New Village Arts Announces 23rd Season

New Village Arts (NVA), North County's cultural hub, has announced three musicals and two plays that will encompass our 2024-2025 season. This, their 23rd Season and second full season in the renovated and renamed Dea Hurston New Village Arts Center, focuses on diverse voices examining what it means to BELIEVE in something. Four of the five productions have never received full productions in the San Diego-area before and three of the five shows are written by female-identifying playwrights, with some of San Diego's most exciting and innovative artists on the directing teams.  

Founder and Executive Artistic Director Kristianne Kurner writes “NVA's 23rd Season is all about belief. Belief in music to soothe the soul, belief in history and knowing what is “true”, belief in magic, belief in self and strong-ass women, and belief in community. What does it mean to put your trust in something and what happens when things don't turn out quite as you had expected? Who (or what) do you turn to? This season, we turn to music, history,  family, science, art, love, and back to music. These are the things that bring us together throughout our lives and it's only through the magic of theatre in NVA's intimate space that we are able to experience these things fully."

"I'm thrilled to feature these directors on the Ray Charles Stage in the Conrad Prebys Theater at the Dea Hurston New Village Arts Center for our 23rd Season: Gerilyn Brault, Daniel Jáquez, Faith Carrion & Kay McNellen, Kym Pappas, and Juliana Frey-Méndez.”

New Village Arts kicks off the season in August with the nostalgia and fun of 8-TRACK: THE SOUNDS OF THE ‘70s. Put on your leisure suits, halter tops, and platform shoes and get ready to boogie down through ten years of groundbreaking music! With its propulsive rhythms and dazzling harmonies, 8-TRACK is a fast-paced musical romp through one of the most impassioned decades of the 20th century. This music lovers' dream come true features the hits of The Emotions, The Carpenters, Labelle, Barry Manilow, Marvin Gaye, The Doobie Brothers, The Bee Gees, Helen Reddy, KC and the Sunshine Band, and so many more! Rediscover the heart and soul of the unforgettable decade with this joyously rousing, moving, and often downright hilarious musical in concert. NVA favorite Gerilyn Brault will bring the fun and nostalgia to life as the Director, with E.Y. Washington as Music Director and Joy Newbegin as Choreographer. The powerhouse performers include Kevane La'Marr Coleman, Melissa Fernandes, Juanita Harris & Kyros Shen with understudy Joy Newbegin. 

“I'm so excited to start the season at a theatre that means so much to me. This show is nothing but fun as we celebrate the great music of the 1970s. Our team is filled with delightful people that will ensure patrons have a wonderful time. I can wait to end the summer with such a fun musical review!” says the 8-TRACK director Gerilyn Brault. 

The second production of the season is THE THANKSGIVING PLAY, where four (very) well-intentioned theatre people walk into an elementary school. The work at hand: a Thanksgiving pageant that won't ruffle any feathers. Rambunctious, thorny and not altogether politically correct, THE THANKSGIVING PLAY serves up the hypocrisies of woke America on a big, family-style platter. 

This production, NVA's first written by a Native playwright, had a lauded Broadway run in the Spring of 2023 and has since become one of the most produced shows in the country. 

The show will feature one of San Diego's best known comedic actors, Samantha Ginn, as the well-meaning (but somewhat clueless) school teacher Logan. Ginn has previously appeared in multiple shows at NVA (SERVANT OF TWO MASTERS, MEN ON BOATS, and more) and also heads up our theatrical programs for teens and young adults with neurodiversity. They will welcome director Daniel Jáquez to this production:

“I‘ve long admired Larissa FastHorse, her integrity, her wit, her clarity, her joy, and her approach to life in the arts. Her play provides an opportunity to laugh at oneself and at our valiant attempts to right some wrongs. In particular, the bad and the ugly of an enshrined USA holiday myth. As winners write the stories, Larissa says: ‘we actually have little access to the true history of this country. It has been intentionally erased from the educational system and popular culture.' The hilarity lies in seeing well intentioned, ill-informed teachers try to deal with it in their own earnest ways.

It's a play that invites us to laugh and to learn more about Native Americans and about the day some call National Day of Mourning.  As I dive into the play, I'll be curious about the parallels that I, a Mexican American, might discover.  My Kentucky born-and-raised mother brought all aspects of the Americana Thanksgiving celebration with her to Mexico. I love turkey and all its traditional trimmings, and we never questioned why... though Macy's had all the answers we needed at the time.”

Next up, for the holidays, NVA will feature a musical adaptation of the classic MIRACLE ON 34th STREET told in the style of a radio play and created by San Diego artists Jon Lorenz and Lance Arthur Smith. With live Foley effects and a score of holiday carols, this beloved musical will melt even the most cynical of hearts. Two exciting, emerging directors on the San Diego theatre scene, Faith Carrion and Kay McNellen, will co-direct this heartwarming show, in which Doris Walker, a no-nonsense Macy's executive desperately searches for a new store Santa Claus. She hires Kris Kringle who insists that he's the real thing. But he has many skeptics including Doris and her six-year-old daughter Susan. Susan's belief makes all the difference in this ‘miracle' of the holiday season. 

“Kay and I are so excited to be working with NVA on this joyful production of Miracle on 34th Street. With Kay's previous award winning directorial Fringe debut and my years of directing experience in Los Angeles, we look forward to putting our creative minds together to create something that brings joy to this holiday season. This show is truly about the magic of Christmas and having faith in the face of doubt. We could all use a little sparkle right now, and what better place than the theater?” says our directing team, Faith Carrion and Kay McNellen.

