PlayGround presents Season 32

30th ANNUAL PLAYGROUND FESTIVAL OF NEW WORKS

May 15th-31st, 2026
Live at Potrero Stage + Simulcast
On-Demand through June 7th

Acknowledging the Legacy of the Land We Inhabit

PlayGround acknowledges that we are on the unceded ancestral homeland of the Ramaytush (RAH-my-toosh) Ohlone (oh-LOW-nee) and Lisjan (lih-SHAH-n) Ohlone, the original inhabitants of the San Francisco Peninsula and East Bay, respectively. As the past and present Indigenous stewards of this land and in accordance with their traditions, the Ramaytush Ohlone and Lisjan have never ceded, lost, nor forgotten their responsibilities as the caretakers of this place, as well as for all peoples who reside in their traditional territory. We recognize the historic injustice of the forcible removal of the Ohlone people from their ancestral lands, and that we benefit from living and working on their traditional homeland. We wish to pay our respects by acknowledging the Ancestors, Elders and Relatives of the Ramaytush and Lisjan Communities and by affirming their sovereign rights as First Peoples. We honor the storytellers of the Ohlone and are grateful for our ability to share and uplift Indigenous stories and those of other historically marginalized communities.

To learn about the legacy of the land you inhabit, visit Native-Land.ca | Our home on native land. To read the complete Land Acknowledgment Policy, click here.

PlayGround’s Anti-Racist Policy

PlayGround recognizes the impact of racial oppression within society and the American Theater and that we have been complicit in White Supremacy culture. Our goal is to co-create safety for our community by identifying and interrupting instances of racism and all forms of oppression when we witness them, through specific actions rooted in the principles of anti-racism and accessibility. In its endeavor to address the implications of our history, PlayGround is committed to its compliance with the following fundamental rights:

• The recognition of inherent dignity and worth of each human being.
• The recognition of equality of all human beings.
• Recognition of rights of ethnic, racial, cultural, linguistic and religious groups.
• Equality and non-discrimination.

PlayGround’s Anti-Racist Policy applies to: all members of the PlayGround community, including employees, independent contractors, volunteers, audience members, donors, and general members of the community.

To read the complete Anti-Racist Policy, click here.

Festival Sponsors

PlayGround is grateful for the following Festival Sponsors, whose generous support makes this year’s PlayGround Festival of New Works possible:

Randy Adams, Robert Allen, Sharon Baldwin, Anne Brady, Emelie Brooks, Madeleine Butler, Dan Cohn, Krystyna Finlayson, Nancy Fishman, Jessica Forbes Anirvan Ghosh, Keith Goldstein, Regina Guggenheim, Kate Hecht, Jeff Jackson, Jim Kleinman, Jackie Kubicka, Sheila McCormick, Craig Moody, Nitin Nitin, Evelyn Pine, John Pinkos, Jessica Row, John Ruskin, Miyoko Sakatani, John Schrom, Stan Stone, Christain Wilburn, Darryl Wilburn, Janine Wilburn Matt W Wills, and Susannah Wise.

To learn more or becoming a festival sponsor, click here.

Programs & Cast Lists

May 15, 2026 7pm PT

Festival Kick-off and Panel
Jim Kleinmann, Co-Founder & Artistic Director
Anne Brady, PlayGround Alumni
Madeleine Butler, PlayGround Alumni
Laura Domingo, PlayGround Alumni
KT Frances Hartline, PlayGround Alumni
Juliet Kang Huneke, PlayGround Alumni
Daniel Martinez Jr., PlayGround Alumni
Richard Perez, PlayGround Alumni
Sophie Ruf, PlayGround Alumni
Baylee Shlichtman, PlayGround Alumni
Stan Stone, PlayGround Alumni

Stage Manager: Novalynn Stone

May 15, 2026 7pm PT

A Festival Premier Presentation

Mycelium
By Juliet Kang Huneke
Directed by Lana Richards
Actor 1..……….………....Krystle Piamonte
Actor 2……………………….Dom Refuerzo
Actor 3……………………Nikki Nutterfield
Actor 4……………………….Kunal Prasad
Actor 5…………………………..L. Duarte
Actor 3 Understudy………………………….Isabel Anna To

Stage Manager – Raphael Louis Buenaventura
Lighting/Sound/Projections Designer – Brittany Mellerson
Costume Co-Designer – Chris Steele
Costume Co-Designer – Elenor Paul
Properties Artisan – Rose Curfman

May 17, 2026 3pm PT

A Festival Staged Reading

Good Romans
by Baylee Shlichtman
Directed by Frieda de Lackner
Octavia…………….Jahnavi Alyssa
Octavian…………Greg Bryan

Stage Manager: Novalynn Stone

May 24, 2026 3pm PT

A Festival Staged Reading

The Case of the Missing Messenger
By Madeleine Butler
Directed by Ely Sonny Orquiza
Beppe Venerdi.……………………………………………………Michael Barrett Austin
Cesca Fabbro.………………………………………………………………..Julie Kuwabara
Il Dottore Cotogna………………………………………………………….Jomar Tagatac
Dante Alighieri / Nurse / Capulet / Figure (Actor 1).………….Jomar Tagatac
Friar Lawrence / Cafe Wait Staff (Actor 2).…………………………Ron Campbell
Nell (Actor 3).………………………………………………………..Rebecca Pingree
Annie / Spy (Actor 4).……………………………………………April Ballesteros

Stage Manager – Khem Myrick
Livestream Broadcaster – Krystle Piamonte, Tanika Baptiste, Liam Kirk

May 29, 2026 7pm PT

The 18th Annual Young Playwrights Project

A Waymo Carol
By Rover Hudson Dijkstra
Directed by Adam L. Sussman
Tech Bro……………………………….Terrance Smith
Karl………………………………..Marcia Aguilar

There is No Elevator to Success, You Must Take the Stairs
By Chloe Schoenfeld
Directed by Emilie Talbot
George…………………………..Jordan Covington
Richie………………………………Khary Moye

The End of the Line
By Juan Li Chen
Directed by Linda Amayo-Hassan
Wei Chung……………………………Isabel Anne To
Jun Chung.…………………Krystle Piamonte
Rufus………………….Marsha Van Broek

The Tramp of the Galaxy
By Christiana Rajakumar
Directed by Jenna Stein-Corman
Borp……………………..Marissa Ampon
Zale…………………………Kim Donahue
Astronaut………………………Marjan Safa

Stage Manager – Khem Myrick
Livestream Broadcaster – Krystle Piamonte, Tanika Baptiste, Liam Kirk

May 31, 2026 3pm PT

A Festival Staged Reading

Disloyal
By Anne Brady
Directed by Jim Kleinmann
Peggy Shippen Arnold………………..Leontyne Mbele-Mbong
Benedict Arnold…………………………………………….TBD
Becky, George Washington, Mrs. Smith, Ethan Allen…………..Isabel Anne To
John Andre, Joseph Reed, Franks, Samuel…………….Terrance Smith
VO, Moron at Dance, Messenger, Mr. Smith, Edward, Sneaky Guy, Soldier……..Maryssa Wanlass

Stage Manager – Khem Myrick
Livestream Broadcaster – Krystle Piamonte, Tanika Baptiste, Liam Kirk

May 31, 2026 7pm PT

Best of PlayGround(SF) ’26

Dolores Park
by Laura Domingo
directed by Wynne Chan
Nate…………..Louel Senores
Margie……………..…..Cindy Goldfield
Alex……………..…..Patrick Russell

Abuela Knows Best
by Richard Perez
directed by Katja Rivera
The Kid…………………..April Ballesteros
La Llorona (Maria)……………………….Annette Amelia Oliveira

A Wayward Tale
by KT Frances Hartline
directed by Doyle Ott
Shayna………………….Krystle Piamonte
Leah…………………Tessa Koning Martinez
EMT (cameo)…………………Patrick Russell

Certified Super Sleuth
by Daniel Martinez Jr
directed by Claire Ganem
Marge…………………………….Carolyn Doyle

Lil Ole Orphan Annie
by Sophie Ruf
directed by Tanika Baptiste
Old Orphan Annie……………..Rebecca Pingree
Daddy Warbucks……………..Wayne Wong
Grace……………..Zoe Chien

Bridges of San Francisco County
by Stan Stone
directed by Jenna Stein-Corman
G.G………………Miyoko Sakatani
B.B.………………Rolanda D Bell
Karl………………Ryan Tasker

Stage Manager – Khem Myrick
Livestream Broadcaster – Krystle Piamonte, Tanika Baptiste, Liam Kirk

These live streams are produced under a SAG-AFTRA New Media Agreement.

