La Jolla Playhouse Announces 2007/8 Season; No Sheik Show

La Jolla Playhouse Artistic Director Des McAnuff is proud to announce the complete line-up of shows in the compelling 2007/2008 season. This season, patrons will experience the directorial brilliance of Cirque du Soleil's Franco Dragone, former La Jolla Playhouse Artistic Director Michael Greif (Rent), celebrated Broadway director Mark Brokaw (Paula Vogel's Pulitzer Prize-winning How I Learned to Drive and Roundabout Theatre's The Constant Wife), the Off Broadway award-winner Daniel Aukin, OBIE Award-winner Jo Bonney (Adoration of the Old Woman), plus two of the most revered directors in American regional theatre: Frank Galati (The Grapes of Wrath) of Steppenwolf Theatre and Dominique Serrand (La Jolla Playhouse's The Miser) from Theatre de la Jeune Lune.

"Founded in 1947, the Playhouse is celebrating its 60th year, and what better way to celebrate than with this thrilling line-up of distinguished directors?" says McAnuff. "I leave La Jolla as Artistic Director with a season that represents the very best of what the Playhouse has to offer: the acclaimed artists of today, the up-and-coming artists of tomorrow and an innovative new play development series. It was my intention to create a home for powerful new works in San Diego, and this season promises to deliver on that dream."

The season begins with dazzling theatrical imagery from Franco Dragone with his new musical theatre piece based on Prosper Mirime's 1845 novella Carmen. McAnuff comments, "Carmen is a classic story that has transcended its roots in literature to become one of the great stories told in all genres — opera, dance, music, film and theatre. Franco Dragone is a theatre artist in the pantheon of Arianne Mnouchkine and Peter Brook. The fact that he will bring this beloved and timeless story to musical life on our stages is a fantastic opportunity for both the Playhouse and the San Diego community." Carmen plays June 5 – July 22, 2007 in the Mandell Weiss Theatre.

The Deception marks the return of the incomparable Theatre de la Jeune Lune (The Miser) to the Playhouse stages. "Dominique Serrand, with his company of artists, is creating some of the most exciting interpretations of classics in American Theatre today," says McAnuff. "La Jolla Playhouse audiences surpassed expectations with sold out performances of 2005's The Miser, proving that 'classic' can also mean 'thrilling.' We are delighted to have them back." The Deception plays July 17 – August 19, 2007 in the Sheila and Hughes Potiker Theatre.

Frank Galati's adaption of Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath transfixed La Jolla audiences in 1989. It went on to win Tony Awards for Best Play and Best Direction, and made permanent fans of the artistic staff of the Playhouse. Now Galati returns with his adaptation of Haruki Murakami's after the quake, a co-production with frequent Playhouse collaborator Berkeley Repertory Theatre. "Frank Galati is not only one of the theatre's great directors, says Associate Artistic Director Shirley Fishman, "but he is also an exquisite adaptor of literary works to the stage. The Grapes of Wrath was one of my most unforgettable theatre experiences, and after the quake is similarly haunting and evocative. While invoking a catastrophe that happened halfway around the world, Galati has created a poetic theatrical experience that has an immediacy for our own precarious moment in time." after the quake plays July 24 – August 26, 2007 in the Mandell Weiss Forum.

Next, Daniel Aukin will direct The Adding Machine, Elmer Rice's darkly comic 1923 expressionistic classic. McAnuff is delighted to bring Aukin to the Playhouse once again: "Daniel Aukin is one of the most daring and adventurous directors on the scene today. His theatrical vision comes from an intense curiosity about how plays can work 'outside the box.'" He continues, "The Adding Machine was Elmer Rice's experiment in expressionism which came out of Germany in the 1920s, yet the play is so relevant today. It examines advancing technology and its impact on the meaning of life — something that we still wrestle with today. We're looking forward to seeing this modern classic with Daniel's keen insight and theatrical invention in the Potiker Theatre." The Adding Machine plays September 11 – October 7, 2007 in the Sheila and Hughes Potiker Theatre.

