PlayGround presents Season 30

MONDAY NIGHT PLAYGROUND

Topic: “Flashback: 1994”
February 19th, 2024 7pm PT
Live at Freight & 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.

Monday Night PlayGround Memberships

We are deeply grateful to our 2023-24 Monday Night PlayGround Members, whose direct support helps to underwrite artists fees for the Monday Night series across all four regions: Sam & Naomi Abramovitz, Tanvi Agrawal, Linda Amayo-Hassan, Sharon Baldwin, Jaisey Bates, Tim Bishop, Ms. Linda B Breaux-Smith, Emilie Brooks, Robyn Brooks, Summer Broyhill, Madeleine Butler, Ben Cain, Julie Campbell, Sidney Glass & Eleanor Clement Glass, Joan Cleveland, Ms. Marilyn Berg Cooper, Sandra Cruze, Dodds Delzell, Hillary DeMartino, Sharon Ebehardt, Ann Ehrmann, Ms. Cherielyn Ferguson, Krystyna Finlayson, Sheri Flanders, Conde Freeman, Michael Fried, Dr. Jan Gilman, Lara Gilman, Michael Tonjum & Jan Gilman, Hollis Greenwood, Ruben Grijalva, Regina Guggenheim, Dana Hall, Rachel Harner, Sharlene Hartman, Gail Hillebrand & Hugh Barroll, Lucy Hsu, Brandy T Jones, Ms. Anne M. Krause, Emily Kuroda, Douglas Le Blanc, Ms. Kristy Lin Billuni, Mr. John Lindner, Jonathan Luskin & Leslie Katz, Rhea MacCallum, George Maguire, Brian Markley, Linda Marks, Dr. Sheila McCormick, Bacilio Mendez II, Ms. Cynthia L Morishige, Dan Morley, Molly Noble & Bob Guilbault, Annette Oliveira, Maryl Olivera, Ms. Vicki Oswald, Bridgette Dutta Portman, Mrs. Elizabeth Poston, Madeline Puccioni, Mr. George Rose, Jessica June Rowe, Michelle Ruscetta, John J. Ruskin, Kathryn Ryan, Miyoko Sakatani, Louel Senores, Mark Sherstinsky, Nancy W. Smith, Stan Stone, Cathie Stonie, Mr. Richard Dana Swart, Mary Lou Torre, Kim Tram, Jeffrey Trescott, Michael E Tuton, Dr. Eidell Wasserman, Michael Waterson, Bex White, Christian Wilburn, Janine Wilburn, and Maury Zeff. Thank you!

To learn more about the Monday Night PlayGround membership program, click here.

BECOME A MEMBER TODAY!

Prop Fiction
by Mikee Loria
Directed by Nick Ishimaru
Jonas……………………………..Joe Galang
Jason……………………..Joe Cascasan
Rivers………………………….Christian Jimenez
Principal Wilson……………….Mark Rafael Truitt

Diana Laura
by Matthew Y. Morishige
Directed by Ben Chau-Chiu
Diana Laura …………………Alexandra Rivers
Colosio………………….Erick Casanova

Mom Overkill
by Tejahra Jacobs
Directed by Claire Ganem
Mom……………….Gwen Loeb
Jessica..………………Gisela Feied
Ruby..……………………Zoe Chien

Better Unkept
by Louel Señores
Directed by Ely Sonny Orquiza
Leonel……………………………Kyle Melgarejo
Leanna………………………………… Melissa Locsin
Joselyn…………….……………………..Krystle Piamonte
Jericho.………………………………….Doy Charnsupharindr

Mack & Mimi Encounter Totality
by Lisa Gaye Thompson
Directed by Molly Noble
Mack………………………Wayne Wong
Mimi (Mimes)…………………….Emilie Talbot

Pulp Legislation
by Maury Zeff
Directed by GG Grilli
Newt ……………………Dave Sikula
Vega.…………………………….Joe Ayers
Jules………………………………Michael Carroll
Honey Bunny……………………..Devon deGroot

Stage Manager: Jenna Stein-Corman

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

TEJAHRA JACOBS (Mom Overkill), she/her, was born and raised in the Bay Area. She is a graduate from the University of California, Riverside, with her work performed in the Playworks Festival and served as a dramaturg in the New Play Festival. She is currently a freelance writer.

MIKEE LORIA (Prop Fiction), he/him, is excited to collaborate again with Playground SF writing circle. Recent highlights: Joe from Tiny Fires (Custom Made Theatre), Wolf from Wolf Play (Shotgun Players), and writing Light Speed to New Years for December and Get Good for Bindlestiff Studios. When not acting / writing, Mikee is playing video games, reading horror novels, or eating ramen. Special thank you to his family, friends, and partner! IG: @mikeeloria

MATTHEW Y. MORISHIGE (Diana Laura), 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.

LOUEL SEÑORES (Better Unkept), he/him, is an actor, playwright, and stage manager based right here in Berkeley! You may have recently seen him in The Engine of Our Disruption (Central Works), Tea Party (One of Our Own), or you probably didn’t see him stage managing Yerma (Shotgun Players), Balikbayan Box (TheatreFIRST), and Water by the Spoonful (SF Playhouse). He’s a proud company member of Berkeley Interactive Theater and PlayGround SF (This is his first season in the Writers’ Pool!), as well as a member of Shotgun Players’ EDIB Committee. Much gratitude to those still creating and supporting live theater in this crazy time we’re living in! LouelSenores.com

LISA GAYE THOMPSON (Mack & Mimi Encounter Totality), she/her, is happy to begin her fifth season with Monday Night Playground where her short play Three Centimeters Per Second was staged, winning a People’s Choice award, before being produced last year at Fringe of Marin. Her short plays, including Lucy in the Clouds and Strike Home have also had readings around the Bay. She’s a founding company member, playwright and sometime host of Write Away, a monthly show where playwrights write new plays based on audience suggestions and then perform them.