PlayGround is a member of Theatre Bay Area, Theatre Communications Group, the League of Chicago Theatre, A.R.T./New York, and a Partner Organization of the National New Play Network (NNPN).

People’s Choice Award

Following the Best of PlayGround(SF) ’26 performances, we invite your participation in the Best of PlayGround People’s Choice Award. Through the People’s Choice Award, our audience can play a direct impact in furthering the career of a promising new playwright. To vote, make a People’s Choice Award tax-deductible donation on behalf of your favorite play(s)/playwright(s) from the evening. Every donated dollar counts as a vote while directly supporting PlayGround’s New Play Commissioning program.

Cast your vote for your favorite play(s) by making a People’s Choice donation via Zelle (info@playground-sf.org), Venmo (our account ID is @playgroundsf and if they ask for the last four digits of my phone, it’s 8541) or on our website at https://tickets.playground-sf.org/TheatreManager/1/online?donationquick=16 (you can also visit the Best of PlayGround page for the People’s Choice donation button). Add a note/memo with your gift to indicate your favorite play(s) or email your selection to boxoffice@playground-sf.org.

At the end of June, we’ll tally up the top vote-getter and recipient of this year’s Best of PlayGround People’s Choice New Play Commission, a full-length expansion and adaptation of their award-winning Best of PlayGround short play. It’s a powerful way of showing your support for new writers and their work, while helping PlayGround continue doing what we do!

Biographies

PLAYWRIGHTS

ANNE BRADY (Festival Staged Reading: Disloyal), is a playwright and actress living in Chicago. Her work has been produced in Chicago, Seattle, and Ukraine. She’s also written a handful of children’s books and magazine articles with Worthy Publishing Company. As an actress she has performed onstage in Hawaii and both US coasts, as well as on television here and there. Catch her giving birth in a sedan on “Chicago Fire,” or lusting after one in a BMW commercial. She’s an alumna of PlayGround-Chicago where her original ten-minute play Disloyal was selected for the Best of PlayGround People’s Choice. Her play, This Christmas, premiered at Taproot Theatre Company in Seattle.

MADELEINE BUTLER (Festival Staged Reading: The Case of the Missing Messenger), she/her, has had various plays staged for Monday Night PlayGround including A Beautiful Evening, The Story of Our Lives (People’s Choice Award), The River God (Best of PlayGround 2016), The Last Pirogue, Beshert, Stuck, and The Case of the Missing Messenger. Her short plays have also been staged by Playwright’s Center of San Francisco, FABUM (Washington, D.C.), Drama with Friends, and 3 Girls Theatre, including an episode of a collaborative serial radio drama. She has regularly attended the Kennedy Center Playwriting Intensive since 2021 and studies playwriting on an ongoing basis with Anthony Clarvoe.

ROVER HUDSON DIJKSTRA (Young Playwrights Project: A Waymo Carol). Rover Dijkstra has lived in San Francisco for the last 8 years. He is a senior at Galileo Academy of Science and Technology, and loves everything related to travel and aviation. He is also a soccer referee, coach, and player at San Francisco Youth Soccer.

LAURA DOMINGO (BoP: Dolores Park), she/her, is a Native Hawaiian/Filipina writer and actor based on Oakland, CA. She has written screenplays for three Best Film winners for the 48-Hour Film Project (2019 – San Jose; 2020 – U.S. West; and 2021 – San Jose), and her short plays won runner-up in 2023 and 2024 for Silicon Valley Shakespeare’s 48-Hour Play Festival. She is part of the writing pool with SF-based sketch comedy company Killing My Lobster. Laura is recipient of the 2025 June Anne Baker Prize.

KT FRANCES HARTLINE (BoP: A Wayward Tale), she/her, is a Berkeley-based playwright and screenwriter. After working as a New York City public school teacher, she was editor for two New York-based magazines and wrote for Oakland and Parents Press. Her plays have appeared in festivals around the country, including It’s Alarming, a Heideman Award finalist which premiered in Playground’s Monday Night Series. Her screenwriting accolades include AFF Second Rounder and Finalist in the International PAGE Awards. She is now a Top Tier member of Roadmap Writers’ Career Writer Program. Her greatest joy is squeezing into a hardcore punk show and watching the son she homeschooled absolutely shred on drums.

JULIET KANG HUNEKE (Festival Premiere: Mycelium), is a playwright and performer who is passionate about theatre that is larger than life. In spring 2026, her new TYA play, THE DRESS-UP PLAY, had its world premiere at Jackalope Theatre Company. She was awarded the 2023 ReImagine: New Plays in TYA grant to develop HANNAH AND HALMONI SAVE THE WORLD! with Filament Theatre, where it had its world premiere in 2025. Juliet is also a 24 Hour Plays Nationals alum. Other Chicago writing credits include: ECHO’S INFERNO (The Understudy), HOME FOR THE SUMMER (Theo Ubique, American Music Theatre Project), MYCELIUM (Playground Chicago), and MECHANICALS (Impostors Theater Co Footholds Vol. 4). julietkanghuneke.com

JUAN LI CHEN (Young Playwrights Project: The End of the Line). Juan Li Chen is a current senior at Galileo Academy of Science and Technology. He was born in Colombia to Chinese immigrants, and moved to the US at the age of 5.

DANIEL MARTINEZ JR. (BoP: Certified Super Sleuth), he/him, is an award-winning playwright and actor based in San Jose, CA. This is his third season in the Writers Pool and he feels so lucky to get to write stories with some amazing people. Daniel recently debuted his one-act play, Vodka Cran. Daniel has also been featured in Best of Playground. Daniel debuted his latest one-man play, What’s in a Name?, in PlayGround’s Solo Festival last January. Daniel was also recently named a semi-finalist in Nosotros’ Ya Tu Sabes Monologue Slam, for his comedic monologue “Honey Walnut Shrimp.”

RICHARD PEREZ (BoP: Abuela Knows Best), he/him, is a director, actor, educator, and playwright. He recently relocated to the Bay Area from Michigan where he has been a theatre professor for the last ten years.
Recent acting roles include Mando in How to Raise an American Son, Gabe in Dinner with Friends, and Nate in The Birds. Television, appearances include Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, Electric Dreams, and the recurring role of Councilman Ortiz in season 2 of Boss. Richard also recently directed the award winning Clybourne Park for Masquers Playhouse, Human Error for Town Hall, and La Cucaracha for PlayGround’s San Francisco Free-Play Festival.

