hansen Award, Mr. McAnuff served as Artistic Director at Canada’s Stratford Festival from 2007 through 2012. In 2012, he was awarded Canada’s esteemed Governor General’s National Arts Center Award and the Order of Canada.

DEBBY BUCHHOLZ, Managing Director of La Jolla Playhouse joined the Playhouse in 2002, serving first as General Manager before becoming Managing Director. She is a Vice President of the League of Resident Theaters (LORT) and a member of its Executive Committee. She is a recipient of a San Diego Women Who Mean Business Award from The San Diego Business Journal. Prior to joining La Jolla Playhouse, she served as Counsel to The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C. She was a faculty member of the Smithsonian Institution’s program on Legal Problems of Museum Administration. Prior to The Kennedy Center, she served as a corporate attorney in New York City and Washington, D.C. She is a graduate of UC San Diego and Harvard Law School. Ms. Buchholz and her husband, noted author and White House economic policy advisor Todd Buchholz, live in Solana Beach and are the proud parents of Victoria, Katherine and Alexia.

ERIC KEEN-LOUIE, Executive Producer

(he/him) joined the Playhouse in 2018 as Producing Director, before becoming Executive Producer in 2021. He previously worked at The Old Globe (Associate Producer and Associate Artistic Director) and The Public Theater (Assistant to the Associate Producer and Director of Special Projects). He assisted Broadway producer Margo Lion on Hairspray and Caroline, or Change. He is a graduate of Columbia University where he received his M.F.A. in Theatre Management & Producing as a Dean’s Fellow and New York University where he earned a B.A. in Dramatic Literature. He serves as Secretary on the National Alliance of Musical Theatre’s Board of Directors. He shares his commute to La Jolla with his husband Anthony Keen-Louie, an administrator in student affairs at UC San Diego. He is a proud third-generation Chinese-American.

LA JOLLA PLAYHOUSE

is a place where artists and audiences come together to create what’s new and next in the American theatre, from Tony Award-winning productions, to imaginative programs for young audiences, to interactive experiences outside our theatre walls. Founded in 1947 by Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire and Mel Ferrer, the Playhouse is currently led by Tony Award winner Christopher Ashley, the Rich Family Artistic Director of La Jolla Playhouse, and Managing Director Debby Buchholz. The Playhouse is internationally renowned for the development of new works, including mounting 110 world premieres, commissioning more than 60 new works, and sending 33 productions to Broadway – among them the hit musical Come From Away – garnering a total of 38 Tony Awards, as well as the 1993 Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre.

VALUES STATEMENT

Welcome to La Jolla Playhouse, where we believe that stories enhance the human experience, instill empathy and help us see the world in new ways. We respect all races, ethnicities, cultures, physical/cognitive abilities, ages, genders and identities, and endeavor to be an anti-racist and accessible organization that removes barriers to engagement. As a community of life-long learners who celebrate the spirit of play, we innovate and collaborate to bring theatre to life.

We practice empathy by listening, challenging our assumptions and staying open to all perspectives.

We respect and recognize the complexities of all lived experiences, identities and cultural backgrounds. We honor the Kumeyaay Nation, the original caretakers of the land on which our theaters sit. We will fight against anti-blackness, the many forms of racism directed at BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) and all types of discrimination and harassment, to be a more inclusive space where everyone feels welcome onstage and off.

We work with our community to identify, understand and address ways to make our theatre more equitable and accessible.

We infuse the spirit of play into everything we do, sparking creativity, fun and life-long learning.

We innovate and take risks to propel theatre as an art form and as a pathway toward fostering belonging and enhancing human connection.

We collaborate by prioritizing inclusive practices from which diverse voices, talents and ideas can strengthen engagement and creative thinking.

We vow to grow and embrace these values. When we falter, we will hold ourselves accountable through transparent communication, measurable outcomes, self-reflection and humility. With great joy and a strong sense of responsibility, we commit to these values in every aspect of our work.

MISSION STATEMENT

La Jolla Playhouse advances theatre as an art form, telling stories that inspire empathy and create a dialogue toward a more just future. With our intrepid spirit and eclectic, artist-driven approach we will continue to cultivate a local, national and global following with an insatiable appetite for audacious work.

We provide unfettered creative opportunities for a community of artists of all backgrounds and abilities. We are committed to being a permanent safe harbor for unsafe and surprising work, offering a glimpse of the new and the next in American theatre.

BOARD SPOTLIGHT WHY I SUPPORT THE PLAYHOUSE

My wife Dea and I have been active supporters of La Jolla Playhouse for decades. It is in our blood, as I like to describe our involvement. I think it is because of the messages that La Jolla Playhouse continues to put out there to the world in better and better, farther and farther fashion.

There are many stories out there that are thoughtprovoking, interesting, informative, funny, and mind blowing – lots of stories and experiences by all kinds of human beings waiting to get out and shared.

Dea and I get personal enjoyment from our association with Playhouse people and its projects. We want to share this joy with as many people as possible.

