A long relationship with Ali Viterbi
Producing a new play is always exciting. Producing In Every Generation is an extra special experience, because we have helped develop this work over the last four years with a local playwright who has grown with us at San Diego REP since she was a teenager.
Playwright Ali Viterbi first worked at SD REP as an actor in Todd Salovey’s adaptation of The Blessing of a Broken Heart back in 2008. Soon after, Todd, the founder and producer of The Lipinsky Family San Diego Jewish Arts Festival (Jfest), conceived of a creative idea for Ali and his daughter Leah to work on together. Women of Valor—now a JFest staple—started as a theatrical project for these two young women to research and write about female role models within our Jewish community. Now Ali writes, directs, and produces the Women of Valor events each year in the festival.
Additionally, Ali has served as Associate Producer on JFest for years before stepping into the role of Associate Artistic Director in last year’s festival. It is so satisfying to work with someone we have such a rich history of creation with.
We are also thrilled that In Every Generation is getting a Rolling World Premiere in partnership with the National New Play Network. Victory Gardens just closed their production May 1, 2022 and, after our production, the Olney Theatre will produce the play in their season. Ali will get to experience three completely different productions of this play within a year! This is especially exciting to see this given our history of developing the work in readings within JFest in 2018, 2019, and 2021.
I also want to call attention to the others who have been involved with this work across multiple years. Gabrielle Hoyt, who originally directed the JFest reading in 2018, has continued to help on the development of this piece, working alongside Ali as dramaturg.
Lisa Robbins, who plays the role of Valeria at SD REP, has also been involved in each step of the development process. Plus, we are excited to have Rebecca Futterman (Yael) and Sabrina Lui (Dev) joining our amazing cast, as they also participated in the 2021 JFest reading.
We love watching Ali Viterbi thrive. Beyond San Diego REP, her work has been developed, produced, or commissioned by Geffen Playhouse, The Kennedy Center/National New Play Network, La Jolla Playhouse, Round House Theatre, HERE Arts Center, Jewish Plays Project, Last Frontier Theatre Conference, The Barrow Group, Owl and Cat Theatre in Australia, North Coast Repertory Theatre, and Horizon Theater Company, among others.
Since receiving her B.A. from Yale University and her M.F.A. in Playwriting from UC San Diego, Ali won the 2019 National Jewish Playwriting Contest and has been a finalist for the O’Neill National Playwrights Conference and the Bay Area Playwrights Festival.
We are also thrilled to feature a brand new play entitled The World to Come by Ali Viterbi in this year’s The Whole Megillah New Play Festival during Jfest!
Danielle Ward
Associate Artistic Director and Literary Manager
Associate Artistic Director and Literary Manager
Tickets to In Every Generation are on sale now.
In Every Generation is part of JFest 2022, the 29th Annual Lipinsky Family San Diego Jewish Arts Festival. Celebrate Jewish music, theatre, art and culture this summer. Explore the full JFest line-up here.
