La Jolla Playhouse will kick off its 2023-2024 season with the world premiere of Anna Deavere Smith's Love All, slated to run in June and July, 2023. The play is one of five world premiere productions the California theatre has announced, with information on its sixth production to be released at a later date.
The new play from Smith (Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992) received a reading August 7 as part of the New York Stage and Film 2022 Summer Season. Following the story of tennis icon Billie Jean King among the social upheaval and countercultural revolutions of the 1960s, Love All will be directed by Marc Bruni (Beautiful: The Carole King Story) who helmed the reading.
Next in the line-up will be Is It Thursday Yet? from Jenn Freeman and Moulin Rouge!'s Sonya Tayeh. Using dance and original home footage, the work explores Freeman's story as a woman reexamining her life after being diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder last year at the age of 33. Following in the fall, Be More Chill's Joe Iconis' and Gregory S. Moss' The Untitled Unauthorized Hunter S. Thompson Musical will be staged under the direction of Tony winner Christopher Ashley.
Also featured in the season will be Lisa Sanaye Dring's exploration of the heart of sumo wrestling in SUMO, to be directed by Ralph B. Peña and co-produced with Ma-Yi Theater Company. Lastly, Tony winner Joe DiPietro's Babbitt, an adaptation of Sinclair Lewis' novel of the same name, will star Matthew Broderick (Plaza Suite) with director Ashley again at the helm.
La Jolla will also mount its Without Walls (WOW) Festival April 27-30, 2023.
For full details on the upcoming season, visit LaJollaPlayhouse.org.
