Kirazian’s New Play ‘On Air’ to Be Featured by Scripps Ranch Theatre

Jeffrey Jones in 'On Air' — Jeffrey Jones in ‘On Air’

SAN DIEGO, Calif.—Scripps Ranch Theatre, located on the campus of Alliant International University, presents its 5^th annual “Out on a Limb—New Plays from America’s Finest City,” for two weekends, July 14-17 and July 21-24. Scripps Ranch Theatre is a leader in the Southern California arts community in developing and producing new plays. The festival features all new, world-premiere plays written by area playwrights.

One featured play at this year’s festival is “On Air,” written by Armenian-American playwright, Lisa Kirazian. In “On Air,” a young Armenian-American professor at a San Diego community college navigates his family obligations and professional ambitions against the backdrop of a campus in crisis from the Vietnam War.

San Diego Critics Circle Award-winning Equity actor, Jeffrey Jones, also of Armenian heritage, will appear in “On Air,” in the leading role.

Kirazian’s plays include “On Air,” “The Blackstone Sessions,” “Switch,” “The Visitor,” “Soul Fire,” “Six Views,” and “Armenian Voices,” with productions in Los Angeles, San Diego, and New York. Her publications include pieces in Audition Monologues for Young Women, the Los Angeles Times, San Diego Union Tribune, Performing Arts Magazine, and The Dramatist. Kirazian is a San Diego native and Stanford graduate. She blogs about writing at lisakirazian.wordpress.com. Her website is www.lisakirazian.com.

“On Air” will be directed by Liz Shipman, a nationally recognized director, choreographer, acting teacher, and co-artistic director of the Meisner/Chekhov Integrated Training (MCIT) Studio in San Diego.

The founder and director of the festival, Robert May, shared, “We are excited to be gearing up for our 5^th Annual Festival of New Plays. At Scripps Ranch Theatre we continue to look for ways to encourage development of new works from our diverse community that reflect the San Diego experience. This year, three of the four winning scripts are written (and directed by) women. Historically, women playwrights are under-represented and produced. The abundance of female talent in this festival is incredible and reflects a shift in that paradigm. We are also excited to watch the growth of Lisa’s play ‘On Air’ from its original one-act production in the first ‘Out on a Limb’ Festival in 2012 to a full-length production in 2016.”

“On Air” runs from July 21-24 at 8 p.m. Thursday performances are $16. Friday/Saturday performances are $20. For more information, call (858) 578-7728 or visit www.Scrippsranchtheatre.org.