David Ellenstein on the World Premiere of Louisa Gillis at North Coast Rep
By Kristen Nevarez Schweizer
When a theater nurtures new work long enough, world premieres stop feeling like gambles. This January, North Coast Repertory Theatre, led by Artistic Director David Ellenstein, will unveil Louisa Gillis, a new psychological thriller by Joanna McClelland Glass.
Glass is one of the most accomplished playwrights in North American theater, and at 89, remains a modern inspiration. Her career includes formative years at Manhattan Theatre Club and major productions like Play Memory (directed by Hal Prince and Tony-nominated).
I spoke with Ellenstein during rehearsals. Our conversation focused on his three priorities: the excitement of new scripts, the clarity of intimate space, and the centrality of the audience.
When you first read Louisa Gillis, what made you say, “Yes, we’re doing this one”?
David: I’ve known Glass’s work for a long time. I’m a big fan of Trying, which we filmed during COVID. So I already trusted her voice. The fact that she is 89, this could be her final play. It might be. Or it might not be. But the point is: she’s a great artist who is still making great work.
So, we put together a reading. I brought in actors I had worked with before. One of the actors, James Sutorius, who performed in Trying, was completely right for the character of Steven. He was so immediately dead-on. Just in the reading, you could feel his intelligence, his humor, and the literary nature of the character.
The script itself has a haunted quality. It’s a haunted story because it carries the emotional exorcism of something that happened in the characters’ lives so long ago.
That’s what I keep saying about this show: it’s an emotional exorcism.
Tell me about collaborating with Joanna McClelland Glass.
David: She has been great through the whole process. She came out and met the actors, the staff, and the team. She was present in the workshop room. She was great in the room, actually. Savvy. She did rewrites based on the questions and thoughts we had—as you always do with a new play.
Now that you’re in it, what story dynamics interest you most?
David: There are three generations in the play. Louisa Gillis, the character who is not physically present, is extremely wealthy and comes from a blue-blood background. The Wisconsin literary professor character comes from a different class distinction. The play explores what money does to people, what money does to relationships, and how age intersects with class.
It’s smart, and funny, and it’s all alive inside the characters’ interactions.
Two decades at the helm of NCR, what keeps you drawn to new plays?
David: I always do at least one world premiere each season. This year, we are doing three. Once we did five.
There is no single tried-and-true way to develop a season. What I know is: the play has to excite me. It can be a classic play I’ve known my entire life or something brand new that someone just sent. But the first step is always the same for me: the play has to turn me on. I have to get excited – and good, new work has always excited me because plays that are not proven require us to create that first blueprint.
That is an excellent reminder of how doing new work keeps theaters fresh and innovative. What would you say to people who think certain theaters are for old people?
David: There are people in the community who think of NCR as old and stodgy, and I don’t think that’s fair.
Failing to pay attention to the audience is arrogance, and I do not want to be arrogant. Theater is a public art form, and we don’t do what we do without them. [NCR does] old and new work because our audience is smart and discerning. They do not want vulgarity for vulgarity’s sake, they don’t want to be assaulted by the work, and they don’t want to be preached at—but they are happy to be challenged.
Our audiences love good, new work, and we love doing it. Just because our audience is older doesn’t mean we aren’t jumping. I invite people to come out and see that we’re a vital theater and that what’s happening here is happening right now.
Where does NCR fit into San Diego’s theater ecosystem?
David: The Globe and La Jolla Playhouse are in a different league because of their budget size and facilities. Cygnet and Lamb’s are similar to us, but—again—their spaces seat more. I’ve worked in so many venues, and the goal is always to take advantage of the space you have. My designers understand our space extremely well. They know what we can do and what we can’t do, and that allows us to make choices that serve the work.
[When I was the Artistic Director of Laguna Playhouse], I said, ‘At Laguna Playhouse, you watch the play. At North Coast Rep, you are in the play.’
Audiences who come here can expect high-caliber work, right in front of them.
What do you hope audiences feel after seeing Louisa Gillis?
David: I hope audiences are moved. I hope they laugh a little bit. I hope they think about things in their lives that they need to move past. I hope they consider emotionally exorcising something that has an oppressive effect on them for so long.
Also, I hope they appreciate the acting. The acting matters as much as the themes, because good acting is how we tell a good story.
And finally, David—when you’re 89, what do you want to be doing?
David: I’ll never fully retire till I die. But I hope I’m working on one or two plays a year instead of seven or ten! I would love to do more Shakespeare. Shakespeare is harder in our space unless you adapt it, so I’ve only directed one Shakespeare production here [Romeo & Juliet] and two co-productions with MiraCosta College [The Tempest and Henry 4].
But, I guess I’d say: when I am 89, I will still be curious, I’ll stay challenged, and keep making work that invites people into the room.
North Coast Repertory Theatre’s World Premiere of
Louisa Gillis
By Joanna McClelland Glass
January 14 – February 8, 2026
A haunting incident from 40 years ago ignites this explosive world premiere about the devastating ripple effects of revenge. Joanna McClelland Glass’s searing new drama weaves a sophisticated psychological thriller about family bonds, betrayal, and the possibility of healing. In this masterfully crafted battle of wits and words that is laced with humor, secrets unravel and alliances shift as a brilliant but fractured family grapples with the power of forgiveness and the price of letting go. Experience this stunning new drama that proves the strongest family ties can bind us or set us free.
