The ultimate guide to La Jolla Playhouse’s 2025 Without Walls Festival – San Diego Union-Tribune
La Jolla Playhouse’s annual Without Walls Festival returns next week with 25 shows offering more than 75 performances at 15 locations across four days on the UC San Diego campus April 24 -27.
Founded on the UCSD campus by the Playhouse’s Tony Award-winning Artistic Director Christopher Ashley in 2013, the WOW Festival has moved to different locations around San Diego for its past seven iterations. But on April 7, UCSD officials announced that the now-annual event will put down stakes at the La Jolla campus for the next four years.
Colleen Kollar Smith, executive director of Campus Performance & Events Office, said that UCSD has been a leading center for excellence and versatility in the arts for more than 50 years, so it was important to make a commitment to keeping the boundary-breaking, site-specific festival at the university is important.
This will be Ashley’s last time overseeing WOW before he concludes his 18-year tenure with the Playhouse at the end of this year and moves to New York to become the artistic director of New York’s prestigious Roundabout Theatre.
Ashley said the idea for WOW came from his childhood spent visiting European theater and arts festivals. He thought that San Diego deserved one of its own, saying these events represent “a town’s sense of self and identity.”
Ashley said it’s bittersweet to be leaving WOW behind, but he’s confident it will thrive in the hands of WOW Festival Producer Amy Ashton and the Playhouse’s Director of Experiences and Activations Mia Fiorella.
“I think it’s thing I’m most proud of in all my years here and I plan to make a pilgrimage back every year to see it,” Ashley said.
The 2025 edition of WOW fest will feature performers and troupes specializing in theater, dance, puppetry, music and spectacle events from San Diego, New York City, Texas, Canada, Australia, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
So how to navigate the sprawling WOW festival where up to five events are happening simultaneously in different places every hour from afternoon to evening April 24 through April 27? The Playhouse has you covered.
Through its wowfestival.org website, attendees can now custom-tailor and pre-book their own schedule based on their interests, family dynamics, days attending, desire to move around the campus or stay in one place, and preference for free performances vs. ticketed shows.
Because WOW is such a popular event, some ticketed shows sold out as soon as reservations opened in March. But the majority of shows this year are free walk-up events with no reservation required.
Based on feedback from visitors to last year’s wide-ranging WOW at UCSD, the layout for this year’s festival grounds at UCSD has been concentrated on the east side of campus to reduce the walking required. The WOW website features a map with parking and venue instructions.
This year’s festival is the eighth incarnation of WOW since it was first launched in 2013. Previous versions have taken place at Liberty Station, downtown San Diego and at the Rady Shell at Jacobs Park. This will be the third time WOW is taking place at UCSD where La Jolla Playhouse is headquartered, although this year’s WOW events will take place on the other side of campus from the Playhouse theaters.
Public parking is available on campus with the Gilman Parking Structure the closest to festival events, but the hourly parking cost can add up quickly. Playhouse officials recommend taking the San Diego Metropolitan Transit District’s Blue Trolley Line or one of several MTS buses to campus.
WOW 2025 Schedule
Here’s the lineup of 25 shows taking place April 24-27 and where to find them. Some free shows require reservations and those requiring paid tickets are listed with pricing. They’re listed in alphabetical order. To learn more, visit wowfestival.org.
“American Dream Casino”: San Diego’s Robert Farid Karimi of Kaotic Good Studio present this WOW Workshop presentation of an immersive casino-like experience portraying the high-stakes gamble of achieving the American Dream. Gamblers ages 13 and up will play with a special casino currency to win prizes and a dream life for themselves and their loved ones. 60 minutes. 5:30 p.m. April 24; 5:30 p.m. April 25; 3 and 5 p.m. April 26; 11 a.m. and 2:45 p.m. April 27. Price Center, Muir College Room. All performances are booked, but show up 10 minutes before showtime for walk-ups.
“Artists Everywhere”: San Diego’s nonprofit Playwrights Project and teaching artist/filmmaker Chris Boyd will create an experiential gallery/art installation where visitors wearing headsets can visit five videos screens showing autobiographical plays written by formerly incarcerated individuals in San Diego. The five video plays are Arturo Medina’s “Homecoming,” Vanessa Romero’s “A Mother’s Promise,” Jason Ritchie’s “The Fate of Man,” Robert Wood’s “Criminial Adaptations” and Mikey Trotter’s “Red America.” Stay as long as you like. 4-7 p.m. April 24 and 25; 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 3 to 6 p.m. April 26; 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 to 5 p.m. April 26. Qualcomm Institute Showcase. Free, just show up.
Audience Lip Sync Spectacular: This interactive show for all ages features Bay area drag performance artist Black Benatar leading lip sync battles, surprise guest artist and puppetry. Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Bring blankets or camp chair. 60 minutes. 5 p.m. April 26. Warren Mall. Free. Just show up.
