OnWord Theatre Stages '9 Circles' War Crimes Drama in San Diego

OnWord Theatre opens previews for Bill Cain’s play “9 Circles” at 7 p.m. on Thursday, November 4, in San Diego’s Arts District. The production runs through November 22 and marks the end of the two-year-old company’s second season. Tickets range from $30 to $40, while the opening night preview is pay-what-you-can with a suggested donation of $5 to $20.

The drama follows Daniel Edward Reeves, a fictional former American soldier facing trial for war crimes committed in Iraq. The character’s journey mirrors Dante’s “Inferno” as he confronts the consequences of his actions. Playwright Bill Cain, a Jesuit priest, based the script on the real-life 2006 trial of Steven Dale Green, who was convicted of raping and murdering a 14-year-old Iraqi girl and killing her family. Cain is not involved in the current production, but his work provides the framework for the stage adaptation.

Marti Gobel, the producing artistic director of OnWord, chose to stage the play during National Veterans and Military Families Month. She said the timing reflects her personal perspective as the mother of three grown sons. Gobel noted that the play examines the psychological toll of combat on young men whose brains are still developing. She stated that the work asks what society is doing to young men by sending them to war at 18, a time when the frontal lobe is not fully formed.

The production is directed by David Cecsarini, the retired artistic director of Next Act Theatre in Milwaukee. Cecsarini originally planned to stage “9 Circles” in 2020 but shifted to an online stream in 2021 due to the pandemic. He is returning to San Diego to present the show for a live audience. Gobel, who previously worked under Cecsarini in Milwaukee, invited him to lead the production after returning to her hometown a few years ago.

The staging will take place in a black box space at Light Box Theatre within Liberty Station. Audience members will sit in two concentric circles around the actors, representing the outer circles of Hell. Gobel explained that these circles will tighten around the performers as the story progresses. She warned that the show is not for the faint of heart, as the audience will witness the depiction of war crimes and the protagonist’s punishment.

Eli Wood, a San Diego actor and 2018 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, stars as Daniel Reeves. Wood won the San Diego Theatre Critics Circle’s Actor of the Year award in 2025. Cecsarini described the role as demanding a herculean effort, noting that Wood is on stage for the entire performance. The character is challenged by prosecutors, defense attorneys, a psychiatrist, and his own conscience. Asmar Fontenot and Tanner Vydos will also appear in the cast, each performing up to three roles.

OnWord is a Black women-owned theater company co-founded by Gobel and marketing director Danielle Bunch. The company has launched a $10,000 fundraising campaign to support its third season, which Gobel hopes to announce early next year. She said the company operates on a model that spends only what it can raise, avoiding reliance on unpredictable grant funding. This approach addresses the rising production costs and declining grants affecting many local nonprofit theaters. Gobel stated that the goal is to sustain the company and pay staff a living wage while treating workers with kindness.

The play opens at 7 p.m. on Friday, November 5. Subsequent performances are scheduled for 7 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays, 4 p.m. on Saturdays, and 2 p.m. on Sundays. The venue is located at 590 Truxtun Rd #205 in San Diego. More information and tickets are available online at onwordtheatre.com/9-circles.