Low-Cost Previews:

November 13 – 21

First Friday for the Military: November 14, 7:00 PM
Complimentary tickets for active duty and veterans.

Lip Sync Battle: Preliminary Round One: Saturday, November 15th, 9:00PM

Opening Night: November 22, 7:00 PM

Lip Sync Battle: Semi-Finals Round Two: Saturday November 29th, 9:00PM

Lip Sync Battle Finale Round Three and Showcase: Saturday, December 6, 9:00 PM

Pay-What-You-Will & Industry Night: Monday, December 1, 7:00 PM

Pre-Show Event — Backstage Thursday: Creative Team Happy Hour & Sportlight:  Thursday, December 4, 6:30 PM

Daily: Before and after performances
Come to the show early to enjoy our Clark Cabaret, open one hour before the show time and will remain open after the show.

CURTIS
Wil Bethmann (he/him) is thrilled to be returning to the San Diego stage with Diversionary Theatre. He was last seen at Diversionary as Crumpet in David Sedaris’s The Santaland Diaries (San Diego Critics Circle Award nomination, Outstanding Solo Performance). Other San Diego credits include Significant Other at Diversionary, Cliff in Cabaret at Cygnet Theatre, Parry in the U.S. premiere of The Virgin Trial, King Arthur in Camelot, and Louis in Angels in America, Parts I & II (winner of the San Diego Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Ensemble). In New York, Wil appeared as Max in Bent and as Edward in Spike Heels. On screen, Wil has worked as both performer and creative producer for national campaigns with Smirnoff, AT&T, Applebees, and NCAA. His creative work has been recognized with multiple nominations at the annual Shorty Awards in New York City. Training: University of North Carolina School of the Arts (BFA).

BERNIE
Frank DiPalermo (he/him) got his MFA from the Vermont College of Fine Arts where he studied under scholarship. Two of Frank’s poems were finalists in the 2020 Steve Kowit Poetry Prize, a hybrid piece appeared in Ruminate Magazine, a short story appeared in Beyond Words (an anthology of queer fiction), and two of his essays appeared in The Whole Alphabet(an anthology of queer nonfiction). In 2025 Frank’s essay, “The Paisley Sheep,” and his poem “I want to be an elder but I don’t know how” appeared in issue four of Silly Goose Press. His short story, The Promise, appeared in issue thirty-two of Hunger Mountain Review. His most recent theatrical performance was as The Professor in Cygnet Theater’s production of Life Sucks.

JEFF/CHOREOGRAPHER
Luke H. Jacobs (he/him) Onstage Credits at Diversionary: Tom Wingfield in The Glass Menagerie (2023), Lady Enid/Nicodemus in The Mystery of Irma Vep (2022), eighty-sixed (2022), The Further Adventures of Hedda Gabler (2013), & Pippin (2012). Luke has been seen on stages all over San Diego including Cygnet, NCRT, SDMT, The Old Globe, Moonlight, Lamb’s, and the Welk. Select Choreography credits: Jekyll & Hyde (SDMT), A Gentleman’s Guide… (NCRT), Rocky Horror (Cygnet), and The Wedding Singer (Moonlight). Luke is always very grateful to be asked to contribute to supporting live art, and especially queer, live art, here at Diversionary. Very, very grateful. “Remember what it felt like when you saw a queer person owning it, and it gave you permission to be yourself? You’re that person to someone” – John Paul Brammer. @lhj.thtr on IG

LEO
Zack King (he/him) is an actor, video artist, and dance maker. He
received his BFA in Dance with a minor in Theater from SDSU. He strives to cultivate empathy and curiosity by making work that is personal and socially relevant. He hopes this will inspire people to learn more about themselves.

OMAR
Jocorey Mithcell This is Jocorey’s 2nd Professional show, his first was as Everett/Ej at Cygnet Theatre in Hot Wing King, directed by Kian Kline-Chilton! He is extremely excited to work with these new and amazing people and to work with the amazing theatre that Diversionary is! He’s very grateful for his
beautiful and supportive partner Ryan Robbins. And would love to give thanks to his family and friends!

CASTOR
Wilfred Paloma is a multi-hyphenate theatre artist &  professor–an Actor’s Equity member with an MFA in Musical Theatre, MA in Theatre Arts, & B.A. in Theatre Performance: Acting and Musical Theatre. Wilfred is also a graduate of the Meisner and Chekhov Integrated Acting Studio (MCIT). For over the last 15 years, Wilfred has been a teaching artist working in residency at schools and varied locations in partnership with La Jolla Playhouse, Arts for Learning/Arts Education Connection, Imagine Brave Spaces, Young Actors Theater, San Diego Junior Theatre, and Blindspot Collective in all of the major K-12 school districts in San Diego. Additionally, Postdoctoral Interdisciplinary Faculty at the University of San Diego, Lecturer at San Diego State University, & an adjunct professor San Diego City College College. Wilfred’s artistic work includes directing and choreographing as well as developing new works. His artistic practice spans Opera, Dance Theatre, Musical Theatre, dramatic works to Theatre for Social Change. Wilfred has directed over 30 productions. His favorite work fuses social activism and community engagement to his wide array of theatre and dance performance experience. Wilfred is a trained facilitator in Augusto Boal’s Forum Theatre and has contributed to multiple theatre-based educational vehicles that have served San Diego and the greater community. These programs include Human Trafficking awareness and prevention, anti-racism training, diversity and belonging training, mental health awareness, and more.

