Letter from David at the Santa Monica Playhouse

Who says working with David Bowie is impossible? Teenage magician Albie Selznick didn't think so. Letter from David is his true story of mimed, juggled and tightrope-walked determination through the theater, club and rock scenes of the 1970s and 80s, all to reach his hero.

Selznick performs it solo. He wrote it with Laura Maccabee, who also directs. It was workshopped at the 2026 Hollywood Fringe Festival and first developed at the Santa Monica Playhouse.

Dates and tickets

The show plays Sundays at 7pm from October 4, with an official press opening on Sunday, October 18. The playhouse's page lists the run through the fall, and the ticket page shows Sunday dates into early January. Check it before you go, since the playhouse reserves the right to change dates.

General admission is $25, with discounts for students, teachers, seniors and military. Tickets go on sale about three weeks before each date, and if the system won't sell you one, the show is probably sold out. Questions go to the box office at 310-394-9779 ext 1.

About the performer

Albie Selznick created Smoke and Mirrors, which the LA Times called "a brilliant theatrical magic show," and he is a lifetime member of the Magic Castle. He curated and hosted Magic Monday, which played five straight years at the Santa Monica Playhouse, and he spent three decades performing with his theatrical circus trio The Mums. As an actor he works on both stage and screen.

Behind the show

The program credits Laura Maccabee as co-writer and director, with David B. Marling as technical director and sound and video editor, and Bailey Stockhecke as stage manager. A Hollywood Fringe reviewer called it "part love letter, part memoir." The playhouse also notes that the performance rights allow it to cancel or reschedule shows without notice, so a quick call to the box office before a trip is sensible.

Getting there

The Santa Monica Playhouse is at 1211 4th St, on the Main Stage. More stage picks are in arts and culture, and the Santa Monica page covers the neighborhood.