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Arts & Culture

San Diego Weekend Arts Events: Wizards, Augmented Reality And Pride Plays

"Ghost Light Masquerade" is a new virtual and augmented reality performance by contemporary ballet company The Rosin Box.
Carly Topazio
"Ghost Light Masquerade" is a new virtual and augmented reality performance by contemporary ballet company The Rosin Box.
Find our weekend event picks with the La Jolla Playhouse, Lux Art Institute, The Old Globe, Diversionary Theatre and The Rosin Box.

This weekend is packed with some unique performance options and ways to experience and interact with art — despite our continued virtual shut-in condition. You'll find original short plays by LGBTQ+ local playwrights as San Diego's Pride week continues, artist Cammie Staros' fascinating sculptures via an augmented reality app, another augmented reality experience — contemporary ballet and ghosts this time — plus an enchanting "choose your own adventure"-style performance with the La Jolla Playhouse.

The Rosin Box: 'Ghost Light Masquerade'

Dance

If you were lucky enough to snag one of the "Masque" ticket packages before they sold out, you'll be able to watch this performance by The Rosin Box, a local contemporary ballet company, in augmented reality with a fancy cocktail in hand. For the rest of us, you can still watch the virtual 360 degree performance without the immersion — the "Ghost-Lite" level — beginning Friday night and running through July 24.

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The company has turned their performance space, Tenth Avenue Arts Center, into a modern-day speakeasy, playing up the haunted vibe of the space. It's a masked performance of original choreography, and promises to be full of eerie vintage mystery and ... also robotic technology.

Details: Premieres Friday at 8 p.m. and runs through July 24. Virtual. $35-50

La Jolla Playhouse: 'The Wizards Of Oakwood Drive'

Theater

Wizardry, treasure hunts and choose your own adventure? The creative masterminds at La Jolla Playhouse have put together a project that will bring a little magic to your home with Tom Salamon's play. A handful of world-class actors — including Edred Utomi who performed as Alexander Hamilton in "Hamilton's" national tour — will be vying for your vote as the best wizard. It's designed for kids ages 7-12 but parents are required to check kids in.

Your kids can be on-screen and part of the action. There's a supply list of household objects you'll need to play along… and they're basic enough that you're likely to have them all lying around but they're still weird enough to be super intriguing. A mug! A plastic bag of spices! One blue object!

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Details: Shows every half hour from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, this weekend and next. The show closes Sunday, July 26. Online via the La Jolla Playhouse digital platforms. $25

Cammie Staros: Artist Talk (And Augmented Reality)

Visual Art

Artist-in-residence Cammie Staros presents an online exhibition at the Lux Art Institute, open now. Her work, pictured, pairs a Greco-Roman influence with industrial materials.
Lux Art Institute
Artist-in-residence Cammie Staros presents an online exhibition at the Lux Art Institute, open now. Her work, pictured, pairs a Greco-Roman influence with industrial materials.

The newest artist in residence at Lux Art Institute is Cammie Staros. As part of the museum's Livestream Studio Series, the artist will discuss her sculptures that blend Greco-Roman influence with industrial materials. Staros is based in Los Angeles and has shown work around the globe.

Another interesting element of this residency is the launch of Lux's augmented reality app. I downloaded this on my phone and suddenly had one of Cammie Staros' sculptures in my kitchen. It's a great way to remember what it feels like to wander through an exhibition space. The app is free, and you can explore the exhibition as a whole and then learn more about each individual piece.

Details: Artist talk: Friday, 7-8 p.m. Pre-registration required for the Zoom event. Free.

CoLAB Globe Pride: In Collaboration With Diversionary Theatre And San Diego Pride

Theater

This is the first Pride celebration for coLAB, a program of the Old Globe's arts engagement wing. It will feature live-streamed performances of brand new, original short plays by local playwrights Shairi Engle, Jaime Estepa, Katherine Harroff, Skyler Sullivan and Miki Vale. I've seen performances of work by several of these writers, and this is a crop of local talent definitely worth paying attention to. The performances feature professional actors as well as participants from Diversionary Theatre's teen acting program.

Details: Sunday at 2 p.m. (with a special sneak peek released Saturday). Stream on the Old Globe Arts Engagement Facebook Page. Free.

For more arts events, visit the KPBS/Arts calendar or subscribe to the weekly KPBS/Arts newsletter.