The Fulton Theatre strives to produce theatre that will serve our entire community.

To that end, we have created a Content Guide so that all warnings associated with each production may be reviewed by patrons.

Though we do not typically have permission to change the intellectual property as licensed by rights-holders, this page is a living document and we will hone information in accordance with each director’s vision and specific choices.

25/26 Season

West Side Story
If this were a film, it would be rated PG-13
Language: spic, polak, crap, hell, damn, ass, bastard
Adult Behavior: Themes of gang violence, xenophobia, and social tension
Violence: Stylized but intense depictions of gang warfare, including fighting, stabbings, and death. Use of prop weapons.
Sexuality: A central love story with passionate encounters, some suggestive language and themes, and attempted sexual assault.

26/27 Season

MAINSTAGE SERIES

Ragtime
If this were a film, it would be rated PG-13
Language: Severe racial slurs (the N-word is used several times contextually in the script), damn, hell
Adult Behavior: Marital intimacy/kissing, pregnancy out of wedlock, brief depictions of dynamic historical figures in vaudeville/burlesque settings
Violence: Severe civil unrest, police brutality, gun violence (characters are shot and killed on stage), a radicalized group threatens violence with homemade explosives, a character is beaten by police
Other: Deep themes of systemic racism, xenophobia, grief, poverty, and the tragic deaths of core characters
Sensory/atmospheric triggers: Loud, sudden gunfire sfx, atmospheric haze, strobe lighting, or sudden pyrotechnic/smoke effects during factory and explosion scenes

Annie
If this were a film, it would be rated PG
Language: Mild profanity (damn, hell, God-awful)
Adult Behavior: Visible drunkenness (primarily Miss Hannigan swigging from a flask), mild flirtation/kissing
Violence: Mild physical comedic threats (Miss Hannigan aggressively pulling/shoving children or threatening them with a broom), a brief off-stage mention of Rooster and Lily trying to “do away” with Annie for money before they are caught by police
Other: Depictions of a harsh 1930s orphanage, themes of child abandonment and poverty (the Hooverville sequence), mention of parents passing away
Sensory/atmospheric triggers: Sudden thunder and rain sfx, loud whistles, and city street ambiance

Peter Pan Goes Wrong
If this were a film, it would be rated PG
Language: Damn, hell, bastard, or mild British expletives (e.g., “bloody”) spoken in frustration by the “actors”
Adult Behavior: Comedic backstage love triangles, an onscreen kiss, characters running around or trapped in underwear/improper costuming due to “wardrobe malfunctions”
Violence: Constant slapstick and simulated actor peril. Characters are hit with falling set pieces, zapped by “malfunctioning” electrical wiring, thrown from the flying rig, trapped in a rapidly spinning revolve set, and comically attacked by a prosthetic crocodile
Other: Heavy use of meta-theatrical shouting, backstage arguments bleeding onto the stage, and simulated technical disasters
Sensory/atmospheric triggers: Sudden structural set collapses, sparks/pyrotechnics, loud electrical buzzing, strobe flashes, and actors falling or crashing into the set/orchestra pit

Come From Away
If this were a film, it would be rated PG-13
Language: Ass, bitch, shit, damn, hell
Adult Behavior: Moderate social drinking, a celebratory bar scene involving kissing a cod fish and taking shots of alcohol (“Screech-In”), mild sexual innuendo, kissing/romance between stranded passengers
Violence: No physical on-stage violence, but heavy psychological weight regarding the immediate aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks
Other: Intense themes of collective grief, fear, Islamophobia/xenophobia directed toward a passenger, anxiety over missing loved ones (specifically a firefighter son), and references to the burning/collapse of the Twin Towers
Sensory/atmospheric triggers: Loud, abrupt noises mimicking plane engines/gales, overlapping shouting, sudden blackouts, and heavy atmospheric haze

My Fair Lady
If this were a film, it would be rated PG
Language: Bloody (used frequently as a period-specific shock word), damn, hell
Adult Behavior: Social drinking, smoking pipes/cigars, kissing, classist verbal degradation
Violence: Mild physical aggression (Higgins aggressively grabbing or pushing Eliza out of frustration; Eliza shoving back or throwing slippers at him)
Other: Themes of extreme class discrimination, misogyny, emotional manipulation, and a brief comedic scene involving a hangover
Sensory/atmospheric triggers: Sudden loud phonograph playback, screaming/shouting matches, and standard theatrical haze

