Best San Diego Plays Running in 2025

Empty Ride is written by Keiko Green and directed by Sivan Battat. It is a major new American play that first launched in the 2024 Powers New Voices Festival. Kisa, a painter in Paris, returns to her small Japanese hometown after the 2011 tsunami to help her ailing father by driving his taxi cab. But as she navigates the winding streets and transports her eccentric passengers, she is haunted by the supernatural remnants of what the floodwaters left behind. This Globe-commissioned world premiere from Keiko Green (Exotic Deadly: Or the MSG Play) is a funny and poignant story that explores the uncanny ways that love can transcend loss.

Running February 8 – March 2 at the Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre.

we are continuous, written by Harrison David Rivers and directed by Kian Kline-Chilton, has its San Diego premiere at Diversionary Theatre. A poignant exploration of identity, love, and the invisible threads that connect us. Simon and his mother, Ora, have always been inseparable—two souls bound by a lifetime of trust and unspoken understanding. But when a life-changing secret comes to light, their relationship is thrown into turmoil. As they confront the truth, they must grapple with what it means to be family, to forgive, and to find a way forward when everything they thought they knew is suddenly in question. An evocative, heart-wrenching journey about the complexities of love and the bonds that define us.

Running February 13 – March 9, 2025 at the Diversionary Theatre.

White, written by James Ijames and directed by Yolanda Marie Franklin, comes to the Scripps Ranch Theatre. Gus is a painter who desperately wants to show his art at the prominent and renowned Parnell Museum. Vanessa is an actress with the qualities he needs to make it happen. With the help of his boyfriend Tanner, and his inner diva St Diana of Detroit, Gus weaves through a comedic story that explores privilege in the art world. White is filled with twists and surprises, subverting expectations as it illuminates contemporary culture.

Running February 14 – March 8, 2025 at the Scripps Ranch Theatre.

What the Constitution Means to Me is an emotionally charged theatrical experience exploring the U.S. Constitution’s profound significance in contemporary America. Crafted by playwright Heidi Schreck, it is a deeply personal and introspective journey blending storytelling, humor, and political insight. The play examines how the Constitution impacts individuals and society. It offers a unique, compelling perspective on the Constitution’s enduring relevance in our lives. This Tony-nominated and Pulitzer Prize finalist offers a powerful humor-filled and thought-provoking performance.

Running February 26 – March 23, 2025 at the North Coast Rep.

Introducing The Unfair Advantage. Australia’s leading sleight of hand specialist Harry Milas lifts the veil on the world of card cheating in an intimate and unprecedented theatrical event. During this hour-long experience, Harry will reveal the secrets behind the skill that saw him become a security weapon for the world’s top casinos. Join Harry in an audience of just 35 people as he reveals – step by step – how magicians, card cheaters and mentalists fool the world. Expect part performance, part tutorial as Harry exposes many of the best tricks and illusions he knows. He’ll start you off easy, but as the show goes on, greater displays of card play unfold and exciting secrets are uncovered…

Running February 25 – March 27, 2025 at La Jolla Playhouse.

Mary’s Wedding, written by Stephen Massicotte and directed by Kate Rose Reynolds, plays at the Scripps Ranch Theatre. Mary and Charlie meet in a deserted barn and begin a whirlwind romance. But World War I is looming, and the lovers must part as Charlie joins the war effort and Mary is left alone with her dreams. This deeply romantic dream-play is an exquisitely personal examination of the cost of war. 

Running April 4 – April 27, 2025 at the Scripps Ranch Theatre.

The twin sister of Captain Hasting’s wife, Dulcie, has been kidnapped — and Hercule Poirot rightly expects not only extortion to follow, but murder! Using elements of Agatha Christie’s “Poirot Investigates,” Steven Dietz creates a sequel to his wildly popular Murder on the Links, taking us on a thrilling and dangerous trip to the snow-capped Alps where the famed Belgian detective may finally meet his match. Six actors bring to life dozens of eccentric characters and clever suspects in this diabolically funny comic mystery romp. Don’t miss it!

Running April 16 – May 11, 2025 at the North Coast Rep.

Ananya runs House of India, a once-successful restaurant in a strip mall outside of Cleveland. Her cook Jacob has an idea to bring in more customers: ditch the traditional dishes and embrace a trendy, fusion-forward menu (think “Indian Chipotle”). Her two grown children have their own views too. As the bills and worries pile up, Ananya must choose: hold on to her late husband’s vision, or compromise in the name of progress. Directed by Zi Alikhan, this heartwarming world premiere comedy at The Old Globe from San Diego playwright Deepak Kumar features a vibrant cast of characters who work to build a restaurant, a legacy, and a new kind of American Dream.

Running May 10 – June 1, 2025 at the Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre.

Merry Me, written by Hansol Jung and directed by Vanessa Stalling, plays at the Diversionary Theatre. While a mysterious blackout leaves a navy stranded near enemy territory, the libidinous Lieutenant Shane Horne puts her very specific talents to use, including with the general’s wife. Meanwhile, a famed Angel sends the Navy’s psychiatrist on an epic quest to save humanity. A subversive, sapphic sex farce of classically epic proportions, Merry Me is a madcap and mischievous mashup of ancient mythology and restoration comedy—and an ode to female pleasure.

