Judith Scarpone, Rebecca Futterman, Ron Orbach, Sabrina Liu, and Lisa Robins in San Diego Repertory Theatre’s In Every Generation

Rich Soublet

French poet Paul Valéry said that art “is never truly completed…but abandoned.” That seems especially true of theater, since no two audiences ever see the exact same play.

San Diegan playwright Ali Viterbi believes the audience is an essential part of her work. “Plays are never really finished, because they demand the audience back-and-forth,” she says. “That part is always changing and evolving.” 

Her latest, In Every Generation, follows the Levi-Katz family across four time periods—1416 BCE, 1954, 2019, and 2050—by way of their Passover seders. The idea came when she observed how theatrical the holiday is. “It asks us to imagine ourselves into the story of Exodus from Egypt,” she says. “We retell this story every year. It’s tradition, but it’s also time travel. It connects you, kind of magically, to both the past and the future.”

She began writing in 2017, in the wake of the white supremacist march in Charlottesville, Virginia. “I had all these questions about what the future of American Jewish identity would look like, and about what happened to the Israelites after they escaped, when they were no longer enslaved but weren’t quite free, either.”

Tragically, we’re living in a time when speculative fiction writers are often quickly overtaken by reality. The next two years saw back-to-back mass shootings targeting the Jewish community, at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh and closer to home, at the Chabad of Poway. “The future that I’d imagined speculatively started to feel more real,” Viterbi says.

Still, she completed the play’s first draft and staged readings of it, with San Diego Repertory Theatre and other venues, revising as she went. For over ten years she has served as associate artistic director of the Rep’s Lipinsky Family San Diego Jewish Arts Festival. She describes this work as a celebration of diverse new Jewish voices in the community, with a goal of developing works that go on to have a life in theaters across America.

Alongside those new voices, this year’s festival will host In Every Generation as a “rolling world premiere.” The National New Play Network adopted the play to debut three times in close succession, first at Chicago’s Victory Gardens Theater, then here, finally in Washington, DC. This format allows each production to take notes and build from the previous, and for the playwright to continue revising based on the feedback it receives.

Its director in San Diego, Todd Salovey, says this method has paid off—that at first, Viterbi was reluctant to write about what Jewish life would be like 40 years from now. “But things have changed in our world,” he says. “She’s now exploring ‘How do you take a stand for your own ethnic identity at a time it might be dangerous to do so?”

Ali Viterbi, playwright of In Every Generation

What most impresses him about In Every Generation, though, is Viterbi’s ability to present different perspectives on an idea, spoken from multiple characters who disagree with each other, and have each side of the argument sound equally compelling. “In this case, you’re getting to see a family whose love language is disagreeing with each other.”

Viterbi acknowledges that, even once her revisions are complete, if her play continues to be performed over the years, its reception will keep evolving as well. And that’s by design. She likens it to the Jewish study practice of havruta, which begins with one person reading a line from the Torah and asking a question, then someone else answers it and poses another question, and so on. “There is no answer,” she says. “It’s only in the asking of questions that you find some kind of resolution. It’s often very easy to tie a bow around our own narrative, but then we keep living.”

She hopes that San Diego audiences will feel invited to the Levi-Katz family’s seder, “celebrating this triumph of community in a time when that’s been hard to find”—not just to passively watch a finished product, but to be an active part of an ongoing conversation.

The Talmud itself precipitated Valéry’s sentiment by a few dozen generations, with a caveat. (It was speaking on the work of living, rather than making art—though for many there’s no difference.) “Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief. Do justly now, love mercy now, walk humbly now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.”

In Every Generation is now playing at the Lyceum Theatre through June 19. Tickets are available at sdrep.org.

The post ‘In Every Generation’ Traces Four Millennia of Family History in One Dinner appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

September 5–7

Labor Day

Looking for ways to get outside and enjoy the last days of summer this holiday weekend? Let our articles be your guide. Start off with pool days around the county—these eight hotels are offering day passes open to the public. Then, refuel alfresco at these local restaurants with cool outdoor patios. But on Monday, why not pack a picnic and take advantage of our low-crowd public beaches instead—the labor movement fought hard for that day off!

