Artists Under Commission

The La Jolla Playhouse team is passionate about creating a place where new American plays and musicals come to life. To this end, the Playhouse runs a robust commissioning program that provides both emerging and established playwrights resources to draft a new play.

These commissions may evolve at the Playhouse in the shape of readings, workshops and full productions. Some notable Playhouse Commissioned works that went on to full productions include:

All the Men Who’ve Frightened Me
Commissioned Artist: Noah Diaz
World Premiere: La Jolla Playhouse, 2025

59 Acres
Commissioned Artist: Marike Splint
World Premiere: La Jolla Playhouse’s WOW Festival, 2024

The Untitled Unauthorized Hunter S. Thompson Musical
Commissioned Artists: Joe Iconis & Gregory S. Moss
World Premiere: La Jolla Playhouse, 2023
Regional: Signature Theatre (Arlington, VA), 2025

The Garden
Commissioned Artist: Charlayne Woodard
Co-World Premiere: Baltimore Center Stage and La Jolla Playhouse, 2021

The Coast Starlight
Commissioned Artist: Keith Bunin
World Premiere: La Jolla Playhouse, 2019

What Happens Next
A Without Walls Production, in association with Cornerstone Theater Company
Commissioned Artist: Naomi Iizuka
World Premiere: Challenged Athletes Foundation, 2018

Model Home
Commissioned Artist: Mimi Lien
World Premiere: La Jolla Playhouse Without Walls Festival, 2017

Miss You Like Hell
Commissioned Artists: Quiara Alegría Hudes and Erin McKeown
World Premiere: La Jolla Playhouse, 2016
Off-Broadway: Public Theatre, 2018

The Bitter Game
Commissioned Artist: Keith Wallace
World Premiere: La Jolla Playhouse Without Walls Festival, 2015
New York: Under the Radar Festival, 2017

Seafoam Sleepwalk
Commissioned Artist: Basil Twist
World Premiere: La Jolla Playhouse Without Walls Festival, 2013

Hands on a Hardbody
Commissioned Artists: Doug Wright, Amanda Green, Trey Anastasio
World Premiere: La Jolla Playhouse, 2012
Broadway: Brooks Atkinson Theatre, 2013

Milk Like Sugar
Commissioned Artist: Kirsten Greenidge
World Premiere: La Jolla Playhouse, 2011
Off-Broadway: Playwrights Horizons 2012
Regional: Huntington Theatre Company, 2016

Restoration
Commissioned Artist: Claudia Shear
World Premiere: La Jolla Playhouse, 2009
Off-Broadway: New York Theatre Workshop, 2010

 

Artists Currently Under Commission

The Playhouse is honored to have the following award-winning artists currently under commission:

Melis Aker
Todd Almond
Jeff Augustin
Sam Chanse
Fernanda Coppel
Adrianne (AG) Gonzalez
Martyna Majok
Mona Mansour
Jess McLeod
MILCK
Lisa Peterson
Theresa Rebeck
Harrison David Rivers
Claudia Shear
Christopher Shinn
Octavio Solis
Jonathan Spector
Benjamin Velez
Keith Wallace
Cheryl L. West
Kristina Wong
Lauren Yee

 

Photo credit: Playwright Jeff Augustin and Director Joshua Kahan Brody during a reading of The Last Tiger in Haiti; photo by Jim Carmody.

