Donna Orbits the Moon
Scripps Ranch Theatre
Alliant International University, 9783 Avenue of Nations in San Diego
Fri & Sat at 7:30; Sun at 2; Mon at 7:30 (Feb. 9)
ends on February 15, 2026
for tickets, call 858.578.7728 or visit Scripps Ranch Theatre
Review by Milo Shapiro for Stage and Cinema 1/26/2026
A NEIGHBORLY NICE LADY— WITH BUZZ ALDRIN IN HER HEAD Susan Clausen shines in Ian August’s funny, surreal one-woman ride… Here’s an attempt to put it into words without saying too much about the fun in Ian August’s absurdist and surreal 90-minute one-woman monologue:
Donna (Susan Clausen) is just one of those good neighborhood people you’d have to like—like Edie McClurg on The Hogan Family or Betty Rubble on The Flintstones. Donna will tell you, with both pride and humility, how and why she makes gooseberry blondies for bake sales if the cause is good, even if she doesn’t understand the cause (like a bake sale at the local prison).
…a spectacular performance by Ms. Clausen, who brings Donna’s sweetness, natural quirkiness, dreams, and occasional temporary madness to life. It must be an exhausting exercise each day—Donna is certainly full of energy that covers the whole stage.