“Bev & Blanche’s Care-a-Van”: San Diego puppeteers Esty Bharier and Molly Maslak will present this roaming pop-up puppet story of Bev and Blanche, two quirky, codependent unfinished marionette twins who are navigating ongoing mental health journeys. This new, all-ages show will roam throughout the festival grounds and pop up frequently. 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. April 26 and 27. Free.
“Black Magic Variety Hour”: San Francisco queer performer and media maker Black Benatar will present this immersive, unapologetically queer show that blends drag, magic, comedy, live DJ sets and spectacle in a late-night experience for adults. Black Benatar, the alter-ego of Beatrice Thomas, challenges Blackness, Whiteness, oppression and convention. 75 minutes. 9:30 p.m. April 25 and 26. The Loft. Tickets are $12 at https://wowfestival.lajollaplayhouse.org/overview/19933
“Bring Back the Happening”: Nineties, a Dutch contemporary theater collective, will create this highly audience-interactive interpretation of a 1960s “happening, featuring connection, a lush soundtrack, choreography and maybe a few inflatable dinosaurs. For ages 12 and up. 60 minutes. 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. April 24 and 25; 4, 6 and 8 p.m. April 26; 3:30 and 5:30 p.m. April 27. Qualcomm Institute Theater. Tickets are $17 at wowfestival.lajollaplayhouse.org/overview/19935.
“Burnout Paradise”: Pony Cam, an Australian acrobatic and comedy troupe, will perform increasingly frenetic and euphoric feats of juggling, treadmill-riding and absurdity while performing feats of cooking, office work, Shakespeare soliloquies, pet walking and more. Tickets are $37 at lajollaplayhouse.org/wowfestival/event/burnout-paradise/2025-04-24/
“Escape the Box”: Wishing Horse Productions of Austin, Texas, will create a time-travel outdoor escape game for all ages. Groups of 10 will take part in this walking experience where they will solve a serious of puzzles to bring to life the history, public art and spirit of the campus. 75 minutes. 6 p.m. April 24 and 25; 1 and 4 p.m. April 26; 11:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. April 27. Meet at Matthews Quad (late arrivers will be left behind). Tickets are $27 at wowfestival.lajollaplayhouse.org/overview/20004.
“Firebird”: The Amsterdam-based art collective Touki Delphine will present this eye-popping electronic orchestra performance and art installation of sound and light inspired by Igor Stravinsky’s 1919 Firebird Suite. it will feature illumination by more than 500 recycled car taillights. 70 minutes. 8:15 p.m. April 24 25 and 26. Experience begins at Matthews Quad and moves to the Epstein Family Amphitheater. Free. Just show up.
“Garden”: San Diego artist, production designer and musician Zlatko Mitev will create an outdoor sculpture garden inspired by local flora and fauna that will be on display for the entire WOW festival. 4 p.m. April 24 to 7 p.m. April 27. Location is TBA. Free. Just show up.
“Goldilocks Screentime”: UC San Diego Theatre and Dance students Lula Britos and Claire McNerney will present this interactive theater performance that explores the temptations of the internet, beauty, fitness, wellness and the pressure to look perfect. Show is outdoors, bring a blanket or camp chair. 30 minutes. 12:30 and 3:30 p.m. April 26; 1 and 4:30 p.m. April 27. Meet at the Bear sculpture in the Qualcomm Institute Courtyard. Free. Just show up.
“Green Memories”: Sound artist and UCSD professor Shahrokh Yadegari and visual artist Memo Akten created this immersive sonic and film experience that blends evocative music with natural sounds to create a metaphoric sound garden installation inside a theater. Inspired by Forough Farrokhzad’s poem “I Pity the Garden,” the installation invites the audience to reflect on the delicate balance of our planet and the urgent need for ecological healing. 5 to 10 minute experience for 15 people at a time. 4 to 7 p.m. April 24 and 25; 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 3 to 6 p.m. April 26 and 27. Qualcomm Institute. Free. Just show up.
“How to Put On a Sock”: Brooklyn-based theater artist Rachel Gita Karp casts the audience as ninth-graders in a sex-ed assembly for an interactive tour of what teens are learning in high schools across America. For teens and adults. 60 min. Show will be presented in two locations. 6 to 7 p.m. April 24 and 25 at Price Center Theater. 2:30 and 5 p.m. April 26 and 27 at Qualcomm Institute Auditorium. Free. Just show up.
“I See You Like This”: Australian artist Jessica Wilson will present this interactive activity for young audiences that allows children to choose craft materials to turn their parents’ faces into a sculptural canvas that comically represents how they see their parents. A photographer will capture these unusual portraits and share them on digital video screens. Recommended for ages 5 to 12. Each experience is for one child, age 6 to 12, and one adult caregiver, or one adult and multiple children. 15 minutes. 5 to 7 p.m. April 24 and 25; 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 to 6 p.m. April 26 and 27. Town Square, Price Center. Free. Just show up and sign up onsite.
