Between myself and Rosin Box Project Artistic Director Carly Topazio we tried to decide who would constitute the Mount Rushmore of Female Choreographers. After some discussion we chose Martha Graham, Twyla Tharp, Agnes DeMille and Crystal Pite.
This speculation was an intro into talking about the return of Rosin Box Project’s “Empower,” an annual celebration of female choreographic voices timed to coincide with Women’s History Month. Opening Rosin Box’s 2025 season, “Empower” runs tonight through Sunday at the Light Box Theater in Liberty Station.
Topazio’s new work “Paper Ash & Phantom Ink,” performed to music by electric-cellist Breanna Tam is, is one of three offerings. The program also includes Rosin Box’s Bethany Green’s “Right Hook” and Bay Area-based Natasha Adorlee’s “Time Has Told Me.”
Topazio describes her own piece thematically as “focused around the concept of messages or letters, and playing with the idea of either letters never sent or never opened. It’s what lingers in between the unfinished and the unforgotten.”
“Right Hook” is colleague Green’s dance piece performed to a reworking of Maurice Ravel’s “Bolero.” Per its title, “It sounds like a boxing match,” Topazio said. “It has the iconic beat throughout but it gets distorted in part. It’s a bit like a surreal, dystopian setting very much in the ‘Bolero’ aesthetic.”
A reflection on loss and healing, Adorlee’s “Time Has Told Me,” Topazio explained, is the choreographer’s tribute to the late Rangoon-born British musician Nick Drake, who ed away at 26. The dance is performed to his music. “She (Adorlee) was very much inspired by his life and the recognition of his work which he never really saw when he was alive,” said Topazio. “It’s a celebration of the beauty and the genius of his music.”
Performances are tonight through Sunday evening.
Choral music
“Windows” is the title of the choral program that will be performed Saturday at 7 p.m. by San Diego’s own vocal ensemble SACRA/PROFANA. The venue is First United Methodist Church in Mission Valley.
This diverse repertoire includes works that cover a span of centuries, countries and heritages, suggesting connective threads between the eras of choral music and its development.
Tickets for this one-night-only performance are $15 to $40.
Theater
Christian St. Croix is one of our community’s most talented playwrights. His “Monsters of the American Cinema” was produced at Diversionary Theatre and his “Zach” by Loud Fridge Theatre Group, which also introduced St. Croix’s “We Lovers” at last year’s San Diego International Fringe Festival. A fully staged production of “We Lovers” by Loud Fridge is due this fall.
This weekend, St. Croix’s two-hander “The Pros and Cons of Feeding Stray Cats,” presented by the Playwrights Project, will be performed in the Old Globe’s intimate Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre. The play about a troubled teen, an unlikely friendship and cats will be staged at 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday and at 2 p.m. on Sunday.
Story theater
If not for Francis Grierson, the historic Villa Montezuma mansion in Sherman Heights might not have been built. The English writer and spiritualist, whose actual name was Jesse Shepard, reportedly had the mansion that he designed built for him in the 1880s, though he resided there (and conducted seances) for just a couple of years.
Grierson’s most famous work was an enhanced autobiography titled “The Valley of Shadows.” A program of staged readings of Grierson’s work happens Saturday and Sunday afternoons (both at 1 and 3 p.m.) at Villa Montezuma at 1925 K St., San Diego. It’s presented by Write Out Loud and Friends of Villa Montezuma.
Rachael VanWormer is directing performers including Rhianna Basore, Todd Blakesley, Paul Maley, Veronica Murphy, Walter Ritter and Steve Smith. Tickets are $30.
Television
Who do you think was more surprised on Oscars Night when Mikey Madison was announced as the Best Actress winner? Madison, star of the equally lauded “Anora,” or Demi Moore, who likely expected to be taking home that award? It wasn’t exactly a 1993 Marisa Tomei moment (did Jack Palance read the wrong winner’s name?), but the 25-year-old Madison’s win was deemed a surprise nonetheless.
This is not a surprise: Madison is hosting Saturday’s new episode of “Saturday Night Live” on NBC. Madison shouldn’t be nervous. After accepting her Academy Award on live TV, a little monologue and a few skits on “SNL” should be no sweat.
U-T stories you may have missed this week
- Play ball! We tried all the new food at Petco Park this season. Here are the champions.
- La Jolla SummerFest cooks up something new with onstage pairings of chamber music greats and prominent chefs
- A sneak peek at the new foods coming to Petco Park this Padres season
- 8 food and drink deals in downtown San Diego for the Padres 2025 season
- Gene Simmons won’t retire from music, post-Kiss: ‘My ego won’t allow it’
- New Village Arts’ ‘La Havana Madrid’ re legendary Chicago nightclub of the 1960s
- San Diego Civic Youth Ballet celebrates 80th season with premiere of ‘The Firebird’
- Hey readers: A new bookstore called Hey Books! is opening in downtown San Diego
- La Jolla Playhouse unveils 2025 WOW Festival lineup
- Review: San Diego Opera’s ‘Salome’ shines musically, but its staging disappoints
UCTV
University of California Television invites you to enjoy this special selection of programs from throughout the University of California. Descriptions courtesy of and text written by UCTV staff:
Often called “the love hormone,” oxytocin plays a key role in social bonding, reproduction, maternal behavior, and emotional connection. But how much do we really understand about its healing power? This presentation explores the parallels between oxytocin and love, highlighting their shared influence on health, longevity and emotional well-being. You’ll learn how oxytocin interacts with ancient systems like the autonomic nervous system, vasopressin, and the immune system —and how these connections may help explain oxytocin’s role in reducing inflammation and ing resilience during early development and chronic stress. Discover what current science reveals — and what mysteries remain — about this powerful molecule’s role in human connection and healing.
Under the direction of Arian Khaefi, the La Jolla Symphony and Chorus presented “Holy Radiant Light,” featuring Sergei Rachmaninoff’s All-Night Vigil, Op. 37, a pinnacle of a cappella choral music. Composed in 1915, this 15-movement work is deeply rooted in the Russian Orthodox liturgy, blending traditional chants with Rachmaninoff’s rich harmonies. Notably, the fifth movement, “Nunc dimittis,” concludes with basses singing a low B-flat, showcasing the choir’s depth. Enjoy this performance, which highlights the profound spirituality and intricate vocal textures of Rachmaninoff’s composition, offering a transcendent musical experience.
Computer technology moves fast — but how do scientists make everyday devices work so efficiently? In this episode of “Science Like Me,” postdoctoral researcher Yinzhan Xu and Ph.D. student Chris Ye explain the fascinating world of theoretical computer science. Rather than writing code, they use math to understand what computation is, how it works, and what its limits are. Through their work with EnCORE, the Institute for Emerging CORE Methods in Data Science, they explore how mathematical thinking can lead to new ways of solving problems and making machines run smarter and faster. See how theory plays a powerful role in shaping the future of machine learning and artificial intelligence.
And finally, top weekend events
The best things to do this weekend in San Diego: March 28-30.
