A Noise Within blows off steam with
2025–26 ‘Songs from the Volcano’ season
PASADENA, Calif (April 9, 2025) — A Noise Within will blow off steam in 2025-26 with its “Songs from the Volcano” season of six classic plays: six timeless stories that glow with the embers of upheaval and transformation, blending laughter, heartbreak and self-discovery — and reminding us all that even in chaos, humanity finds a way to rise.
“Our next season is characterized by the voices of people living in pressurized situations, voices that are exploding to be heard,” explain ANW co-artistic directors Julia Rodriguez–Elliott and Geoff Elliott. “Although these classic plays are not new, each seems to live in our current moment, a time of tectonic political and economic shifts both here in the U.S. and around the globe.”
Launching the season in September, audiences will erupt with laughter at British playwright Richard Bean’s Tony Award-winning One Man, Two Guvnors, a hilarious adaptation of Goldoini’s classic 1783 farce, The Servant of Two Masters, re-set in 1960s Brighton, England. Bursting with mayhem, madness, physical comedy and a live skiffle band, this wild, fun-filled romp follows Francis Henshall, a down-on-his-luck musician who finds himself working for two bosses at the same time — without either of them knowing. (September 6 – September 28; previews August 31 – September 5.)
October sees the return of Gregg T. Daniel to direct Joe Turner’s Come and Gone by August Wilson — A Noise Within’s sixth Wilson play, as the company makes it way through the playwright’s entire 10-play “American Century Cycle.” Set in a Pittsburgh boarding house in 1911 during the Great Migration, this second play in Wilson’s series chronicling Black life in each decade of the 20th century introduces us to a group of men and women teetering on the brink as they search for lost family, identity and purpose in the aftermath of slavery. (October 18 – November 9; previews October 12 – October 17.)
Back by popular demand for the holidays, A Noise Within’s uniquely faithful adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol bubbles over with whimsy, music and good cheer in what has become a Los Angeles holiday tradition. (November 29 – December 24.)
In February, Guillermo Cienfuegos returns to A Noise Within to helm Richard III by William Shakespeare, the Bard’s searing exploration of corruption, control and the obsessive pursuit of power. A cunning and charismatic villain, Richard weaves a fiery web of intrigue, ruthlessly scheming his way to the throne and leaving a trail of betrayal and bloodshed in his wake. (February 14 – March 8; previews February 8 – February 13.)
A salesman and his family are caught up in the pressures and delusions of living the American dream in Arthur Miller’s groundbreaking, Pulitzer Prize-winning Death of a Salesman, opening in March. Miller’s Willy Loman is a tragic everyman chasing success in this poignant and harrowing work that lays open the empty pursuit of wealth and glory. (March 28– April 19; previews March 22 – March 27.)
Finally, closing out the season in May, Michael Michetti will direct Exit the King by Eugène Ionesco. In this savagely funny and touching look at mortality, King Bérenger leads a life of absolute power — so why should the rules of death apply to him? As he clings to power (and life), his crumbling kingdom descends into chaos, held together by an eccentric crew of loyalists: his fierce first wife, his adoring second wife, and a band of quirky servants. (May 9 – May 31; previews May 3 – May 8.)
A Noise Within has been called “an oasis for those who love classic stories” by the Los Angeles Times and is a leading regional producer based in Pasadena, California. ANW’s award-winning resident company is committed to representing the entire community at its state-of-the-art, 324-seat performance space. In addition to producing world-class performances of classic theater, the organization runs robust education programs with the goal of inspiring diverse audiences of all ages. ANW believes in working hard on its anti-racist practice across the whole organization. By interpreting its mission to fully engage audiences through community and artist-centered work in multiple creative disciplines, ANW is striving to be a theater that better serves the entire community.
For more information about A Noise Within’s 2025-26 “Songs from the Volcano” season, and to purchase season subscriptions (save up to 28% — subscriptions on sale now) or single tickets (on sale beginning June 10), call (626) 356–3100 or go to www.anoisewithin.org.
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