“THE JUMP UP”: Sandbox Percussion, in collaboration with UCSD’s Steven Schick and the Red Fish Blue Fish ensemble, will present the West Coast premiere of composer Douglas J. Cuomo’s percussion work “THE JUMP UP!” The site-specific performance will involve the musicians moving through space and the audience joining in as a communal orchestra. 60 minutes. 3:30 p.m. April 26. Epstein Family Amphitheater. Free. Just show up.
“Layers”: San Diego Circus Center will present this theatricalized circus story for young audiences about the things that inspire us as humans and how we create and sometimes tear things apart to find the story that’s waiting to be told. Show will be performed on an outdoor lawn. Bring blanket or camp chair. 30 min. 1 and 6 p.m. April 26; 3 p.m. April 27. Warren Mall. Free Just show up.
Marcel Lucont’s “Les Enfantes Terrible – A Gameshow for Awful Children”: French comedian Marcel Lucont will present a show where children in the audience will be recruited to play pests and politicians and will compete in a contest where worst comes first. 60 minutes. 12 p.m. April 26; 1 p.m. April 27. Warren Mall. Free. Just show up.
Marcel Lucont’s “Whine List”: The French comedian and podcaster will also present a ticketed comedy show geared for ages 16 and up, about some of his audience’s biggest gripes, moans and woes, as well as some erotic poetry. 60 minutes. 7 p.m. April 24; 5:30 p.m. April 25; 6:30 p.m. April 26; 5 p.m. April 27. Tickets are $17. The Loft. Tickets are $17 at wowfestival.lajollaplayhouse.org/overview/19936
“ODDISEA: A Puppet Procession”: San Diego’s Animal Cracker Conspiracy troupe will present an interactive giant puppet procession for people of all ages inspired by the sea and an alien cosmology, with music from the Chunky Hustle Brass Band. 40 minutes. 7:30 p.m. April 24, 25 and 26. Walk begins at Warren Mall. Free. Just show up.
“Shifting Horizons”: The San Diego Unified Honors Theatre Project, made up of visual and performing arts high school students, will create this original movement piece for young audiences inspired by a falling star’s journey from displacement to belonging. It will be presented on an outdoor lawn. Bring blanket or camp chairs. 30 minutes. 1:30 p.m. April 26; 2 p.m. April 27. Warren Mall. Free. Just show up.
“The Society of Historic Sonic Happenings”: New York’s UP CLOSE Projects presents this interactive event for ages 5 and up, where audience members aid the Society (SHSH) in its mission to find and preserve hidden sounds from history. 50 minutes. 4 p.m. April 24 and 25; 10 a.m., 11:45 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. April 26 and 27. Qualcomm Institute Theater. $12. wowfestival.lajollaplayhouse.org/overview/19937.
“Summer Break”: FLIP Fabrique, a theater and acrobatic company from Québec, Canada, invites the audience to a nostalgic circus show inspired by the memories of youthful summer camp adventures. The troupe will perform comedy, pantomime and acrobatics on and around modified school bus outdoors. For young audiences. The 30-minute show will be presented in two locations. 5 and 6:30 p.m. April 24 and 25 at Town Square, Price Center; 2:30 and 4:30 p.m. April 26 and 27 at Warren Mall. Free. no reservation required.
“Tale Travelers!”: Blindspot Collective, a San Diego-based site-specific theater company, will host a books-themed adventure at the Geisel Library, where small groups of participants will meet book characters including Captain Hook and Frankenstein’s monster who have mysteriously fallen out of their stories but are ready to share their stories with the audience. Recommended for ages 8 and up. 60 minutes. Tours leave every 10 minutes from 6 to 7 p.m. April 24; and 11 a.m. to noon and 3 to 4 p.m. April 26 and 27. Geisel Library. Tickets are $12 at wowfestival.lajollaplayhouse.org/overview/19938
“When My Body Talks”: San Diego director/choreographer Danniel Ureña and Diversionary Theatre have co-created this new outdoor dance theater piece that explores first-time queer experiences and how they resonated in our bodies and shape our identities. For ages 15 and up. 50 minutes. 8:30 p.m. April 24, 25 and 26. Price Center, Triton Steps. Free. Just show up.
“The Weather Busters of Beachcastle”: The Playhouse’s 2025 POP Tour production, an original theater for young audiences show that tours San Diego County grade schools, is about two 12-year-olds who embark on an adventure to meet a mysterious explorer from beyond the stars. The show will be presented at the family-friendly Creation Station, where children (with adult supervision) can do themed “alien” crafts. Performances are at 11 a.m. April 26 and noon April 27. Creation Station is open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 26 and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 27. Warren Mall. Free. Just show up.
2025 Without Walls Festival
When: 4 -9:30 p.m. April 24; 4 to 10:35 p.m. April 25; 10 a.m. to 10:45 p.m. April 26; 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. April 27
Where: UC San Diego, La Jolla
Tickets: Free to $37
Online: wowfestival.org
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