PlayGround Presents Season 29

MONDAY NIGHT PLAYGROUND

Topic: “ADAPT A CLASSIC FOLKTALE OR MYTH“

February 20, 2023 7pm PT

Live at Freight and Salvage + Simulcast & On-Demand

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.

La Perra Triste Llorando
by Daniel Martinez, Jr.
Directed by Linda Amayo-Hassan
Collin………………………….Michael Conner
Abraham……………………..Justin P. Lopez
La Perra Triste……………………….L Duarte

Sleeping Beauty and Notes on Consent
by Vicky Pham
Directed by Kimberly Ridgeway
Aurora……………………………Roshni Datta
Phillip……………………………Nick Trengove
Charming……………………Romeo Channer

Friday Night
by Alexis Standridge
Directed by Emlyn Doolittle
Older Drag Queen………………………….J Jha
Younger Drag Queen…….Melanie Marshall
Drag King……………………………Charlie Gray
Scratch…………………………….Brian Herndon

The Apple Tree
by Kristy Lin Billuni
Directed by Tracy Ward
Apple………………………………Lisa Morse
Eve…………………………Krystle Piamonte

Momo
by Matthew Y. Morishige
Directed by Jim Kleinmann
Principal Shimura….Anne Yumi Kobori
Carol Yamamoto……….Miyoko Sakatani
Momo.…………………………Ben Chau-Chiu

The Grecian Horse
by Max Tachis
Directed by Norman Gee
Agamemnon…………………….Mary Baird
Meneleus…………………………Khary Moye
Epeius.……………………………Soren Oliver
Chad……………………………….Tony Ortega

Stage Manager: Dianne Harrison
Sound Designer: James Goode

This live stream is produced under a SAG-AFTRA New Media Agreement.

PlayGround is a member of Theatre Bay Area and Theatre Communications Group.

People’s Choice Award

Following tonight’s performance, we invite your participation in this month’s 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 award-winning incubator programs.

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 Monday Night 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 the week, we’ll tally up the top vote-getter and automatic semi-finalist for our season-ending Best of PlayGround. 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

KRISTY LIN BILLUNI (The Apple Tree), she/her, writes triumphant fiction, essays, and plays. With roots in sex work, queer activism, and sex ed, she has earned her living for almost twenty years as The Sexy Grammarian, teacher of bold, free, turned-on writers. A proud member of the San Francisco Playground Writer’s Pool and a Brady Fellow, Kristy’s prized stage credits include productions at an HIV clinic in the Castro and a leather bar in Chelsea. She lives with her heroic social worker wife in San Francisco.

DANIEL MARTINEZ, JR. (La Perra Triste Llorando), he/him, is an award winning gay Mexican-American actor/writer from San Jose. Daniel recently premiered his second one man show, Round Hole, as part of PlayGround’s Solo Fest. Daniel is passionate about creating stories that showcase characters you wouldn’t normally see in mainstream media. Daniel also really loves making people laugh.

MATTHEW Y. MORISHIGE (Momo), he/him, is an actor, musician, and playwright based in the Bay Area. Matthew’s work aims to capture unique perspectives and voices pulled from his own personal experiences. He is energized by collaboration with talented artists across many different disciplines.

VICKY PHAM (Sleeping Beauty and Notes on Consent), she/her, is a playwright, Bay Area native, and student at Santa Clara University. Through her writing, Vicky wishes to channel her creativity into uplifting voices and raising awareness to issues afflicting the AAPI community. She is the author of plays such as White Christmas and A Seat At The Table, which was selected for a reading under the direction of Tony Award winning actor, BD Wong. Currently, Vicky is a Hackworth Fellow researching the history and ethics of representation of Asian Americans in theatre and film in pursuit of a full-length play (Spring 2023).

ALEXIS STANDRIDGE (Friday Night), she/her, is a recent graduate of Santa Clara University, where she studied Playwriting. She spends her time exploring queer theatre spaces in the Bay Area, and working with others to produce new works by upcoming young artists. When she’s not writing, Alexis works as a Coordinator for Santa Clara University, and enjoys being a dungeon master for Dungeons and Dragons games.

