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PHOTO BY ERICA JOAN A New Vision La Jolla Playhouse welcomes new Artistic Director, Jessica Stone "And then one day, a friend said to me, 'Do you know how valuable it is to have an artistic home?' And there was something about that question and the longing in his voice that gave me pause, and it was like suddenly everything came into focus. And I thought, 'Oh, wow. is isn't actually about making an artistic home for me, although that would be lovely and is a lovely byproduct, but it's about the ability to create a home for other artists,'" she says. And it was then that she fully embraced the opportunity and pursued the role in earnest. ough Stone's tenure has begun, she remains bicoastal during her inaugural season, where she will oversee the schedule established prior to Ashley's departure. As she works, she's soaking in what the Playhouse means to the community and developing her vision for its next phase while honoring Ashley's legacy. "It's very, very exciting to think, 'Well, this is a fun sandbox to play in' — like, what can we make that's really exciting — and it's intimidating because he did such a wonderful job," she says. "I want to think about what's best for the Playhouse now, and how can I help facilitate and lead the Playhouse through this next chapter, and what does that look like? And I want to make sure that it's not just for the purposes of needing attention for myself, but it's in service to what makes the most sense for the La Jolla Playhouse and San Diego." She brings with her an approachable, unintimidating belief of theater's place in the community. "I don't think theater has to feel like vitamins," she says. "I think that it can be all kinds of things. It's also a really safe place to examine the world, and to look at the human condition and ask yourself, 'How am I doing?' ere's something really, really old and really important about people gathering together in the dark and thinking about what it means to be here." She shares an anecdote of a study she learned of that found that when an audience is watching a performance in a theater, their heartbeats synchronize. "We're constantly looking at our screens, and you think that you're connected," she says. "But actual connection is sitting with people in a room and experiencing something, together." lajollaplayhouse.org DEANNA MURPHY A veteran stage, television, and film actress and award-winning director, Jessica Stone was a world-class candidate to succeed La Jolla Playhouse's outgoing artistic director, Christopher Ashley. But despite everything the Playhouse is renowned for, it was neither a pathway that Stone had planned nor was it a quick decision; her work and family had her firmly rooted in New York City, where she most recently directed Water for Elephants and Kimberly Akimbo (both of which earned her Tony Award noms). In an ironic twist, Ashley's next post saw him trade La Jolla for New York after a storied 18-year career with the Playhouse throughout which he was a true visionary, creating the acclaimed, immersive Without Walls (WOW ) series and seeing 20 shows to Broadway. "I got a text from my friend Eric Keen-Louie at the Playhouse, and he said, 'You know, I'm just saying, La Jolla is a nice place to live,'" recalls Stone. And though she knew it was an incredible opportunity, she initially resisted the nudges from Playhouse executive producer Keen-Louie and others. "It wasn't something that I envisioned for myself. I thought that I was just a freelance director," she says, humbly. Focus business Jessica Stone ranchandcoast.com 40 MAY 2026 RANCH & COAST MAGAZINE