Stage Door News

Toronto: Outside the March’s “Lessons in Temperament” will travel to the WOW Festival in La Jolla, CA

Friday, January 28, 2022

La Jolla Playhouse Announces Initial Projects for 2022 WOW Festival:

LESSONS IN TEMPERAMENT

Outside the March

Canada

Written and Performed by James Smith

Directed and Developed by Mitchell Cushman

Lessons in Temperament is the story of four neuro-diverse brothers, told through a theatrical escape into the art and science of piano tuning.

The story of four neurodiverse brothers, told through a theatrical escape into the art and science of piano tuning. It is impossible to perfectly tune a piano – something that musician and theatre-maker James Smith knows all too well. A few years ago James taught himself how to tune pianos as an additional source of income between gigs. Through pursuing this work, he discovered something even more valuable – the perfect metaphor through which to process the mental complexities of his family. Between James and his brothers, they have had life-long journeys with OCD, autism, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

Throughout the piece, James shares the story of his family, while getting the piano in front of him beautifully and imperfectly in tune. Catch this award-winning play’s return to the stage, hot on the heels of its recent feature film adaptation.

Experience a weekend of fun April 21-24 at ARTS DISTRICT Liberty Station where local, national and international artists come together to WOW you.

With over twenty events combining spectacle, dance, theatre and circus performance – half of which are free – there are infinite ways to explore. Join us on the North Promenade where you can find the WOW Festival Hub, a perfect central location to meet up with friends and family. You’ll also find galleries, restaurants and The Public Market, where you can recharge in between shows.

We recommend looking at the schedule to plan your weekend if you are interested in attending multiple shows. Many people like to enhance their festival outing by bringing a blanket or chairs to hang out on the lawn to watch and relax.

This year we have boundary-breaking world premieres and new works, from intimate one-on-one experiences to epic storytelling spectacle.

Visit lajollaplayhouse.org.

Photo: James Smith in Lessons in Temperament. © 2017 Katherine Devlin Rosenfeld.