San Diego REP To Film Aaron Posner's JQA Ahead Of Presidential Election

San Diego Repertory Theatre announced today the details of a filmed version of Aaron Posner's play JQA, the second production of the theatre's revised 2020/21 online and onstage season that begins with the release of the feature film of A Weekend with Pablo Picasso, written by and starring Herbert Siguenza.

Directed by REP Artistic Director Sam Woodhouse, the film of Posner's play about President John Quincy Adams will be available for viewing beginning October 16 through November 5 for $35 per household. Subscribers to San Diego REP's 2020/21 season will receive access to view JQA for free. Tickets and more information are available now at sdrep.org.

"The recent Democratic and Republican conventions made it clear how differently the two political parties look at the role of government in the lives of the American people. Playwright Aaron Posner asks us to consider what the Founding Fathers and their successors thought about what a government should do for its people," says Woodhouse. "I cannot think of a more important conversation to be had in the weeks leading up to one of the most significant races for President in my lifetime."

Similar to the record-breaking Broadway musical Hamilton, the cast of JQA at San Diego REP looks like America today. The cast of four includes an African American woman, an African American man, a Latinx man and a white woman. The four actors all play President John Quincy Adams at different points in the play. The two women play historical figures, both men and women, who were white. The two African American actors play characters who were white people in history. This purposeful casting invites the viewer to embrace the diversity of America's contemporary culture while meeting historic characters from the past.

Comprising the diverse four-person ensemble is Crystal Lucas-Perry (2019 Lucille Lortel Award Winner for Ain't No Mo' at The Public Theatre, Bull in a China Shop at Lincoln Center Theatre), Larry Bates (The Mountaintop at San Diego REP, HBO's Big Little Lies), Jesse Perez (Seize the King at La Jolla Playhouse, Director of The Old Globe/USD MFA Program) and Rosina Reynolds (The Humans, Uncanny Valley).

John Quincy Adams, child of the American Revolution, son of a Founding Father, President and Congressman, had an incredible political career that spanned 54 years and was one of the greatest diplomats in American history. In JQA we are taken through a series imagined conversations from the brilliant minds of extraordinary Americans like George Washington, Frederick Douglas, Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln and others. In this funny, moving, inspiring piece Award-winning playwright Aaron Posner (Stupid F**ing Bird) challenges us to reexamine ourselves, our definition of government and our future in light of our past. This is just the show to elevate the conversation during the election season about what government should do for the people of America. In the spirit of Hamilton, JQA is presented by a cast of actors that look like what America looks like today.

JQA is written by Posner and directed by Woodhouse. The production team is rounded out by: Justin Humphres (Set Design); Anastasia Pautova (Costume Design); Chris Rynne (Lighting Design); Matt Lescault-Wood (Sound Design); Joel Castellaw (Dramaturgy); Rebecca Myers (Assistant Director); and Kim Heil (Casting Director & Associate Producer).

To ensure the safety of those participating in the production of JQA, San Diego REP will follow strict public health guidelines and protocol related to filmmaking during the COVID-19 pandemic. This protocol includes the wearing of masks, social distancing, multiple testing of all participants, repeated sanitation of all materials and more. For the production, Sarah Zimmerman will serve as the Health Safety Manager.

For tickets and more information on how to view JQA, visit sdrep.org.

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