MAX TACHIS (The Grecian Horse), he/him, is an actor and playwright based in San Jose, with pieces produced at readings and festivals across the Bay Area at companies like City Lights Theater Company, Los Altos Stage Company, The Pear Theater, and Dragon Productions Theater Company; digital plays presented on the Our Digital Stories (ODS) platform; and an annual gig writing for students in the Ohlone College Theatre & Dance Department.

ACTORS

MARY BAIRD (The Grecian Horse, “Agamemnon”), she/her, is excited to be here! She has been busy with historical projects in Nevada City and doing readings with ARC.

ROMEO CHANNER (Sleeping Beauty and Notes on Consent, “Charming”), they/them/any, is an actor and theatre artist from Berkeley, currently completing their final year at Mills College, where they focus on Queer and Ethnic/Cultural Studies. They are a company member of Oakland Theater Project, where they have played Mary Warren in The Crucible, Ariel in The Tempest, and originated the role of Jean Dark in Lisa Ramirez’ sAiNt jOaN (burn/burn/burn).

BEN CHAU-CHIU (Momo, “Momo”), he/any, is a Bay Area actor, singer, and director. He’s excited to be back with Monday Night PlayGround! Recent acting credits include: Resolute, Best Christmas Ever, On the Night of the Apocalypse (Monday Night PlayGround SF/NY), Much Ado About Nothing (SF Shakes); Beauty and the Beast (Palo Alto Players); A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder (Lamplighters Music Theatre). He has also worked with A.C.T., Cal Shakes, Berkeley Rep, Livermore Valley Opera, N.C.T.C., Town Hall Theatre, and Bay Area Children’s Theatre. https://benchauchiu.com/

MICHAEL CONNER (La Perra Triste Llorando, “Collin”), he/she/him/her, is a local actor/writer, proud member of the queer community, and he is thrilled to make his Playground debut. Originally from southern California, he has been acting in the Bay Area for the past seven years. Notable previous work includes Steve in The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told and CB in Dog Sees God, both with Left Coast Theatre Company. He’ll be performing next in their anthology, Between The Sheets, and will begin work filming season 2 of Strings Attached, an online mini series, fully produced in the Bay Area later this year.

ROSHNI DATTA (Sleeping Beauty and Notes on Consent, “Aurora”), she/her, is a stage/film actress, dancer/choreographer and a radio show host. She has previously acted in various Bay Area theater productions such as Mahabharat, Rumors, Kingdom of Cards, State of Denial, and Rehearsal for Murder. She is a trained classical dancer and has acted in and co-created various short films & music videos. In her free time she enjoys writing poetry and rapping. She is super excited to participate in Monday Night PlayGround.

L DUARTE (La Perra Triste Llorando, “La Perra Triste”), they/them, is a Bay Area actor, playwright, activist and teaching artist whose recent projects include: SPARC Science Plays Festival, with Livermore Shakespeare, Cry of Curs with Tabard Theatre, The Review with Theatre Rhinoceros , Particle of Dread with Anton’s Well, Helen! With Theatre of Yugen, Into the Beautiful North & The King of Cuba with Central Works. They have worked with Willows Theatre Co, Berkeley Rep., Crowded Fire, Playwrights Foundation, SF Playground, Bay Area Children’s Theatre and various others. Duarte is a graduate of UCLA, UCSC, and has trained with A.C.T., Shakespeare & Co., & SITI Co. Duarte is a member of Latinx Mafia, In Full Color and Lez Writes. Find a full range of work by Duarte at www.sfcasting.com/leticiaduarte

CHARLIE GRAY (Friday Night, “Drag King”), he/they, is an actor, singer, cabaret and drag performer in Oakland, CA. They recently starred in a short fantasy film about trans pioneer Lou Sullivan, “Lou: A San Francisco Fantasy,” directed by Mya Byrne, featured in film festivals across the US and in the UK. He can be seen this summer (2021) in Killing My Lobster’s digital Pride show, “Pride Inside,” and in Kat Robichaud’s new music video love letter to the SF cabaret community, “Charade.”

