Theatricum Botanicum and playwright Bernardo Cubría send love letter
to Topanga with pinche new comedy ‘The People of Pompeii’
TOPANGA, Calif. (June 16, 2026) — Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum presents a darkly funny, pinche new comedy by Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award-winning playwright Bernardo Cubría. Co-directed by Ellen Geer and Xochitl Romero, The People of Pompeii is set in Topanga Canyon, the bohemian enclave that is home to both Theatricum and the playwright himself. At once sharply critical and deeply affectionate, the play captures the beauty, contradictions and resilience of a tightly woven haven where neighbors show up for one another in an era of climate catastrophe, even as tensions around privilege, belonging and survival simmer beneath the surface. Opening night is set for Saturday, Aug. 1, with performances continuing through October 4.
Weeks after the Palisades Fire narrowly spares their Topanga home, Carlos and Vera invite friends over for a celebratory dinner party meant to restore a sense of normalcy. But as the night descends into EDM-fueled chaos, chocolate mushrooms and brutally honest confrontations, the myth of communal harmony begins to crack wide open. At once hilarious and deeply uncomfortable, The People of Pompeii dissects performative progressivism, gentrification, race, class and the uneasy social dynamics between longtime canyon residents and wealthy newcomers searching for authenticity as Topanga becomes increasingly trendier and more elite.
“What is the meaning of ‘community’ in our modern world?” asks Cubría. “The residents of Topanga came together in a profound way after the fires — which may have exposed some of the cracks, but also revealed so much connection and beauty.”
The Theatricum cast, which includes the playwright, features actors deeply connected to the world their characters inhabit. Cubría steps into the role of a successful Mexican American writer named Carlos Cabrera, a man grappling with guilt, privilege and the fear that he has drifted away from who he once was. Lauren Saffa — Cubría’s real-life wife and a documentary filmmaker/editor — plays Vera, Carlos’s Jewish, film editor wife who has embraced Topanga community life with fervent optimism. Willow Geer, a native Topangan, co-producing artistic director of Theatricum Botanicum, and granddaughter of Theatricum founder Will Geer, plays Juniper Williams, a free-spirited native Topangan struggling to hold her marriage together. Aaron Hendry, a Topanga native and longtime Theatricum company member, portrays Juniper’s husband Evan, a loyal but emotionally unraveling recovering addict. The third couple is made up of Amber Luallen as Mel Rose, a glamorous wellness obsessive desperate to rule every social kingdom she enters, and Jon Sprik, previously seen at Theatricum in roles ranging from Richard III to Tartuffe, as Blake Callaghan, a “cyber truck bro” simmering with resentment and masculine insecurity beneath his polished exterior.
Set in the smoky aftermath of the wildfires, the play’s title invokes the ancient Roman city destroyed by Mt. Vesuvius, a parallel Cubría uses to explore modern Californians who continue building lives in fire-prone landscapes despite mounting environmental collapse.
Cubría is known for incisive satirical works that examine identity, belonging and cultural performance from a very personal perspective. His acclaimed plays include The Play You Want, about a Latino playwright (coincidentally named Bernardo Cubría) deemed “not Latino enough”; Crabs in a Bucket, which poked fun at competition among Latino creatives in Hollywood; and The Hispanic/Latino/Latina/Latinx/Latiné Vote, a political satire produced by Theatricum during the 2024 election season that lampooned politicians who view the vastly diverse Latino electorate as a single, monolithic voting block.
The Theatricum creative team includes costume designer Beth Eslick, lighting designer Hayden Kirschbaum, sound designer Lucas Fehring and prop master Alex Penner. The production stage manager is Karen Osborne, assisted by Darby Huffaker. The People of Pompeii was originally commissioned by San Diego’s The Old Globe.
