Spotlight on the stage
Must-watch theater productions in San Diego
SATVIKA NITYA / ASST. A&C EDITOR / THE USD VISTA
San Diego is known for its beautiful beaches and unspoiled, picturesque weather. But along with these treats for the eyes, the city provides a place for a thriving theater scene.
Whether you love big dramatic productions or smaller, niche tellings of stories, theaters all around San Diego bring plays of all genres to the big stage. Here are four such productions that you cannot miss out on before they close.
Exotic Deadly: Or the MSG Play
A play set in 1999, tells the story of Ami, an awkward Asian American high schooler whose world comes crashing down after publicly discovering that her family is responsible for manufacturing MSG, the mysterious ingredient getting all the kids addicted. Ami vows to redeem her family name and save the world from MSG.
This whimsical, time-traveling adventure written by Keiko Green and directed by Jesca Prudencio takes the audience on a rollercoaster of a journey through wild teenage crushes, family legacies and the magical properties of instant ramen.
With a run time of one hour and forty minutes, this play opened on April 8 and has received raving reviews from the San Diego Union-Tribune and BroadwayWorld, calling it “smart, heartwarming and hilarious.” Currently playing at the Old Globe, the last day to watch this play is May 7.
The Chronicles of Kalki
This thriller directed by Desireé Clarke serves as an account for the adventures of two highschool girls, Meat and Betty, and the mysterious disappearance of their friend Kalki — who may or may not be an avatar of the Hindu God Vishnu.
With the police hunting down this girl-god and questioning her two friends about her whereabouts, the story follows the impact of Kalki’s constant reappearance and powers on the lives of Meat and Betty. As they journey through high school, they’re left wondering if Kalki is doing God’s work or just there to wreak havoc.
With some left super confused by the play and its content and others super impressed by a simple story of teenage angst amped up by visiting Gods, this production has mixed reviews from critics. But one thing that all critics can agree on is that it is definitely a show to watch for great acting and deep thought.
USD first-year Halle Fernandez talked about her reaction to hearing about this play.
“It sounds so interesting and I definitely want to go watch it,” Fernandez said. “The concept sounds cool and this story seems different than any plot I’ve seen before but I do think that’s the only area of intrigue. And maybe I need to go watch the play to figure it out but as far as I can see, there is no conflict or moving plot beyond this unique nature of the character.”
This play by Aditi Brennan Kapil premieres in San Diego on May 7 at the Moxie Theatre and runs until June 4.
1776
This Broadway production directed by Jeffrey L. Page and Diane Paulus is filled with rich history, as it transports the audience back to the story of America’s founding fathers and the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
A story of two dozen passionate, complicated and all-too-human individuals trying to settle their differences while holding the fate of the nation in their hands, this production is filled with musical numbers and complex storylines carried out by a multiracial and diverse cast, a fact that was missing from history the first time around.
The play will run May 9 – 14 at the San Diego Civic Theatre and received a Tony for Best Musical, making it a definite Broadway must-watch.
Destiny of Desire
This play is an onstage homage to the joys, tribulations and plot twists of telenovela “Native Gardens” by Karen Zacarías. The story is set in Mexico where two babies are born — one into a life of outlandish wealth, and one into a life of poverty. But the plot gets rolling when the newborns are swapped by a ruthless ex-beauty queen and this sets forth outrageous misfortunes to grow into an extraordinary destinies for both characters.
Directed by Tony Award winner Ruben Santiago-Hudson and filled with vibrant choreography and live music, this play explores emotional rollercoasters and social commentaries, highlighting the art of telenovelas.
USD junior Madison Calderon who grew up watching telenovelas talked about her reaction to hearing this play take the stage.
“Usually when you hear about plays, the stories are usually Eurocentric lens based plays,” Calderon said. “But it’s so cool to see that telenovelas which is a part of Mexican culture and something that I used to be embarrassed about ‘cause I couldn’t explain its nature to anybody, is now becoming mainstream through a play. But at the same time, it’s kinda also problematic ‘cause it has the potential to send the message that these kind of overdramatized stories are all that Mexican art can offer.”
This play opens on May 19 at the Old Globe Theatre and is set to run until June 25.
With critics from the Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune naming the play “a zany, funny delight,” this play for sure needs to be added to your list.
There are loads of plays set to run in San Diego with a variety of stories and genres coming to the big stage.
These productions are in such great proximity to USD with available student discounts; the door is wide open for students to enjoy these theatrical performances.