CHRISTIANA RAJAKUMAR (Young Playwrights Project: The Tramp of the Galaxy). Christiana Rajakumar is from Fremont, CA and has been acting in plays since elementary school. She loves theatre because it presents her with a transcendent experience unlike any other. In the future, she hopes to continue to explore playwriting and pursue a theater artist career.

SOPHIE RUF (BoP: Lil Ole Orphan Annie), she/her, is an Oakland-based theater fanatic. She has performed or written for staged readings and mainstage productions throughout the San Francisco Bay Area with the Actors Ensemble of Berkeley, SF Eagle Players, Queer as Fuck (Bindlestiff Studio), Orinda Starlight Village Players, and Theatre Lunatico. This summer she is performing with Shotgun Players in their Champagne Staged Reading Series: “The Gull” June 22nd, 23rd, and 24th. By day she is an architect and origami enthusiast. Her favorite playwrights are Paula Vogel and Wendy Wasserstein.

CHLOE SCHOENFELD (Young Playwrights Project: There is No Elevator to Success, You Must Take the Stairs). Chloe Schoenfeld is a teen author, poet, and aerialist. She was born and raised in San Francisco, where she currently attends Ruth Asawa School of the Arts for Creative Writing. Schoenfeld’s writing is often whimsical and thoughtful, exploring dystopias and hope.

BAYLEE SHLICHTMAN (Festival Staged Reading: Good Romans), she/her, writes plays about love, autonomy, and magic in the mundane. Recently, her work has been featured with Full Circle Players Emerging Voices, EST/ LA Winterfest, and Afterlife Fest. Her work has been produced or developed with AlterTheatre Ensemble, Breath of Fire Latina Theatre Ensemble, Curtis Theatre, Flamboyán Theatre, Great Plains Theatre Commons, New Relic Theatre, PlayGround-LA, UC Irvine, Urbanite Theatre, The Vagrancy Theatre, and The Workshop Theatre among others. She is currently under commission with PlayGround-LA for her full-length play GOOD ROMANS. MFA, UC Riverside ’27.

STAN STONE (BoP: Bridges of San Francisco County), he/him, began writing as a teenager, creating and illustrating original comic books, and later returned to writing with renewed focus in his fifties. Since then, he has written sketches, poetry, and plays. He received praise for his one man show at The Marsh Theatre last year. He is proud to be a part of the Playground Writer’s Circle once again. His work is rooted in family, identity, and connection.

ACTORS

MARCIA AGUILAR (Young Playwrights Project: A Waymo Carol, “Karl”), she/they, is a multi-disciplinary theater maker, Registered Drama Therapist, and improv teacher exploring the intersection of theater and therapeutic practices. Thrilled to work with Playground’s Young Playwrights Project for the first time, Bay Area theater credits include Sweet Mexican Pleasures (NCTC), Orlando (ACT), Three Sisters (Utopia Theatre), and Schooltown Funk (SF Fringe Festival). Marcia performs and teaches Full Spectrum Improvisation regularly in the Bay Area with her troupe FSI Society. She is a two time grantee of the SF Arts Commission. Instagram: @marciaaguilarplays Website: BodyMindImprov.com.

MARISSA AMPON (Young Playwrights Project: The Tramp of the Galaxy, “Borp”).

JAHNAVI ALYSSA (Festival Staged Reading: Good Romans, “Octavia”), she/her, has sung, danced, acted, fiddled and choreographed on stages across the country, and being a part of Good Romans since it’s inception has been a CAREER HIGHLIGHT. Watch her in feature film “Superbloom” on PrimeVideo. Theatre credits in LA: Shelby Latcherie in Kentwood Player’s “Steel Magnolias”, Anne Redferne in Downtown Repertory’s sensationally reviewed “Witch!”, in Portland as Reza in Once (Broadway Rose Theatre Company), in Los Angeles reading the lead roles in Seven Bridges Road and Hot Tragic Dead Thing (Living Room Series), and in Salt Lake City playing Qfwfq in The Distance of the Moon (Sackerson Theatre Co.) Find her online: @jahnavialyssa

MICHAEL BARRETT AUSTIN (Festival Staged Reading: The Case of the Missing Messenger, “Beppe Venerdi”), he/him, is a PlayGround member, who appeared in ‘Apertures of Love in Times of War’ at the PlayGround Festival last spring. Other recent performances include the Marin Theatre workshop of ‘The Bridge’ (a new musical by Patricia Cotter and the Kilbanes), ‘Fallen Angels’ at The Aurora (SFBATCC award nomination for featured performance), ‘A Christmas Carol’ at Center Rep and the ‘Chinglish’ at SF Playhouse (SFBATCC nomination for principal performance). Favorite projects include The Kilbanes’ musical ‘As You Like It’ (SF Shakespeare Festival), ‘The Elephant Man’ (Hillbarn), ‘Finks’ (TheatreWorks) and ‘Red Hot Patriot’ with Kathleen Turner (Berkeley Rep). Michael toured America with The National Theatre for Children and Italy with Shakespeare at Stinson, and has appeared on television, film and in countless commercials. He is a contributing player with ARC, an alumnus of Just Theater and TheatreFirst and the proud husband of Emily and father to Lucille. www.michaelbarrettaustin.com

APRIL BALLESTEROS (Festival Staged Reading: The Case of the Missing Messenger, “Annie / Spy”;BoP: Abuela Knows Best, “The Kid”). she/her, is an actor, director, educator, and stage manager. She is a company member with Theatre Cultura and worked in the Artistic Learning Department at the California Shakespeare Theater for 7 years. She has worked with San Francisco Playhouse, Berkeley Rep, Shotgun Players, SF Shakes, and SFBATCO, to name a few. She earned a BA in Theatre Arts from California State University, East Bay, and hails from East Los Angeles.

ROLANDA D. BELL (BoP: Bridges of San Francisco County, “B.B.”), she/her, born & raised Oakland Ca, Rolanda has taken the career route as a storyteller for the last 15 years. Rolanda’s work & accomplishments include: BATCC nominee for her role in OTP production of A Thousand Ship, Berkeley Rep Theater School as a director for 2024 High School Theater Festival & 2023 RHE Artistic Fellow recipient. Recent Theater Credits include: Co-Founders with A.C.T, A Thousand Ships with Oakland Theater Project, Shipping & Handling with Crowded Fire Theater, Midsummer Nights Dream with Shotgun Players, POTUS with Berkeley Rep, Is God Is with Oakland Theater Project and Paradise Blue with Aurora Theater. As her resume continues to grow you can see more of her work in original film Blindspotting, Netflix Original film All Day & A Night & voice actor in deleted scenes for PIXAR Animation films LIGHTYEAR & Inside Out 2. Rolanda is SAG-AFTRA & represented by JE Talent. @rolandadene

MARSHA VAN BROEK (Young Playwrights Project: The End of the Line, “Rufus”).

GREG BRYAN (Festival Staged Reading: Good Romans, “Octavian”), he/him, has been performing with Playground since 1997. He has worked with San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York chapters. He has performed on Bay Area stages: Marin Theatre Co, San Jose Rep, Willows Theatre, Word for Word, SF Shakespeare Festival, Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival, Foothill Theatre, Exit Theatre. On Los Angeles stages: Mark Taper Forum, Geffen Playhouse, Laguna Playhouse, Deaf West theatre. His screen credits include: True Detective, Euphoria, Goliath, Dead To Me, Young Sheldon, Justified, Castle. Www,gregbryan.com

RON CAMPBELL (Festival Staged Reading: The Case of the Missing Messenger, “Friar Lawrence / Nurse / Capulet / Backlit Figure”), he/him, Ron Campbell is a veteran of more than 150 theatre productions spanning 12 countries on 4 Continents. A lead clown with Cirque du Soleil, Teatro Zinzanni and Ringleader of the Lone Star Circus, Ron has been a writer and performer with Playground for many years.