Running May 15 – June 8, 2025 at the Diversionary Theatre.

Unnecessary Farce, written by Paul Slade Smith and directed by Christopher Williams and Robert May, plays at the Scripps Ranch Theatre. From the playwright who gave us The Outsider comes a rollicking farce. Two cops, three crooks, eight doors – GO! Questions abound: Who is in which room? Who is being videotaped? Who has taken the money? Who has hired a hitman? And why does the accountant keep taking off her clothes? Enjoy!

Running May 23 – June 15, 2025 at the Scripps Ranch Theatre.

One of the Good Ones, written by Gloria Calderón Kellett and directed by Kimberly Senior, has its San Diego premiere. A hilarious and heartwarming new comedy from acclaimed writer Gloria Calderón Kellett (Netflix’s Emmy Award–winning “One Day at a Time”). When Yoli brings her new boyfriend home to meet her Latino American parents, he’s not exactly what they were expecting. Everyone tries to be on their best behavior, but generational differences and cultural assumptions collide. Through equal measures of comedy and compassion, they all discover what it truly means to be a family. Directed by Kimberly Senior, the laugh-out-loud One of the Good Ones was acclaimed by the Los Angeles Times as “a theatrical comedy in the sitcom tradition of Norman Lear.”

Running May 24 – June 22, 2025 at The Old Globe’s Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage.

Birthday Candles is a touching journey of the human experience, filled with laughter, tears, and moments of reflection that make up one woman’s ordinary life. The play explores the passing of time, the evolution of relationships, and the profound changes that occur in a person’s life from one year to the next. Through its characters and storytelling, BIRTHDAY CANDLES offers a unique perspective of life’s milestones. It honors five generations, an infinity of dreams, and one century-old cake. Join us for a heartfelt exploration of life’s celebrations.

Running June 4 – June 29, 2025 at North Coast Rep.

All’s Well That Ends Well is directed by Peter Francis James. One of Shakespeare’s wittiest comedies comes to life on the Globe’s outdoor stage. Helena is in love with the aristocrat Bertram, while he’s more interested in running off to war than in romance. But strong-willed Helena can’t be deterred, and as she moves mountains and conjures miracles to gain his affection, the play winds into flights of hilarity and passion. Clever and charming, this romantic comedy is the perfect night of theatre under the stars.

Running June 8 – July 6, 2025 at the Lowell Davies Festival Theatre.

In The Odyssey, Penelope’s long wait is rewarded when her husband Odysseus returns home 20 years after leaving to fight in the Trojan War. Will the same be true for Jane in modern-day Brooklyn, 20 years after her husband left for work one fateful September morning? The acclaimed Tyne Rafaeli directs this poetic and touching play about longing, hope, and the myths we tell ourselves just to get through the day. The Janeiad, a wry contemplation of the evocative power of storytelling, marks the Globe’s third collaboration with Anna Ziegler, following The Wanderers and The Last Match.

Running June 21 – July 13, 2025 at the Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre.

Noises Off is a brilliant and uproarious backstage comedy that pulls back the curtain on a theatre company struggling to keep its production from falling apart. Forgotten lines, misplaced props, and romantic entanglements lead to total chaos with doors slamming and sardines flying, in a whirlwind of slapstick hilarity. As the actors’ onstage and offstage worlds collide, the result is, as The New York Times calls it, “a raucously delightful comedy” and “altogether hilarious.”

Running July 6 – August 3, 2025 at The Old Globe’s Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage.

The Comedy of Errors is written by William Shakespeare and directed by James Vásquez. Merriment and mayhem come to life in Shakespeare’s uproarious comedy, last produced at The Old Globe in 2015. Immediately after arriving in a new town, a young man and his sidekick are mistaken for their own long-lost twins, and everyone’s lives are turned upside down as mistaken identities, confused lovers, and all kinds of shenanigans ensue. Globe Resident Artist James Vásquez makes his triumphant return to the Summer Shakespeare Festival after directing 2023’s knockout comic hit The Merry Wives of Windsor.

Running July 27 – August 24, 2025 at the Lowell Davies Festival Theatre.

Deceived, based on the classic play Gas Light, is a psychological thriller that will enthrall Globe audiences, as did 2022’s smash hit Dial M for Murder. Bella Manningham’s new husband seems the doting partner, but when she sees the gaslights dim and he claims they have not, she begins to suspect the strange occurrences aren’t just in her head. Johnna Wright and Patty Jamieson’s exhilarating new adaptation of the beloved mystery, directed by Globe Resident Artist Delicia Turner Sonnenberg (The Old Globe’s Trouble in Mind, Skeleton Crew), blows the dust off a classic, and is “a very satisfying piece of theatrical reinvention” (Toronto Star).

Running August 9 – August 31, 2025 at the Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre.

An autobiographical tour-de-force that The Wall Street Journal called “a gripping and vividly acted one-man show.” Bobby from Long Island is a small kid with a big dream. Bullied since childhood, his small stature finally wins him respect and success on the racetrack as a jockey. But when his body begins to grow, his dreams seem to slip away, and he must decide how far he’ll go to hold on to glory. From racing horses at Belmont Park to dancing on Broadway stages, Robert Montano brings his own breathtaking career to life onstage under the direction of Jessi D. Hill.

Running September 27 – October 19, 2025 at the Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre.