By Eva Trieger in San Diego
In about a month, we will be reading the Torah portion Lech Lecha. In this parasha, G-d tells Abraham to leave his home, his comfort zone, and go to Canaan. This required Abraham to leave the known and venture into the unknown, putting his faith in the Master of the Universe and hoping that fate would be kind.
Similarly, Artistic Director Sean Boyd, of Trinity Theatre Company was faced with dilemma. His call to action was triggered by the loss of the “permanent” Mission Valley Mall space, that had been home to the company since 2023.
Now, I’m not saying that Boyd discovered the new space in the Miramar neighborhood through divine intervention, but there did appear to be many curious coincidences that made it feel providential. The large office space in a commercial building was the first space the theatre explored. The realtor’s name was Trinity, and it was near Boyd’s Coffee Company. Coincidence? You be the judge. Regardless of the serendipitous series of events, Trinity’s season will move forward without interruption with the opening of Dead Man’s Cell Phone.
The new venue is nearly three times the size of the Mission Valley theatre and has ample room for classes, storage, and dressing rooms within its 9,000 square feet. There is space for a shop, a dance studio and a music room. The cast of all local talent could not be happier to have found this new home for this dark comedy penned in 2007 by Sarah Ruhl, poet, author and professor. While the show is a comedy, it does explore mortality. This play premiered on Broadway in 2008 under the direction of Ann Bogart and starred Mary Louise Parker.
Trinity Theatre’s production will feature San Diego’s own Sasha Foo. This award-winning journalist and former CNN anchor has long had an interest in theatre. She has also written plays and is particularly proud of her staged readings as a part of the Fringe Festival for her play Choice Words. This play is a collection of 13 monologues, each a product of Foo’s creation, examining abortion rights.
The Magic Theatre in San Francisco will feature a full production of this play in 2027. Each character shares her experiences with emotional, legal or societal challenges given the current political climate and social stigma surrounding a pro-choice ideology.
San Diego audiences have seen Foo on stages around the region. In 2024, the actor starred in Stark Truth of Humanity at Trinity and The Odd Couple Female Version at Lamplighters, among others. She has dabbled in some film projects as well and said of acting, “It is listening and learning to respond.” Her background as a television reporter taught Foo to be “sensitive to listening to others’ stories,” and forced her to be in the moment, responding to the environment, whether that was a fire or a human catastrophe.
With Sean Boyd at the helm, Foo and her castmates will be inaugurating this new space. The increased area will allow for greater movement, larger, more elaborate sets and open up possibilities for new, bigger projects.
Dead Man’s Cell Phone is a play that challenges our sense of security. It is timely in that the role of technology plays a critical role, just as we are facing concerns with AI today. At what point does our reliance on these tools give way to a loss of agency? The play toys with the way we rememorialize those who’ve passed on, to suit our preferred stories. And perhaps it demonstrates how we handle isolation while craving community.
Speaking of community, I wanted to know what lessons Boyd learned from his recent journey of venturing from his home to his arrival in Canaan (just off Miramar Rd). He shared that he is so grateful. The past year has shown him how vital community is to the survival of theatre and simultaneously how essential theatre is to the community. “It’s what makes our communities thrive…it brings us together, to share a heartbeat, even if just for a minute,” Throughout the process, hundreds of people showed support with funding, manpower, voices, and collaboration. A special shout out to Moxie Theatre Company who provided support and guidance during this transitional period.
Let’s hope that Trinity Theatre Company is readily absorbed into the fabric of Activity Business Center and that they have a long and prosperous life bringing excellent performing arts to San Diegans, but I feel certain that if they are tested, as was Abraham, they will prevail with the support of our community.
Dead Man’s Cell Phone opens October 16th and runs through October 25th. Please note the new address for Trinity Theatre – 9520 Padgett Street, Suite 208, San Diego, CA 92126 Tickets may be purchased online at https://trinityttc.org/dead-mans-cell-phone/ or by phone at 619-500-9176
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Eva Trieger is a freelancer specializing in the coverage of the arts.