PLAYWRIGHT
JC Lee writes for theatre, film and television. His play Luce received its world premiere in 2013 at Lincoln Center Theatre and is currently being adapted into a movie starring Naomi Watts and Octavia Spencer. Relevance staring Jayne Houdyshell and directed by Liesl Tommy, received its world premiere in 2018 at MCC. Other plays have been staged and developed at Southwark Play-house in London, Center Theatre Group, New Conservatory Theatre Center, Ojai Playwrights Conference, Ferocious LotusTheatre Company, Marin Theatre Company, The Williamstown Theatre Festival, Magic Theatre, Azuka Theatre Company and many others. He’s received commissions and/or fellowships from the Old Globe, Manhattan Theatre Club, Second Stage, South Coast Repertory, Playwright’s Realm and the National New Play Network. His television credits include ABC’s How To Get Away With Murder, and both Looking and Girls on HBO, where he’s developing a television show based on THE SONG MACHINE by John Seabrook. He’s currently working on the film adaptation of The Nutcracker for Warner Brothers with director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon and a pilot based on the life of Mistress Trinity, a professional dominatrix, for FX. JC is a graduate of Bloomsburg University and The Juilliard School. He can be found online @jclee1230 

DIRECTOR
Jesse Marchese is a queer theater administrator, writer, scholar, historian, director, and dramaturg who currently  serves as Director of Development & Resident Dramaturg at Diversionary Theatre. For Diversionary, Jesse served as Production Dramaturg on Merry Me, Midnight at The Never Get, The Glass Menagerie, and The Mystery of Irma Vep. He also curates and hosts Diversionary’s popular monthly reading series,”Gay Play Tuesdays.” Previously, Jesse served as Executive Director of Astoria Performing Arts Center (APAC) in Queens, where he produced acclaimed productions of Follies and Caroline, or Change, and premiere productions of Madhuri Shekar’s Queen and Monet Hurst-Mendoza’s Veil’d. Prior to APAC, Jesse served as Associate Director of Off-Broadway’s award-winning Mint Theater Company where he helped to produce nearly fifteen productions, two of which he also directed: The Lucky One by A.A. Milne and The Fatal Weakness by George Kelly (nominated for two 2015 Drama Desk Awards). His work has also been seen in San Diego at UC San Diego (Epicene: A Queer Extravaganza and Napoli), and in New York City at The Civilians, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, New York City Children’s Theater, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, York Theatre Company, New World Stages, Theater for the New City, Gallery Players, Village Light Opera Group, and Marymount Manhattan College. He received his BA in Theatre Arts at Marymount Manhattan College and his MA in Theatre at CUNY Hunter College. He currently serves on the faculty of the The Old Globe and University of San Diego Shiley Graduate Theatre Program, where he teaches courses in Shakespeare and play analysis.

Scenic Designer
Mathys Herbert’s Scenic Design work includes Natasha, Pierre, & the Great Comet of 1812 as well as Evita at Cygnet Theatre. Other Scenic Design credits include Sweeney Todd, The Addams Family, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Catch Me If You Can, Rent, A Christmas Story, Sister Act, Freaky Friday, Young Frankenstein, Bring It On (San Diego Musical Theatre); Cabaret (SDSU); Million Dollar Quartet (Lamb’s Players). Originally from Dayton Ohio, he holds a BFA in Acting from Wright State University and an MFA in Scenic Design from SDSU. 

Lighting Designer
Joshua Heming is a Lighting Designer based in San Diego, CA. Design Credits include tick, tick… BOOM! (Cygnet Theatre), In a Sunshine State, Love’s Labor’s Lost, A Raisin in The Sun (San Diego State University), Birds of North America (MOXIE Theatre), Associate and Assistant Design Credits include DMC Lighting Assistant for The Who’s TOMMY (Broadway, 2024), Associate Lighting Designer for IsIt Thursday Yet? (PACNYC, 2023), Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson Apt 2B (The Old Globe, 2024), Great Comet (2024), Evita (2023) (Cygnet Theatre), and Assistant Lighting Designer for The Ballad of Johnny & June (2024), Redwood (2024), Babbitt (2023) (La Jolla Playhouse), Twelfth Night, and Cabaret (The Old Globe, 2023). www.joshuahemingld.com. 

Costume Designer
Danita Lee is a freelance costume designer. She holds undergraduate degrees from the University of California, San Diego in Theatre (emphasis in Costume Design) and Cognitive Science (emphasis in Neuroscience) and an MFA in Costume Design from San Diego State University. Her particular interests in both art and science have helped her to design and create costumes full of visual interest and textures for a wide range of theatrical genres. She has worked for a variety of performing arts companies, including Music Theatre Wichita, MOXIE Theatre, North Coast Repertory Theatre, Malashock Dance Company, La Jolla Playhouse, and The Old Globe. She has also designed for some independent short film projects. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling and making (and eating!) food. More recently, she has been dabbling in various crafts, including floral arranging and photography. 

Sound Designer and Composer
Remus Harrington is a sound engineer and designer whose work spans theatre, radio, music, and live performance. As a neurodivergent artist, he brings a unique sensory perspective to his work by crafting soundscapes that blend intuitive storytelling with a strong command of audio technology, supporting each production’s atmosphere, rhythm, and emotional depth. Recent credits include Hay Fever and All Bark No Bite (Coronado Playhouse), The Glass Menagerie (Diversionary Theatre), and Blue/Orange (Fenix Theatre), which earned a BroadwayWorld nomination for Best Sound Design.

We are no longer requiring masks in our theater. Masks are still encouraged to help keep our performers and audience members safe, but they are not required.

NOTE: This policy is subject to change at any moment to reflect changing local, state, and federal regulations. Please return before your scheduled performance date to see our most recent policy.