San Diego’s smaller theatres continue their record of excellence in two recently opened plays.
Don’t miss these:
‘This Is Our Youth’ thru Feb. 17
At Carlsbad’s New Village Arts (NVA), Francis Gercke stages Kenneth Lonergan’s insightful “This Is Our Youth.” Lonergan’s first play, it was an off-Broadway hit in 1998 and, like his other works, is extremely popular in regional theaters. Lonergan is the author of “Lobby Hero” (seen at the Old Globe), “The Waverly Gallery” (seen at NVA) and the film “You Can Count on Me.”
“This Is Our Youth” is not easy to watch. Parents of the ’80s may recognize their own rebellious teens in the three young people, whose forms of protest include deviousness, drugs and sex. The play is set in Manhattan’s upper west side, where zoned-out opportunist Dennis Ziegler (Joshua Everett Johnson) has his own apartment. Having stolen a large chunk of change from his father, the nerdy and naive Warren (Tom Zohar) arrives, pays a debt to Dennis and seeks refuge. Dennis goes to score some drugs with Warren’s money, and the heavily made-up Jessica Goldman (Rachael VanWormer) arrives, dressed like a tramp, and in a wild night at the Plaza Hotel on his dad’s money, Warren is relieved of his virginity.
Despite its squirm factor, these characters ” who could inhabit a Michael Chabon novel ” are funny and lost and recognizable as our own youth and our children. They are wise enough to realize that if they survive, they will be successful and someday reminisce about their rebellion.
These are splendid portrayals. Playing against her usual type, VanWormer is excruciatingly funny and oddly beautiful in her garish getup (costumes by Amanda Sitton). With breakneck speed, Johnson ” though the character is manic, the actor’s mature technique is manifest ” delivers an 11th-hour monologue worthy of Hamlet. Young Zohar further establishes himself as one of the city’s finest young actors.
“This Is Our Youth” (mature audiences) plays at 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, with matinees at 3 p.m. Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays, through Feb. 17 at NVA, 2787-B State St. (in Carlsbad Village). For tickets ($22-$26) and information, visit www.newvillagearts.org or call (760) 433-3245.

‘Fences’ through March 2
Cygnet Theatre and San Diego Black Ensemble field an excellent seven-member ensemble in August Wilson’s 1987 Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning “Fences.” The play spans 1957-1965 and takes place in the backyard of Troy and Rose Maxson’s house, located in an industrial city in the northern U.S. Award-winning director Delicia Turner Sonnenberg stages the work, which explores the angry Troy’s relationships with Rose (Sylvia M’Lafi Thompson), his teenage son Cory (Patrick Kelly), his ne’er-do-well older son Lyons (Laurence Michael Brown), his friend Jim (Grandison M. Phelps III) and his damaged brother Gabriel (Mark Christopher Lawrence).
Played larger than life itself by Antonio TJ Johnson, Troy is Wilson’s Lear, flawed, volatile and deluded. Perhaps in writing the play, Wilson sought to reconcile with his German father, who died when Wilson was 20. The playwright does not ask us to like this man ” beloved of his friends, feared by his family, adored despite his flaws by Rose ” but to understand him. In his late 30s/early 40s, Troy was a record-breaking Negro League player that by virtue of age just missed glory in the major leagues. Bitter, he refuses to let Cory accept a football scholarship. Feeling fenced in, he finds love in the arms of another woman and thereby alienates and destroys his world.
Thompson is splendid as Rose. Lawrence’s performance as the mentally damaged war veteran is remarkable. The admirable and detailed production showcases the depth of the San Diego acting pool. Supporting elements are among Cygnet’s most memorable ” Mike Buckley’s detailed set; Eric Lotze’s lighting; Veronica Murphy’s costumes; and George Ye’s sound.
“Fences” continues at 8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays, 2 and 7 p.m. Sundays at Cygnet Theatre, 6663 El Cajon Blvd. (near Montezuma), San Diego. For tickets ($27-$31) and information, visit www.cygnettheatre.com or call (619) 337-1525.