ZOE CHIEN (BoP: Lil Ole Orphan Annie, “Grace”; Casting Director/Associate Producer), she/her, is an actor, casting director, and theatre producer. She is the Artistic Lead for 3Girls Theatre Company, and is the Casting Director and Associate Producer for PlayGround. She is a PlayGround company member, and a graduate of the 2023/24 Producing Fellowship. Zoe is proud to represent her mixed-race Taiwanese and Italian-American community. More at zoechien.com

JORDAN COVINGTON (Young Playwrights Project: There is No Elevator to Success, You Must Take the Stairs, “George”), he/him, Jordan Covington’s most recent credits include The Gift of Nothing (Marin Theatre), Timon of Athens (ACT), The Tempest (Marin Shakespeare), Co-Founders (ACT), Fat Ham and Waitress (San Francisco Playhouse). He also performed in the USA premiere of Innocence at San Francisco Opera and In The Heights (Center Repertory). Covington’s favorite roles include Wale Owusu in Nollywood Dreams (SF Playhouse), Benny in In The Heights (Berkeley Playhouse), Chase in Finding Chase (New Canon Theatre), and Teddy/Nicholas in A Guide For The Homesick (Theatre Rhinoceros).

KIM DONAHUE (Young Playwrights Project: The Tramp of the Galaxy, “Zale”).

CAROLYN DOYLE (BoP: Certified Super Sleuth, “Marge”), she/her, is an AEA / SAG actor who has performed with the California Shakespeare Theatre, San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, Marin Theatre, The Western Stage and Shotgun Players, among many others. She was a co-founder of Signal Theater Company, a company member of Rough and Tumble and a PlayGround Company Member. As a solo performer, she’s performed at Porchlight, CounterPULSE, Tell It on Tuesday! and at the most recent PlayGround Solo Performance Festival.

L. DUARTE (Festival Premiere: Mycelium, “Actor 5”), they/them, is an actor, teaching artist, playwright and director. Recent projects include: Citizen with Word for Word – Z Space, House of Desires with Those Women Productions, August: Osage County with San Jose Stage Company, Julius Caesar with PacRep, The Review with Theatre Rhinoceros, Helen! With Theatre of Yugen, Into the Beautiful North & The King of Cuba with CentralWorks. L is a founding member of Latinx Mafia, a Bay Area collective of Latinx Teatristas, working to ensure Latinx stories are valued and accurately represented. Find out more at https://www.facebook.com/latinxmafia/. L is a graduate of UCLA, UCSC, and has trained with A.C.T. and Shakespeare & Co.

CINDY GOLDFIELD (BoP: Dolores Park, “Margie”), she/they, is thrilled be back at Playground where she has been a company member since 1994. Acting credits include work at: ACT, CenterRep, San Jose Rep, TheatreWorks, 42ndStreet Moon, and many other regional houses.  NY credits include Project:Lohan and Mr.Irresistible at La MaMa E.T.C, with D’Arcy Drollinger’s Back It Up Productions, with whom she also starred locally in Scalpel! and the SF production of Mr. Irresistible.  Goldfield also enjoys cabaret collaborations with David Aaron Brown (One Night Stand/Going Back for Seconds) and the inimitable Scrumbly Koldewyn (Goldfield & Koldewyn).

JULIE KUWABARA (Festival Staged Reading: The Case of the Missing Messenger, “Cesca Fabbro”), she/her, is thrilled to be back with Playground SF, where she appeared in “Apertures of Love in Times of War” as Gabrielle/Miyo. She has performed at Yale Repertory Theatre, San Francisco Playhouse, Magic Theatre, SF BATCO, Shotgun Players, Central Works, Bindlestiff Studio, Killing My Lobster, and Granny Cart Gangstas. Recent highlights include SF BATCO’s “Cuckoo Edible Magic” and Word For Word’s “Strange Library.” Julie sends massive hugs to her husband, family, and friends for their unwavering support.

TESSA KONING MARTINEZ (BoP: A Wayward Tale, “Leah”).

LEONTYNE MBELE-MBONG (Festival Staged Reading: Disloyal, “Peggy Shippen Arnold”), is delighted to return to Playground. Recent credits include Mary Jane with ARC; Waste (BATCC nomination), Eureka Day, and Cherry Orchard at Marin Theatre. Other credits: The Untime (Marin Shakes); Pipeline, Macbeth, Medea (TBA Award), and Antony & Cleopatra (TBA Award Finalist) (African-American Shakes); Cyrano, Hurricane Diane, Bull in a China Shop, Temple, and Breakfast with Mugabe at the Aurora; Fefu and her Friends at A.C.T., Lear at CalShakes (BATCC Award); The Half-Life of Marie Curie (TheatreSquared, Fayetteville, AK); Watch on the Rhine (Berkeley Rep/Guthrie Theatre). Proud founding member of the Actors’ Reading Collective. www.leontynembele-mbong.com 

KHARY MOYE (Young Playwrights Project: There is No Elevator to Success, You Must Take the Stairs, “Richie”), he/him, is always happy to be playing with the Playground Family! His previous credits Include Fat Ham with S.F Playhouse (Understudy), Two Trains Running with Marin Theatre Company, Toni Stone with A.C.T, Six Degrees of Separation with Custom Made Theatre and A Streetcar Named Desire with African American Shakespeare Company. He is thankful to his family/friends and girlfriend for always being so supportive of his dreams. A special mention goes to his father Adrian Clements who always said, “In order to catch a dream, you have to chase one” Thank you Dad and you are missed every day. Love you.

NIKKI NUTTERFIELD  (Festival Premiere: Mycelium, “Actor 3”).

ANNETTE AMELIA OLIVEIRA (BoP: Abuela Knows Best, “La Llorona/Maria”). she/her, has appeared on stages from coast to coast as women (and men) who are wise, fierce, sometimes losing marbles, often Latinx. She’s performed in Shakespeare plays at Marin’s redwood-ringed Curtain Theatre. She played every role imaginable for SF’s Shoestring Radio Theatre. Now specializing in audiobooks (some award-winning), she has recorded for Penguin-Random House, Scholastic, Hachette, Audible and others. Check out her website at annettenarrates.com.

KRYSTLE PIAMONTE (Festival Premiere: Mycelium, “Actor 1”; BoP: A Wayward Tale, “Shayna”; Young Playwrights Project: The End of the Line, “Jun Chung”), she/her, is a San Francisco-based artist. Theatre credits include work at Z Space, SF Playhouse, Magic Theatre, TheatreWorks, Bindlestiff Studio, 59E59 in collaboration with Artistic Stamp, and the radio play, THE FOREVER WAVE by Nicole Gluckstern. Screen credits include the award-winning short films BOUND 4 HEAVEN and MEDIAN. She is a 2x Theatre Bay Area Award Finalist for Outstanding Performance in a Principal Role in a Play and was named an MVP of Bay Area Theatre by KQED. Krystle is a Co-Founder/Co-Artistic Director of The Chikahan Company and a company member of PlayGround SF. www.krystlepiamonte.com

REBECCA PINGREE (Festival Staged Reading: The Case of the Missing Messenger, “Nell / Cafe Wait Staff”;BoP: Lil Ole Orphan Annie, “Old Orphan Annie”), she/her, is delighted to return, having been a member of PlayGround’s Acting Company for over a decade. Most recently she played Adira in Exodus to Eden at OTP, Bridget Potter in the original cast of The Kilbanes’ The Code with ACT YC, and The Baker’s Wife in Sondheim’s Into the Woods at Berkeley Playhouse. She holds an MFA in Collaborative Theatremaking from Rose Bruford in London and co-founded Analog Theatre (analogtheatre.org) a member of PlayGround’s IN2 cohort.

