Manuel Oliver’s one-man show GUAC is heading back to the Kirk Douglas Theatre for a three-week run from April 28 to May 17, 2026. Written and performed by Oliver, the piece channels the grief of losing his son, Joaquin “Guac” Oliver, in the Parkland school shooting into a personal history and an activist call to action. After a sold-out West Coast premiere last fall, the limited engagement gives Los Angeles audiences another shot at catching the acclaimed performance.
Center Theatre Group brings GUAC back
Center Theatre Group is slotting the return engagement into its CTG:FWD programming, with performances scheduled for April 28 to May 17, according to CTG materials. The production, co-written by James Clements and directed by Michael Cotey, previously played a sold-out run at the Douglas and is listed among CTG’s CTG:FWD offerings in the company’s season brochure. The same materials note that CTG board members helped underwrite the special engagement.
The latest run was first announced in a Los Angeles listing from BroadwayWorld, which flagged the show’s return as part of CTG’s broader push to highlight intimate, issue-driven work.
About the show and its creator
GUAC tells the story of a father turned activist, with Oliver using the stage to keep his son’s memory and message in constant motion. The show, which he conceived and developed with co-writer James Clements and director Michael Cotey, blends storytelling, painting, and music to revisit Joaquin’s life and the aftermath of February 14, 2018, the day he was killed in the Parkland shooting, as described by The Washington Post.
Offstage, Oliver and his wife, Patricia, lead the gun-safety nonprofit Change the Ref, which has been central to the show’s outreach and benefit efforts. That organizing work threads through GUAC, turning what could have been a purely private act of mourning into a very public demand for change.
Previous runs and reception
GUAC has already logged runs at major theaters around the country, including The Public Theater in New York and Woolly Mammoth in Washington, D.C. Critics in those cities praised the show’s raw emotional power and inventive staging, noting how Oliver mixes storytelling with live visual art, music, and flashes of hard-won humor.
Production notes and press materials describe GUAC as a roughly 100-minute, no-intermission solo performance. Reviewers have highlighted Oliver’s ability to transform personal tragedy into a broader public plea, framing the show as both a celebration of Joaquin’s life and a rallying cry for political action.
Tickets, timing, and what to know
Single tickets and subscription add-ons for CTG:FWD events are available through Center Theatre Group’s season listings. The announcement on BroadwayWorld includes a direct ticket link. Given the show’s prior sell-out run, CTG is urging audiences to book early, and the company’s season brochure lays out CTG:FWD pricing and package options.
The Kirk Douglas Theatre is located at 9820 Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232, and GUAC is scheduled to run from April 28 to May 17. For Los Angeles theatergoers, it lands as part of CTG’s effort to bring politically sharp, artist-driven work into an intimate house. Whether you come for the art, the story, or the activism powering it, this is one of those spring slots likely to dominate post-show conversations in the lobby and beyond.
