to put together a season that was audience-friendly , surefire . Looking at the season , all of the plays except one , I ’ ve had something to do with before . For example , “ The Rainmaker ” I produced at North Coast 19 years ago . “ The Angel Next Door ” is a world premiere , but we ’ ve done two plays by Paul Slade Smith before , so I commissioned him to write this play , and it ’ s really funny . “ Ain ’ t Misbehavin ’ ” we produced at North Coast to great success . “ A Shayna Maidel ” I ’ ve directed twice before , and “ Tartuffe ,” I ’ ve actually never produced , but was in once as an actor . It ’ s a great show and the kind of fare I want Laguna to dip their toe in . Lastly , “ Holmes & Watson ” is the second-biggest seller we ever had at North Coast . It ’ s really good : a whodunit , keep-you-guessing , on-theedge-of-your-seat-right-up-until-thevery-end audience-pleaser . So it ’ s a really eclectic season .
LBM : I ’ m glad you use that word , because that ’ s exactly what I was thinking — what diverse offerings . DE : My dad , who was a great theater guy and my biggest inspiration , used to say , “ You want to have the audience be surprised every time they come to the theater .” I don ’ t want to be a theater that ’ s known for one kind of thing . I want to be known as a theater that can do all kinds of things well .
LBM : How would you describe your approach to directing such an iconic local playhouse ? DE : It feels like , partly due to COVID and partly due to reasons I don ’ t even understand , … the identity of Laguna Playhouse has gotten a little murky . What is it standing for right now ? I want to get the playhouse back to being known for doing great plays well . Do great plays well and the audience will come .
LBM : We are inundated with media in all aspects of our lives . In your opinion , why is theater important ? DE : Because it ’ s a live event where
people gather together and experience art in one room , happening in front of them , which can ’ t be replicated by anything technological or electronic . Theater has survived for thousands and thousands of years because it brings people of all kinds together — people of different political views , different races , different ethnic backgrounds , into the same room to experience a story together that will never happen exactly like that again . It ’ s the power of “ now ” that makes theater so important and why it ’ s never going to go away . It ’ s my lifeblood and I truly believe it will recover from what it ’ s going through now and come back stronger than ever .
LBM : Last thoughts ? DE : Come back to the playhouse . If you ’ ve come in the past and not had a good experience here , please come back and try again . It ’ s a new era ; we ’ re excited to bring old friends back and create new ones . g
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LAGUNA BEACH MAGAZINE 35