BRIAN HERNDON (Friday Night, “Scratch”), he/him, has performed with PlayGround for over two decades, playing everything from FBI agents to cats to monkeys to Bob Cratchit. He played Mr. Fezziwig in A CHRISTMAS CAROL at A.C.T. and is currently understudying in their production of THE HEADLANDS. Favorite productions include FAILURE: A LOVE STORY and OSLO at Marin Theatre Company, CYMBELINE at SF Shakes and EMMA at TheatreWorks. Brian has an MFA from the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. Love to Jocelyn and Gwen.

J JHA (Friday Night, “Older Drag Queen”), all pronouns, is an actor and performer with an MFA from the University of Washington. In November 2019, they presented the world premiere of Mahâbhârata, a solo-telling of the great Indian epic, adapted by Geetha Reddy, a South Asian-American playwright, where the re-telling intentionally presents the non-cis gendered male perspective that continues to and has otherwise dominated this conversation for thousands of Hindu years. Coming up in August 2023, Mahâbhârata at Z -Space San Francisco! J, along with Circo Zero, performed Queer Migrants, a collaborative self-created/curated piece of street-story-telling on the steps of the US Customs and immigration Office, Sansom Street, San Francisco,CA in 2017 and 2018.

ANNE YUMI KOBORI (Momo, “Principal Shimura”), she/her, is a Japanese-American theatre artist. She has written multiple short plays for production: The Art of Suffrage (Best of PlayGround 25), Coward’s Flame, Give Me the Sky, Two Detectives are Better Than One (MondayNightPlayGround), Simulation (Pear Theatre), Roses in the Desert (Dragon Theatre) and The Disappearance of Betty La Rose (Neighborhood Stories). Her full-length plays Seeds and Every Day Alice have premiered with Utopia Theatre Project. Currently, Anne is a co-writer for Braided, in development with Theatre of Yugen, and script conspirator for the ACT MFA program’s production of Neo Symposium. www.anneyumikobori.com

JUSTIN P. LOPEZ (La Perra Triste Llorando, “Abraham,” Producing Fellow), he/him, is an actor, singer, writer, and boba-milk-tea enthusiast, who is passionate about new works and loves finding true connection and humanity in each script. As an actor, recent credits include the world premieres of Kiss My Aztec! (Berkeley Repertory Theatre) and Unbreakable by Andrew Lippa (SFGMC). As a writer, Justin’s work has been recognized by the Bay Area Playwrights Festival, Ashland New Play Festival, and many organizations around the country, including PlayGround SF, Custom Made Theatre Company, and Town Hall Theatre. Find out what else Justin is up to at www.justinplopez.com

MELANIE MARSHALL (Friday Night, “Younger Drag Queen”), she/her, is a company member of PlayGround and Killing My Lobster, where she is an actor, writer, and writing teacher. She is also a drag performer best known for her (almost) yearly portrayal of Xander in Buffy the Vampire Slayer Live! at Oasis.

LISA MORSE (The Apple Tree, “Apple”), she/her, has been a member of PlayGround since 2008. She recently completed the task of understudying three roles for Theatreworks in their recent production of In Every Generation. Lisa has performed with Shakespeare Santa Cruz, Marin Theatre Company, Symmetry Theatre Co and Just Theatre locally, and regionally with Missouri Rep, Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center Institute as well as with the NYC Fringe Festival. Favorite roles include Beverly Onion in Abominable, Nora in A Doll’s House and Dr. Teller/Laurel/Woman in The Other Place.

KHARY MOYE (The Grecian Horse, “Meneleus”), he/him, is an actor originally from N.Y and now resides in the Bay Area. He is beyond thrilled to make his PlayGround return and to have live audience members again!! Instagram: kharylmoye

SOREN OLIVER (The Grecian Horse, “Epeius”), he/him, is a Bay Area native who has been working in the community since 1977. During that time he has performed at such theatres as Berkeley Rep, The Aurora Theater, California Shakespeare Theatre, as well as being the founding A.D. of Central Works Theatre.

