The Seagull: Malibu at Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum

The Seagull: Malibu

Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum
1419 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd. Topanga

The Seagull: Malibu, an evocative retelling of Anton Chekhov’s timeless masterpiece by Theatricum artistic director Ellen Geer. Set against the backdrop of a country transitioning from the ideals of the free-love era to the self-centered “Me Generation,” this production will transport audiences to the sun-soaked, yet tumultuous shores of 1970s Malibu to explore the societal and artistic upheavals of a culture in flux.

Thru - Oct 5, 2025

Price: $15-$64

Show Type: Comedy/Drama

Box Office: 310-455-3723

www.theatricum.com

The Seagull: Malibu Reviews

Average Rating based on 5 reviews

Highly Recommended
Recommended
Somewhat Recommended
Not Recommended

Los Angeles Times - Recommended

"...Ellen Geer, the director, calls her version of Anton Chekhov's play, "a retelling." She relocates "The Seagull," as a program note specifies and her production flamboyantly conveys, "to the self-centered Me Generation of the '70s that followed the social upheaval of the '60s." Malibu, a California world unto its own, hemmed in by the Pacific Ocean on one side and the Santa Monica Mountains on the other, sets up a groovy, glamorous equivalent to the backwater country setting of Chekhov's original, in which all of the characters seem to be suffering from terminal ennui."

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- Charles McNulty

LA Splash - Highly Recommended

"...Skillfully penned and directed by talented Ellen Geer, THE SEAGULL is reborn over a century later, a timely and timeless tale of the hopes, dreams, and conceits of each of us. The retelling proves to be gripping and fascinating, moving seamlessly from 1895 to 1970 with nary a slip – proving again that times may change but people less so. The talented cast does an excellent job of making each imperfect character come alive."

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- Elaine Mura

Stage Scene LA - Highly Recommended

"...Ellen Geer updates Anton Chekhov's The Seagull from 1890s tsarist Russia to Malibu, California during the "It's All About Me" 1970s, and the exhilarating result is The Seagull: Malibu, a romantic dramedy that's both Chekhovian and Southern Californian, and a Summer Of 2025 treat no matter how you feel about Chekhov."

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- Steven Stanley

Stage Raw - Somewhat Recommended

"...Directed and adapted by Ellen Geer, The Seagull: Malibu reimagines Chekhov's classic in 1970s Southern California, trading the original's rural Russian estate for a sun-drenched Malibu compound. The 1970s setting lends the early scenes a vibrant, playful aesthetic and a nostalgic charm, but beyond this surface appeal, the deeper purpose of the change remains unclear. Coupled with characterizations that feel somewhat flat and one-note, this adaptation doesn't ultimately provide much new illumination into Chekhov's work."

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- Madison Mellon

Peoples World - Highly Recommended

"...Ellen Geer's Malibu flourishes are onstage, but even as a character wields a surfboard, this SoCal adaptation doesn't go overboard with the well-acted, well-directed production's allusions to the 'Bu. Anton Chekhov remains the star of the show, as well he should be. Performed under the stars just a few miles north of the actual Malibu, with a soundtrack of seagulls keow-ing (punctuated by a real-life owl and other bird sounds in the sylvan glade), this rendering of Chekhov's classic deserves to be on theatergoers' checklist of plays to experience this summer. Check it out!"

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- Ed Rampell

The Seagull: Malibu at Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum