Courtesy of The Old Globe
Powers New Voices Festival
POWERFUL VOICES
For some, the idea of watching a staged reading of a play they’ve likely never heard of isn’t exactly on the to-do list. But when it comes to events like the Old Globe Theatre’s Powers New Voices Festival, it’s a means to see the next big thing before it’s big. Take for example, Dominique Morisseau’s Skeleton Crew. It debuted at New Voices three years ago and made its full production debut at the Globe last year. Our theatre critic David Coddon selected it as one of his best plays of the year.
“The works we will read this year are strong, diverse and vibrantly theatrical,” says Artistic Director Barry Edelstein. “They make this festival an important source of work for our annual season and for other companies in San Diego. The Globe has commissioned new plays from writers our audience knows and from new voices.”
Other plays that went on to bigger stages are Nick Gandiello’s The Blameless and Anna Ziegler’s The Last Match, which had a successful run at the Globe and is currently playing off Broadway. Highlights from the fifth annual fest—which begins Friday, Jan. 12 and runs through Sunday, Jan. 14—include Laurel Ollstein’s They Promised Her the Moon, based on the true story of Jerrie Cobb, a gifted woman chosen by NASA to become one of the first astronauts, but who ultimately never got to go into space.
We’re also looking forward to the Sunday return of New York City’s PigPen Theatre Co. (the imaginative troupe behind last year’s The Old Man and the Old Moon), who will be debuting The Tale of Despereaux, the fairtytale about a mouse who wants to become a knight based on the book and animated film.
The whole thing kicks off Friday at 7:30 p.m. with the “Voices of the Community: Celebrating Local Playwrights” event, which showcases works created by local residents through the Globe’s arts engagement initiatives. Tickets are free but require reservations. Check out theoldglobe.org for full schedule and times.
Lou Damars
What the Day Owes to the Night
DAY AND NIGHT
2018 is already looking up. On Wednesday, Jan. 17, twelve shirtless, Algerian and African male dancers will make their San Diego debut at UCSD’s Mandeville Auditorium (9500 Gilman Drive). What The Day Owes To The Night features Compagnie Hervé Koubi, the renowned European dance company led by choreographer Hervé Koubi. The 12 male dancers will combine capoeira, martial arts and urban contemporary dance, which means plenty of back flips and head spins. Koubi draws inspiration from Eastern paintings and Islamic architecture, while the score combines Johann Sebastian Bach, Hamza El Din & the Kronos Quartet and traditional Sufi music. The show starts at 8 p.m. and tickets range from $9 to $46. artpower.ucsd.edu
Courtesy of Mesheeka Art Gallery
Untitled Piece from "Behind the Walls"
JAILBREAK
Thinking outside the box is an intrinsic part of any artist’s process, but for those incarcerated, the phrase can often take on literal meaning. The upcoming prison art show Behind The Walls will feature artworks by inmates of California prisons and will depict stories of their incarceration. The show hopes to spark change in the California prison system by drawing attention to inmates’ inhumane conditions. Actor and activist Victor Rivers from the film Blood In Blood Out will also be there to support the cause and interact with attendees. Proceeds from the event and art sales will be donated to the artists and their families. The exhibit opens from 6 to 11 p.m. Friday, Jan. 12 at Mesheeka Art Gallery (2113 Logan Ave.) with tickets selling for $3 to $9. facebook.com/events/1349515365113128