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‘What Every Girl Should Know’ at The Wayward Artist — From left, Ariana Dolan, Heather Buckler, Ava Loren Lopez and Sara Davis. Photo courtesy of Danielle Boillin

By OC Theatre Guild

October 27, 2026

Written for OC Theatre Guild by Anne Reid

The Wayward Artist

‘What Every Girl Should Know’

When: Nov. 5 – 14, 2026

Where: Irvine United Congregational Church, 4915 Alton Pkwy., Irvine

More Info: (949) 733-0220, www.TheWaywardArtist.org

In 1914, four teenage girls confined to a Catholic reformatory discover the writings of birth control activist Margaret Sanger and begin to imagine something they have rarely been allowed to consider: lives of their own choosing.

Together, they create a private world of friendship and ritual, where they explore questions they were never meant to ask.

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That is the starting point for “What Every Girl Should Know,” Monica Byrne’s provocative play, which closes The Wayward Artist’s 2026 season.

Ariana Dolan plays Anne, with Ava Loren Lopez as Theresa, Heather Buckler as Lucy and Sara Davis as Joan. The four characters are teenagers, making the youthful quality of the cast particularly important to director Lizzy McCabe.

“We were really looking for actors that could embody these girls honestly,” McCabe said. “The characters in the show are all 14-15 years old, so selecting a cast that felt authentically youthful in that way was very important to us.”

For The Wayward Artist founder and artistic director Craig Tyrl, those uncomfortable subjects were part of the play’s appeal.

“I was immediately drawn to ‘What Every Girl Should Know’ because of the strength of its female voices and the way it weaves together Catholic imagery, sexuality, faith and friendship,” Tyrl said. “It is a fascinating, provocative story about young women trying to understand their bodies, their desires and their own agency within a world that has already decided so much for them.”

McCabe was not familiar with the play when Tyrl approached her about directing. Once she read it, however, she found an immediate connection to the material.

“The story feels so personal to me and my upbringing and my experiences,” McCabe said. “I was happy to take on the challenge.”

This is McCabe’s third production with The Wayward Artist. A freelance director and founding artistic director of local theater company The Larking House, she previously directed “JU1CE” for Wayward in 2024 and partnered with the company on a co-production of “The Last Days of Judas Iscariot.”

“What Every Girl Should Know” marks McCabe’s 21st production as a director since 2016. Most recently, she directed a co-production of “The Crucible” at Curtis Theatre in September. According to McCabe, “I’ve been gravitating toward shows with strong emotional cores and political undertones that center experiences of self-actualization and journeys of seeking forgiveness.”

“This script is very unique in the way that it explores topics that are widely considered to be ‘taboo’ for teenagers, but in actuality are things that many people who were once a young girl may have gone through,” she said.

“Unfortunately, much of the discussion this show offers to its audience is particularly topical right now,” McCabe said. “The abuse of institutional power to control and silence young women who have been sexually abused is at the center of this show, and we are not looking to shy away from the hard truths that it presents along the way.”

McCabe is giving the period piece an unexpected edge through music and dance, incorporating contemporary artists into a story set in 1914.

“We’re utilizing some of the selections from artists like Nirvana, The White Stripes, IDLES, Daughters and Mazzy Star to bring the necessary edge, angst and rage to amplify the experiences that these girls are having,” McCabe said. “I’m really excited about it.”

Another distinctive element of the play is its “What Every Girl Should Know” will be performed inside Irvine United Congregational Church, an unusual venue that, for McCabe, becomes an integral part of the production, sort of like a fifth character.

“The Wayward Artist has always been about choosing edgy, challenging work that asks us to wrestle with difficult questions rather than offering easy answers,” Tyrl said. “This play does exactly that.”