Typically, the phrase “the show must go on” applies to small inconveniences, like an actor having a headache or a busted light fixture. Never has the phrase been as literal as this month for Westside theater productions.
Despite the still-raging Palisades Fire, the Morgan-Wixson Theatre production of Sara DeLappe’s “The Wolves” will take the stage Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. The would-be opening weekend for the show is now a preview weekend, with “give-what-you-can” ticket proceeds going 100% toward the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation and the World Central Kitchen.
In addition to the donations, anyone affected by recent and ongoing wildfires will receive complimentary tickets at the door. One person impacted by blazes was director Grace Wilkerson, who had to evacuate in Hollywood on Jan. 8 due to the fast-moving Sunset Fire.
Wilkerson and her cast put a brief moratorium on rehearsals out of health and safety precautions, and Wilkerson said the cast quickly realized they “didn’t feel comfortable moving forward with this project without acknowledging what was happening.” They soon came to the consensus conclusion of the give-what-you-can weekend.
“I think a lot of the time, art can feel like a very selfish thing in times of crisis, but I also know that art can be a way to build community, come together, and process tragedy in a really important way,” Wilkerson said. “So our hope is to provide a place where people can come, have a soft place to land, find community, maybe escape, or maybe be able to think about and work through the things that they’ve been going through.”
The cast and crew were given several sources of camaraderie and strength during this time. The first night of the fires breaking out, cast member Larissa Dowling was dog sitting Moose in the Palisades Highlands. Dowling was able to bring the dog from the fire zone to the theater, something producer Melodie Rivers called “just so beautiful.”
Production was also given a boost in purpose from the destruction of the Theatre Palisades, as Theatre Palisades Youth is a sister troupe to the Morgan-Wixson. Technical Director William Wilday took part in the first show held at the Theatre Palisades, and the Morgan-Wixson crew will be opening their space to the impacted troupe.
Members of Theatre Palisades Youth will also get free tickets to the show throughout its entire run.
“It’s absolutely devastating to hear that theater burned down … it feels like all the memories and history associated with that building is just gone, which is so, so heartbreaking,” Wilkerson added.
Another member of the Palisades community, Palisades Charter High School sophomore Sarah Hajmomenian, has been involved in the Morgan-Wixson’s Youth Education-Entertainment Series since 2019. One of the many impacted by the Palisades Fire, Hajmomenian volunteered to do technical assistance for this weekend’s production.
“I feel very lucky that the Morgan-Wixson and the production team and cast and crew of ‘The Wolves’ welcomed me to take part in this amazing show,” Hajmomenian said. “It has helped me maintain hope and focus during a time of upheaval and uncertainty.”
Now all eyes will be on “The Wolves,” a sports comedy centered on a girls high school soccer team as they prepare for a big game. The Pulitzer Prize finalist play, Wilkerson said, is an “iconic contemporary play” that fits in the current popular genre of girlhood.
“The show is really about how can we deal with the world outside of our little bubble when the bubble is already really scary,” Wilkerson said, adding that processing big-world problems is a theme of the show that mirrors this past week’s events.
Morgan-Wixson staff suggests donating at the theater’s box office, with the theater located at 2627 Pico Blvd. Call 310-828-7519 in advance to check if tickets are still available. Visitmorgan-wixson.org to learn more, and to donate directly to the LAFD Foundation or World Central Kitchen, visitsupportLAFD.org/give orwck.org.
