By Gina Yarbrough
Carlsbad, CA–New Village Arts will bring an exciting new work to the Ray Charles Stage in 2026 with the San Diego regional premiere of “The Apiary.”
Written by Kate Douglas, “The Apiary” is a thrilling workplace dramedy set in a synthetic honeybee laboratory twenty-two years in the future. The production follows four individuals tasked with keeping the last surviving colonies alive until a shocking discovery inside the hive turns their work, their loyalties, and their futures upside down.
Performances will run Jan. 23 to Feb. 22 at the Dea Hurston New Village Arts Center in Carlsbad Village.
Previews are Jan. 23 to 30, with an opening night champagne reception and Handel’s Ice Cream on Jan. 31. Dea Hurston Industry Night will be held on Feb. 9.
Set in a not-so-distant future where bees have vanished, and ecosystems teeter on the brink of collapse, “The Apiary” follows scientists Gwen, Pilar, and Zora, who are tasked with safeguarding one of the last remaining beehives on Earth. Operating under strict protocols, their mission to protect the planet’s future slowly begins to unravel as buried histories, competing ideologies, and unsettling truths rise to the surface. Bold, strange, and fiercely imaginative, “The Apiary” blends speculative science fiction with dark humor and raw humanity. The play interrogates the cost of survival, the ethics of preservation, and the dangerous seduction of control in the face of extinction. As the stakes heighten, the question becomes unavoidable: how far would you go to save the bee,s and what would you sacrifice to do it?
Director Kristianne Kurner returns to the directing helm with a visionary approach to this genre-blending play, pairing epic theatricality with emotional precision. Known for her daring visual storytelling and actor-driven work, Kurner will guide this production with a clear focus on the human heart at the center of the story, grounding its futuristic elements in deeply personal truth. This will be Kurner’s 40th production as director at New Village Arts, with recent credits including John Patrick Shanley’s “Doubt: A Parable” and Jez Butterworth’s “The Ferryman,” which was named the Most Ambitious Production of 2023 by David Coddon, from the San Diego Theatre Critics Circle.
“I’ve always been fascinated by plays that blend science and art. The passion that drives discovery and allows us to delve into the “undiscovered country” is shared in both professions. I was immediately drawn to ‘The Apiary’ because of the science, yes, but also because of the question of ethics. How far should we go to save something we love? Then we add this incredibly female and non-binary group of actors, and it makes for an incredible experience in the theatre. I’m so proud that this is my 40th time directing shows for New Village Arts,” Kurner stated in the theater’s news release.
The cast of “The Apiary” features a dynamic ensemble of returning favorites and exciting new artists to the New Village Arts stage.
New Village Arts’ Milena (Sellers) Phillips returns to the stage as Zora, the new employee in the apiary, with her last performance being Jen Silverman’s “The Roommate” in 2023. Other alums in the production include Michelle Caravia, Nio Russell, Adelaida Martinez, Maybelle Shimizu, and Hayden St. Clair.
The production is supported by a creative team, all returning artists, who will bring the futuristic world of “The Apiary” to life through their designs. Scenic designer and props Carter Vickers, costume designer Jessica Moreno Caycho, lighting designer Chris Renda, Former Dea Hurston Fellow and sound designer Miki Vale, projections designer Michael Wogulis, stage and assistant managers Nathan Waits and Kendra Baros, costumes assistant, MaryKate Reeves-Hoche, and set construction Greg Ertel.
The pro is brought vividly to life through an innovative partnership with Kingspan Light and Air and Solatube International, whose expertise will be directly displayed in the play’s striking onstage design.
“The Apiary” asks a haunting question that lingers long after the lights go down: when everything fragile is at risk, what are we willing to protect—and what are we willing to sacrifice?
The production is sponsored by K.A. Keller. Other corporate and individual sponsorships for “The Apiary” are available. E-mail Kristianne Kurner, founder and executive artistic director at kristianne@newvillagearts.org to inquire.
For performance schedule and times, visit newvillagearts.org/the-apiary.