September 5, 12, 19, 26

Walk the Block

Local business owners in Barrio Logan launched this new weekly outdoor experience in an effort to support the neighborhood’s independently owned shops and eateries. At Walk the Block, Logan Avenue businesses will line the block with outdoor retail, music, and dining. Masks are a must and social distancing guidelines will be enforced.

September 9–13

San Diego Design Week

San Diego Design Week

Catch drive-thru art exhibitions, virtual demos, self-guided tours, and much more at this annual celebration of San Diego’s design community, presented by Mingei International Museum. Throughout the course of five days, the event will showcase over 100 events that highlight the many artists and media that make up both the San Diego and Baja design communities.

September 10

SD Craft Collective

SD Craft Collective

Join the Craft Collective for a woodworking class for the kids. Using STEAM, the class teaches students about wood as a material, walking them through exercises that practice problem solving, craftsmanship, and more. Woodworking not your thing? The SD Craft Collective offers a wide range of classes all month long. Check their site to find the craft project that fits you.

September 11–13, 18–20, 25–27

Pinot’s Palette Painting Classes

Tap into your inner Van Gogh at Pinot’s Palette’s outdoor painting classes. These sip-and-paint classes take you step-by-step to create a colorful canvas you can take home. Not ready to meet in person? They also offer virtual classes with kits packed with everything you need!

September 13

Hershey Felder as George Gershwin Alone

Hershey Felder as George Gershwin Alone

San Diego Repertory Theatre presents a virtual performance by Hershey Felder, live from Florence, Italy, in George Gershwin Alone. The one-man show tells the famed composer’s life story, taking audiences through beloved songs from An American in Paris and Someone to Watch Over Me to the masterpiece “Rhapsody in Blue.”

September 17

San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum’s Virtual Gala

Help the North County museum celebrate 20 years from the comfort of your own home. The anniversary gala will hold a silent auction, speeches from the museum’s core members, and a sneak peek at what’s to come for the future.

September 17, 20, 24, 27

Hornblower Cruises’ Floating Outdoor Cinema

Watch classic films and blockbusters like Groundhog Day, Black Panther and Back to the Future while sailing around the bay. This new open-air and socially-distanced cinema is aboard the top deck of the Inspiration, the largest yacht in Hornblower’s fleet. Ticket prices include dinner, and you can upgrade the package to include Veuve Clicquot Champagne and premium seating.

September 26

Brunch & Bend at The Lot

Practice your tree pose and sip mimosas at Brunch & Bend at The Lot. Join YogaSix on the lawn for a one-hour yoga flow session, followed by refreshments and all your brunch favorites.

Brunch & Bend at The Lot

The post Things to Do in San Diego at a Distance in September appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Backyard Renaissance Theatre Company

The Dazzle and Tarrytown

Available to stream any time June 26–28 (this Friday through Sunday) | Tickets $20 per householdThe Dazzle is a quixotic, “almost true” story of two brothers (Francis Gercke and Tom Zohar) living in 1920s Harlem whose lives are suddenly turned upside down by an eccentric socialite (Jessica John). It was part of Backyard Renaissance’s regular season schedule, and the cast, crew, and director Rosina Reynolds soldiered on with it despite the lockdown, conducting production meetings and rehearsals over Zoom, and set design in solo shifts. They used a multi-camera setup to film a socially distanced performance reading, then edited it together into a cohesive production available to stream this weekend only.Plus, make it a double feature with a filmed production of their 2017 San Diego Critics Circle Best New Musical winner, Tarrytown. This modern interpretation of the Legend of Sleepy Hollow stars Bryan Banville, Kay Marian McNellen, and Tom Zohar, directed by Francis Gercke and Anthony Methvin. Gerke says, “We had very limited seating, so very few people got to see it. But those who did come, ended up coming back multiple times. We’ve had a lot of people tell us that they wish they had been able to see it. We couldn’t think of a more perfect show to remind people what artists can do, in the midst of some pretty incredible challenges.”

