Herringbone

About

Set during the Great Depression, this darkly comic solo musical plays in La Jolla Playhouse’s 384-seat black-box space. The staging is deliberately stark and seedily theatrical, using a minimalist set with atmospheric lighting and sound to strip the story to its histrionic core. Designed as a tour-de-force vehicle, one actor incarnates 11 characters and delivers 14 song-and-dance numbers. An onstage musical trio led by the music director occasionally interacts with the narrative, with the leader stepping in as Thumbs DuBois. The piece probes exploitation, Faustian bargains for fame, and the psychological toll of child stardom.