THE ATER
wow! pop! and other intrepid programming La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego continues to be a haven for “audacious and diverse work.” A NOVEL VIRUS demands a novel approach—for theaters as well as for medical professionals. § Not daunting for Christopher Ashley, artistic director of La Jolla Playhouse. For the last seven of his 13 years on the job, he has focused exclusively on innovative original work—a fairly novel way to ensure the venue’s success. § The Tony Award-winning theater (Outstanding Regional Theatre, 1993) and director (Come From Away, 2017) stake their claim as a fertile breeding ground for, as its mission statement puts it, “social, moral and political … artist-driven … audacious and diverse work.” The Playhouse considers itself “a permanent safe harbor for the unsafe and surprising.”
38 PERFORMANCES FALL 2020