KUNAL PRASAD (Festival Premiere: Mycelium, “Actor 4”), he/they, s a Theater Artist trained at American Repertory Theater and a Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation Fellow. As an Actor, he is featured in the indie film ‘Gone in the Night,’ starring Winona Ryder, with stage credits including ‘Wives’ (Aurora Theatre Company), ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’ (A.C.T.), ‘Taylor Mac: A 24-Decade History of Popular Music’ (SF Curran), and ‘Hedda Gabler’ (The Cutting Ball Theater). Upcoming, Kunal directs Silicon Valley Shakespeare’s ‘Much Ado About Nothing,’ and New Conservatory Theater’s ‘A Nice Indian Boy.

DOM REFUERZO (Festival Premiere: Mycelium, “Actor 2”), they/he, is a Filipinx-American, queer artist hailing from the Pacific Northwest. Earlier this year, they starred as Ren in SFBATCO’s world premiere of cuckoo edible magic and Hyun-Joo/Bartender in Theatre Rhinoceros’s west coast premiere of GUMIHO. As a musician, he has premiered his compositions in Austria and across the so-called United States, and sung with New Voices TIGQ Chorus and AfterGlow Chorus here in the Bay Area. Much love and thanks to their family and friends for supporting their artistic journey with all of its chaos! Instagram: @mirasoulx

PATRICK RUSSELL (BoP: Dolores Park, “Alex”), he/him, has performed with American Conservatory Theater, TheatreWorks, California Shakespeare Theater, Aurora Theatre Company, San Francisco Playhouse, Magic Theatre, Marin Theatre Company, Marin Shakespeare Company, Center REP, and Shotgun Players. Recent credits include Noises Off and The Play That Goes Wrong at San Francisco Playhouse. Film credits include the feature films Being Us and Moss Beach.
Directing credits include A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Arsonists at UC Berkeley; She Kills Monsters and Stupid F***ing Bird at San Francisco State University; and All My Sons at Role Players Ensemble.
He is a Continuing Lecturer of Acting and Movement for Actors at UC Berkeley and serves on the faculty of American Conservatory Theater’s training programs.

MARJAN SAFA (Young Playwrights Project: The Tramp of the Galaxy, “Astronaut”).

MIYOKO SAKATANI (BoP: Bridges of San Francisco County, “G.G.”), she/her, is a Sag-Aftra-e actor, singer, writer, director producer, podcaster and a proud member of SF PlayGround. She has worked on stage, screen, web series and commercials over many years. Miyoko has performed on SF Bay Area regional and community theatre stages, including writing and performing her own solo shows. Film credits include the award winning Samuel Goldwyn film “East Side Sushi” (https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5706042/) As founding director of Playland Productions, Miyoko has produced films and stage plays.Deepest love and gratitude to Richard, Shanti and dear friends.

LOUEL SENORES (BoP: Dolores Park, “Nate”), he/him, is grateful for all the opportunities he has had with PlayGround. Recent acting work includes To My Girls (New Conservatory Theatre) and The Future is Queer (Left Coast Theatre). Recent SM work includes Puppy Mind and Bee Amazing! (both with NCTC’s YouthAware). He has now begun dabbling in short films! Keep your future eye out for his latest project, Machine of Loving Grace. When he’s not doing theater, he’s probably doing odd jobs or Zumba. He teaches at the Berkeley YMCA & anywhere else that may hire him. (Any leads? Seriously. He’s broke. Will dance for money!) LouelSenores.com.

TERRANCE SMITH (Festival Staged Reading: Disloyal, “John Andre, Joseph Reed, Franks, Samuel”; Young Playwrights Project: A Waymo Carol, “Tech Bro”), is thrilled to participate in Playground’s Young Playwrights Project! He has performed in theatres all across the Bay Area, including: SF Playhouse, Marin Shakes, Hillbarn Theatre, Town Hall Theatre, African-American Shakes, SPARC Theatre, The Lorraine Hansberry Theatre Company and many others. He’s toured nationally with the End of isolation Company and has performed overseas at the Eugene O’Neill Festival. He also voices DJ Train Trax on the Daytime Emmy Award winning Netflix Cartoon series Go Go Cory Carson. terranceaustinsmith.com

JOMAR TAGATAC (Festival Staged Reading: The Case of the Missing Messenger, “II Dottore Cotogna / Dante Alighieri”).

RYAN TASKER (BoP: Bridges of San Francisco County, “Karl”), he/him, has appeared in several Monday Night Playgrounds, and is happy to be joining Best Of this year! He has worked around the Bay Area as an AEA actor, most frequently with Word for Word, where he is a company member. Check out “Absolutely Science Fiction!” coming up at Z Space in June.

ISABEL ANNE TO (Festival Staged Reading: Disloyal, “Becky, George Washington, Mrs. Smith, Ethan Allen”; Young Playwrights Project: The End of the Line, “Wei Chung”), she/her, is an actor, singer, and PlayGround company member based in the SF Bay Area. She has enjoyed performing in Monday Night PlayGround for the past 8 seasons, in addition to PlayGround SF festival productions (The Passing Storm, Starlight, and Funny, Like an Abortion). Other selected credits: Tea Party (One Of Our Own Theater), The Jersey Devil Play (Awesome Theatre), and Avenue Q (New Conservatory Theatre Center). Isabel has also collaborated on to-be-released film projects with Liam Kirk and Èlement Magique. Offstage, she enjoys cross-stitching, pickleball, and traveling. www.isabelanneto.com

WAYNE WONG (BoP: Lil Ole Orphan Annie, “Daddy Warbucks”), he/him, was last seen as the Imperial Commissioner in Pocket Opera’s bilingual production of Madame Butterfly. Other engagements include SF Playhouse, Shotgun Players, Opera Parallele, Ars Minerva, Berkeley (West Edge) Opera and Festival Opera. Roles include Don Alfonso (Cosi fan tutte), Benoit and Alcindoro (La boheme), Frank and Frosch (Die Fledermaus), Angelotti, Sciarrone and the Jailer (Tosca), and Gideon (Little Women). He recently made his Berkeley Rep debut as in Grandfather Loi in Mother of Exiles.

MARYSSA WANLASS (Festival Staged Reading: Disloyal, “VO, Moron at Dance, Messenger, Mr. Smith, Edward, Sneaky Guy, Soldier”), she/they, is a PlayGround company member and local actor, director, and educator. Acting credits include SF Shakes (Much Ado, Pericles, As You Like It, Hamlet, and Winter’s Tale), CalShakes (As You Like It), San Jose Stage (Persuasion), SPARC (As You Like It, Hamlet, Merry Wives of Windsor), Center REPertory Company (Sweat, Enchanted April, Witness for the Prosecution), Woman’s Will (Much Ado, Good Person of Szechuan). She has directed professionally for SF Shakes, Utopia Theatre Project, PlayGroundSF, Shotz, and Advice to the Players. They also teach improv to California’s incarcerated population with Red Ladder, and created a storytelling program for unhoused community members with the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival.

DIRECTORS

LINDA AMAYO-HASSAN (Young Playwrights Project: The End of the Line).

