Annie Weisman’s La Jolla-set play “Surf Report” opened June 23 in its La Jolla Playhouse world premiere. Readers may catch a wave and ride this fine play to shore through July 11. It’s not like Weisman is a stranger to the area. She was raised in Del Mar and attended Torrey Pines High School. A youthful play was produced in the Playwrights Project’s Festival of Student Plays. Her cheerleading comedy titled “Be Aggressive” received its world premiere at the Playhouse in 2001 and “Hold Please,” a comedy about the changing face of corporate America, received its world premiere at South Coast Repertory and in 2007 was produced at the Old Globe. Already a master of character creation, Weisman’s “Surf Report,” like her other works, is hilariously funny but has an undertow of true human pathos. Directed by Lisa Peterson, this is her wisest, saddest and most interesting to date. The story concerns the middle-aged Judith, who has worked for surfer and biomedical venture capitalist Bruce most of her adult life. She and her husband, Hal, who once owned a bakery that failed, have a daughter, Bethany, an aspiring fine arts photographer trying to make her way in New York City. Judith has become so embroiled in Bruce’s business and his life that one could say she is the reason for his success. She is so obsessed with his care and feeding that she listens to the surf reports in advance of her arrival, even aware of the day’s water quality. Judith now has come up with a possible venture capital investment that really could affect cancer treatment, and during one nightmarish weekend, as her personal life comes apart, she presents the idea to Bruce. Bethany has come home for the weekend to look after Hal, who suffers a recurrence of his cancer. Bethany, who’s at odds with her mother over everything, reunites with her vacuous high school classmate, Jenna, who is the play’s wise fool. Despite its hilarity, which rises mainly from the self-involved natures of adding surfer-dude Bruce and the clueless Jena, “Surf Report” addresses serious questions of how we live our lives and spend the human capital that truly matters. The well-cast, well-directed company is outstanding and the production is absolutely beautiful, with a seaside home designed by Rachel Hauck where you can smell the sea and feel the warmth of the sand. Linda Gehringer, familiar from local appearances at the Playhouse and Old Globe, portrays Judith, who is much more selfless than she first appears. Matthew Arkin turns in an understated, heart-wrenching performance as Judith’s husband, Hal, who has a few secrets of his own. Zoë Chao, a University of California, San Diego MFA grad student seen many times in campus plays, is marvelously vulnerable as Bethany. Liv Rooth, seen in the Globe’s “Boeing, Boeing,” is terrific as Jena. As the self-interested, rad surfer, Gregory Harrison could not be better. He’s the kind of egotistical, successful dude you love to hate, and he is also a needy guy who is totally at sea without someone to take care of him. Hilariously and tragically, he gets just the person he needs at play’s end. Check out his door chime and while you’re at it be sure to catch the latest surf report. “Surf Report” continues through July 11, 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays; 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays; 7 p.m. Sundays; 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays; La Jolla Playhouse, 2910 La Jolla Village Drive, www.lajollaplayhouse.org or (858) 550-1010.
