Will Our Playwrights Fall Down or Get Up?

“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” – Confucius.

PlayGround continues its 25th season of its celebrated Monday Night PlayGround staged reading series on Monday, November 26, 8 PM at Berkeley Repertory Theatre’s Roda Theatre. The topic for November’s round, announced this morning, is “FALL DOWN, GET UP”. Members of the 2018-19 PlayGround Writers Company have just four-and-a-half days to generate their original ten-minute plays inspired by the topic. The top six scripts will each receive an hour-and-a-half rehearsal and a professional script-in-hand staged reading at Berkeley Rep on November 26. For tickets or more information, visit https://playground-sf.org//monday.

The playwrights of the 2018-19 PlayGround Writers Company are: Linda Amayo-Hassan, Terence Anthony, Lynn Aylward, Carson Beker, Cass Brayton+, Tom Bruett, Madeleine Butler, Ron Campbell, David Cole, Michael Curry, Nara Dahlbacka, Rob Dario, Victoria Chong Der+, Nancy Fishman, Elizabeth Flanagan, Jerome Joseph Gentes+, Akaina Ghosh, Lauren Gorski, Ruben Grijalva+, Garret Jo Groenveld+, Tanya Grove, Karen Hartline, Sam Hurwitt, Michelle Ianiro, Nicole Jost+, Lisa Kang, Melissa Keith, Kate Keleher, Molly Krost, Jonathan Luskin+, Katie May+, Alanna McFall+, Tom Mercer, Laylah Muran De Assereto, Isaac Ontiveros, Lana Palmer, Erin Marie Panttaja+, Evelyn Jean Pine+, Madeline Puccioni, Marsha Roberts, Annette Roman, Cleavon Smith+, Nic Sommerfeld, Martha Soukup, Lucy Urbano, Leela Velautham, Steven Westdahl (+ Resident Playwright).

Recent topics have included: “Justice”, “We Hold These Truths to be Self-Evident,” “Artificial Intelligence,” and “Probable Future or Possible Future” as part of a now-five-year collaboration with Planet Earth Arts and Stanford University. The top six plays from each month are rehearsed for just one-and-a-half hours each and presented as script-in-hand staged readings at Monday Night PlayGround, now celebrating its twenty-fifth year. PlayGround audiences get to enjoy a unique behind-the-scenes perspective, with a free Pre-Performance Discussion at 7:10pm. Audience members can also experience the thrill of being a producer through the monthly People’s Choice Awards, helping to determine which plays and playwrights go on for consideration in PlayGround’s annual showcase, the Best of PlayGround Festival.

The 25th season also marks the return of PlayGround’s Equity company with a newly-signed two-year agreement announced in tandem with PlayGround’s #FairWage campaign for increased artist compensation. The PlayGround Company represents some of the Bay Area’s leading directors, actors, and designers, with a majority belonging to Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers. The 2018-19 PlayGround Company includes: Molly Aaronson-Gelb, Patrick Alparone*, Liz Anderson*, Rinabeth Apostol*, Michael Asberry*, Michael Barrett Austin*, Mary Baird*, Millie Brooks, Julia Brothers*, Nicole Apostol Bruno, Lizzie Calogero*, Ron Campbell*, Joy Carlin*, Nancy Carlin*, Desdemona Chiang, David Cramer*, Will Dao*, Anne Darragh*, Dodds Delzell*, Carolyn Doyle*, Nora el Samahy*, Rebecca Ennals, Britney Frazier*, Michael French, Sarah Gasser, Norman Gee*, Douglas B. Giorgis*, Amy Glazer , Cindy Goldfield*, BW Gonzalez*, Margo Hall*, Rosie Hallett*, Daryl Anthony Harper, Eric Fraisher Hayes*, Brian Herndon*, Lyndsy Kail*, Danielle Levin*, Jeffrey Lo, Gwen Loeb*, George Maguire*, Melanie Marshall, Julia McNeal*, Sam Misner*, Brady Morales-Woolery*, Lisa Morse*, Molly Noble*, Soren Oliver*, Joseph Patrick O’Malley*, Melissa Ortiz*, Doyle Ott*, June Palladino*, Carla Pantoja*, Louis Parnell*, Jed Parsario, Michael Phillis , Rebecca Pingree, Stephanie Prentice*, Virginia Reed, Cathleen Riddley*, Katja Rivera , Adrian Roberts*, Stacy Ross*, Adam Roy, Lindsey Marie Schmeltzer, Robert Sicular*, M. Graham Smith, Ken Sonkin*, Lauren Spencer*, Teddy Spencer*, Howard Swain*, Jomar Tagatac*, Emilie Talbot*, Danielle Thys*, Jon Tracy , Mark Rafael Truitt*, Liam Vincent*, Maryssa Wanlass, Tracy Ward , Reggie D. White*, Aaron Wilton*, Elena Wright* (* Member, AEA).