The People of Pompeii will run in rotation every weekend with Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Treasure Island and Waiting in the Wings, each of which open earlier in the season. Unlike most companies in L.A. that stage continuous runs of a single play, Theatricum operates in true repertory. Each of the five mainstage productions opens in rapid succession and is added to the rotation. By August, all five plays are in performance, making it possible to see the entire season over the course of a single week.
Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum has a rich history dating back to the early 1950s when Will Geer, a victim of the McCarthy-era blacklist, opened a theater for blacklisted actors and folk singers on his Topanga property. Friends like Ford Rainey, Della Reese, Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie performed on the dirt stage, igniting both artistic expression and grassroots activism. Today, two outdoor amphitheaters sit within the natural canyon, offering audiences the chance to relax and enjoy nature during a performance. From May through October, Theatricum continues to be a haven for compassion, community and the wonders of nature. The theater is a beloved historical landmark and multiple award-winner, including the prestigious Margaret Harford Award for “sustained excellence” from the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle.
The People of Pompeii opens on Saturday, Aug. 1 at 7:30 p.m. and continues to run in repertory through October 4. For a complete schedule of performances, scroll all the way down or visit the website.
Tickets to performances range from $15 to $63. The performance on Monday, Aug. 31 is Pay-What-You-Will (available online the week of the performance or pay cash at the door) and features a 30-minute pre-show discussion, beginning one hour before curtain, at 6:30 p.m.
The amphitheater is terraced into the hillside, so audience members are advised to dress casually (warmly for evenings) and bring cushions for bench seating. Patrons are welcome to arrive early to picnic in the gardens before a performance.
Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum is located at 1419 North Topanga Canyon Blvd. in Topanga, midway between Malibu and the San Fernando Valley. For more information and to purchase tickets, call (310) 455-3723 or visit theatricum.com.
Details for Calendar Listings
‘The People of Pompeii’
WHAT:
Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum presents The People of Pompeii, a darkly funny, pinche new comedy by Bernardo Cubría set in Topanga Canyon, the bohemian enclave that is home to both Theatricum and the playwright himself. At once sharply critical and deeply affectionate, the play captures the beauty, contradictions and resilience of a tightly woven haven where neighbors show up for one another in an era of climate catastrophe, even as tensions around privilege, belonging and survival simmer beneath the surface.
WHO:
• Written by Bernardo Cubría
• Directed by Ellen Geer and Xochitl Romero
• Starring Bernardo Cubría, Willow Geer, Aaron Hendry, Amber Luallen, Lauren Saffa, Jon Sprik
• Presented by Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum
WHEN:
Performances: Aug. 1 – Oct. 4
• Saturday, Aug. 1 at 7:30 p.m.
• Saturday, Aug. 8 at 7:30 p.m.
• Saturday, Aug. 15 at 7:30 p.m.
• Friday, Aug. 21 at 7:30 p.m.
• Monday, Aug. 31 at 7:30 p.m.*
• Saturday, Sept. 5 at 7:30 p.m.
• Sunday, Sept. 13 at 7:30 p.m.
• Saturday, Sept. 19 at 7:30 p.m.
• Saturday, Sept. 26 at 3:30 p.m.
• Sunday, Oct. 4 at 7:30 p.m.
*The performance on Monday, Aug. 31 is Pay-What-You-Will; a 30-minute pre-show discussion with the cast will begin one hour before curtain, at 6:30 p.m..
WHERE:
Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum
1419 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd.
Topanga CA 90290
(midway between PCH in Santa Monica Canyon and the 101 in the San Fernando Valley)
TICKET PRICES:
$15-$63
• Pay-What-You-Will at the performance on Monday, Aug. 31 (available online the week of the performance or pay cash at the door.)
OTHER:
• The outdoor amphitheater at Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum is terraced into the hillside of the rustic canyon. Audience members are advised to dress casually (warmly for evenings) and bring cushions for bench seating.
• Patrons are welcome to arrive early to picnic in the gardens before performances.
HOW:
theatricum.com
(310) 455-3723
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