TONY ORTEGA ‘s (The Grecian Horse, “Chad”), he/him/él, is a father, actor and writer who has lived and worked in the Bay Area for over a decade. His artistic journey began at TeatroVision in San Jose, and since has worked with companies such as The San Francisco Playhouse (The Paper dreams of Harry Chin) African American Shakespeare Co. (Richard II) Zac & Siah, or Jesus in a body bag (The Custom Made Theatre co) SFBATCO (La Posarela.) San Francisco Youth Theatre (Afterlife), Alter Theatre (Ghosts of Bogota) Mexican American Conservatory Theatre (A Solid Home) La Lengua (Adios Robinson) Coastal Repertory Theatre (Native Gardens, Death of A Salesman) Half Moon Bay Shakespeare (Romeo & Juliet) Dragon Productions (Take Me Out) and Bay Area Drama Company ( State of Denial ). Tony is proud to have founded City Street Artists with his artistic peers where they strive in supporting the creation of new performance works. He is part of PlayGround’s Innovator Incubator and is extremely thankful for the opportunity to create in his artistic community. As a new father, it is important to him to build the cultural landscape he hopes his son can enjoy in the future.

KRYSTLE PIAMONTE (The Apple Tree, “Eve”), she/her, is a Bay Area-based stage and screen actor. Theatre credits include work at Z Space, SF Playhouse, Ferocious Lotus, Magic Theatre, TheatreWorks, TheatreFirst, Bindlestiff Studio, and 59E59 in collaboration with Artistic Stamp. 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. www.krystlepiamonte.com | IG: @xLe

MIYOKO SAKATANI (Momo, “Carol Yamamoto”), she/her, is SAG-AFTRA-E. She has proudly and gratefully worked with PlayGround over many wonderful years. She has worked with A.C.T. Magic Theatre, TheatreWorks, San Francisco Playhouse and the Berkeley Repertory Theatre. She performed her solo piece at the Marsh Theatre regarding her family’s immigration and WWII internment. Film credits include the award winning Samuel Goldwyn film “East Side Sushi.” (https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5706042/) As founder of Playland Productions, Miyoko has produced short films, stage plays and co-directed “Silent City” by Dan Wilson with a diverse hearing and deaf cast performing in ASL with closed captions. Endless love and gratitude to Richard, Shanti and dearest friends.

NICK TRENGOVE (Sleeping Beauty and Notes on Consent, “Phillip”), he/him, is a Bay Area-based actor, director, and theater educator. He also worked in the Chicago storefront theater scene and received his MFA in Acting from DePaul University. He most recently performed with NCTC in Aunt Jack and Shotgun Players in A Small Fire.

DIRECTORS

LINDA AMAYO-HASSAN (La Perra Triste Llorando), she/her, is a Chicana/Native playwright and is the Artistic Director of Theatre Cultura. Linda is an Equity actor, singer, director and a theatre professor at Chabot College. She is a member of the Pear Playwrights Guild, SameBoat Theatre Collective, Native Writers and had the honor of attending The Kennedy Center Playwriting 2018 Intensive.

EMLYN DOOLITTLE (Friday Night), (EM-lin, he/him), is a dad to a little wizard dog named Merlin and likes to collect/occasionally eat things he finds on the street, such as native plant seeds, poems, and lemongrass (I’ll let you figure out what he occasionally eats vs collects). Okay, now the industry stuff: Emlyn is a theatre director, producer, writer, and burlesque performer. He’s also a transsexual and multiply disabled, which is both very and not at all important to his work. Emlyn is interested in art that is fun and fun to make, and that reminds us that humans are animals (or maybe plants). He has worked with The Ground Floor at Berkeley Rep, Transcend Streaming, Fiasco Theatre Company, Playwrights Foundation, Oakland Theatre Project, 3Girls Theatre, and PlayGround. He earned BAs in Drama and Biology from Vassar College. Big love and thanks to his friends and family.

NORMAN GEE (The Grecian Horse, Associate Producer), he/him, just closed a wonderful run in MEET JOHN DOE at SJ Stage (thestage.org). This, after a summer performing with SF Mime Troupe (sfmt.org) in the new musical BACK TO THE WAY THINGS WERE, directing the Pullman Porter play COMPARED TO WHAT for Masquers Playhouse in Pt. Richmond, and launching a peek at next year’s reading series for the baldwincentennialproject.com.
All while juggling duties as an Associate Producer for SF-Playground!