OSBORN HURSTON

LA JOLLA PLAYHOUSE TRUSTEE

LA JOLLA PLAYHOUSE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SHERI L. JAMIESON Chair

DENISE BEVERS

First Vice-Chair

MICHAEL FLASTER

Second Vice-Chair

ANNIE ELLIS Secretary

SCOTT M. STANTON, Mintz Treasurer

TRUSTEES

Christopher Ashley**

Michael Bartell

Ralph Bryan*

Debby Buchholz**

Randy Camp

Robert Caplan

Seltzer Caplan McMahon Vitek

Ann Cathcart Chaplin

Qualcomm

Randall Clark*

Mary Coleman**

Stephen Coleman

PNC Bank

Doug Dawson

Edward A. Dennis, Ph.D.

Brian Dovey

Susan Dubé

Hal Dunning

Emily Einhorn

Judy Garrett

Susan Gembrowski**

Justin Gleiberman

Lynn E. Gorguze

Luke Gulley, Show Imaging, Inc.

Kay Gurtin

Clark Guy Bank of America Private Bank

Dean Haas

Dwight Hare

Osborn Hurston, US Bank

Debby Jacobs

Joan Jacobs

Pradeep K. Khosla, Ph.D.**

Chancellor, UC San Diego

Bena Leslie**

Lynelle Lynch*

Margret McBride*

Lorne Polger

Karen A. Quiñones

David I. Reynoso**

Becky Robbins

Shane Shelley, Morrison Foerster

Karen Silberman

Delicia Turner Sonnenberg**

Suzi Sterner**, UC San Diego

Andy Thomas, Evans Hotels

Erin Trenda, Cooley, LLP

Mary Walshok, Ph.D.

UC San Diego

HONORARY TRUSTEES

Peter Cowhey, Ph.D.

UC San Diego

Ivan Gayler

John Goodman

Jeanne Jones

Julie Potiker

Steven M. Strauss*

Geri Ann Warnke*

Gary Wollberg*

Robert Wright, Esq. Wright, L’Estrange & Ergastolo

EMERITUS TRUSTEES

Rita Bronowski (1917-2010)

David Copley (1952-2012)

Ted Cranston (1940-2012)

Milton Fredman (1920-2005)

Ewart W. Goodwin, Jr.* (1938- 2019)

Joel Holliday* (1939-2022)

Jeffrey Ressler* (1943-2022)

Marian Jones Longstreth (1906-1997)

Hughes Potiker (1925-2005)

Sheila Potiker (1930-2011)

Ellen Revelle (1910-2009)

Roger Revelle (1909-1991)

Willard P. VanderLaan, M.D.* (1917-2012)

Arthur Wagner, Ph.D. (1923-2015)

Mandell Weiss (1891-1993)

1947 FOUNDERS

Mel Ferrer

Dorothy McGuire

Gregory Peck

*Past Chair of the Board **Ex-Officio

List as of April 21, 2023

Top Row: Luke Gulley and Isabelle Ashraf; Bill and Martha Gilmer, Christopher Ashley, Ranjit Bahadur; Bottom Row: WOW Fesitval attendees; Kay and Bill Gurtin

$100,000 +

Denise & Lon Bevers

The true grit of competition and life-long dedication to social change as penned by one of our favorite playwrights? We jumped at the opportunity to sponsor this new work! This is La Jolla Playhouse doing what La Jolla Playhouse does best…providing a safe haven to develop groundbreaking work. Billie Jean King has been an inspiration to us for as long as we can remember and we look forward to seeing Marc Bruni’s direction of this brilliant cast performing Anna Deavere Smith’s words.

Jay Jeffcoat

It is truly an honor to sponsor a work that combines a tribute to a barrier-breaking athlete who revolutionized the rise of womens’ tennis, becoming a champion for social justice and equality, spotlighting the national evolution and focus on gender equality.