Phantom (Yeston & Kopit)
If this were a film, it would be rated PG-13
Language: Hell, damn
Adult Behavior: Social drinking, kissing, mild romantic obsession, comedic vanity and diva antics (primarily from Carlotta)
Violence: Multiple characters are murdered by the Phantom (a stagehand is strangled/hanged; Carlotta is poisoned off-stage and her body is hidden; multiple police officers/guards are killed or dragged into the shadows). A character is shot and killed by a family member at his own request in a tragic, climactic mercy killing
Other: Deeply emotional themes of abandonment and paternal grief, heavy discussion of severe facial disfigurement from birth, a mother’s suicide is detailed in a flashback sequence, and the Phantom is chased and cornered by an armed mob
Sensory/atmospheric triggers: Sudden, loud gunshots; theatrical smoke, ground fog, and low lighting to depict the Parisian catacombs; and sudden shouting/screaming during attack sequences

ELLEN ARNOLD GROFF STUDIO SERIES

Murder at Ackerton Manor
If this were a film, it would be rated: PG-13 (Mainly for fast-paced mature humor and comedic violence)
Language: Damn, hell, mild comedic double entendres
Adult Behavior: Characters flirting ridiculously, drinking, broad caricature behaviors
Violence: Comedic/slapstick stage murder, a dead body discovered, suspects aggressively turning on or chasing one another, theatrical “mayhem” in the style of a Mel Brooks or Agatha Christie spoof
Other: Multi-rolling actors changing roles frantically, creating moments of meta-theatrical shouting and chaotic arguments
Sensory/atmospheric triggers: Loud thunder and lightning sfx, heavy theatrical haze, sudden blackout cues

Ebenezer Scrooge’s Big Lancaster Christmas Show
If this were a film, it would be rated PG
Language: None to very mild period-accurate expletives (e.g., humbug, bloody)
Adult Behavior: Comedic exaggeration of classic characters, local San Diego-specific inside jokes and breaking of the fourth wall
Violence: Highly stylized, comedic physical theater; mild slapstick as a small cast multi-roles frantically to tell the story of A Christmas Carol
Other: Comedic depictions of ghosts/spirits, dynamic crowd interaction, and brief meta-theatrical moments of actors stepping out of character
Sensory/atmospheric triggers: Festive holiday music, sudden lighting shifts for ghost appearances, theatrical snow or fog effects, and sudden bells or chime sound effects

A Streetcar Named Desire
If this were a film, it would be rated R
Language: Hell, damn, bitch, son of a…
Adult Behavior: Heavy social drinking, public drunkenness, intense smoking, explicit discussions of sexual desire, references to prostitution, promiscuity, and infidelity
Violence: Domestically violent outbursts (a radio is thrown out a window, a man strikes his pregnant wife off-stage), aggressive physical shoving, and a pivotal off-stage sexual assault/rape of a vulnerable character
Other: Explicit references to a past suicide (a young husband shooting himself), intense emotional gaslighting, a character experiencing severe psychological delusions, and a traumatic forced commitment to a mental institution
Sensory/atmospheric triggers: Overlapping, distorted auditory hallucinations (“Varsouviana” polka music, chaotic street noises), harsh colored lighting shifts to reflect psychological panic, and shouting matches

Gutenberg! The Musical!
If this were a film, it would be rated PG-13
Language: Ass, damn, hell, shit, bastard, bitch
Adult Behavior: Mild sexual innuendo, comedic depictions of dynamic theatrical “flirting,” characters drinking from bottles on stage as a bit
Violence: Entirely fictionalized, highly offensive historic inaccuracies played completely for laughs (e.g., comedic threats of a “baby-burning” machine, descriptions of a character being executed/decapitated, slapstick hat-swapping physical comedy)
Other: Deeply satirical themes poking fun at Broadway tropes, structural anti-Semitism (satirized through a fictional historical villain), and meta-theatrical references to dead parents or tragic backstories treated lightheartedly
Sensory/atmospheric triggers: Fast-paced lighting transitions, loud theatrical singing, sudden prop throwing, and standard theatrical haze

EICHMANN FAMILY SERIES

Family Series productions are appropriate for all audiences – all ages welcome!- but some of our youngest audience members might react to scary sounds or “bad guys.” Children are welcome to take lobby breaks during these shows and we encourage our audiences to participate in the storytelling.