JIM KLEINMANN (Momo, Artistic Director & Co-Founder), he/him, co-founded PlayGround in 1994, along with playwright Brighde Mullins and director Denise Shama, and has served as Artistic Director since 1996. For PlayGround, he has provided artistic and administrative leadership for the past twenty-four seasons, developing PlayGround’s unique array of new playwright and new play incubator programs, including Monday Night PlayGround, the PlayGround Festival of New Works, the full-length play Commissioning Initiative, the New Play Production Fund, Potrero Stage: PlayGround Center for New Plays, and most recently the Innovator Incubator. For PlayGround, he has directed more than one hundred short and full-length plays, including works by Garret Jon Groenveld, Aaron Loeb, Geetha Reddy, Lauren Yee, Katie May, and many others. Recent directing and dramaturgy credits include David Steele’s Vignettes on Love and Ruben Grijalva’s Value Over Replacement. He is a veteran arts administrator with more than thirty years of experience, including stints leading Traveling Jewish Theatre, Smuin Ballet and Berkeley Symphony, and received his MFA from the Yale School of Drama.

KIMBERLY RIDGEWAY (Sleeping Beauty and Notes on Consent), she/her, is thrilled to direct for Monday Night PlayGround again! She has been working professionally as a director, actor, playwright, and producer in theater for over 25 years. Kim directed projects for many Bay Area Theatre Companies including Altarena Playhouse, Contra Costa Civic Theatre, Dragon Productions Theatre Company, Playwrights Center of San Francisco, San Francisco Playhouse, Theatre Rhinoceros, and TheatreFirst, and Ubuntu Theater Project. Kim will be making her directing debut at Spokane Civic Theatre (Spokane, Washington) in April 2023.

TRACY WARD (The Apple Tree), is a Freelance Director based in the Bay Area. Recent: Fun Home at 42nd Street Moon, and Disbelief and Succession: The Medieval Edition at Playground, World Premiere of The Lady Scribblers at CMT. Regional Premieres include: The Cake at NCTC, Actually at Aurora Theatre Company; When We Were Young and Unafraid at CMT SF; Bright Shining Sea at Playground; The Thrush and the Woodpecker at CMT, The Dragon Play, and What Every Girl Should Know at Impact Theatre. She is a proud company member of PlayGround. www.tracyward.org, and an Associate Member of The Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers Union.

PRODUCTION & STAFF

JAMES GOODE (Sound Designer), he/him, is a sound designer, composer, audio engineer, musician, and songwriter based in the Bay Area. He’s collaborated with actors, animators, visual artists, writers, and other musicians and composers on a wide variety of projects, including films, gallery and museum installations, live performances, music videos, podcasts, and radio dramas. Local theater productions he’s done sound design for include As You Like It (San Francisco Playhouse), The Four Gifts (Hillbarn Theatre), Richard II (African-American Shakespeare Company), Dot (New Conservatory Theatre Center), Native Gardens (Center REPertory Company), and Pool of Unknown Wonders: Undertow of the Soul (Oakland Theater Project). https://jamesgoodesound.com

DIANNE HARRISON (Stage Manager), she/her, was born and raised in Sonoma Valley and performed in children’s theatre before shifting to stage management. Some of her past shows include Sonoma Arts Live’s Same Time, Next Year; Santa Rosa Junior College’s Legally Blonde: The Musical and Almost, Maine, which earned a Certificate of Merit from the Kennedy Center’s American College Theater Festival; JoLee Productions’ Bluff, which she also co-directed; and Ross Valley Players’ Silent Sky and Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Jersey Lily. She is thrilled to be a part of Monday Night PlayGround.

LAUREL SCHWEIDEL (Box Office), she/they, is a Bay Area native who loves to teach and perform. She graduated from UC Irvine with a BA in Drama and has taught improvisation, music, and songwriting through Bay Area Children’s Theater, the Willard Metal Shop Theater, and Leap Arts in Education. Laurel also MC’s concerts with Sofar Sound and releases original music under the name Laurel Hannah.

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 Contributors

PlayGround is deeply grateful for the generous contributions of the many individuals, foundations, gifts of $125 or more committed between January 1, 2022 & January 16, 2023.