$50,000 - $99,999

Edgerton Foundation

$1,000 - $4,999

The City of Encinitas Community Grant Program

The Samuel I. & John Henry Fox Foundation

National Alliance for Musical Theatre

The Arthur and Jeanette Pratt Memorial Fund

Mandell Weiss Charitable Trust

$25,000 - $49,999

Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation

County of San Diego

Las Patronas

Laurents / Hatcher Foundation

National Endowment for the Arts

$10,000 - $24,999

David C. Copley Foundation

Peggy and Robert Matthews Foundation

Price Philanthropies Foundation

San Diego Scottish Rite Community Foundation

Ellen Browning Scripps Foundation

$5,000 - $9,999

City of Carlsbad’s Cultural Arts Office

John and Marcia Price Family Foundation

San Diego County Employees’ Charitable Organization

The Sutherland Foundation

$250 - $999

Actors' Equity Foundation

In-Kind

Gary Sinise Foundation

List as of May 10, 2023

LA JOLLA PLAYHOUSE FOUNDATION & GOVERNMENT SUPPORT

LA JOLLA PLAYHOUSE: ANNUAL SUPPORT FROM INDIVIDUALS

Stephanie Bergsma and Dwight Hare

Betty Hellstrom

Jeanne Herberger

Tammy and Larry Hershfield

Pat and Robert Hughes

Dea and Osborn Hurston

Hilary and Selwyn Isakow

Amy and Adam Jacobs

Conner Jacobs

Debby* and Hal Jacobs

Annie and Jeff Jacobs

Jess Jacobs

Joan and Irwin Jacobs

Lindsey Jacobs

Geneviève and Paul Jacobs

Stacy Jacobs

Sheri Jamieson

Jay Jeffcoat

Jewish Community Foundation

Rise Johnson

Jeanne Jones

Samantha Keil

Kali and Paul Kim

Doug Kimmelman

Amy and Bill Koman

Evelyn and Bill Lamden

Joy and Eric Laws

Veronica and Miguel Leff

Karen and Mark Leibowitz

Lisa and Gary Levine

Diana and Eliezer Lombrozo

Lynelle and Bill Lynch

Leilani Macedo

Catherina and Michael Madani

David Marchesani

Patsy and David Marino

Margret and Nevins McBride

Lisa and Richard Merage

Silvana and Alberto Michan

Glenn Miller

Alice Mitchell

Christy and Alan Molasky

Emily Cole and Amanda Montgomery

Alison Moore

Becky Moores

Marci and Ronnie Morgan

Cheryl and Bill Naumann

Margo and James Nederlander

Nordstrom

Diane and Randy Orley

Pathfinder Partners

Lisa and Chris Pedersen

Monica and Ron Perlman

PNC Bank

Lorne Polger

Teresa and Byron Pollitt

Lee and Stuart Posnock

Julie and Lowell Potiker

Qualcomm

Jeannie and Gerry Ranglas

Clare Redlinger

Vanessa and Gary Ressler

Vivien Ressler

Sharon and Christopher Rhodes

Becky Robbins

Tammy and Cameron Rooke

Marilyn and Michael Rosen

Marti and Adam Rosenberg

Stacy and Don Rosenberg

Michael Rosenberg

Laleh Roudi

Colette and Ivor Royston

Robin and Larry Rusinko

Lynn Schenk

Alex Seaver

Christy and Ron Seaver

Seltzer Caplan McMahon Vitek

Sempra Energy

Marsha and Mickey Shahon

Jeffrey and Karen Silberman

Elizabeth Simmons and Sekhar

Chivukula

Leslie Simon

Robert Singer

Miriam and David Smotrich

Spielman Family Foundation

Scott Stanton

Bob Steck

Amanda and Rob Stewart

Iris and Matt Strauss

Lise Wilson and Steve Strauss

Carol and Mark Tager

Karen and Stuart Tanz

Rachel and Doug Timmons

Erin Trenda and Nick Ennis

Debbie Turner

UC San Diego

UC San Diego Health

IN LOVING MEMORY Jordan Ressler, 1981-2004

Van Cleef & Arpels

Carrie and Victor Vilaplana

Pamela Wagner and Hans Tegebo

Mary Walshok

Nolan Weinberg

Pattie and Jed Weinberg

Wells Fargo

Sheryl and Harvey White

Margarita and Philip Wilkinson

Jill and Bruno Wolfenzon

Meryl and George Young

Debbie Zeligson

*Gala Co-Chair

Reflects giving to annual fund from 4/1/22 – 5/5/23.

We apologize for any errors or accidental omissions. Please contact the Individual Giving Office at (858) 5501070 x134 if you would like to change your listing.

A Film and Theatre graduate from Cornell University, Jordan was an adventurer with a passion for the arts. Here at La Jolla Playhouse, he served as an assistant to Des McAnuff on Billy Crystal’s 700 Sundays and was the script supervisor for Jersey Boys

The Jordan Ressler Charitable Fund of the Jewish Community Foundation was established by his parents, Vivien and Jeffrey Ressler, to honor their son and his love of theatre and film.

We invite you to celebrate with the cast, creative team and La Jolla Playhouse leadership. With an annual gift of $5,000 or more, you become a Celebration Circle donor and are eligible to purchase VIP Celebration Night subscription tickets and attend these special events.

With an annual gift of $1,000 or more, you become an Inner Circle donor and are invited to attend some of the special events and behind-the-scenes tours listed below. Annual gifts of $2,500 (Actors Circle) will be invited to all Inner Circle Nights plus more.

Thursday, June 15: Backstage Tour

Tuesday, June 27: Inner Circle Night

Saturday, September 16: Backstage Tour

Tuesday, September 19: Inner Circle Night

Wednesday, October 11: Backstage Tour

Wednesday, October 17: Inner Circle Night

Wednesday, November 15: Backstage Tour

Thursday, November 30: Inner Circle Night

Wednesday, March 20: Inner Circle Night

Dates subject to change

PLAYHOUSE PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT ON

Spotlight On is an adult learning series at La Jolla Playhouse, where teaching artists help (re)ignite the creative spark with theatre-based classes on topics ranging from playwriting, to improv, to musical theatre – and more! Join this casual, supportive environment that inspires life-long learning and community. Learn more at lajollaplayhouse.org/spotlight-on

Artistic

Maya Quiñones

Sashank Kanchustambam

Communications/Marketing

Emily Leyva

Company Management

Rachel Halili

General Management

Samantha Duggan

Learning and Engagement

Madison Hoffman

Philanthropy

Samantha Dedal

Production Management

Peyton Whiteside

Special Events

Gabriella Johnson

Stage Management

Katherine McLeod

LEARNING & ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS

The Playhouse partners with members of local affinity groups to create productions for, by, with and in the communities we serve. In addition, we provide creative opportunities for artistic development and growth for various community groups.

