san diego theatre briefs


LA JOLLA PLAYHOUSE Two productions are looming as a part of La Jolla


SEVEN GUITARS August Wilson penned sixteen plays of which ten in the series were known asThe


Century Cycle, plays that chronicle life for African-Americans over the course of a century.Gem of the Ocean is the first in the series, beginning with the early 1900s, with Radio Golf finishing the cycle in the 1990s. “I think my plays offer (white Americans) a different way to look at black Americans,” Wilson toldThe Paris Review. “For instance, in Fences they see a garbageman, a person they don’t really look at, although they see a garbageman every day. By looking at Troy’s life, white people find out that the content of this black garbageman’s life is affected by the same things—love, honor, beauty, betrayal, duty. Recognizing that these things are as much part of his life as theirs can affect how they think about and deal with black people in their lives.” In the center of the cycle is a play dubbedSeven Guitars and the Cygnet Theatre is taking on the play as a part of their current seasonthroughSunday, November 6, . Part comedy, part dark requiem, it tells the story of a blues guitarist and singer who died just as his career was on the verge of taking off. For tickets and more information, call 619.337.1525 or go to cygnettheatre.com.


Playhouse’s Without Walls series.The Bitter Game is a one-man show running fromTuesday, October 4 through Sunday, October 9, in downtown San Diego’s Writerz Block at 510 Market Street. It asks the question, “What does it mean to survive while Black in America?” The show blends verse, prose and ‘shit-talkin,’ into a stirring commentary between a young man and his mother as they struggle to protect each other from life’s seeming inevitabilities. The Playhouse says of it, “The Bitter Game explores the question of police agency and excessive force, the ripple effects of vicarious trauma in the communities of color, and the value of Black lives in this country.” Mike Daisey inThe Trump Card, takes a look at


BEDROOMS & BOYFRIENDS Three funny, touching, one-acts make up this series of short plays, created by


San Diego performers well known for their many prodigious skills on and off the stage. Choreographer Michael Mizerany (playing Peter and Bart), actor Sam Ginn (as Giovanni and Charlie) and actor/writer Jonathan Hammond (as Jonah and Joel) have come together to launch this superb series of shorts filled with sharp humor and poignancy. Bedrooms & Boyfriends is presented as an encore performance by Compulsion Dance & Theatre and runsThursday, October 20 through Sunday, October 23, inside ion Theatre’s BLKBOX at 3704 Sixth Avenue. For tickets and more information, go to bedroomsandboyfriends.brownpapertickets.com.


as they say, “The reigning world heavyweight of self-mythologizing, the short-fingered vulgarian who captured a nation’s heart through bullying, charm, one-syllable explosions and occasionally telling the brutal truth: Donald J. Trump.” He takes the time to try to understand what makes the man tick, illuminating as he does how he and we have sold out the American Dream. This play also takes place from Tuesday, October 4 through Sunday, October 9, but this time at the Mandell Weiss Forum on the La Jolla Playhouse campus. For tickets and more information, call 858.459.3728 or go to lajollaplayhouse.org.


DISGRACED What are you willing to do to attain the American Dream? For lawyer and


potential law firm partner Amir Kappoor, it means ignoring his Muslim heritage, for his wife Emily, the choice is more challenging because she is an up-and- coming artist who focuses on Islamic themes. Amir’s latest case is around a controversial arrest of a local imam and possible trumped up charges and Emily is encouraging him to appear in court to support the imam. The Pulitzer prize-winning playDisgraced, revolves around a dinner party conversation with a colleague from work, Jory and her husband, Isaac, who is Emily’s Jewish art dealer. Essentially it’s an ex-Muslim, an African-American, a Jew and a WASP dining over the topic of religious faith, September 11, Islamic and Judaic tradition, theQuran and theTalmud, religious profiling and more…Needless to say, tensions soon mount. The San Diego Rep is presenting Ayad Akhtar’s Disgraced inside the Lyceum Theatre in Downtown San Diego fromThursday, October 20 through Sunday, November 13. For tickets and more information, call 619.544.1000 or go to sdrep.org.


MARTINIS ABOVE FOURTH TABLE + STAGE October is busy over at Martinis Above Fourth and the gang there doesn’t disap-


point with a stellar line up of talent…Of course, the gazillion assorted martinis helps, too! Fasten those seatbelts,Paige Turner, drag darling of NYC hits San Diego with her madcap variety show,Confessions Of An Un-Natural BlondonThursday, October 6. Returning to the Martini stage isJimmy James—along with Cher, Elvis, Adele, Barbra, Judy, Neil Diamond, Billie Holiday, Lionel Richie, Stevie Nicks, Diana Ross, Patsy Cline and—well you just never know who might take the stage for his showImpressions, onThursday, October 13. Making their MA4 debut areDebbie David, Kerianne Miller, Danny Ingersoll, and Chris Millerwith their Carpenter’s tribute showA Song (or Two) For YouonTuesday, October 18. WunderkindSam Harrisis back following a triumphant run in both LA and NY ofSam I Ham onThursday, October 20. Then, in a nod to her presidential run (or prep for Halloween, we’re not sure),Miss Richfield (1981) is bringing her all new showRed Lips to The White Houseto the MA4 stage on Wednesday and Thursday, October 26 and 27. That raps it up for October, but keep your eyes open for more sexy fun in the coming months...Hello yummy Steve Grand! For tickets and more information, call 619.400.4500 or go to ma4sd.com.


OCTOBER 2016 | RAGE monthly 55


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