‘Donna Orbits the Moon’ at SR Theatre

By Ashley Shah

The upcoming production of Scripps Ranch Theatre’s (SRT) “Donna Orbits the Moon” will run from Jan. 23 to Feb. 15.

The production is a drama with some humor, set in 2010.

“I think some folks may find the title misleading. They might think this lady is going into space. However, this is really about a woman who is going through grief. Going into space is a good metaphor for grief – there is take off, loneliness, landing and more,” director Kandace Crystal said.

Susan Clausen will be playing Donna in this one-woman show.

“Donna is such a charming and quirky Minnesota mom. She is so very focused on doing the ‘right’ thing and the ‘nice’ thing for others – to the point that it often prevents her from really addressing the largest issues in her life,” Clausen said. “As an actor, this is really fun to explore because it allows a lot of opportunity for humor as Donna avoids facing some hard truths in her life. I’ve really loved finding and sharing that humor. And the truths that she eventually has to face are really difficult. I think Donna is experiencing feelings that resonate with lots of people.”

Alongside Clausen, there will be voiceovers done by Eric Poppick.

“Eric is the voice that keeps the show going with Donna’s thoughts. He does a great job of depicting a woman through grief,” Crystal said.

This production was originally run in 2020.

“We filmed this show in 2020, during COVID. A big difference I have already seen is how Susan and I have changed, and how that has changed the character of Donna,” Crystal said.

She describes a few things she is hoping the audience takes away from this show.

“You never know what someone is going through. They might be putting on a facade, but have so much going through their head,” she said. “I am also excited to see how this production will sit with different generations. This production sits different for me only five years later.”

For more information and to buy tickets, visit scrippsranchtheatre.com.