Community Programs

Performance Outreach Program (POP) Tour

Each year, the Playhouse commissions a new play that addresses real concerns of today’s youth and brings a professional production to schools and community centers across San Diego County.

Residencies and Partnerships

Student Matinees Special student matinees of selected mainstage productions are offered throughout the school year. An online engagement guide, pre- or post-show workshops, and a post-show talkback provides a deeper understanding on how a new play is uniquely developed with Playhouse staff.

In-School Programs

The Playhouse partners with school districts across San Diego County to place professional teaching artists in schools for intensive artist residencies aimed at providing young people with meaningful opportunities to learn about theatre. Through the Kennedy Center’s Partner in Education program, the San Diego County Office of Education and LJP team up to provide professional development for educators on how to enhance their existing lessons with theatre strategies.

• UCSD MFA Residencies: 3rd-year UCSD MFA students participate in a residency within the Playhouse’s 6-show season.

• Resident Theatre Company: The Playhouse annually provides an artistic home and resources to a local theatre without a permanent space of their own.

Young Performers’ Conservatory (YPC)

A 5-week intensive that prepares actors for serious college theatre programs; and Tech Theatre, which introduces young people to the various aspects of technical theatre. Supported by the Sidney E. Frank Foundation, the Jordan Ressler Endowment Fund, David C. Copley Foundation and the Roberto Quiñones, Jr. Scholarship Fund.

JumpStart Theatre

This three-year program provides curriculum and mentorship for a team of middle school teachers to produce musicals in their schools for the first time. After three years, the school receives continued support to maintain a viable theatre program.

• Good Neighbor Partnerships: The Playhouse offers opportunities to artists, theatre companies and collectives to use our spaces and resources for special projects that may not be possible without outside support.

Spotlight On Playhouse teaching artists lead classes for adults on Improv, Musical Theatre, Acting and Technical Theatre.

Lead Supporters: The William Hall Tippett and Ruth Rathell Tippett Foundation | Qualcomm Foundation | San Diego Foundation

ACCESSIBILITY

CONCESSIONS AND DINING

PARKING AND SHUTTLES

For the latest parking and shuttle information, please go to lajollaplayhouse.org/parking

Designated wheelchair-accessible seating is available and accessible parking is provided by UC San Diego in the South Parking Structure (formerly known as Osler). Wheelchair seat locations are available for wheelchair users and a companion. Additionally, a golf cart is available to assist patrons with accessibility needs to and from the drop-off location. You may pull into the Passenger/Ride Share Drop-Off area and a greeter will assist you. The Playhouse offers assisted listening devices free of charge at the Patron Information Booth for any patron who would like amplified sound (subject to availability). Please provide a credit card or ID for temporary deposit.

Start your night off right with bar and concessions service from James' Place: serving beer, wine, sodas and individually-wrapped snacks. Additionally, James’ Place provides dining service starting at 5:00pm before evening performances.

COVID-19 SAFETY

The Playhouse continues to follow guidelines and strategies provided by San Diego County, California Department of Public Health, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for all in-person activities. Please go to lajollaplayhouse.org/ healthandsafety for our latest policy updates.

LATE SEATING

PATRON SERVICES is located in the lobby or courtyard of each theatre. A volunteer is available to distribute assisted listening devices and answer questions.

PHOTOGRAPHY/RECORDING DEVICES

Photography and video or audio recording of performances is strictly prohibited.

PLEASE SILENCE or turn off all electronic devices, including cell phones and watches, before the performance.

SAFETY IN THE THEATRE DISTRICT

CHILDREN under the age of 6 are not permitted in the theatre during performances unless otherwise posted. Unaccompanied minors ages 12 and under are not permitted in the theatre. Out of respect for fellow audience members and the performers, babes in arms are not permitted in the theatre during performances.

Should you arrive late for any performance or need to leave your seat during the performance, you may be asked to wait in the lobby until an appropriate moment. To minimize any disturbance to actors or other patrons, you may stand or be seated in the first available location by House Management even if not your assigned location. Please be advised that some performances may not allow for late seating or return to your assigned seat.

La Jolla Playhouse is constantly working with UC San Diego Police Department and Transportation and Parking Services to maintain a safe and secure environment in the parking lots. Patrons are welcome to use the UC San Diego escort service by contacting UC San Diego Community Service Officers (CSOs) at (858) 534-9255 (WALK). Further questions regarding security, please contact UC San Diego Police at (858) 534-4357 (HELP).

