THE ORCA SHOW Brings Killer Whales & Perimenopause To Intiman

In a city shaped by the presence of resident orcas, Intiman Theatre presents The Orca Show, a genre-blending comedy cabaret created, written, and performed by international theater maker Aysan Celik. The production is co-created and directed by KJ Sanchez. Playing April 16–19, 2026, at the Intiman Cabaret, this five-performance run fuses storytelling, live interviews, music, and sharp-witted theatricality to explore the often-invisible experience of perimenopause.

The journey begins with what Celik describes as “incandescent rage.” Searching for answers, she calls her sister. “Honey, it's called perimenopause. Remember Mom at our age?” Soon after, an octogenarian friend reframes the narrative entirely: “Menopause is God's only gift to women.”

Celik embarks on a series of conversations with people of different ages and identities, uncovering stories that are wildly personal yet threaded with shared silence and confusion. Then, a killer whale surfaces as a guide and metaphor. Like human females, orcas are among the rare species that experience menopause — and in the wild, post-reproductive females lead their pods as essential matriarchs.

Through humor, song, and raw conversation, The Orca Show reframes midlife not as decline, but as power. It's a fierce, funny meditation on aging, wisdom, and becoming the leader of your own pod.

Celik is joined by actor and vocalist Meg McLynn, with video design by Attilio Rigotti and music direction by Matthew Francis.