San Diego has a joyful new reason to head to Old Town. The Cygnet Theatre has opened the Joan and Irwin Jacobs Performing Arts Center — affectionately known as The Joan — a $43.5 million theatre complex inside the historic Naval Training Center in Liberty Station, giving one of the city’s most beloved companies a permanent home.
Cygnet Theatre was founded in 2003 by artistic director Sean Murray and executive director Bill Schmidt, built on a simple belief: live theatre should feel like a gathering place. For more than two decades the company staged intimate, actor-driven productions in Old Town, earning a loyal following that helped turn productions into true community celebrations.
The Joan keeps that spirit and gives it room to grow. The flexible new space lets the company present bigger stories while keeping audiences close to the action, and Old Town itself becomes part of the experience — families can pair a matinee with a stroll past the park’s museums, gardens and adobe landmarks, then stay for dinner in the neighborhood.
Holiday magic is already on the calendar: Cygnet is presenting the beloved radio-play production of It’s a Wonderful Life in San Diego, a heartwarming way to celebrate the season together. If you love discovering gathering places where a city’s creativity comes together, put The Joan on your list.
Photo: Visit San Diego / Old Town San Diego