SPECIAL THANKS TO THE PLAYHOUSE

For more infor mation on joining the Partners, please visit LaJollaPlayhouse.org

ee decades the Playhouse Partners have donated their time, service and skills to support ovides many ways to become involved, eakfasts for the cast and c eceive many exciting benefits and special events, all es in the country. La Jolla Playhouse is deeply grateful for the Partners’ efforts over the last 30 years, and for so many years to come.

Left: Veronika Hauer, Tommy Hauer, Victoria Bykova (co-chair of Tech Night Dinner committee), Shirley Siewert (chair of Special Events committee), Cathy Glaser (co-chair of Tech Night Dinner committee); Right: Tina Dyer

LA JOLLA PLAYHOUSE Christopher Ashley*

STAFF

ARTISTIC

Executive Producer Eric Keen-Louie

Director of Artistic Development Gabriel Greene*

Director of Experiences and Activations Mia Fiorella*

Associate Producer Amy Ashton

Executive Assistant to Christopher Ashley Rick VanNoy*

Director Emeritus Des McAnuff

Directing Fellow Kat Yen

Commissioned Artists Todd Almond, Jeff Augustin, Keith Bunin, Sam Chanse, Fernanda Coppel, Kristoffer Diaz, Ava Geyer, Idris Goodwin, Mike Lew, Rehana Lew Mirza, Martyna Majok, Mona Mansour, Jess McLeod, MILCK, Lisa Peterson, Theresa Rebeck, Harrison David Rivers, Claudia Shear, Christopher Shinn, Octavio Solis, Benjamin Velez, Keith Wallace, Cheryl L. West, Lauren Yee

Artist-in-Residence Maria Patrice Amon

Theater-in-Residence Common Ground Theatre

LEARNING AND ENGAGEMENT

Director of Learning Bridget Cavaiola Stone

Director of Arts Engagement and In-House Casting

Jacole Kitchen

Learning and Engagement Manager

Hannah Reinert

Teaching Artists Julie Benitez, Lex Bezdeka, Desireé

Clarke, Leticia De Anda, Farah Dinga, Shairi Engle, Kristen Fogle, Shawn Foote, Melissa Glasgow, Kirsten Giard, Jeffrey Ingman, Justin Lang, Grace

Lehman, Wilfred Paloma, Vanessa Reibel, Kimberly Ross, Lorena Santana, Mike Sears, Gill Sotu, Emily

Stamets, Marjorie Treger, Katie Turner, Bex Walker

ASL Interpreters Lynn Ann Garrett, Anelia Glebocki, Candace Gordon, Billieanne McLellan, Geovanny

Peña

ASL Volunteer Esther Shen

Audio Describers Mernie Aste, Brian Berlau, Tina Dyer, Shari Lyon, Deborah Sanborn, Sylvia Southerland, Michele Dixon, Lisa Illiana, Laurielynn Barnett

ADMINISTRATION

General Manager Ryan Meisheid

Assistant General Manager Erica Martin

Corporate/Legal Counsel Robert C. Wright, Wright & L’Estrange

Theatre/Legal Counsel F. Richard Pappas, Esq.

COMPANY MANAGEMENT

Company Manager Rosalee Barrientos

Assistant Company Manager Mia Apalategui

Company Management Assistants Grace Lehman, Austin Mahn

FINANCE

Chief Financial Officer Laura Killmer

Controller Jared Jackson

Accounts Payable Manager Sharon Ratelle*

Human Resources Manager Jennifer Boaz

Payroll Matthew Zapata

The Rich Family Artistic Director of La Jolla Playhouse

COMMUNICATIONS

Director of Public Relations Becky Biegelsen*

Director of Sales & Marketing Stephanie Zappala

Associate Director of Sales & Marketing Sonia Diaz

Communications Manager Grace Madamba*

Senior Multimedia Designer Nancy Showers*

Multimedia Designer Phyllis Sa

Marketing Manager Deanna Burgos

Marketing Database Analyst Dani Meister

Marketing Assistant Mia Van Deloo

Patron Services Sales Specialist Paul Preston*

Sales Concierge William Guiney

PATRON SERVICES

Associate Director of Ticketing Services Pearl Hang*

Senior Patron Services Manager Travis Guss

Patron Services Assistant Manager/Group Sales Specialist Bill Washington

Lead Patron Services Representatives Rachel Lasker, Claire Michael

Patron Services Representatives Kita Barrientos, Devon Gonzales

OPERATIONS

Director of Operations Ned Collins*

Operations Manager John Craft*

Network Systems Specialist Daryl “Scooter” Davis

Office Administrator Amanda Casachahua

FRONT OF HOUSE

Assistant House Managers Alex Bezdeka, Simonne Darbonne, Braulio Fernandez-Flores, Hannah Johnson, Gemina Soriano

Audience Concierges Sara Delgado, Chris Ferreria, Sashank Kanchustambam, Emily Klemmetsen, Ryan Ritterby, Teya Searles, Avery Simonian, Nare Terzyan, Maria Torpey, Mia Van Deloo

