Good morning, and welcome to the U-T Arts & Culture Newsletter.

I’m David L. Coddon, and here’s your guide to all things essential in San Diego’s arts and culture this week.

In writing about San Diego playwright Christian St. Croix’s “Normal Heights” at last year’s San Diego International Fringe Festival, I referred to the piece as “vaguely creepy but richly poetical.” The same could be said of St. Croix’s new, 50-minute-long “We Lovers,” a production of Loud Fridge Theatre Group directed by Kate Rose Reynolds, presented at this year’s Fringe.

Looking back on the just-completed 2024 Fringe Festival, I’d have to cite “We Lovers” as the most beautifully written of the works I saw over the two weeks of productions. Starring David Hardy, Liliana Talwatte, Michael Amira Temple and Sascha Parafiniuk, “We Lovers” finds four people meeting deep in the woods beneath the sounds of crickets and unseen creatures to tell stories fantastical, horrifying and romantic

Is there enough here to flesh out “We Lovers” into a full-length production someday? Possibly, if it’s assumed that audiences will be patient with St. Croix’s lyricism. But in case they might not be, there’s also a killer in a Jason Voorhees mask on the loose.

Moriah Joy’s “Journey of the Two Spirit” at the 2-24 San Diego International Fringe Festival.

(Pam Kragen/The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Elsewhere, I didn’t catch all of the many (perhaps too many) one-person shows during the Fringe, but one I did see that impressed me was Moriah Joy’s world-premiere piece “Journey of the Two Spirit.” In only 20 minutes or so, the charismatic Joy portrays on either side of a mirror Orenda and Oren Shephard. This literal reflection on her character’s duality of gender and sexual preference is both frank and powerful.

Adding another layer to the work is Orenda/Oren harnessing the empowerment that comes from her Native American heritage, which is theatricalized in recorded percussion and live dance by Joy. “Journey of the Two Spirit” is a tale of finding one’s tribe and also of recognizing the reality that our differences aside we are all connected.

(Charles Sykes / Charles Sykes/invision/ap)

Pop music

Though already well-known in her native Canada at the time, Sarah McLachlan first resonated with American audiences upon the release in 1994 of her third album, “Fumbling Towards Ecstasy” and a single from it, the haunting “Possession,” written about an unhinged fan. Not your ordinary breakthrough hit.

But McLachlan has enjoyed extraordinary popularity pretty much ever since and she obviously recognizes that turning point in her career. McLachlan’s “Fumbling Towards Ecstasy 30th Anniversary Tour” comes to the Rady Shell at Jacobs Park on Sunday evening, and will include her performing the entire album in concert.

A bonus: A fellow Canadian artist, the much underrated Leslie Feist, who goes by just Feist, will open the show. For tickets, visit theshell.org.

(Courtesy of Byron Stamps)

Standup comedy

Start with a story. Bring on a standup comedian. Finish with a visual artist tying the two together. That’s the hybrid show that is “Truth in Comedy” created by comedian Byron Stamps, a former educator.

Stamps is bringing this multidisciplinary experience to downtown’s Tenth Avenue Arts Center for two shows — 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The standup artists, of which Stamps is one of three on the bill, will perform sets inspired by the truths told by the preceding storytellers. Tickets are $20-$25.

More music

I have no hesitation in declaring that Mandy Patinkin is one of the most talented people in all of show business. His credits in musical theater, film and television are prodigious. As a Broadway icon, to recognize just one side of Patinkin, he’s a show-stopper. I love him because almost nobody sings Stephen Sondheim like he does.

As part of the Lipinsky Family San Diego Jewish Arts Festival or JFEST, Patinkin will perform a nearly sold out show on Tuesday night at the Balboa Theatre downtown. The concert’s titled “Being Alive” and will feature Patinkin singing Sondheim, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin and more. Visit sdjfest.org.

(Courtesy of Ken Jacques)

Choral music

The San Diego choral music ensemble Sacra/Profana returns on Saturday with a concert titled “A Space to Belong,” featuring a world-premiere work titled “All We Need: Meditations on Queer Being.” It’s a multi-movement piece written by educator Dr. Cory Hibbs that reflects on survival and safe spaces for those in marginalized communities.

This evening-length program conducted by Sacra/Profana Artistic Director Juan Carlos Acosta will be presented at 7 p.m. at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in the Bankers Hill area. Tickets $20-$30 and $10 for students. For tickets, visit sacraprofana.org.

U-T arts stories you may have missed this week

(John Gastaldo/The San Diego Union-Tribune)

UCTV

University of California Television (http://www.uctv.tv) invites you to enjoy this special selection of programs from throughout the University of California. Descriptions courtesy of and text written by UCTV staff:

“A 60-Year Journey of Mammalian Fertilization with Ryuzo Yanagimachi”

Professor Ryuzo Yanagimachi, born in Hokkaido, Japan, and the 2023 Kyoto Prize Laureate in Basic Sciences, spent his early years fascinated by natural processes, particularly the fertilization of sea urchins. His academic journey included pioneering studies under Professor M.C. Chang at the Worcester Foundation for Experimental Biology. After establishing his laboratory at the University of Hawai’i, Yanagimachi’s research significantly advanced our understanding of mammalian fertilization, contributing to breakthroughs in human fertility treatments. He passed away in 2023 at age 95, shortly before receiving his Kyoto Prize. Dr. W. Steven Ward, director of the Institute for Biogenesis Research, honors Yanagimachi and talks about his impactful legacy.

“Revisiting the Classics: ‘Paris Is Burning’”

Lucas Hilderbrand, a cultural historian and film professor from UC Irvine, joins UCSB moderator Graham Feyl to discuss “Paris is Burning,” Jennie Livingston’s landmark 1990 documentary. This film offers an intimate glimpse into the vibrant ballroom culture of 1980s New York City, showcasing the lives of its African American and Latino participants. They delve into the film’s history of exhibition, its pioneering portrayal of gender performance, and its profound impact on LGBTQ+ culture and trans representation. “Paris is Burning” stands out as a vital exploration of race, class, gender, and resistance within queer communities. Hilderbrand and Feyl illuminate its legacy as an enduring symbol of beauty and artistic expression, celebrating the resilience and creativity of its subjects.

“Tchaikovsky: Sextet for Srings in D Minor”

The La Jolla Society’s Summerfest 2023 showcased a captivating performance of Tchaikovsky’s Sextet for Strings in D Minor, Opus 70, commonly known as “Souvenir de Florence.” This vibrant composition, inspired by Tchaikovsky’s fond memories of Florence, where he began its composition during a visit in 1887, was brought to life by an exceptional ensemble. Violinists Stefan Jackiw and Andrew Wan, violists Jonathan Vinocour and Matthew Lipman, along with cellists Juie Alber and Sterling Elliott, masterfully navigated the work’s emotional depth and complex interplay. Celebrated for its rich harmonies and intricate dynamics, “Souvenir de Florence” reflects a blend of Italian lyricism and Russian musical traditions, encapsulating the essence of Tchaikovsky’s cross-cultural experiences.

And finally, top weekend events

Costumed runners at the 2023 Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego Marathon. The race returns on Saturday, June 1, 2024.

(Hayne Palmour IV/For The San Diego Union-Tribune)

The best things to do this weekend in San Diego: May 31 to June 2.

Coddon is a freelance writer.