Cabrillo Playhouse continues its 2026-27 season with The Salonnieres, a witty and provocative comedy by Liz Duffy Adams, running November 13 through December 13
Set in pre-Revolutionary Paris, the play follows a young woman desperate to escape an arranged marriage to an older nobleman. Seeking refuge among her late mother’s aristocratic friends, she enters a world of literary salons, political intrigue and fairy tales with decidedly unconventional endings. As revolution stirs outside, the women discover that storytelling may be their most powerful weapon.
Directed by Angela Cruz, the production features a five-member cast combining familiar Cabrillo performers with accomplished actors from throughout Southern California.
Mimi Franks stars as Madeleine de Sauveterre, the young woman whose impending marriage sets the story in motion. Desperate to escape her fate, Madeleine seeks refuge among her late mother’s aristocratic friends, setting off a chain of unexpected events. Franks returns for their third Cabrillo production, following performances as Julia in The Birds and Percy in The Spitfire Grill.
Carla Naragon portrays Henriette, the Comtesse de Maré, one of the aristocratic women who welcomes Madeleine into her salon. Naragon’s favorite previous roles include Amanda Wingfield in The Glass Menagerie, Nell and the Abbess in The Comedy of Errors, Helga Ten Dorp in Deathtrap and Mae Peterson in Bye Bye Birdie. Outside the theater, she works in private practice as a licensed marriage and family therapist.
Megan Theodorou plays Gabrielle, the Marquise D’Aulney, another influential member of the salon. Theodorou brings extensive professional experience, having performed on Broadway, in Las Vegas and across the country in musical theater and opera. Her favorite roles include Christine in The Phantom of the Opera, Luisa in The Fantasticks and the title role in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella. She teaches private voice lessons in San Clemente and leads music at Community Presbyterian Church in San Juan Capistrano.
Dan Dittmar returns to Cabrillo as Claude, the Duc de la Beauchene, the nobleman determined to claim Madeleine as his bride. A familiar face to Cabrillo audiences, Dittmar’s previous productions at the Playhouse include On Golden Pond, Frankenstein, an Original Musical, Phantom, Sweeney Todd, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Miracle Worker. A New Jersey native, he is a graduate of Rutgers University.
Bria DiCenzo rounds out the cast as Françoise, the household maid whose role in the unfolding drama proves more significant than anyone expects. This marks DiCenzo’s third Cabrillo production, following performances as Aunt Ev in The Miracle Worker and Quince in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She is delighted to return to a theater community that has become especially meaningful to her.
Director Angela Cruz earned her MFA in directing from UC Irvine in 2024 and has directed productions throughout Southern California. Her recent credits include Symbiotic at the Curtis Theatre in 2026 and Medea at Chapman University in 2025. Other directing credits include Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Cabaret, Doubt and In the Heights. She also served as assistant director for Alma at the Kirk Douglas Theatre.
The Salonnieres runs November 13 through December 13, 2026.