PHILANTHROPY

Director of Philanthropy Julia B. Foster

Associate Director of Philanthropy Keely Daximillion

Assistant Director of Philanthropy, Institutional Giving Rebecca Pierce Goodman

Philanthropy Operations Manager Tony Dixon

Individual Giving Manager Madeleine McManus

Special Events Manager Nil Noyan

Corporate Relations Manager James Skeet

Institutional Giving Coordinator Lyla Iannaccone

Stewardship Coordinator Dominique Kaestner

Special Events Coordinator Katie Wallace-Coppo

Debby Buchholz*

Managing Director of La Jolla Playhouse

PRODUCTION

Senior Production Manager Benjamin Seibert

Production Manager Becca Duhaime

Assistant Production Manager Dacia Samilo

Production Office Manager Caren Heintzelman

SCENE SHOP

Scenery Supervisor Jonathan Gilmer

Shop Foreman David Weiner*

Assistant Production Foreman Christopher Chauvet

Lead Shop Carpenter Molly Whittaker

Production Carpenter Chad Stanner

Carpenters Dan Bogosian, Jacob Becker, Jeffrey Becker, Michael Brodsky, James Fogarty, Ryan Gordon, Nicholas Jackson, Kathryn Reams, Ava Roethe, Nicholas Savage, Alex Torretti, Wally Wallace, Sheila Whitsett, Molly Whittaker

Charge Artist Jennifer Imbler

Scenic Painters Caroline Kvaas, Marie Mateo, Melissa Nalbach, Courtney Ware

PROPERTIES SHOP

Prop Supervisor Deb Hatch*

Prop Design Associate Zlatko Mitev

Prop Lead Artisan Rai Feltmann

Prop Artisan McKenzie Kiser, Ryan Lewis

COSTUME SHOP

Costume Supervisor Jennifer Ables

Resident Costume Design Assistant

Desiree Hatfield-Buckley*

Costume Office Assistant Rebecca Rankin

Costume Office Assistant Claire Peterson

Draper Corey Martin

First Hand Keira McGee

Lead Crafts Artisan Tess Mattraw

Stitchers Stephanie Gift, Sonya Levin

Wardrobe Supervisor Junior Bergman

Hair/Make Up Supervisor Alberto “Albee” Alvarado

ELECTRICS

Production Electrician Kristyn Kennedy*

Electricians Michelle Aguilar, Valeria Avina, Jasmyne Birdsong, Alex Cluff, Xavier Luevano, Delaney

McCowen

SOUND/VIDEO

Sound/Video Supervisor Timothy Riggs

Head of Sound Department Daniel Silva

Sound Technicians Camille Houze, Mae Le, Alfredo

Madrigal

Video Tom Martinez

LOVE ALL CREW

Production Carpenter Chad Stanner

Deck Crew Nicholas Savage

Prop Supervisor Kevyn Fernandez

Prop Runner Anthony “Ginger” Garcia

Wardrobe Supervisor Junior Bergman

* Ten years or more with La Jolla Playhouse

Wig Department Supervisor Alberto “Albee” Alvarado

Wig Run Supervisor Kim Parker

Dressers Kate Morton, Caroline Kvaas, Melissa Nalbach

Electrics Department Head & Light Board Operator

Alex Cluff

Lightboard Programmer Jessica Dean

Sound Engineer Daniel Silva

A2 Mae Le

Projection Operator Tom Martinez

JUNE DINING GEMS

New Restaurants, Brunch Experiences & Menus Await This Month

The culinary minds behind Azuki Sushi in Bankers Hill have debuted an immersive Japanese dining experience a couple blocks north on Fifth Avenue: Kinme Omakase Tucked away from the bustle of uptown and nearby Balboa Park, Kinme is a culinary urban retreat. The low-lit, modern space seats just

10 guests at its sleek bar—behind which you’ll find chefs Nao Ichimura and Kevin Alvarado handcrafting the evening’s 10-course omakase (or chef’s choice) tasting menu. Updated seasonally, it’s a study in Edomae sushi and the rich history of Kaiseki cuisine. Expect fresh local catches, along with fish flown

/ by SARAH DAOUST /

in directly from Tokyo’s famous Toyosu Market; plus delicacies like A5 wagyu beef; and exclusive sakes and Japanese whiskies. Open for dinner Wednesday through Sunday, the restaurant offers seatings at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. (reservations required) for $175 per guest; with wine and sake pairings available

Chef creations at Kinme Omakase

DINING

for an additional $70 per person. 2505 Fifth Ave., Bankers Hill, 858.947.1518

The Gaslamp Quarter welcomes a new rooftop bar and restaurant: Leave of Absence, by chef and restaurateur Jason Neroni, located on the pool-deck level of the recently opened Kimpton Alma San Diego hotel. The menu centers on shareable wood-fired dishes and California fare, including flatbreads, mezze plates, roasted veggies and burgers. Try the Smash Brisket Burger with smoked cheddar cheese, butter pickles and special sauce on a pretzel bun. The cocktail menu boasts margaritas and tropical craft libations such as the Raspado, a Jamaicaninspired slushy spiked with mezcal. 1047 Fifth Ave., Gaslamp Quarter, 619.515.3000

