After the San Diego Repertory Theater wraps up its current production of “Mother Road” on Halloween, it will prepare to welcome Second City, the Chicago-born improvisation troupe that has re-launched a pandemic-interrupted tour of its sketch show. entirely feminine “She the People.

The show, revised over the years with new, topical humor, was created, designed and performed entirely by women from Second City, which was founded in 1959 and today has theaters and training companies. in Chicago, Toronto and Los Angeles.

The show is a series of skits that satirize the reality of being a woman in America today. The pandemic, anti-vaxxers incidents and “Karen” on social media may have inspired several new skits, but earlier versions of “She the People” featured humorous skits about body image, feminism, pay gap, parenting, dating, clothing form, “Mansplaining”, evangelical and sexuality.

San Diego Repertory Theater artistic director Sam Woodhouse said he was excited to see the new show created by the troupe.

“As soon as we learned that The Second City’s acclaimed comics had created an evening entirely written and performed by women, we signed up for the experience,” Woodhouse said in a statement. “We were eager to find out what this group of satirical comedy pros had to say about women in our world today.”

Due to its subject matter, the representative advises ticket buyers that this show is “intended for women and people who love women”, so it may not be of interest to children, but teens are welcome.

The writers for the current production include Second City members Carisa Barreca, Katie Caussin, Carly Heffernan, Marla Caceres, Tien Tran and Lauren Walker. The cast for the touring show includes Caussin, Barreca (at select performances) and Lexi Alioto, Kennedy Baldwin, Kazi Jones, Yazmin Ramos and Laurel Zoff Pelton.

“Second City: She the People” will run from November 18 to December 4, with performances at 7 p.m. on Sundays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 8 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays and 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. There will be no Thanksgiving performance. Tickets are $ 25 to $ 91. Proof of complete vaccination or negative COVID-19 PCR test within 72 hours of the required presentation time. Masks are also mandatory indoors. For tickets, call (619) 544-1000 or sdrep.org.

SDMT hires new music director

The San Diego Musical Theater has hired Richard Dueñez Morrison as its new Resident Music Director.

The San Diego-based Music Director, Vocal Teacher, and Drama Teacher holds an MA in Musical Drama from San Diego State University and a BA in Stage Management from Webster University. He has worked in the past at the Old Globe, San Diego Opera, Cygnet Theater, Moonlight Stage Productions, and Diversionary Theater, as well as in numerous out-of-state theaters.

Kimberly King, MTDS ‘diversity, equity and inclusion consultant and resident playwright, said she had worked closely with Dueñez Morrison in the past and said her addition to the company would be a “fantastic improvement.”

“Richard brings a wealth of knowledge and lifelong experience in musical theater to SDMT. He has the patience to strive for excellence in actors and singers, but I don’t know how patient he must have been considering the inspiring and uniquely knowledgeable instructor I have learned he is ”, King said.

Morrison will join the company on January 1 at their new performance venue, SDMT Stage, in Kearny Mesa. The company has yet to announce its 2022 season.

“I am thrilled to join the MTDS team and play a pivotal role for one of the most respected names in musical theater in Southern California,” Morrison said in a statement. “I look forward to putting my skills as a professional, educator and academic in musical theater to the service of this wonderful group of artists. “

New Village adds ‘Into the Woods’

The New Village Arts Theater has announced the final show of its 2021-22 season: the fractured fairytale musical “Into the Woods” by Stephen Sondheim.

Earlier this month, the Carlsbad-based theater company unveiled a season of four shows that will begin and end at its State Street home theater. The two intermediate productions will be presented at the Sunshine Brooks Theater in Oceanside while the Carlsbad auditorium is undergoing renovations. At the time of the season’s announcement, the name of the spring show was not yet available.

“Into the Woods” was written in 1986 by Sondheim and James Lapine. It’s a bittersweet musical about family and parenthood that delves into what happens to famous fairy tale characters after their “happily ever after”. It will be performed from March 18 to May 1 at the Sunshine Brooks Theater, and it will be a co-production with the Oceanside Theater Company. New Village Executive Artistic Director Kristianne Kurner will lead the production.

The remainder of the season is the world premiere of Dea Hurston’s holiday musical “1222 Oceanfront: A Black Family Christmas” from November 19 to December 26 at the Carlsbad Theater. “Desert Rock Garden, a world premiere play by Roy Sekigahama, will take place January 21 through February 20 at the Oceanside Theater. “Singin ‘in the Rain”, directed by AJ Knox, will run from May 20 to July 9 at the Carlsbad Theater.

For more details, visit newvillagearts.org.

Pam kragen written in theater for the San Diego Union-Tribune. Email him at pam.kragen@sduniontribune.com.