Diversionary Theatre Reveals 40th Anniversary Season

Executive Director Jenny Case says, "As we prepare to celebrate Diversionary Theatre’s 40th Anniversary Season, we are also celebrating Sherri Eden Barber's inaugural season as our Artistic Director. This milestone season marks both a celebration of our rich history and the beginning of an inspiring new chapter. Sherri brings a dynamic artistic vision and a deep commitment to LGBTQIA+ storytelling that will honor our legacy while boldly shaping our future. We’re thrilled to have her at the helm as we enter this next era of Diversionary’s journey."

Additionally, Artistic Director Sherri Eden Barber says, "It is a profound honor to step into this role as the first female Artistic Director to lead Diversionary Theatre, and to have my first programming season align with our landmark 40th anniversary. I’ve shaped this milestone season around the theme Love as Revolution — a celebration of how we honor, affirm, and liberate ourselves through love. This season is about acknowledging where we came from, embracing where we are, and boldly imagining where we’re going. With two world premieres and two musicals, the lineup includes Manifest Pussy, a fierce exploration of self-love; To My Girls, a vibrant tribute to chosen family; Straddle, a bold dive into love as sex; and Rent, which we’re reimagining like never before — a multi-space, immersive experience only Diversionary can deliver. This season is a love letter to our past, our present, and the revolutionary joy of our future."

Diversionary Theatre is the nation’s third-oldest LGBTQIA+ theatre dedicated to amplifying queer voices through the performing arts in a dynamic, inclusive, and provocative environment that celebrates and preserves their unique culture, while contributing to an environment of diversity and inclusion throughout the broader community.  Since Diversionary’s founding in 1986, it has continually provided an inspiring and thought-provoking theatrical platform to explore complex and diverse stories of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning communities in the form of live entertainment that can be enjoyed by all. The Austin & Joann Clark Cabaret is a new space at Diversionary Theatre opened in fall of 2021, and features a full bar and a permanent historical display created in partnership with LAMBDA Archives of San Diego commemorating the space in the tradition of the iconic “Gay Bar” where the LGBTQIA+ community and movement coalesced.