GOVERNMENT, CORPORATE, & FOUNDATION DONORS

Alameda County Arts Commission • Amazon • American Rescue Plan Act & CARES Act • Art Space Development Corporation • Berkeley Civic Arts • The Bernard Osher Foundation • Bill Graham Supporting Foundation of the Jewish Community Federation & Endowment Fund • California Arts Council • California Humanities • California Nonprofit Performing Arts Grant Program • Creative Capacity Fund • First Republic Bank • The Fleishhacker Foundation • Grants For The Arts • Koret Foundation • Lenore & Howard Klein Foundation • The Leo J. & Celia Carlin Fund • Negley Flinn Charitable Foundation • NIAC • Nvidia • Phyllis C. Wattis Foundation • Planet Earth Arts • The Shubert Foundation • The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation • Zellerbach Family Foundation

INDIVIDUAL SUPPORTERS

SEASON SPONSORS ($5000+)

William Bivins, Emilie T. & Gordon C. Brooks, Dan Cohn & Lynn Brinton, Jerome Joseph Gentes & Michael Bourque, Lara Gilman & Jim Kleinmann, Peggy Haas, David Steele

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS ($2500–$4,999)

Meriko Borogove, John H. Gilman, Regina S. Guggenheim, Anonymous

PRODUCERS CIRCLE ($1000-$2499)

Linda Kremer, Rebecca Martinez, Nitin, Arthur & Toni Rembe Rock, Marian Scheuer Sofaer & Abraham D. Sofaer, Anonymous (6)

PLAYWRIGHTS CIRCLE ($500-$999)

Ruth & Robert Brayton, Thomas Patrick Broyhill, Sidney Glass & Eleanor Clement Glass, Kelly & Carlos Delgado, David Goldman, Keith Goldstein & Donna Warrington, Jeff Gregory, Regina S. Guggenheim, Kathryn A Hecht, Lisa A. Mammel, Lisa Morse, Ray Riegert, Maury Zeff, Anonymous

PATRON ($250-$499)

Wendy Bear, Jack Codd, Jean and Norm Reynolds, Maria Ross, Diane Sampson, Jerome Solberg, Annie Stuart, Janine Wilburn, Robin L. Wimsatt, Susannah Wise & Scott Lebus, Anonymous (2)

ASSOCIATE MEMBER ($125-$249)

Sharon Baldwin and Joseph Ganem, Gerhard and Kathleen Bette, Dr. Katherine Ardis Blenko, Frieda de Lackner, Michael Fried, Mr. Eric Garcia, Tom Goetzl, Cindy Goldfield, Mr. Stanley William Hathaway, Gail Hillebrand & Hugh Barroll, Abbe S. Kalos & Kitt Saginor, Jennifer King, Gregg Le Blanc, Jonathan Luskin, Paris McCarthy, Everett & Julia Moore, Louis Parnell, Dr. Alan Pearl, Madeline Daly Puccioni , Jesus Reyes, Emily Brauer Rogers, Mike Rosenthal, Christine Sheppard, Liam Vincent, Bex White, Christian Edward Wilburn, Anonymous

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 (415) 992-6677.

Become a PlayGround contributor!

DONATE

PlayGround Company

PLAYGROUND WRITERS COMPANY

Monique Hafen Adams, Barbara Anderson, Nicole Bruno, Madeleine Butler, Allie Costa+, Jediah Craig, Cherielyn Ferguson, Ipsheeta Furtado, Bailey Jordan Garcia+, Lauren Gorski,+ Aaron Higareda+, Sam Hurwitt, Tejahra Jacobs, Lisa Kang, Ruth Kirschner, Anne Yumi Kobori+, Steve Koppman, Jennifer Le Blanc+, Kristy Lin Billuni, Justin P. Lopez+, David MacFadden-Elliott, Daniel Martinez, Alanna McFall+, Bacilio Mendez II, Matthew Morishige, Vicky Pham, Bridgette Portman, Alexis Roblan, Jessica Rowe+, Anthony Sampson Semandiris, David Schweidel, Tony Sciullo, Marissa Skudlarek, Alexis Standridge, Max Tachis, Lisa Thompson, Eteya Trinidad, Michael Tuton, Kaz Valtchev, Daysha Veronica+, Michael Waterson, Christian Wilburn+, Maggie Wilson+, Maury Zeff
+ Resident Playwright