TANIKA BAPTISTE (BoP: Lil Ole Orphan Annie; Executive Producer), she/they, is an actor, director, and theatre artist recognized for her powerful stage presence and versatility. A proud AEA and SDC member, she has performed with acclaimed companies including San Francisco Playhouse, Magic Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, and Berkeley Playhouse. Known for dynamic performances in *Waitress the Musical*, *Sister Act*, *Nollywood Dreams*, and *Dreamgirls*, Tanika brings depth, humor, and authenticity to every role. A UC Davis graduate with a B.A. in African and African American Studies, she has also trained extensively in Shakespeare, voice, and dance, continuing to shape stories that celebrate Black artistry and resilience.

WYNNE CHAN (BoP: Dolores Park), she/her, Wynne Chan is a Hong Kong-American director, dramaturg, and performer based in San Francisco. She was last seen at SF Playhouse associate directing Chinglish, by David Henry Hwang. Some of her favorite directing credits include: The Chinese Lady at The Pear Theatre, She Kills Monsters at Plethos Productions, Tell Me on a Sunday at SDC Productions, and The Language Archive at Masquers Playhouse. Wynne is also the Managing Director at Golden Thread Productions, the first American theater company dedicated to the Middle East. Coming up, she will be directing a piece in Golden Thread’s ReOrient Festival this fall.

FRIEDA DE LACKNER (Festival Staged Reading: Good Romans), she/her, is a Los Angeles based director and producer. She is passionate about telling stories that make a positive difference. Her latest short film is an adaptation of Scott Mullen’s play, 172 Push-Ups; and stars PlayGround-LA actors Krystal Mosely, Christina Wren, Jahnavi Alyssa, Jon Gentry, and Jonathan Wray. It has screened at festivals across the country and won the Jan Johnson & Pat Wright Film Inspires Change Award. She is delighted to have been a PlayGround-LA member since 2013.

CLAIRE GANEM (BoP: Certified Super Sleuth), she/her, is a Bay Area-based theatre director who specializes in new play development. Her work is radically collaborative and aims to connect people to their inner selves, the natural world, and each other in joyous, loving, and empowering ways. Claire is a current company member and ambassador at Playground SF. In addition to Playground, her work has been seen at Cutting Ball Theatre. Town Hall Theatre, 3Girls Theatre, Z Below, Pianofight, Left Coast Theatre Company, and Magic Theatre, where she was an artistic direction apprentice during their 2018-2019 season. Claire is a current lecturer at UC Santa Cruz and a naturalist at local parks around the East Bay.

DOYLE OTT (BoP: A Wayward Tale), he/him, is a performer, director, dramaturg, and theatre and circus scholar. Career highlights include work with Make A Circus, Splash Circus Theatre, Prescott Circus, San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, San Francisco Circus Center, Bay Area Children’s Theatre, Foolsfury, Antenna Theatre, Golden Thread, and the San Francisco Playwright’s Foundation. As Artistic Director at Children’s Fairyland in Oakland he oversaw the creation of two new performance spaces, written and directed over 30 plays for children, and developed the Bay Area’s first professional Theatre for the Very Young. He currently works with Medical Clown Project and Curtain Theatre, and serves as an Artist in Residence in the Tamalpais School district.

ELY SONNY ORQUIZA (Festival Staged Reading: The Case of the Missing Messenger), he/him, is a 2023 YBCA 100 Honoree, inaugural Cali Catalyst Recipient, and two-time Theatre Bay Area Grant awardee. His body of work spans American Conservatory Theater, Magic Theatre, Center Theater Group, East West Players, Cal Performances, The Kennedy Center, and Theatre Rhinoceros, among many others. He is the originator of the Living Document of BIPOC Experiences in Bay Area Theatre and currently serves as Director of Education and Community at Magic Theatre.

LANA RICHARDS (Festival Premiere: Mycelium), she/her, is a San Francisco based director. She has worked with Cutting Ball, The Pear Theatre, Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, We Players, EnActe, The Civilians, The Hearth, Ruthless Nightingale, Parallel 45, PlayGround, and Pacific Repertory Theater, and is an alumna of Connecticut College where she studied theater and environmental studies. She co-founded The Wickies in 2019 with collaborators Anna Nemetz and Allison Snyder. She was the 2019 Directing Fellow at Parallel 45 Theater, and a Directing Apprentice & Producing Fellow at PlayGround in 2020 where she is now the Director of Development. Lanarichards.com

KATJA RIVERA (BoP: Abuela Knows Best), she/her, believes that stories have the power to save lives. Originally from Los Angeles, she studied at LACC Theatre Academy and Drama Studio London, Berkeley. Bay Area acting credits include: Shotgun Players, Magic Theatre, Theatre Rhinoceros, Center Rep. Directing credits include Shotgun Players, Theatre Cultura, Douglas Morrison, CustomMade, SF Playground, SF Shakespeare, Town Hall Theatre and TheatreFIRST. She is a company member of Shotgun Players, an associate producer with PlayGround-SF and a member of Latinx Mafia. Recent directing credits include:Yerma (Shotgun Players) La Vida Loca (Theatre Cultura) References To Salvador Dali…(Custom Made Theatre), Romeo & Juliet (SF Shakespeare, Tour) and True West (Town Hall Theatre). Her next directing gig is Antony + Cleopatra for SF Shakespeare Co.

JENNA STEIN-CORMAN (BoP: Bridges of San Francisco County; Young Playwrights Project: The Tramp of the Galaxy), she/her, is a theatre artist who works with schools and theaters across the Bay Area as an educator, stage manager, and director. She has worked for the SF Mime Troupe, The Berkeley Playhouse, Musical Theatre Works, Town Hall Theatre, and Golden Thread Productions, to name a few. She particularly enjoys directing shows with themes of social justice. This is her third year with PlayGround-SF, and she is grateful to be a member of the PlayGround community.

ADAM L. SUSSMAN (Young Playwrights Project: A Waymo Carol), he/him is a director, creative producer, educator, and occasionally, a writer. His work celebrates the often overlooked chaos of daily life: the complex tensions of family and friendship, the tangled cultural ideas that shape us, and the times when our beliefs are tested by forces beyond our control. He has worked with Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Cornerstone Theater Company, Playwrights Foundation, Custommade Theatre, Theater First, and The Theater Offensive. He received his MFA from UT Austin and has taught at the American Conservatory Theater and in the MFA Creative Writing program at SF State. AdamLSussman.com

EMILIE TALBOT (Young Playwrights Project: There is No Elevator to Success, You Must Take the Stairs), she/they, is a Bay Area based actor, director, teacher, and a longtime PlayGround company member as both an actor and director. Most recently she played Abby in Ripcord at the Rogue Theatre Company. She has also worked with the Prague Shakespeare Company in the Czech Republic and has appeared appeared on numerous stages across the United States from Boston to La Jolla, Ashland to Dallas. Film and Television work includes Little Mother Lies, 13 Reasons Why, Starting Over, and a whole slew of commercials, industrials, radio dramas, and video games including STAR WARS Beyond Victory. This May she will be starring in THE GLASS MENAGERIE with SPARC in Livermore. www.emilietalbot.com.

PRODUCTION & STAFF

RAPHAEL LOUIS BUENAVENTURA (Stage Manager: Mycelium), he/him/they/them, is a Bay Area–based production manager, stage manager, director, and actor known for his collaborative, detail-driven, and human-forward approach to new and independent work. He has supported productions across San Francisco and the greater Bay Area, including work with The 222 in Healdsburg, Theatre Rhinoceros, and Bindlestiff Studio, as well as the SF Playground Free Play Festival. His work spans rehearsal rooms, festivals, and developmental processes, with a focus on clarity, communication, and care. Raphael builds grounded, responsive environments where artists feel supported, take creative risks, and make their best work. For collab: rsd.buenaventura@gmail.com

ROSE CURFMAN (Properties Artisan: Mycelium).

