The Without Walls Festival by La Jolla Playhouse closes this Sunday.
Looking back, I think WOW, very pertinently, as I have lost count of how many of these festivals I have been to. From the very beginning at The La Jolla Playhouse campus, to Liberty Station, to The Shell, to UCSD. The celebration of artistry in its maximum expression.
I dedicated my Friday afternoon and evening to catching a few performances, and per usual, it did not disappoint.
The first experience was Tea Party at the End of the World. A very interactive, intimate one-woman show led by writer/performer Jessica Creane, where she takes a small audience group into the world of tea while narrating her experience as an artist-in-residence in the Arctic Circle. How the waters behave, the glaciers, and nature overall. Things turn a little wormholey and land back, accompanying her grief. There are touching hands, cup exchanges, and other activities that definitely triggered my anxiety. However, Jessica is a fantastic performer with an amazing grasp of the audience, handled with care, and delivered with mind-blowing comebacks. Joseph Ahmed’s purposeful direction integrates a paced rhythm with plenty of room to let the work take the audience’s shaped forms under Jessica’s lead. There is another performance tonight at 8:00 p.m., and this Sunday at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
Following the tea experience, I walked towards Terra Firma, where Betty Osceola of the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida shares her connection to land, time, and memory through dance, music, and song. Sharing the story of her people and allowing audiences to participate by writing a message to be stored in a time capsule for current and future generations.
It was a nice, grounding moment that, through the La Jolla cold breeze, added to the feel. There is a performance on Sunday at 3:30 p.m.
After that, I walked some more and caught Mucca Pazza Plays Around, which visually reminded me of the Jonas Brothers’ “Pom Poms” video. A big rock-and-roll marching band strolls by, with family-friendly interactions and characters that made for a wholesome moment, set to cool music. There is one performance tonight at 7:30 and two more tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.
I caught the end of Suzik, which means “verticality” in Korean. Three acrobats perform along and up a Chinese pole while resisting the vertical structure. It was delicate and bold. People’s screams of stress and concern made it even more intense. Two performances will happen tomorrow at 2:00 and 4:00 p.m.
One troupe I like is DrumatiX, a percussion and tap-dance extravaganza that is well worth it. They have a performance this Sunday at 3:00 p.m.
I closed the 2026 WoW experience with Animal Cracker Conspiracy’s Adult Puppet Cabaret. An array of puppetry from string to rod, hand, and shadow with tints of hardcore naughtiness and politics, this Cabaret is definitely an awesome way for adults to close their WoW adventure. It takes place at UCSD’s Loft, located on the second floor of one of the campus’s food courts. That trek alone adds to the encounter, and once in the Loft, you can order drinks and snacks from flatbreads to french fries and other cool bar food that will definitely round out the evening.
In the performance I saw, they alluded to an article about the festival where they are mentioned and joked about finally being acknowledged after performing for over 20 years. Hey, I hear you. I had a brusque encounter mid shift with an artistic leader that left me cold. Totally sucked the wind out of me. And, being familiar here, dear reader, you know I do not shy away from truth -and accountability-. Still a little shaken (and heartbroken), I will take a moment to collect myself and return with a written reflection on what is next for me and From Another Zero.
In the meantime, Adult Puppet Cabaret has one more performance tonight at 9:30 p.m.
Bring a blanket, a jacket, or a sweatshirt as it gets really cold after 5:00 p.m.
