Curtain call
An advance look at the Plays by Young Writers series and a rundown of plays in local production
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Taking it literally: Teach a kid to write a play, and you have a new work of art. Teach hundreds of kids to do the same over a quarter-century, and you’ve created a bloc of adults whose experiences with the process helped fuel their educational success. San Diego’s Playwrights Project has enjoyed such a track record at scores of county schools in its efforts to promote literacy through the theater, mounting the students’ best scripts over several nights every winter in its Plays by Young Writers series. The 25th annual installment features three full productions and three staged readings by kids 11 to 18 years old; topics include schoolyard bullying, get-rich-quick schemes and the futility in trying to outsmart death. Plays by Young Writers is one of San Diego’s most anticipated annual cultural events, as much for its youth-oriented production values as for its serious contribution to local education. The program runs from Feb. 18 to 28 at The Lyceum, 79 Horton Plaza, Downtown. $9-$50. www.playwrightsproject.org.
Opening
Aurelia’s Oratorio: Dreams don’t always make sense, as illustrated in this series of vignettes performed by Aurelia Thierree, Charlie Chaplin’s granddaughter. Opens Feb. 3 at the Mandell Weiss Theatre, 2910 La Jolla Village Drive. $25-$45. www.lajollaplayhouse.org.
The Man Who: Four actors and a musician take a journey through a collection of case histories on the neurologically impaired. In previews Feb. 4, it opens Feb. 6 at New Village Arts, 2787 State St. in Carlsbad. $20-$40. www.newvillagearts.org.
Now playing
* Expecting Isabel: Miranda and Nick want a baby. So far, so good, until reality and a couple hamsters come to call. Produced by MOXIE Theatre, it runs through Feb. 7 at the Rolando Theatre, 6663 El Cajon Blvd. in the College Area. $15. www.moxietheatre.com.
* Glorious: This is the true story of the undisputedly worst singer in the world, who became the toast of New York in the 1940s. Through Feb. 7 at North Coast Repertory Theatre, 987-D Lomas Santa Fe Drive in Solana Beach. $30-$47. www.northcoastrep.org.
La Mandragola: Callimaco wants Lucrezia; Lucrezia wants her husband; everybody else wants both of them to figure it out. Produced by the UCSD Department of Theatre and Dance, it runs through Feb. 6 at UCSD’s Shank Theatre, Revelle College and La Jolla Village drives in La Jolla. $5-$20. www.theatre.ucsd.edu.
Whisper House: A young guest at a remote lighthouse encounters a series of ghosts, who school him on who his friends are. Through Feb. 21 at The Old Globe Theatre, 1363 Old Globe Way in Balboa Park. $45-$79. www.oldglobe.org.
* The Piano Lesson: Boy Willie wants to sell an old piano featuring carvings that depict his family’s rise from slavery. Produced by Cygnet Theatre Company, it runs through Feb. 28 at The Old Town Theatre, 4040 Twiggs St. $17-$49. www.cygnettheatre.com.
