About the Theatre
In Padua, Italy, Lucentio loves Bianca but cannot marry her until her headstrong older sister Katherine gets married. The eccentric and cash-poor Petruchio agrees to marry Katherine, thus gaining access to her family’s money, but he uses a number of questionable, and some might say cruel, tactics to mold her into his idea of an obedient wife. Lucentio marries Bianca and, in a contest, Katherine proves to be the more submissive wife. Shrew is one of Shakespeare’s most controversial comedies. This production turns traditional casting on its head, as male-presenting actors play the women’s roles, and female-presenting actors play the male roles. No one’s sex or gender is disguised, and the pronouns remain as Shakespeare wrote them. This casting highlights the patriarchal tropes present in this problem play, shining a light on its misogynistic themes and pervasive gender inequalities. This production takes place in 1974, during the time the Women’s Movement was gaining steam.
Review: THE BARBER OF SEVILLE BY ROSSINI at San Diego Civic Center Theater
by Ron Bierman - February 20, 2026
Rossini’s Barber of Seville is a top ten opera in performances. Donors love it for its vocal gymnastics, memorable arias and sparkling melodies. Receptive newcomers like it because of its delightful bubbling overture, the familiar Figaro aria that soon follows, and its simple fast-moving sitcom-li...
Review: HEDDA GABLER at The Old Globe
by ErinMarie Reiter - February 13, 2026
“Hedda Gabler” by Henrik Ibsen, now given a taut new version by Erin Cressida Wilson and directed with precision by Barry Edelstein at The Old Globe, stars Katie Holmes in the title role through March 15th....
Review: HOW TO SUCCEED... at San Diego Musical Theatre
by ErinMarie Reiter - February 10, 2026
“How to Succeed…” remains a slick, silly, and sharply performed romp—one that knows exactly what kind of absurd world it’s skewering, and does so with a grin....
Review: San Diego Symphony Performs Mahler's Seventh Symphony at Jacobs Music Center
by Ron Bierman - February 05, 2026
Jaha Ling led the San Diego Symphony’s first performance of Mahler’s seventh symphony in 2014, more than a century after the orchestra was founded. He called it “the most modern of all Mahler symphonies.”
Many critics have made similar judgements, the more conservative among them meant it a...
Review: THE APIARY at New Village Arts
by ErinMarie Reiter - February 02, 2026
I’ve watched (and loved) enough sci-fi movies to know that any animals kept in a lab eventually come for the humans. Monkeys. Sharks. Dinosaurs. So you can’t blame me for being deeply suspicious of the bees in the lab in 'The Apiary” now playing at New Village Arts through February 22, 2026....
Review: AUDITION SIDES at Riot Productions
by ErinMarie Reiter - January 30, 2026
“Audition Sides” At Riot Productions understands a specific kind of theatrical purgatory: the audition room, and then raises the stakes even more in this one act....
Review: SOUNDS AND SWELLS at The Conrad
by Ron Bierman - January 18, 2026
Art of Elan launched the Sounds and Swells series several years ago. Artistic Director Eric Starr describes its unusual programs as “a curated pairing of surfing footage and classical music.” The music and footage vary from one performance to another, but always include one or more California co...
Review: SIX at Broadway San Diego
by ErinMarie Reiter - December 31, 2025
“SIX” feels like a New Year’s resolution set to a killer beat: ditch the old hierarchies, turn up the volume, and let the queens run the show. All hail, indeed....
Review: A MAGICAL HOLIDAY: CHRISTMAS AT THE JOAN at Cygnet Theatre
by ErinMarie Reiter - December 16, 2025
Cygnet Theatre’s “A Magical Holiday: Christmas at The Joan” is precisely what its title promises: a bright, polished, joy-forward holiday revue that knows its job is to lift spirits, sparkle confidently, and send you back into December humming. ...
Review: RENT at New Village Arts
by ErinMarie Reiter - December 16, 2025
New Village Arts’ production of 'Rent' understands the heart of the piece, even if some of the sharpest edges are softened....
Past Shows
The Taming of the Shrew
Nov 7 – Nov 15, 2025
Lucentio loves Bianca but cannot marry her until her headstrong older sister Katherine gets married. The eccentric and cash-poor Petruchio agrees to marry Katherine, thus...
The Secret in the Wings
Oct 10 – Oct 18, 2025
The Secret in the Wings is a haunting and beautiful adaptation of lesser-known European fairy tales, filtered through the eyes of a young girl and...
Fade
May 22 – May 24, 2025
When Mexican-born Lucia lands her first TV writing job, she feels out of place on the White, male-dominated set. She becomes friends with the only...
Fade
May 22 – May 24, 2025
Fade is a sharp, funny, and emotionally rich story about Lucia, a Mexican-American TV writer and Abel, the Mexican-American janitor she meets on her first...
Spring Awakening
Apr 25 – May 3, 2025
Rock opera Spring Awakening explores the trials, challenges, and exuberance of adolescence. This searing musical investigates mysteries of attraction, desire, and sex, as characters grow from...
New Play Festival: 10th Annual
Mar 21 – Mar 29, 2025
We can't believe it's been ten years already! Join us for our next Festival of New Plays, featuring plays written and directed by City College...
Stupid F##king Bird
Oct 25 – Nov 2, 2024
An aspiring young director rails against the art created by his mother’s generation. A young actress wrestles with an aging Hollywood star for the affections...
John Proctor Is the Villain
Oct 4 – Oct 12, 2024
At a high school in rural Georgia, a group of teenagers study The Crucible. As scandal swirls in their small community, the English assignment becomes...
The Prom
Apr 19 – Apr 27, 2024
In small-town Indiana, Emma, a smart and brave young woman, plans to bring her girlfriend her high school prom. The town’s homophobic parents cancel it,...
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