BRITTANY MELLERSON (Lighting/Sound/Projections Designer: Mycelium), all pronouns, is an East coast native and a graduate of Point Park University’s Conservatory Program, with a BFA in Theatrical Lighting & Sound Design. Brittany is the Resident Lighting designer for Lamplighters Music Theatre, SF PlayGround, and the Telluride Film Festival. Recent credits include lighting design for LMT’s Princess Ida, PlayGround’s Solofest and sound design for Mothers of the Bride. Throughout the pandemic, Brittany has been working to source and produce equitable employment avenues in the Bay Area for Black designers and technicians. “The world is burning. Learn its truth.”

KHEM MYRICK (Stage Manager: Disloyal, The Case of the Missing Messenger, BoP, Young Playwrights Project).

ELENOR PAUL (Costume Co-Designer: Mycelium).

CHRIS STEELE (Costume Co-Designer: Mycelium), they/she, is a queer trans nonbinary performance artist, writer, and activist. Their work centers on highlighting queer narratives throughout history and combating bigotry and white supremacy. Her award-winning drag persona Polly Amber Ross can be found on Instagram @pollyamberross. As a producer, Chris specializes in Marketing and Communications and is currently the Curation Director of Cutting Ball Theatre.

NOVALYNN STONE (Stage Manager: Good Romans), she/her, is a local San Francisco stage manager/board operator that has been working with Playground for over 2 years now! She is a recent graduate of San Francisco State University. Theater has been a passion of hers for many years and is glad to be a part of the technical team putting this show together.

PLAYGROUND, California’s leading playwright incubator, provides unique development opportunities for the Bay Area’s, Los Angeles’ and now New York’s best new playwrights, including the monthly Monday Night PlayGround staged reading series, annual PlayGround Festival of New Works, full-length play commissions and support for the production of new plays by local playwrights through the New Play Production Fund. To date, PlayGround has supported over 250 early career playwrights, developing and staging more than 1000 of their original short plays through the Monday Night PlayGround staged reading series and the PlayGround Festival. PlayGround has also commissioned 90 new full-length plays by 60 of these writers through its Commissioning Initiative and, through the innovative New Play Production Fund, has directly facilitated the premiere of 34 plays at theatres of every size, including three that have gone on to NYC and other major theater communities. Most recently, PlayGround renovated and relaunched the former Thick House Theater in San Francisco’s Potrero Hill as Potrero Stage, a state-of-the-art center for new plays, home to PlayGround’s expanding artistic programs and some of the Bay Area’s most distinguished new play developers and producers. Over the past twenty-four years, PlayGround has served to identify some of the most important new local voices for the theatre. PlayGround’s alumni have gone on to win local, national, and international honors for their short and full-length work, including recognition at the Humana Festival, O’Neill National Playwrights Conference, Bay Area Playwrights Festival, The Lark’s Playwrights’ Week, New York International Fringe Festival, and others. PlayGround received the 2009 Paine Knickerbocker Award for outstanding contributions to Bay Area theatre, 3 BATCC Awards for Best Original Script for PlayGround commissions, a 2014 National Theatre Company Grant from the American Theatre Wing (founder of the Tony Awards®), and a 2016 Edgerton Foundation New Play Award. Visit https://PlayGround-sf.org for more information.

POTRERO STAGE is a 99-seat state-of-the-art performance space located in the heart of San Francisco’s Potrero Hill neighborhood, operated by PlayGround, and serving as home to some of the Bay Area’s leading new play developers and producers, including PlayGround, Crowded Fire, Golden Thread, and Playwrights Foundation, among others. While the venue is closed during the COVID pandemic, Potrero Stage will highlight the best in online programming by PlayGround, Potrero Stage resident companies, and other Potrero Stage producers. For more information, visit https://potrerostage.org.

PlayGround Opportunities

PlayGround Contributors

PlayGround is deeply grateful for the generous contributions of the many individuals, foundations, corporations and government agencies whose contributions make our work possible. This list reflects gifts of $75 or more committed between June 1, 2025 & May 15, 2026.

GOVERNMENT, CORPORATE, & FOUNDATION DONORS

Adobe • Alameda County Arts Commission • Art Space Development Corporation • Berkeley Civic Arts • Berlanti Family Foundation • Bill Graham Supporting Foundation of the Jewish Community Federation & Endowment Fund • California Office of the Small Business Advocate • Fleishhacker Foundation • Grants For The Arts • KFF • Koret Foundation • LA County Arts Commission • Lenore & Howard Klein Foundation • The Leo J. & Celia Carlin Fund • National Endowment of the Arts • Negley Flinn Charitable Foundation • New York State Council on the Arts • News Corp • NIAC • Nvidia • Phyllis C. Wattis Foundation • Ronald Whittier Family Foundation • SF Shines • The Shubert Foundation • State Compensation Insurance Fund

SEASON SPONSORS ($5000+)

Emilie & Gordon Brooks, Daniel Cohn & Lynn Linton,  Keith Goldstein & Donna Warrington, Jim Kleinmann & Lara Gilman, Jackie Kubicka, Craig Moody, Darryl Wilburn

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS ($2500-$4999)

Randy Adams, John Gilman, Regina S. Guggenheim, Kathryn Hecht, Nitin Nitin & Vasugi Kailasam, Christian Wilburn, Janine Wilburn, Anonymous

PRODUCERS CIRCLE ($1000-$2499)

Berlanti Family Foundation, Meriko Borogove, Anne Brady,  Madeleine Butler, Jahnavi Caldwell-Green, Sheila Collins, Elizabeth Dudak, Jessica Forbess, David Goldman, Greg Gorel, Gina & Steve Harris, J. Lynn Jackson, Linda Kremer, Bram McGinnis, Molly Noble & Bob Guilbault, Arthur Rock & Toni Rembe Rock, Jessica June Rowe, Miyoko Sakatani, Diane Sampson, Kurt Taylor, William C. Thompson

PLAYWRIGHTS CIRCLE ($500-$999)

The Leo J. & Celia Carlin Fund, Lydia R. Diamond, Leon Goertzen, Philip Kan Gotanda & Diane Takei, Dana Hall, Paul & Pam Kleinmann, Margery Kreitman, Kathy Roberts & Aaron Loeb, Mark Peters, Kendall Phillips, Jenny Rand, Cindy & Chris Redburn, Mercedes Segesvary, Matt W Wills

PATRON ($250-$499)

Linda Amayo-Hassan, Linda Ayres-Frederick / Phoenix Arts Association Theatre, Summer Broyhill, Ben Cain, Jediah Craig, Clint Fleener, Hechale Productions, Jonathan Josephson, Alex Loddengaard, Alan Maass, Tobi Marcus, Evelyn Jean Pine & Doug Peckler, Bridgette Dutta Portman, Stephanie Prentice, George Rose, John Ruskin, Kathryn Ryan, Kitt Saginor, Kristina Segesvary, Sanjit Sengupta, Mark Sherstinsky, Jerome Solberg, Jon & Susan Sweedler, Mary Lou Torre, Rebecca White, Susannah Wise, Maury Zeff

ASSOCIATE MEMBER ($125-$249)

