What happens when Christmas gets stolen from Whoville, again?? Can Santa’s niece successfully infiltrate the North Pole to satisfy Interpol? Enjoy these riotous riffs and many more for one weekend only: A VERY HITCHCOCK What happens when RALPHIE Parker and Ethan GRINCH meet on an Amtrak and devise a plan to help each other achieve their biggest holiday desires? Or, how can we bear with the fact that Santa was found dead in a couple’s apartment; but was St. Nick’s untimely death a result of self-defense…or murder?? Enjoy these outrageous Hitchcockian spoofs, and many more, for one weekend only at A VERY HITCHCOCK CHRISTMAS, PlayGround’s fourth annual “twisted” holiday” show, inspired by the iconic films of Alfred Hitchcock. Made up of five short plays, the complete performance will take place live in-person at Potrero Stage in San Francisco and be simulcast nationally on Vimeo Live: December Dec 6-7 at 7:00 p.m. PST. Admission free (suggested donation $10-50). Make Reservations HERE.

NOTE: Advance reservations are strongly recommended. Admission is free but donations are gratefully accepted. Masks are optional for in-person performance at Potrero Stage. Links for online viewing will be sent within one day of the performance and can also be accessed through your PlayGround account at https://tickets.playground-sf.org (log in, click “home” for the main menu, then “tickets for upcoming performances”, select the proper show, and choose “watch”). If you have any questions, please contact the Box Office at boxoffice@playground-sf.org.

THE PLAYS & PLAYWRIGHTS

The Birds is Coming by Jonathan Josephson (Premiered in 2024), a “prequel” to The Birds.
Directed by Ely Sonny Orquiza; featuring L Duarte, Danielle Thys, and Isabel To
‘Tis the holiday season and Sparrow, Crow, and Seagull have gathered for their annual gift exchange. Some of the gifts are nice, and some set the stage for bloody revenge. Based on The Birds.

Fifty of Jonathan Josephson’s plays have been produced around the world including Actors Theatre of Louisville (Humana Festival), Milwaukee Rep (RepLab), Samuel French OOB (Festival Winner), Chance Theater, and Mountain View Mausoleum. His work has been included in several Smith and Kraus Best Of collections, The Great Plains Theatre Conference, Best of PlayGround-LA, and has also been named a Finalist for the O’Neill. Twenty-four of his plays are published by Concord Theatricals, Broadway Licensing, and others. He’s also a co-founder of the award-winning Unbound Productions (Wicked Lit, History Lit, Mystery Lit). B.A. Theatre: Playwriting, UCSD. DG, ALAP. [jonathanjosephson.com]

Dial M for Merry by Christian Wilburn (World Premiere)
Directed by Lana Richards; featuring Emily Keyishian, Khary Moye, and Tessa Koning Martinez
Santa Claus is found dead in a couple’s apartment. Was it self defense…or murder? Based on Dial M for Murder.

Christian Wilburn is a biracial writer and educator, who’s spent his life in San Francisco. Christian creates stories that are simultaneously diverse, fantastical, and radically empathetic. His short plays have been featured in festivals around the country. Christian is also a five-time Monday Night Playground People’s Choice Award winner and winner of the inaugural Best of Playground People’s Choice Award. His full-length play, Starlight, received a developmental production at the 2023 Playground New Works Festival. His play Love_Stories received a world premiere as a part of the Santa Clara University mainstage season in 2019.

Fool Proof by Kimberly Ridgeway (World Premiere), Inspired by Strangers on a Train
Directed by Karina Gutierrez; featuring James Aaron Oh, Wayne Wong, and Mark Rafael Truitt
Ralphie Parker and Ethan Grinch have a chance meeting on an Amtrak and devise a plan to help each other achieve their biggest holiday desire. But will this fool proof plan go as expected? Based on Strangers on a Train.

Kimberly Ridgeway is an award-winning Playwright, Actor, and Director. Kimberly is a PlayGround-SF company member, is in the Actor’s Pool, Director’s Pool and this is her third year in the Writer’s Pool. Kimberly is a Brady Fellow Recipient, a Theatre Bay Area (TBA) Art Leadership Residency Grantee and the Artistic Associate at Altarena Playhouse. Kimberly is also the recipient of the 2024 June Anne Baker Prize. Her play Snowbound: A Holiday Tale, which she co-wrote with Writer’s Pool member Richard Perez, will have its World Premiere in December 2025 at Town Hall Theatre.

How the Bates (Almost) Stole Christmas by J.S. Puller (Premiered in 2023)
Directed by Peter J. Kuo; featuring Michael Asberry, Chris Steele, and April Ballesteros
All the people down in Fairvale liked Christmas a lot. But Norma Bates, town pariah, really did not. Based on Psycho.

J. S. Puller is a playwright and author from the Windy City, Chicago. She has a master’s degree in elementary education and a bachelor’s degree in theatre from Northwestern University. She is an award-winning member of the American Alliance for Theatre and Education and has written about the social-emotional benefits of arts education with the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research. When not writing, she can usually be found in the theatre. She is the author of two novels, Captain Superlative and The Lost Things Club, both published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. She also has several published plays, including: Women Who Weave (Playscripts, Inc.), Perseus And Medusa – It’s All Greek To Me! (Lazybee Scripts), and The Death Of Robin Hood (Stage Rights).

Shadow of an Uncle Nick by Mark Sherstinsky (World Premiere)
Directed by Jim Kleinmann; featuring GG Grilli, Zoe Chien, and Rolanda D Bell
Uncle Nick pays Mary a visit for Christmas, bearing some sinister gifts. Based on Shadow of a Doubt.

Mark Sherstinsky is a Los Angeles-based playwright who most recently completed his full-length play The Mission (PlayGround-LA People’s Choice commission). His latest staged plays include The Sound of Invasion (Towne Street Theatre, Los Angeles); The Things We Do for Love (Strange Rx, San Francisco); and The Valley (Pittsburgh New Works Festival). Mark’s radio play No Tree aired on Shoestring Radio Theatre (KXSF, San Francisco) and his short play Silver Linings was published in RipRap Journal.