Marsha Norman\u2019s \u201c\u2018night Mother,\u201d<\/strong> at ion theatre company, so good I paid to see it again as skillfully directed by Glenn Paris and starring Sylvia M\u2019Lafi Thompson as the mother of a daughter hell-bent on suicide, played by Yolanda Franklin.<\/p>\n Stephen Karam\u2019s 2011 off-Broadway hit, \u201cSons of the Prophet,\u201d<\/strong> at Cygnet in January, directed by then-new associate artistic director, Rob Lutfy. It was a touching, wildly inscrutable, deeply comic play about a Pennsylvania man of Lebanese descent confined to a wheelchair by an undiagnosed illness, brilliantly played by newcomer Alex Hoeffler. The pace was 1,000 mph and the play chock-full of challenging characters, who repeatedly missed out on love.<\/p>\n By far the most outstanding new musical of the year was La Jolla Playhouse\u2019s world premiere of \u201cCome From Away,\u201d<\/strong> in which a huge ensemble company told the story of the planes and people that were forced to land in Newfoundland on 9\/11.<\/p>\n A truly ravishing visual experience was the Old Globe\u2019s \u201cIn Your Arms,\u201d<\/a><\/strong> a dance musical with vignettes written by 10 major playwrights, directed and choreographed Christopher Gattelli. Best musical revival was San Diego Musical Theatre\u2019s \u201cLa Cage Aux Folles\u201d <\/strong>with endearing performances by Robert Townsend, David Engel and James Vasquez.<\/p>\n I adored Jeanine Tesori\u2019s \u201cViolet,\u201d<\/a><\/strong> sensitively directed by San Diego Repertory Artistic Director Sam Woodhouse.<\/p>\n Other laudable productions: \u201cThe Twenty-Seventh Man,\u201d<\/a> Old Globe Theatre; \u201cOedipus El Rey,\u201d San Diego Repertory Theatre; \u201cFreud\u2019s Last Session\u201d with Francis Gercke and Robert Smyth at Lamb\u2019s Players Theatre; \u201cA New Brain,\u201d with Tom Zohar and his real-life husband Anthony Methvin, directed by Kim Strassburger at Diversionary Theatre; \u201cHealing Wars,\u201d La Jolla Playhouse; \u201cThe Quality of Life,\u201d produced by Intrepid Theatre at the old Carlsbad Cinema; and \u201cThe Vortex\u201d and \u201cHay Fever\u201d in repertory at Cygnet.<\/p>\n And just for fun: \u201cReturn to the Forbidden Planet\u201d at New Village Arts and \u201cSilence of the Clams\u201d at Diversionary; and \u201cThe (Curious Case of the) Watson Intelligence\u201d at Moxie Theatre; and \u201cChapatti\u201d at North Coast Repertory Theatre.<\/p>\n Intrepid Theatre Company<\/strong> is certainly the outstanding theater company of the year, having engendered the two most indelible performances of the year \u2014 Jeffrey Jones as the dying protagonist in \u201cThe Quality of Life,\u201d and Eileen Bowman as Judy Garland in \u201cEnd of the Rainbow,\u201d at San Diego Rep. Both shows were directed by Christy Yael-Cox, who built wonderful supporting ensembles for each.<\/p>\n Good news and worrisome news for 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n The re-enlivened InnerMission Theatre produced two fine shows in Diversionary Theatre\u2019s new Black Box.<\/p>\n In worrisome news, Mo\u2019olelo \u201clost\u201d its newish artistic director, Lydia Fort, and more recently announced postponement of the remainder of the season. A pity.<\/p>\n Watch for these two new promising play festivals <\/strong>in January and February. The first, the Old Globe\u2019s New Voices Festival<\/strong>, Jan. 15 \u201317, with readings as follows:<\/p>\n All four readings take place in the Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre. Tickets are free but require reservations, open to the general public beginning Tuesday, Jan. 5 at noon, through the box office at 619-23-GLOBE.<\/p>\n For the second, La Jolla Playhouse<\/strong> received a $20,000 NEA grant to enhance this year\u2019s DNA New Work Series<\/strong>, which takes place Feb. 15 \u2013 27.<\/p>\n Plays will be announced in early January. Visit lajollaplayhouse.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n Put these on the calendar now:<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"SOTP_FullCast_1\"](\"https:\/\/sandiegodowntownnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/SOTP_FullCast_1.jpg\")
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