It’s Southern Italy fare at its finest at Civico 1845—one of just four San Diego restaurants to be rated by Gambero Rosso International. The Little Italy outpost has overhauled its entire menu with new and revamped offerings. Feast on debut dishes such as Ragu Calabrese with garganelli pasta and short

rib ragu—topped with braised pork short ribs, homemade Calabrian sausage and pecorino cheese. A full vegan menu offers Pasta e Rapini, Ragu di Funghi and Bruschetta Ricotta among its new dishes. 1845 India St., Little Italy, 619.431.5990

Inspired by New Orleans’ French Quarter, Mister A’s new Saturday brunch service includes stellar views and live jazz. The experience starts with a bite and aperitif at the bar, along with live jazz by rotating musicians that can be heard restaurantwide, before being seated in the main dining room.

Executive chef Stephane Voitzwinkler’s exclusive Saturday brunch menu boasts blue crab cakes, hush puppies, beignets, crispy shrimp po’ boys,

dirty rice topped with a fried egg, gumbo Benedict, shrimp ‘n’ grits, and more. 2550 Fifth Ave., 12th floor, Bankers Hill, 619.239.1377

Delight in Cajun cuisine, music and more at "Brunch + Beats"—a new Saturday brunch party series at North Park’s bayou-inspired eatery, Louisiana Purchase, hosted by District 619. A special brunch menu features “Drop Top Chicken Flock,” comprising wings, waffles, honey butter and maple syrup; “Grazin’ in Love,” with three eggs, ribeye steak, potatoes, onions, peppers and Crawfish Monica sauce; “Strawberry Fine” with streusel and creamcheese drizzle; and much more. More highlights: Champagne specials, live

Clockwise: the pool deck at Leave of Absence; seasonal French Toast at Serea; Ragu Calabrese at Civico 1845

music and old-fashioned Southern hospitality.

2305 University Ave., North Park, 619.396.2316

Hotel del Coronado’s flagship restaurant, Serea, recently refreshed its weekend brunch menu— served Saturdays and Sundays from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Created by executive chef JoJo Ruiz, it spotlights new dishes like the caviar Benedict with blue lump crab cakes; and the cheese-andspinach spanakotiropita (a savory Greek-style pie) drizzled with fermented hot honey. There’s plenty of old menu favorites, too—including the shakshuka, smoked tritip steak with fried eggs, chilled shellfish, whole fish preparations, brunch cocktails and bubbly. Another menu standout is

Keiko Green

DINING

the smoked polenta with grilled shrimp, poached eggs, peppadew peppers and cherry tomatoes. Reserve a table on the airy dining veranda or ample patio for prime ocean views. 1500 Orange Ave., Coronado, 619.435.6611

Living up to its name, Bun & Patti is Little Italy’s new “fine casual” restaurant, serving premiumquality, all-natural burgers (read: no hormones or antibiotics) in laidback digs. And come hungry; the burgers are huge. Cases in point include the Notorious B&P—two beef patties, cheddar, secret sauce and fixings on a toasted brioche bun; and the dramatic Smoke Show, a 14-day, dry-aged beef patty from Flannery Farm, Baker’s gourmet bacon, white cheddar, lettuce, tomato and truffle aioli. Or choose from sandwiches like Taste of the South, with fried Mary’s free-range chicken, cabbage slaw, pickles and chipotle aioli on a pretzel bun; plus wings, salads, truffle fries, onion rings, mac ‘n’ cheese, and chocolate-chip cookies with ice cream for dessert. To drink: craft beer, wine, and milkshakes with house-made ice cream and garnished with Belgian waffles. 2171 Kettner Blvd., Little Italy, 619.637.6284

“EXHILARATING IN EVERY WAY."

— Los Angeles Times

FROM

performed together, in one orchestra.

For an organization whose concerts had been presented indoors for most of its existence, pivoting to outdoors was a huge step, but it seems to have been one that paid off. In 2021, Mainly Mozart’s four festivals broke the company’s alltime attendance record. “Mainly Mozart has been exploring different ways to serve our audience since COVID made us rethink venues and performances,” Laturno says. “Ticket sales have exploded since we moved outdoors. Most excitingly, 67% are new

11 audiences, and almost half are under age 40. We are seeing drivers coming from Los Angeles and the desert, as well as all over San Diego County.”

In fact, audiences have embraced outdoor concerts so enthusiastically that for its 35th anniversary, the Mainly Mozart All-Star Orchestra Festival is expanding to two weeks: in Del Mar, June 15, 17 and 18; and in La Jolla, June 20, 22 and 24. As it does every year, the All-Star Orchestra brings together the largest gathering of concertmasters and principal players in North America, drawing from the most prestigious

orchestras. In addition to returning to Del Mar Surf Cup Sports Park, this year the festival expands to two new venues: the five-year-old, acoustically magnificent Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center in La Jolla Village; and the brand-new, outdoor Epstein Family Amphitheater on the campus of UC San Diego.

