La Jolla Playhouse's 'The Heart' a Stirring New Work

by Cassiopeia Guthrie, Sept. 23, 2025

It is rare that I enter the theatre without any context whatsoever. After all, I work, live, and interact in a theatre town. I was once a theatre administrator. Many of my former colleagues still work in the industry in some capacity, and their various artistic ventures trickle across my social feeds...

But The Heart's opening night slammed into me without fanfare during a particularly vulnerable time.

I had just served as overnight caregiver for my ailing grandfather the night before. It was achingly painful just how hard it was for him to do simple, everyday tasks, like lifting his legs back into bed or adjusting a pillow beneath his head. I was low on sleep, emotionally brittle, and committed to rallying to the risers.

Yes, perhaps the reasons I have given are why The Heart, an inventive new work at La Jolla Playhouse, so caught me off guard... but I choose to believe something else. I believe that it was show itself that toppled my equilibrium.

The Heart is, at its center, a tale about the deep well of human spirit and capacity for empathy in our most challenging and vulnerable times. Taking place over the course of 24 hours, it ties one life — that of a young surfer — to an utter stranger. It is about giving in, but not giving up, told through the magic of song, movement, and light.

Based on "Réparer les Vivants" by Maylis de Kerangal, and featuring book and additional lyrics by Kait Kerrigan and music and lyrics by Anne Eisendrath and Ian Eisendrath, the production carries hope despite its heartbreaking story of loss. The tight and talented cast of ensemble players seamlessly capitalize on a upbeat and vibrant electronic score. Mandy's Moore's choreography and movement are key to recreating the buzz of an emergency room bay, while Christopher Ashley's able eye finds the nuance in emotionally fragile moments.

There is a continuity in the development of an ensemble show where the performers display deep trust in passing the baton... a continuity in organ donation... and a continuity in love after loss. After all, it is hard to fathom what might fill the hole where our heart used to reside and devastating to have to continue on with only their memory. Despite living with loss in real time, I am thankful for The Heart at La Jolla Playhouse for reminding me that even when we are breathless on the shore, we can welcome the dawn.

The Heart is still playing at the Sheila and Hughes Potiker Theatre on an extension through October 5.

In Memoriam

Bobby C. Wolfe

1935-2025