Trinity Theatre Company

Blackademics

Streaming live on June 27 (this Saturday), 7 p.m. | Tickets free (donations welcome)Trinity artists are holding live play readings via Zoom every other Saturday, and this week it’s Blackademics by Idris Goodwin, directed by Kandace Crystal. It’s a satire about two friends meeting for dinner at a trendy new restaurant to commiserate on their experiences as black women in academia, all while their meal service becomes increasingly surreal. Starring Emily Candia, Jaeonnie Davis-Crawford, and Ashley Graham.

North Coast Repertory Theatre

Human Error

Available to stream anytime through June 29 (this Monday) | Tickets $10This West Coast premiere by Eric Pfeffinger was originally planned to be fully staged in the regular season; instead, North Coast Rep has undertaken their first digital production using advanced Zoom editing technology. It’s a comedy about a liberal couple and a conservative couple who have to strike an unlikely friendship after a medical mixup forces them together. Artistic director David Ellenstein says that “audiences will be experiencing a professionally produced piece, and not simply a staged reading.” Directed by Jane Page, starring Allison Spratt Pearce, Terrell Donnell Sledge, Max Macke, Jacque Wilke, and Martin Kildare.

San Diego Repertory Theatre

Beachtown Live

Streaming live every Wednesday through July 29 at 7 p.m. (next show July 1) | Tickets freeThe fictional Southern California community of Beachtown is facing a pandemic, and you, a resident, are invited to attend a live Zoom meeting of the city’s Road to the Future Task Force as they debate when and how to begin opening back up for business. The “meetings” are free to join, and participation is welcome (but not mandatory). This immersive, interactive, one-of-a-kind experience has been running for a few weeks now, and every week is different, so citizens are encouraged to attend more than once. The project is the brainchild of SD Rep’s very funny playwright-in-residence, Herbert Siguenza, who plays a senator. Sandra Ruiz, Salomon Maya, Mondis Vakili, and Marci Anne Wuebben also star, as various chairpeople, medical experts, and lobbyists who all have their own agendas at work.

La Jolla Playhouse

Digital Without Walls Festival

Some programs available now, with more to come in July and August | Tickets range from free to $25The playhouse’s annual celebration of nontraditional and site-specific performance art is a natural fit for going digital, and they’re rolling out groundbreaking new work to experience in a variety of ways all summer long.Closing July 12 is Binge, by far the most intimate of all the play-enjoying methods on this list: a one-on-one performance “tailor-made to fit the life of each individual audience member,” where your very own artist companion prescribes which television shows to watch. For something a little less personal, check out Ancient, a video installation meditating on the beauty of the routine. If you need to stretch your legs, take a walk around your neighborhood while listening to Blindspot Collective’s Walks of Life, each episode of which imagines what drama might be unfolding inside the houses you pass by. Or, if you can’t get enough Herbert Siguenza, join him, Richard Montoya, and Ricardo Salinas (aka the nation’s premier Latino performance trio) for The Totally Fake Latino News with Culture Clash, ten-minute snippets of social satire; the first of six episodes is available now.

Diversionary Theatre

The Boy Who Danced on Air

Available to stream any time July 6–19 | Tickets $15–35 per householdDiversionary was in the middle of rehearsals for their regular-season production of Plot Points in Our Sexual Development when California’s stay-at-home order hit back in March, but rather than call the whole thing off, they filmed their last rehearsal and released it for home viewing for a limited time. It went over so well that for two weeks in July, they’re bringing back an archived recording of their 2016 Craig Noel Award–winning, world premiere musical The Boy Who Danced on Air. It tells the story of two young men caught up in the illicit Afghan trade of Bacha Bazi, in which poor boys are purchased by wealthy older men and forced to dress as women and dance at parties. The Union-Tribune hailed it as “solid, subtle, sad, and often inspiring work that’s smartly staged by director Tony Speciale with a first-rate cast.” Tickets are available on a sliding scale, with discounts for families who’ve been financially affected by the pandemic.

Troy Iwata and Sittichai Chaiyahat in The Boy Who Danced on Air, streaming soon from Diversionary Theatre

Simpatika

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