DEAD AS A DODO to Make Pasadena Playhouse Debut in 2027

Pasadena Playhouse will welcome Wakka Wakka to the 2026/2027 Mainstage Season with their all-ages production of Dead as a Dodo, which will serve as the first show of 2027 and joins the previously announced Passing Strange, Real Women Have Curves: The Musical, and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof to complete the 2026/2027 Season. 

The production is led by co-directors & co-writers Gwendolyn Warnock & Kirjan Waage. The ensemble includes Peter Russo, Sigurd Rosenberg, Kirjan Waage, Gwendolyn Warnock, Anna Soland, Mairead Kohler, Anya Opshinsky, Lilia Ireland, and Lexie Baker. The production is produced by Gwendolyn Warnock, Tom Gustafson & Kirjan Waage. Original music & sound design by Thor Gunnar Thorvaldsson. Puppet design by Kirjan Waage. Projection Design by Erato Tzavara with touring design by Pelham Johnston & OBLSK Interactive. Lighting design by Daphne Agosin with touring design by Scott Monnin. Dead as a Dodo is represented by Moon Artists Management.

Deep within the underworld, two skeleton friends, a Dodo and a boy, tirelessly dig for fresh bones. Their ancient skeletal forms are deteriorating and without them they will disappear completely. One day something peculiar happens: The Dodo miraculously sprouts feathers! A wave of transformation begins, shattering the established order of the dead.

As the Dodo continues to grow flesh, fear and chaos erupt. The two friends must flee, fighting to stay together as they are drawn into the heart of an epic battle between life and death. Infused with puppetry, humor, and stunning visual effects, Dead as a Dodo is a mesmerizing musical odyssey about survival, transformation, and the power of true friendship.

Wakka Wakka Productions is a multi-award-winning international theater company based in New York City and Oslo. Since 2001, Wakka Wakka has been creating original works of theater and touring extensively throughout the US and the world. Today, Wakka Wakka specializes in bold, unique and unpredictable puppet theatre, incorporating object manipulation, masks, and original music.

Their work seeks to expose the contradiction of human existence through biting humor, absurdity, and profound ridiculousness. Five of their shows have been New York Times Critic's Picks. In 2013 they were awarded a Drama Desk Award for Sophisticated Puppetry, and in 2011 they received an Obie Award. Additionally, the company has been nominated for four Drama Desk Awards, a Helen Hayes Award, and a Hewes Design Award.