by Jacqueline Ghosh
November 29, 2023
On November 30th, the La Jolla Playhouse will welcome visitors into its rehearsal rooms for The DNA New Work Series, a unique behind-the-scenes experience for producers and the public alike. The DNA New Work Series allows directors and playwrights to develop their scripts, connect with developmental resources, and practice public readings. Since its debut in 2023, the Series has led to the advancement of several full-production plays, including the Pulitzer Prize winner Ayad Akhtar’s The Who & The What; Chasing the Song, by the Tony Award-winning team of Joe DiPietro and David Bryan.
The DNA Series underscores the La Jolla Playhouse’s commitment to developing the arts. “The vast majority of the works we do are brand new,” Gabriel Greene tells me. Greene is the Playhouse’s Director of Artistic Development and curator of the DNA Series. “I feel very fortunate to work at a company that is really doubling down on its commitment to nurturing and developing new work.”
The Series offers an intimate glimpse into the early, and ever-evolving, lifecycle of each show. “Changes might have been made that morning, changes might have been made an hour before,” Greene says. “The emphasis is less on presenting a polished presentation of a ‘finished play,’ and more so: ‘Hey audience! Welcome to our rehearsal room. We’re going to show you what we have, right this second.’”
This year, the DNA Series includes rehearsals for Without Walls, a new type of experiential theater that transpires off the traditional stage. “[These plays] aren’t just you sitting in a theater passively receiving a show that we are performing for you,” Greene explains. “We’re breaking down the barriers and frustrating, in an interesting way, the relationship between performer and audience.” Previous Without Walls performances have taken place in cars, bars, neighborhoods, and—for a truly La Jolla experience—at the beach.
The DNA series is broken into two weeks from November 30th to December 3rd and December 5th to December 10th. Each week features two traditional plays and one Without Walls. Tickets to the event are free! To reserve tickets, visit the La Jolla Playhouse website.
DNA Series Schedule
Friday, Dec 1 at 7:00 pm and Sunday, Dec 3 at 3:00 pm
Suburban Black Girl by Zakiya Young
Directed by Jacole Kitchen
Friday, Dec 1 at 7:00 pm and Sunday, Dec 3 at 3:00 pm
Human Museum byMiyoko Conley
Directed by Jesca Prudencio
[Without Walls] Friday, Dec 1 (once every 15 minutes) starting at 3:00 pm, and Saturday, December 3rd (once every 15 minutes) starting at 12:00 pm.59 Acres Createdby Marike Splint
Thursday, Dec 7 at 7:00 pm and Saturday, Dec 9 at 3:00 pm
McNeal Written and Directed by Ayad Akhtar
Directed by Jacole Kitchen
Friday, Dec 8 at 7:00 pm and Sunday, Dec 10 at 3:00 pm
To Red Tendons by Peter Peter Kim George
Directed by Kat Yen
[Without Walls] Friday, Dec 8 at 7:00 pm and Sunday, Dec 10 at 3:00 pm
Sound Place Love by Braden Abraham and Gordon Hempton
Directed by Braden Abraham