“Being able to expand our festival this way shows the tremendous demand for Mainly Mozart,” says Music Director Michael Francis, returning to lead the festival for the ninth year. “Our reach is growing and of course, we offer

great variety—between the might of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony; to the intimacy of Mahler’s Fourth Symphony chamber version in an indoor setting. We are really trying to cater to our wonderful audience and provide an exceptional example of all that Mainly Mozart is about.”

On the program at Del Mar Surf Cup Sports Park the first week: Mozart’s Bassoon Concerto and Piano Concerto No. 25, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 8, Brahms’ Violin Concerto, and much more. The following week, the festival moves indoors to The Conrad for Mahler’s

Michael Francis with guests at the 2022 festival; the incredible staging at night.

CONT’D.

PAGE

Symphony No. 4; then graces the Epstein Family Amphitheater with a delightful program of Shostakovich and Mozart; and finally the tremendous Beethoven Symphony No.

9. Leading players from dozens of America’s top orchestras will be led by

Los Angeles Philharmonic Concertmaster Martin Chalifour, Dallas Symphony Concertmaster Alexander Kerr, and Cleveland Orchestra Concertmaster David Radzynski—serving as rotating concertmasters of the 2023 Mainly

Mozart All-Star Orchestra.

“Mainly Mozart seized any opportunity we could to keep going. And so therefore, we’ve maintained our audience and indeed grew,” says Francis. “What we’ve learned is presenting exceptionally high quality music with the finest musicians available in a relaxed setting has paid tremendous dividends.”

“We’ve been very happy and successful at Surf Cup Sports Park in Del Mar, and we see a long future there,” Laturno says. “But we’re also very excited to have the opportunity to perform indoors in the beautiful

acoustics of The Conrad, in a different repertoire that isn’t appropriate for an outdoor setting. That and the new Epstein Family Amphitheater are an enormous gift to the San Diego community, enabling us to broaden our geographic reach and the range of experiences we can offer.”

Laturno agrees with Francis that although the programming is still classical music, the more casual vibe of outdoor concerts seems to agree with new, younger audiences. “At Del Mar Surf Cup Sports Park, patrons have their choice of seating at tables for four, or

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in Adirondack chairs; or bringing their own chairs, and picnics with food and wine. Rather than make choices based on ticket price, they decide on which of these experiences they want, and can curate their own.”

And there’s a lot for audiences to look forward to. “There are actually quite a lot of Mainly Mozart firsts this year,” Francis says. “We’ll be performing pieces that we haven’t played before, including Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony to finish the festival, which will be epic. There’s the Grand Fantasy, which is an arrangement of Mozart

Experience the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego in a unique and dynamic way while providing vital support for the art and artists of today.

piano pieces by one of Mozart’s students, which is very exciting for me. We have a program based around the impact of politics on music through the ages, which should be really good fun. And of course our exceptional musicians and world-class soloists are highlights unto themselves.”

Among the featured soloists will be Whitney Crockett, Los Angeles Philharmonic principal bassoon; pianist AnneMarie McDermott; soprano Chelsea Guo in the Mahler Symphony No. Four and on piano; and Martin Chalifour. The San Diego Master Chorale will provide the vocal heft for Beethoven’s Ninth.

“Chelsea Guo is going to really engage people both with her high-quality piano playing and singing,” Francis continues. “A rare talent to be able to do both at the highest level. We’ll also be featuring the wonderfully talented

The Festival Orchestra and crowd; violinist Karen Gomyo.

THE CONRAD

violinist Karen Gomyo.”

Considering many of the musicians that make up the All-Star Orchestra are coming to San Diego directly from a full season of performances with their home orchestras, it’s a tribute to Mainly Mozart that they are eager to participate. “Artists are so happy to come to perform with us here—they love the collegiality and the strong sense of family that has developed between the artists and the audiences,” Laturno says. “Of course, coming to San Diego in the summer is also a huge draw!”

Francis adds, “Our reputation among musicians really is tremendous. The Mainly Mozart All-Star Orchestra is well known and respected by orchestral musicians throughout North America; to receive an invitation is an incredible honor. We consistently feature the highest concentration of concertmasters and principal

BODYTRAFFIC

Home of La Jolla Music Society

Michael Francis in action

players in any one place.”

Looking to this year’s plans, Francis says, “I feel very proud of this festival coming up. Surf Cup Sports Park in Del Mar has become a real favorite, and it so brilliantly achieves that summer festival atmosphere. But I also think the new UC San Diego Epstein Family Amphitheater is going to be a real hit, with good acoustics and a great experience for everyone. We’ll also have the intimacy of The Conrad.”

Francis continues, “The programming includes lots of familiar favorites alongside several new pieces. And whether it’s your 100th concert or your first, we firmly believe that we can help you find your personal connection to this incredible music that helps define each of our lives.”

The festival runs June 15, 17 and 18; and June 20, 22 and 24. For tickets and more info: mainlymozart.org

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From July 5 to September 1, enjoy the artwork of over 100 artists, art tours, classes, live music, events and more in a large, open-air art gallery!