The first production of 2025 is THE HALF-LIFE OF MARIE CURIE, which revels in the power of female friendship as it explores the relationship between two brilliant women, both of whom are mothers, widows, and fearless champions of scientific inquiry. In 1911, Marie Curie won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for her discovery of the elements radium and polonium. By 1912, she was the object of ruthless gossip over an alleged affair with the married Frenchman Paul Langevin, all but erasing her achievements from public memory. Weakened and demoralized by the press lambasting her as a “foreign" Jewish temptress and a homewrecking traitor, Marie agrees to join her friend and colleague Hertha Ayrton, an electromechanical engineer and suffragette, and recover from the scandal at Hertha's seaside retreat on the British coast. 

NVA is proud to have Kym Pappas at the helm of this production. Pappas recently directed the critically-acclaimed FUN HOME and appeared most recently as an actor in NVA's productions of DOUBT and Jez Butterworth's THE FERRYMAN. When asked about her involvement, Kym states: 

“The thing that excites me the most about “The Half-Life of Marie Curie” by Lauren Gunderson is that it centers the friendship of two brilliant, remarkable, imperfect women. It is a beautiful love story - an examination of the way we show up for each other and challenge each other… and ultimately carry each other through.”

For our final show of the season, step back to the 1960s as the Ray Charles Stage at NVA is transformed to honor La Havana Madrid, a real nightclub in Chicago where newly arrived Latino immigrants gathered to dine, dance and find community. Sandra Delgado's LA HAVANA MADRID is inspired by real stories of Cuban, Puerto Rican, and Colombian immigrants who found refuge in that vibrant second-floor supper club in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago. 

As the glorious rhythms of mambo and salsa form the heartbeat of an ever-changing city, audiences learn the stories of Latine newcomers seeking a home in Chicago, discovering their destinies and falling madly in love. By the end of the night, audiences will need little encouragement to get on their feet and dance along, encouraged by a soul-stirring Latine beat. Bring your dancing shoes, because this production should not be missed. Director Juliana Frey-Méndez is overjoyed to be a part of this incredible production, stating: 

"I am absolutely thrilled to be directing LA HAVANA MADRID at New Village Arts in the upcoming season.  For me, this play is a celebration: a music-filled kaleidoscope of the history of a long since forgotten nightclub in Chicago. 

The show is a duet between memory and music. The audience is invited to step back in time: to breathe in the rhythms that meant home for so many, to explore the spaces that Cuban, Colombian, and Puerto Rican immigrants were pushed out of, and to uncover a history that has been too long buried. 

Whether you are new to the songs of LA HAVANA MADRID, or they are already a part of the fabric of your memory, this play promises to take you on a journey you will not soon forget."

Subscriptions for NVA's 23rd Season are now on sale starting as low as $135, with both a four show and five show option. More information can be found at newvillagearts.org or by calling our Box Office at 760-433-3245. We look forward to seeing everyone at the Dea Hurston New Village Arts Center. 

 

New Village Arts 23rd Season 2024-2025

 

8-TRACK: THE SOUNDS OF THE ‘70S

Created by Rick Seeber

Directed by Gerilyn Brault

Music Direction by EY Washington

Choreography by Joy Newbegin

Previews: August 16-23, 2024

Opening Night: August 24, 2024

August 16 - September 15, 2024

SAN DIEGO PREMIERE

 

THE THANKSGIVING PLAY

Written by Larissa FastHorse

Directed by Daniel Jáquez

Featuring Samantha Ginn as Logan

Previews: October 4-11, 2024

Opening Night: October 12, 2024

October 4 - November 3, 2024

SAN DIEGO PREMIERE

 

MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET: A LIVE MUSICAL RADIO PLAY

Adapted by Lance Arthur Smith

Original Songs and Arrangements by Jon Lorenz

Directed by Faith Carrion and Kay McNellen

Previews: November 22-29, 2024

Opening Night: November 30, 2024

November 22 - December 24, 2024

 

THE HALF LIFE OF MARIE CURIE

Written by Lauren Gunderson

Directed by Kym Pappas

Previews: January 24-31, 2025

Opening Night: February 1, 2025

January 24 - February 23, 2025

SAN DIEGO PREMIERE

 

Sandra Delgado's LA HAVANA MADRID

Written by Sandra Delgado

Directed by Juliana Frey-Méndez

Previews: March 21-28, 2025

Opening Night: March 29, 2025

March 21 - April 27, 2025

SAN DIEGO PREMIERE

 

Performance Days and Times

Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday Matinees at 2:00pm

Thursday, Friday and Saturday Evenings at 7:30pm

 

Tickets and Subscriptions

Subscriptions for the season range from $135 to $297.

Single Tickets are on sale now.

Single tickets range from $35 to $60 for plays and $40 to $70 for musicals.

 

About New Village Arts

Celebrating 23 years of award-winning professional theatre and thriving education and outreach programs, New Village Arts (NVA) has truly become the cultural hub of North County San Diego.

NVA attracts more than 30,000 patrons each year to experience professional theatre, music and art events in the heart of Carlsbad Village. In addition to full seasons of plays and musicals featuring some of the best artistic talent in Southern California, NVA hosts talkback discussions and other supplementary events designed to create conversation and cultivate community. New this year, the White Family Next Stage in the Dea Hurston New Village Arts Center presents a series of music, comedy, and spoken word events throughout the year. NVA offers robust theatre programs in partnership with local schools and strongly believes that theatre and arts experiences should be accessible to all people, becoming a recognized leader in equity, diversity, and inclusion in San Diego. NVA has been fortunate to receive support from the City of Carlsbad and other local businesses, who recognize the importance of a resident professional theatre company as a crucial component of an inclusive and creative community. In turn NVA prioritizes serving its community by presenting works that respect its diversity, engaging every citizen with relevant and inspiring stories.

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