Sharon Baldwin, Sylvia Blush, Ruth Brayton, Vilma Contreras, Marilyn Cooper, Deepanshu Dutta, Krystyna Finlayson, Nancy Fishman, Patience Haggin, Edward Hong, Karen Levesque, Pam MacKinnon, Sheila McCormick, Jack Needleman, Sitara Nieves, Karen Reaume, Katja Rivera, Stan Stone, Ann Hearn Tobolowsky, Christina Velasco, Donna Young

SUPPORTING MEMBER ($75-$124)

Tanika Baptiste, Barbara Burgel, Laura Domingo, Anirvan Ghosh, Steve Harper, Howard Ho, Lucy & Jarrod Hsu, Sue Inoue, Mark Jacobson, Carl Johnson, Emily Keyishian, Charisse Loriaux, Jonathan Luskin, Linda Marks, Paris McCarthy, Karen Offereins, Wiliam Piedra, John Pinkos, Tipu Purkayastha, Kenn Rabin, Jay Rehak, Shariba Rivers, Anthony Roberts, John Schrom, Gae Shulman, Nancy Smith, Cathy Stonie, Jeremy Wechsler, Tyler Wentworth

To contribute to PlayGround, visit https://playground-sf.org/contribute or contact PlayGround Associate Director of Development Lana Richards at lana@playground-sf.org or by phone at (833) 992-6677.

Become a PlayGround contributor!

DONATE

PlayGround Company

PlayGround-SF Writers Pool 2025-26

Linda Ayres-Frederick, Paul Braverman, Robyn Brooks, Madeleine Butler, Melina Cohen-Bramwell, Jediah Craig, Laura Domingo, Garret Groenveld, KT Frances Hartline, Carl Andrew Johnson, Ruth Kirschner, Greg Lam, Justin P. Lopez, Daniel Martinez Jr, Gillian O’Leary, Richard Perez, James Perry, Bridgette Dutta Portman, Jan Probst, Kimberly Ridgeway, George Rose, Sophie Ruf, Sanjit Sengupta, Greg Sigur, Chris Steele, Stan Stone, Lisa Gaye Thompson, Maury Zeff

PlayGround Resident Playwrights

San Francisco: Monique Adams, Madeleine Butler*, Laura Domingo**, Bridgette Dutta Portman, Daniel Martinez Jr., Christian Wilburn; Los Angeles: Summer Broyhill, Amy Ellenberger, Paris Herbert-Taylor, Jonathan Josephson, Mercedes Segesvary, Baylee Shlichtman*; New York: Saiya Floyd, Howard Ho, Dana Leslie Goldstein, Wade Lawrence Hollomon, Lyra Nalan, Camron Wright*; Chicago: Anne Brady*, Jessie Bond, alfonzo kahlil, Juliet Kang Huneke, Karissa Murrell Myers, Katherine Swan.

* Playwrights under commission for the 2025-26 season
** June Anne Baker Award Winner

PlayGround Company

Molly Aaronson-Gelb, Angel Adedokun, Linda Amayo-Hassan, Liz Anderson, Rinabeth Apostol, Michael Asberry, Michael Barrett Austin, Mary Baird, April Ballesteros, Tanika Baptiste, Aldo Billingslea, Julia Brothers, Nicole Apostol Bruno, Lizzie Calogero, Ron Campbell, Nancy, Carlin, Joy Carlin, Ben Chau-Chiu, Zoe Chien, Tessa Corrie, David Cramer, Will Dao, Anne Darragh, Roshni Datta, Natalia Delgado, Dodds Delzell, Livia Gomes Demarchi, Carolyn Doyle, Leticia Duarte, Nora el Samahy, Rebecca Ennals, Britney Frazier, Michael French, Claire, Ganem, Norman Gee, Douglas B. Giorgis, Linda Giron, Amy Glazer, Leon Goertzen, Cindy Goldfield, BW Gonzalez, GG Grilli, Rudy Guerrero, Karina Gutierrez, Rosie Hallett, Katherine Hamilton, Matthew Hanjoong, Eric Fraisher Hayes, Brian Herndon, Champagne Hughes, J Jha, Christian, Jimenez, Colin Johnson, Jacinta Kaumbulu, Emily Keyishian, Jennifer King, Tessa Koning-Martinez, Randy Lee, Danielle Levin, Amy Lizardo, Jeffrey Lo, Gwen Loeb, Charisse Loriaux, George Maguire, Melanie Marshall, Alicia Mason, Leontyne Mbele-Mbong, Julia McNeal, Sam Misner, Eiko Moon-Yamamoto, Brady Morales-Woolery, Carolina Morones, Lisa Morse, Khary L. Moye, Sakura Nakahara, Molly Noble, Karen Offereins, Annette Oliveira, Soren Oliver, Ely Orquiza, Tony Ortega, Doyle Ott, June Palladino, Carla Pantoja, Louis Parnell, Jed Parsario, Michael, Phillis, Krystle Piamonte, Rebecca Pingree, Stephanie Prentice, Ezra Reaves, Ginny Reed, Cathleen Riddley, Kimberly Ridgeway, Katja Rivera, Adrian Roberts, Stacy Ross, Adam Roy, Katie Rubin, Patrick Russell, Miyoko Sakatani, Louel Senores, Robert Sicular, Dave Sikula, Jeunee Simon, M. Graham Smith, Ken Sonkin, Lauren Spencer, Teddy Spencer, Chris Steele, Howard Swain, Jomar Tagatac, Emilie Talbot, Danielle Thys, Isabel Anne To, Jon Tracy, Dane Troy, Mark Truitt, Liam Vincent, Ian Walker, Maryssa Wanlass, Tracy Ward, Reggie D. White, Christian Wilburn, Wayne Wong, Elena Wright, Hector Zavala

PlayGround Staff

Jim Kleinmann, Co-Founder & Artistic Director 
Lana Richards, Director of Development 
Jonathan Josephson, Director of Marketing & Communications 
Stephanie Prentice, Education Coordinator
Tanika Baptiste, MNP Executive Producer 
Norman Gee, MNP Associate Producer 
Katja Rivera, MNP Associate Producer 
Zoe Chien, MNP Associate Producer & Casting Director 
Brittany Mellerson, Resident Designer & Technical Director 
K’Zhane McGill, Box Office Manager 
Donna Fondjo, 2025-26 Producing Fellow 
Jordan Don, 2025-26 Producing Fellow 
Juliana Morgado Brito, 2025-26 Producing Fellow 
Devin Cunningham, 2025-26 Producing Fellow 

PlayGround Ambassadors

Julia Brothers, Jordan Carlson, Ben Chau-Chiu , Julia Crowley, Sheri Flanders, Claire Ganem, Eric Geller, Monica Ho, Tony Kim, Christine Liao, AJ Lily, Ely Sonny Orquiza, Andrew Perez, Ivan Rivas, Miyoko Sakatani, Braedyn Youngberg

PlayGround Equity Workgroup

Diana Burbano, Victoria Evans Erville, Norman Gee, Jim Kleinmann, Brittany Mellerson, Tiana Randall-Quant, Katja Rivera, M. Graham Smith.

PlayGround Board

Stephanie Prentice, Chair 
James A. Kleinmann, President 
Christian Wilburn, Vice President
Nitin, Treasurer
Ben Cain, Secretary
Regina Guggenheim, Chair Emeritus
Tanvi Agrawal
Linda Amayo-Hassan
Julia Brothers
Howard Ho
Alex Kingsley
Rebecca Martinez
Kendall Phillips
Jessica June Rowe

www.PlayGround-sf.org
3286 Adeline St #8
Berkeley, CA 94703-2485
info@playground-sf.org
(415) 992-6677