La Jolla Playhouse Announces New Productions by Gob Squad, Culture Clash & Tom Salamon for Digital WOW Series

La Jolla Playhouse has announced three more productions in its Digital Without Walls (WOW) series: Show Me A Good Time, by the Berlin-based Gob Squad (2017 WOW Festival's Super Night Shot), co-commissioned and co-produced with HAU Hebbel am Ufer, Berlin; The Totally Fake Latino News with Culture Clash, a brand new Playhouse-commissioned piece written and performed by Culture Clash (American Night, Zorro in Hell, The Mission); and the Playhouse-commissioned The Wizards of Oakwood Drive, by New York-based artist Tom Salamon (WOW productions of Accomplice: San Diego and The Grift at the Lafayette Hotel).

"All of the artists in this next WOW cohort are deservedly renowned for their playful, genre-defying work. Gob Squad, who brought their inventive Super Night Shot to the 2017 WOW Festival, is now applying their singular mashup of theatre and real life to this equally singular time; Tom Salamon is crafting a charismatic, interactive online journey for kids in the style of his popular Accomplice series; and Culture Clash is meeting the moment with a monthly 'news' segment laced with their signature irreverent humor. These artists bring original and meaningful voices to the WOW series, offering even more virtual pathways to art and human connection," noted Christopher Ashley, the Rich Family Artistic Director of La Jolla Playhouse.

Gob Squad's Show Me A Good Time is a 12-hour, live-streamed international event that features nine performers in multiple locations - from inside an empty theatre, to private homes, to the streets of Berlin - all combining into one live video that speaks to this particular time. The show is set during the summer solstice at a moment when the pause button has been pressed on society, and everyone is stuck in a perpetual selfie, staring at themselves on a filtered screen. Gob Squad artists attempt to diagnose the situation, revealing an alien world of habits, signs and symbols that once seemed to make sense but now only evokes a time already passed. Patrons can tune in for the full twelve hours or just check in periodically as Gob Squad tries to heal "The Present" in their signature style that blurs the boundaries of art, theatre and real life. US audiences can access the show on June 20 from 9am to 9pm PST/12pm to 12am EST, and European audiences from 6pm June 20 - 6am June 21 CEST. Tickets are $10 and will be available on June 5.

The Totally Fake Latino News with Culture Clash offers a series of 10-minute doses of levity, poetics and payasadas {clowning}, from their homes and streets of SoCal and beyond. While the nation's premier Latino Performance Trio - Richard Montoya, Ricardo Salinas and Herbert Siguenza - abides by social distancing and science, they recognize the need to chronicle the isolation, joys and silver linings of their artsy activist lives in a fake news pandemic-ready format. We got this America! Send in the Clash Clowns! Tickets for The Totally Fake Latino News with Culture Clash are free, with six episodes running June through October (dates to be announced).

Tom Salamon's The Wizards of Oakwood Drive is a live, zoom-connected performance for 10 kids at a time, telling the story of two sibling wizards in an all-out, winner-take-all magic spell contest. With a little help from parents to set the stage, the wizards take participants on a treasure hunt around your own home, finding items in hidden locations in a one-of-a-kind interactive experience sure to delight your kids. Tickets are $25; July dates to be announced shortly.

These projects join the previously-announced WOW productions of Ancient, by Mike Sears and Lisa Berger; Walks of Life, by Blindspot Collective; BINGE by Brian Lobel & Friends; and Proyecto: Portaleza, by David Israel Reynoso/Optika Moderna.

The virtual WOW series joins the Playhouse's previously-announced series of online content, including LJP Vault, a series of posts by staff members and artists sharing favorite Playhouse memories; Artist Alley, a collection of exciting artist-driven content, such as live master classes and rarely-heard cut songs from Playhouse musicals; as well as Create & Learn educational tools and fun at-home activities for educators, students and families. This digital content is available on the Playhouse website at LaJollaPlayhouse.org, as well as on social media channels: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.