Mark Brokaw will rock the Playhouse with Cry-Baby, a theatrical version of the hilarious cult film by John Waters in which a greaser falls for a goody-two-shoes and sets the whole town on its ear. McAnuff comments, "When I first read the book and listened to the CD of Cry-Baby, I knew that it was going to be tons of fun for Playhouse audiences. With a terrific writing team, fantastic new music, an adaptation by my Private Fittings collaborator Mark O'Donnell and director Mark Brokaw at the helm, how could we resist entering Waters' wonderfully weird 1950s universe in which Rebel Without A Cause meets Romeo and Juliet — all set to music!" Cry-Baby plays October 30 – December 16, 2007 in the Mandell Weiss Theatre.

Jo Bonney directs The Seven, a 21st century adaptation of Aeschylus's Seven Against Thebes written by theatrical visionary Will Power, choreographed by Bill T. Jones and infused with a range of musical styles. McAnuff first took interest in Power with his one-man hip-hop show FLOW, of which The New York Times proclaimed, "Will Power is treading in new territory, experimenting with tools that are new to the theatre. What's most impressive is that you can see clearly through the door it is opening to a storehouse of new possibilities." McAnuff adds, "With OBIE winner Jo Bonney at the helm and Power's never-ending inventiveness, The Seven is sure to light the theatre world aflame once again." The Seven plays February 12 – March 16, 2008 in the Sheila and Hughes Potiker Theatre.

Not included in the subscription season will be the launch of a new Playhouse series, THE EDGE, the newest of La Jolla Playhouse's signature programs. Supported by Irvine Foundation, THE EDGE will allow for ambitious experimentation with additional new play development models and a whole new range of productions that embrace a large spectrum of theatre outside the mainstream paradigm of the typical subscription structure.

THE EDGE projects will be composed of:

* Works that experiment with genre, dramatic structure, and/or language

* Productions that provide opportunities for emerging directors to experiment with innovative interpretive and staging methods, including the use of state-of-the-art scenic, audio and video resources available in the Jacobs Center

* Works with controversial subject matter

* Artistic collaborations with cutting edge theatres and ensemble groups in the U.S. and internationally

* Works that require intimate spaces

* Closer integration of educational programs with Playhouse-based offerings

"There are so many exciting artists and works that experiment with cutting edge approaches to theatrical structure, language and design that we are unable to present because they stretch the border of what subscription audiences expect to see," says McAnuff. "But for adventurous theatergoers who desire to see these challenging new works, THE EDGE series is committed to nurturing artists who are exploring the boundaries of what a theatrical experience can be. The Irvine Foundation recognizes that we have a brand-new, state-of-the-art theatre space in the Potiker Theatre, and now we have the funding to take that space and use it to its full potential with more experimental works. We are excited for both our patrons and our artists to take this journey with us!"

THE EDGE debuts with the workshop of the Jessica Hagedorn and Mark Bennett music theatre piece Most Wanted, directed by former Playhouse Artistic Director Michael Greif. McAnuff comments, "We are extremely excited to host the creative team behind the Playhouse's 1998 production of Dogeaters — Jessica Hagedorn, Mark Bennett and the Playhouse's own Michael Greif — in a work that breaks new ground. It is a perfect project to launch THE EDGE series. It delves into the dark side of America's obsession with celebrity, wealth and success as it takes us through the events leading up to a tragic event that held the country riveted to their TV screen. As provocative as it is entertaining, Most Wanted is theatre as you've never seen it before." Most Wanted plays October 2 – October 14, 2007 in the Sheila and Hughes Potiker Theatre.

Previously announced was The Nightingale, but, due to scheduling conflicts, the Steven Sater/Duncan Sheik workshop musical has been cancelled and will not be a part of La Jolla Playhouse's 2007 season.

"We were incredibly excited to work with Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik," explained Artistic Director Des McAnuff. "However, with the planning of our season came a very busy time for this powerhouse creative team. With the success of Spring Awakening, their schedules became incredibly hectic, and we just aren't able to make our respective schedules mesh. We remain very interested in their work, and it is possible we will be in talks to do this project in the future. But for now, we just couldn't get the timing right. We wish them the best of luck."

Subscription prices range from $114 to $336 and are now available by calling (858) 550-1010 or buying online at www.lajollaplayhouse.com. Single tickets for the 2007/2008 Season will go on sale in late spring and prices range from $28 to $72.