R
2025 February
2025 March
2025 April
r
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
1
+0
2
+0
3
+0
4
+0
5
+0
6
+0
7
+0
8
+0
9
+0
10
+0
11
+0
12
+0
13
+0
14
+0
15
+0
16
+0
17
+0
18
3 Summers of Lincoln 7:30pm
+0
19
3 Summers of Lincoln 7:30pm
+0
20
3 Summers of Lincoln 7:30pm
+0
21
3 Summers of Lincoln 7:30pm
+0
22
3 Summers of Lincoln 8:00pm
+0
23
3 Summers of Lincoln 1:00pm 3 Summers of Lincoln 7:00pm
+0
24
+0
25
The Unfair Advantage 7:00pm 3 Summers of Lincoln 7:30pm
+0
26
The Unfair Advantage 5:30pm 3 Summers of Lincoln 7:30pm The Unfair Advantage 8:00pm
+0
27
3 Summers of Lincoln 7:30pm The Unfair Advantage 8:00pm
+0
28
The Unfair Advantage 5:30pm 3 Summers of Lincoln 7:30pm The Unfair Advantage 8:00pm
+0
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
1
3 Summers of Lincoln 2:00pm The Unfair Advantage 3:00pm The Unfair Advantage 5:00pm
The Unfair Advantage 7:30pm 3 Summers of Lincoln 8:00pm
+2
2
The Unfair Advantage 1:00pm The Unfair Advantage 4:00pm
+0
3
+0
4
The Unfair Advantage 7:00pm 3 Summers of Lincoln 7:30pm
+0
5
The Unfair Advantage 7:00pm 3 Summers of Lincoln 7:30pm
+0
6
The Unfair Advantage 5:30pm 3 Summers of Lincoln 7:30pm The Unfair Advantage 8:00pm
+0
7
The Unfair Advantage 5:30pm 3 Summers of Lincoln 7:30pm The Unfair Advantage 8:00pm
+0
8
3 Summers of Lincoln 2:00pm The Unfair Advantage 3:00pm The Unfair Advantage 5:00pm
The Unfair Advantage 7:30pm 3 Summers of Lincoln 8:00pm
+2
9
3 Summers of Lincoln 1:00pm The Unfair Advantage 1:00pm The Unfair Advantage 4:00pm
The Unfair Advantage 6:00pm 3 Summers of Lincoln 7:00pm
+2
10
+0
11
3 Summers of Lincoln 7:30pm
+0
12
The Unfair Advantage 7:00pm 3 Summers of Lincoln 7:30pm
+0
13
The Unfair Advantage 5:30pm 3 Summers of Lincoln 7:30pm The Unfair Advantage 8:00pm
+0
14
The Unfair Advantage 5:30pm 3 Summers of Lincoln 7:30pm The Unfair Advantage 8:00pm
+0
15
3 Summers of Lincoln 2:00pm The Unfair Advantage 3:00pm The Unfair Advantage 5:00pm
The Unfair Advantage 7:30pm 3 Summers of Lincoln 8:00pm
+2
16
3 Summers of Lincoln 1:00pm The Unfair Advantage 1:00pm The Unfair Advantage 4:00pm
The Unfair Advantage 6:00pm 3 Summers of Lincoln 7:00pm
+2
17
+0
18
The Unfair Advantage 7:00pm 3 Summers of Lincoln 7:30pm
+0
19
The Unfair Advantage 7:00pm 3 Summers of Lincoln 7:30pm
+0
20
The Unfair Advantage 5:30pm 3 Summers of Lincoln 7:30pm The Unfair Advantage 8:00pm
+0
21
The Unfair Advantage 5:30pm 3 Summers of Lincoln 7:30pm The Unfair Advantage 8:00pm
+0
22
3 Summers of Lincoln 2:00pm The Unfair Advantage 3:00pm The Unfair Advantage 5:00pm
The Unfair Advantage 7:30pm 3 Summers of Lincoln 8:00pm
+2
23
3 Summers of Lincoln 1:00pm The Unfair Advantage 1:00pm The Unfair Advantage 4:00pm
The Unfair Advantage 6:00pm 3 Summers of Lincoln 7:00pm
+2
24
+0
25
The Unfair Advantage 5:30pm 3 Summers of Lincoln 7:30pm The Unfair Advantage 8:00pm
+0
26
The Unfair Advantage 5:30pm 3 Summers of Lincoln 7:30pm The Unfair Advantage 8:00pm
+0
27
The Unfair Advantage 5:30pm 3 Summers of Lincoln 7:30pm The Unfair Advantage 8:00pm
+0
28
3 Summers of Lincoln 7:30pm
+0
29
3 Summers of Lincoln 2:00pm 3 Summers of Lincoln 8:00pm
+0
30
3 Summers of Lincoln 1:00pm 3 Summers of Lincoln 7:00pm
+0
31
+0
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
1
The Unfair Advantage 7:00pm 3 Summers of Lincoln 7:30pm
+0
2
The Unfair Advantage 7:00pm 3 Summers of Lincoln 7:30pm
+0
3
The Unfair Advantage 5:30pm The Unfair Advantage 7:30pm 3 Summers of Lincoln 7:30pm
+0
4
The Unfair Advantage 5:30pm The Unfair Advantage 7:30pm 3 Summers of Lincoln 7:30pm
+0
5
3 Summers of Lincoln 2:00pm The Unfair Advantage 3:00pm The Unfair Advantage 5:00pm
The Unfair Advantage 7:30pm 3 Summers of Lincoln 8:00pm
+2
6
3 Summers of Lincoln 1:00pm The Unfair Advantage 1:00pm The Unfair Advantage 4:00pm
The Unfair Advantage 6:00pm 3 Summers of Lincoln 7:00pm
+2
7
+0
8
The Unfair Advantage 7:00pm
+0
9
The Unfair Advantage 7:00pm
+0
10
The Unfair Advantage 5:30pm The Unfair Advantage 7:30pm
+0
11
The Unfair Advantage 5:30pm The Unfair Advantage 7:30pm
+0
12
The Unfair Advantage 3:00pm The Unfair Advantage 5:00pm The Unfair Advantage 7:30pm
+0
13
The Unfair Advantage 1:00pm The Unfair Advantage 4:00pm The Unfair Advantage 6:00pm
+0
14
+0
15
The Unfair Advantage 7:00pm
+0
16
The Unfair Advantage 7:00pm
+0
17
The Unfair Advantage 5:30pm The Unfair Advantage 7:30pm
+0
18
The Unfair Advantage 5:30pm The Unfair Advantage 7:30pm
+0
19
The Unfair Advantage 3:00pm The Unfair Advantage 5:00pm The Unfair Advantage 7:30pm
+0
20
The Unfair Advantage 1:00pm The Unfair Advantage 4:00pm The Unfair Advantage 6:00pm
+0
21
+0
22
+0
23
+0
24
+0
25
+0
26
+0
27
+0
28
+0
29
+0
30
+0
Great deals, exclusive pre-sales and behind-the-scenes fun for you.

Get the latest news about the most exciting new shows in San Diego delivered to your inbox.

When you provide your cell, you will get useful reminders about your upcoming tickets, and very occasional texts about big announcements. Rates may apply.

No thanks, I want to be kept in the dark