A dark comedy arrives onstage!
By Ashley Shah
The 2025-26 Scripps Ranch Theatre season will open with “Kimberly Akimbo,” running from Sept. 26 to Oct. 19.
“The production is a dark comedy. It is a dramatic piece, but at the same time it is light. The show also involves complex family dynamics,” director Ted Leib said.
The show is set in the early 2000s in New Jersey. The production is a five-person show. The main character, Kimberly, played by Debra Wanger, is a 16 year-old girl with a genetic disorder.
“The whole production centers around Kimberly, her family and the dysfunction within that,” Leib said. “Kimberly has a genetic disorder that ages her four times faster than normal. Most people with Kimberly’s genetic condition do not make it past 16, so there is this weight over everyone throughout the production as Kimberly turns 16.”
Kimberly’s father, Buddy, is played by Jason Guffey.
“We quickly learn that her father has a drinking problem. His drinking problem leads to a whole host of other issues, mainly that he is forgetful,” Leib said.
Her mother, Pattie, is portrayed by Ruth Russell.
“The mom is pregnant with their second child. She is talking to her unborn child and recording it via tape. Through those recordings, we begin to uncover some family secrets, which end up playing out as the show progresses,” Leib said.
Debra, Pattie’s sister, played by Katee Drysdale, comes back into this family’s lives as a surprise.
“She has had a bad history including being in prison. She basically tracks down her sister’s family. She ends up living with them, even though Kimberly’s parents do not want that,” Leib said. “She ends up thinking about a check-washing scheme that Kimberly can be a part of. That plot plays out alongside other plots.”
Jeff, played by Reden Magtira, is one of Kimberly’s classmates.
“He initially approaches Kimberly because he is doing a research project on the genetic disorder that she has. The two of them end up being very friendly with each other,” Leib said.
Throughout the show, the audience will learn a lot of family secrets and watch the dynamics between the family members.
“What I’m actually hoping for the audience to see with this production is that compassion and commitment are needed for kids with special needs. Even though Kimberly looks 60, at the end of the day, she is 16, and that is forgotten. She is dismissed a lot, and I want this show to be a reminder that it is important to care for their needs,” Leib said.
Leib discussed one of the challenges with this production.
“We got very lucky with our cast. The characters are a little daunting to play because they have so much depth, but everyone is great. We are very happy to have Debra. We wanted to find an actor that we could make look older, but could still play the part of a teenager, which could be difficult, but we found the perfect match,” he said. “The writing in this show is so perfect. I’m looking forward to the audience’s reaction to this piece,”
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