This month, San Diego’s TuYo Theatre will present the San Diego premiere of one of the plays creators have described as a rallying cry for women’s reproductive rights in the U.S.
The play, “Everything You Need To Know About Abortion In One Hour Or Less,” will be presented in a touring production at nine locations from San Ysidro to San Marcos over the next two weeks.
“Everything You Need to Know … ” is TuYo’s latest play addressing political, racial and contemporary issues. Last year, the company staged “The Hispanic/Latino/Latina/Latine/Latinx Vote” and in 2024 it staged the Latino community-centric musical “Pásale Pásele.”
Set in an Oklahoma high schn on-campus teach-in to educate high school students about medicated abortions, crisis pregnancy centers and how to be a caring companion to someone having an abortion.
Wendy Hovland, left, and Matthew Martinez Hannon co-star in TuYo Theatre’s “Everything You Need To Know About Abortion In One Hour Or Less.” (TuYo Theatre)
Acknowledging she’s in a state that bans abortion, and with the consent of her students, the health teacher risks everthing to provide the information she knows students won’t get from the government or school officials. The play deals with the issue of abortion with delicacy and humor, while exploring the question of advocating for women and whether doing something now rendered illegal in many places is justifiable for the greater good.
This play was commissioned by the Miranda Family Fund (a foundation created by “Hamilton” musical writer/star Lin-Manuel Miranda and his family) and it was written by the Wish Collective, made up of the five American playwrights Justice Hehir, Dena Igusti, Phanesia Pharel, Nia Akilah Robinson and Julia Specht.
The group wrote their first play, “The Wish, ” subtitled “A manual for a last-ditch effort to save abortion in the United States through theater,” after the state of Texas passed SB 8, which banned most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. Their second play, “Everything You Need to Know … ,” premiered after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022.
Both plays are offered to theater companies nationwide with no licensing fees or permission requirement. They can be downloaded free of charge and performed and adapted however the companies and their directors like.
Patrice Amon, TuYo’s co-artistic director with Peter Cirino, said in a statement that she hopes the play makes people think.
“We’re excited to create space for meaningful conversations about reproductive rights. While the topic can feel sensitive, access to accurate information can save lives, and we’re eager to hear how audiences engage with the work,” Amon said.
The play’s run will kick off at Bayfront Charter High School in Chula Vista. Then it will travel to universities, high schools and public libraries. As part of the opening weekend of performance, Local Congresswoman Sara Jacobs (D-San Diego) will hold a talk-back after the performance on Sunday afternoon.
TuYo Theatre presents ‘Everything You Need To Know About Abortion In One Hour Or Less’
When and where: Touring production will visit nine locations today through Jan. 28.
7 pm Friday; 8 p.m. Saturday; and 2 p.m. Sunday at Bayfront Charter High School, 830 Bay Blvd, Chula Vista
6 p.m. Tuesday at Casa Familiar, 119 W. Hall Ave., San Ysidro
6 p.m. Wednesday at UC San Diego, La Jolla
7 p.m. Thursday at High Tech High-Point Loma, 2855 Farragut Road, Liberty Station
6 p.m. next Friday at Cal State San Marcos, 333 S. Twin Oaks Valley Road, San Marcos
2 p.m. Jan. 24 at Otay Mesa-Nestor Branch Library, 3003 Coronado Ave., San Diego
4 p.m. Jan. 25 at First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Diego, 298 W. Arbor Drive, San Diego
5:30 p.m. Jan. 27 at Skyline Hills Branch Library, 7900 Paradise Valley Road, San Diego
7:30 p.m. Jan. 28 at San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego
Tickets: $20-$30. Some performances will be presented for free
Online sales and reservations: tuyotheatre.org/everything-you