by Terrance McNally, directed by Phil Johnson

A co-production with The Roustabouts Theatre Co

Maria Callas is teaching an opera master class in front of a Juilliard school audience: us. Callas’ first student is Sophie, a somewhat perky soprano. Sophie chooses to sing a difficult aria, the sleepwalking scene from La Sonnambula- an aria that Callas made famous. The criticism starts and the conflict begins. The middle session is with a tenor, who starts weakly but impresses her. Finally Sharon, another soprano: the young singer has talent, but Callas tells her to stick to flimsy roles. Sharon is devastated, rushes out of the hall and later admonishes the teacher for her cruelty and recklessness, as Callas’ own voice is mostly gone. Within the play, she is returned to her triumphs and painful life scenes from her past, in her mind. Maria brings the class to a close by acknowledging the sacrifices we make for art. Master Class is an involving, unembarrassed meditation on Callas’ life and the nature of art.

Special events:

“Talkback with David Bennett, General director of the San Diego Opera“

November 21-after the performance

“Script Master Class with the Director-Phil Johnson”

November 23 at 1PM

If you’ve ever really wanted to understand a script that was on stage, and why decisions were made to make the story go one way or the other, then this moment is for you. Theatre scripts can be the most fascinating reading material in the world because you’re looking at behavior on all sides of every line. So come and discuss this with Phil Johnson, and try out some of your own ideas about the script as well! Join the director of Master Class, Phil Johnson in the courtyard of Scripps Ranch Theatre prior to the show.

“Talkback with Opera director, Cynthia Stokes”

December 12 after the performance

Swing into the holiday season with Erica Marie in a festive cabaret of classic and jazzy tunes, sprinkled with witty cheer. Have yourself a merry little evening of cozy carols & toe-tapping tunes that’ll leave you grinning brighter than the lights on your Christmas tree!

by Ian August, directed by Kandace Crystal

A comedic one-woman show about anger, grief, Apollo 11, and the importance of baked goods… Something is not quite right with Donna: She’s a loving mother, a devoted wife, and a minor celebrity to all the bake sale planners in town–but something is making her spacey, and she’s not sure what it is. Therapy is out of the question–and church isn’t the place to share one’s distress. Donna will need to pass through space and through time–all the while listening to an unlikely voice and try to break free from her gravitational pull to learn just how she can land.

August draws a tender dimensional portrait of a woman whose trauma is so relatable, whose heart is so big, and whose intentions are so earnest, we are rooting for her to take that one brave step, even before we know why.

“This is a play that discovers and celebrates the cracks in the façade, the unknowable in the ordinary, the humanity in the humble.” — nytheatre.com

by Ken Ludwig

Directed by Kate Rose Reynolds

It’s 1934 and the Cleveland Opera company finds their star soprano arriving late with a jealous husband and a temper to match her over sized ego. The roles are reversed and the ladies take the lead in this madcap screwball comedy based on Ken Ludwig’s Tony Award-winning Lend Me a Tenor, guaranteed to leave audiences teary-eyed with laughter.

“Fast and Furious and consistently funny, Ludwig has created a showpiece of controlled chaos, relentless but deceptively thoughtful in its dissection of performative ego and pride.” (Houston Chronicle)