PLAYGROUND COMPANY

Molly Aaronson-Gelb, Angel Adedokun, Patrick Alparone, Liz Anderson, Rinabeth Apostol, Michael Asberry, Michael Barrett Austin, Mary Baird, Aldo Billingslea, Millie Brooks, Julia Brothers, Nicole Apostol Bruno, Lizzie Calogero, Ron Campbell, Joy Carlin, Nancy Carlin, Tessa Corrie, David Cramer, Will Dao, Anne Darragh, Dodds Delzell, Livia Gomes Demarchi, Carolyn Doyle, Nora el Samahy, Rebecca Ennals, Gisela Feied, Britney Frazier, Michael French, Claire Ganem, Sarah Gasser, Norman Gee, Douglas B. Giorgis, Amy Glazer, Cindy Goldfield, BW Gonzalez, Gabriel Grilli, Christian Haines, Rosie Hallett, Eric Fraisher Hayes, Brian Herndon, Monica Ho, Laura Humphrey, J Jha, Colin Johnson, Jennifer King, Dean Koya, Danielle Levin, Amy Lizardo, Jeffrey Lo, Gwen Loeb, George Maguire, Melanie Marshall, Alicia Mason, Leontyne Mbele-Mbong, Julia McNeal, Bacilio Mendez II, Sam Misner, Brady Morales-Woolery, Lisa Morse, Khary L. Moye, Molly Noble, Joseph Patrick O’Malley, Karen Offereins, Annete Oliveira, Soren Oliver, Ely Sonny Orquiza, Melissa Ortiz, Doyle Ott, June Palladino, Carla Pantoja, Louis Parnell,​​ Jed Parsario, Michael Phillis, Krystle Piamonte, Rebecca Pingree, Stephanie Prentice, Ezra Reaves, Virginia Reed, Cathleen Riddley, Katja Rivera, Adrian Roberts, Stacy Ross, Adam Roy, Katie Rubin, Patrick Russell, Lindsey Marie Schmeltzer, Louel Senores, Robert Sicular, 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 Rafael Truitt, Liam Vincent, Ian Walker, Maryssa Wanlass, Tracy Ward , Reggie D. White, Aaron Wilton, Elena Wright

PLAYGROUND AMBASSADORS

Jomar Tagatac (Co-Chair) , Aaron Wilton (Co-Chair) , Aldo Billingslea, Tessa Corrie, Livia Demarchi, Britney Frazier, Claire Ganem, Cindy Goldfield, Rosie Hallett, Jeffrey Lo, Gwen Loeb, Brady Morales-Woolery, Karen Offereins, Ely Sonny Orquiza

PLAYGROUND STAFF

Jim Kleinmann, Co-Founder & Artistic Director 
Norman Gee, Associate Producer 
Jed Parsario, Associate Producer 
Stephanie Prentice, Associate Producer 
Katja Rivera, Associate Producer 
Jacque Bugler, Production Manager 
Brittany Mellerson, Resident Designer 
Lana Richards, Associate Director of Development 
Sarah Gasser, Resident Stage Manager 
Emlyn Doolittle, 2022 Producing Fellow / 2022-23 Directing Apprentice 
Savannah Greene, 2022-23 Producing Fellow 
Justin P. Lopez, 2022-23 Producing Fellow 
Bacilio Mendez II, 2022 Producing Fellow 
Tanvi Agrawal, 2022-23 Directing Apprentice
Jenna Stein-Corman, 2022-23 Directing Apprentice

PLAYGROUND BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Stephanie Prentice, Chair
James A. Kleinmann, President
Rondrell McCormick, VP-Communications
Emilie Talbot, VP-Development
Nitin, Treasurer
Katie May, Secretary
Regina Guggenheim, Chair Emeritus
Diana Burbano
Philippa Kelly
Lisa Mammel
Rebecca Martinez
David Steele

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