MAURY ZEFF (Pulp Legislation), he/him, Maury Zeff’s work has been performed around the US and in Europe, and published in American Fiction, Crab Orchard Review, Southern California Review, and elsewhere. He has won five PlayGround People’s Choice Awards and two PlayGround Emerging Playwrights Awards. He has received writing commissions and fellowships from PlayGround, SF Olympians, and the SF Writers Grotto, where he teaches. He won the 2021 Clark-Gross Novel Award, was nominated for a 2020 Pushcart Fiction Prize, and was a finalist for the 2022 Acacia Fiction Prize and 2022 Tobias Wolff Prize. Maury earned an MFA in writing from the University of San Francisco.

ACTORS

JOE AYERS (Pulp Legislation, “Vega”), he/him, is an actor, director, choreographer, and teaching artist. He has had the pleasure of working on and offstage at companies such as Center REP, Asolo Rep, American Stage, American Conservatory Theater, Cal Shakes, San Francisco Playhouse, Alonzo King LINES Ballet, Aurora Theatre Company, Berkeley Playhouse, PlayGround SF, Los Altos Stage Company, and New Canon Theatre Company. BA: UC Berkeley. MFA: FSU/Asolo Conservatory. Instagram: @joeayers13.

MICHAEL CARROLL (Pulp Legislation, “Jules”), he/him, is an actor from Southern California. His training consists of Stella Adler Youth Conservatory in Los Angeles, an Associate Degree from Santa Monica College, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Theater Arts from UC Berkeley. Michael has performed as the Egungun in The Red and Brown Water and Mr.Burns in Mr. Burns a Post-Electric Play at UC Berkeley, and recently portrayed YoungBlood in The Slave Who Loved Caviar at the African American Shakespeare Company.

ERICK CASANOVA (Diana Laura, “Colosio”), he/him, is thrilled to make his debut with PlayGround. Originally from Peru, and with a few years in NYC, he’s now a Berkeley actor, singer, and writer making his way through the Bay Area theatre scene. You can check some of his past and upcoming work at erickcasanova.com

JOE CASCASAN (Prop Fiction, “Jason”), he/him, is a bay area based actor and director. He is a resident artist at Bindlestiff Studio and he is excited and honored to be working with PlayGround for the first time.

DOY CHARNSUPHARINDR (Better Unkept, “Jericho”), he/him, is an actor, storyteller, and educator. Past credits include Mike Masaoka in Allegiance (PAP), Harold Hill in The Music Man (PSP), Mr. Webb in Our Town (CCCT), Leo in The Masterpiece (Bindlestiff), Carlos in Welga! (Bindlestiff), Miss Saigon and Les Misérables (BBBay). As a teacher and coach, he helps others develop communication and authentic leadership presence.

ZOE CHIEN (Mom Overkill, “Ruby”), she/her, is an actor and arts administrator with a BFA in Theater from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, where she trained at The Lee Strasberg Theater and Film Institute, Playwrights Horizons Theater School, and the Stonestreet Studios for Television and Film. Zoe is the Associate Director of 3Girls Theatre Company, and is a PlayGround Producing Fellow. She feels lucky to be in this industry in a time when so much art is being made in response to our social and political climate, and is proud to represent her mixed-race (Taiwanese and Italian-American) community. For more, visit zoechien.com.

DEVON DEGROOT (Pulp Legislation, “Honey Bunny”), she/her, is a Bay Area performer and core company member at Theatre Lunatico. Some of her most recent roles include Jane in Altarena Playhouse’ production of Christmas at Pemberley by Lauren Gunderson & Margot Melcon and multiple roles in Theatre Lunatico’s production of Attempts on Her Life by Martin Crimp. She is passionate about new work and so excited to be joining the Monday Night Playground Series for the first time. Enjoy the show!

GISELA FEIED (Mom Overkill, “Jessica”), she/they, is a Bay Area actor and teaching artist. They graduated from PCPA where they had the pleasure to be in the ensemble for the Crucible, play Tootles in Peter Pan, and Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. They were last seen playing the guitarron as Gabby in PCPA’s American Mariachi and touring Breaking Through along the central coast. As a teaching artist, Gisela brings mental health and resiliency workshops to middle and high schools across Northern California. giselafeied.com

JOE GALANG (Prop Fiction, “Jonas”), he/him, is thrilled to be a part of Flashback: 1994, and experience PlayGround for the first time. An actor, singer, musician and cat parent who moved to Oakland from the South Bay about a month ago, he had been hoping to connect with the East Bay/SF musical theater and Filipino communities – and loves Weezer – so this all worked out like serendipity! Recent credits: The Spongebob Musical (Spongebob), Palo Alto Players; Little Shop of Horrors (Seymour), Ohlone Summerfest; Something Rotten! (Minstrel), West Valley Light Opera.

CHRISTIAN JIMENEZ (Prop Fiction, “Rivers”), he/him, is an actor, playwright and graduate of the Ruth Asawa School of the Arts Theatre Department. He was most recently seen in A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Sausalito shakes, SF BATCO’s Sign My Name To Freedom, YPTMTCs Legally Blonde and Z Space and Word For Words Citizen. Represented by JE Talent.

MELISSA LOCSIN (Better Unkept, “Leanna”), she/her, has been acting professionally for over 20 years. She can be seen in national commercials and in the award-winning feature film, East Side Sushi, and has performed onstage and with American Conservatory Theatre, Center Rep, San Jose Stage, Saint Louis Black Repertory Company, and more. Melissa also teaches Meisner technique, on-camera technique, and improvisation at Bay Area Acting Studio. She is a member of FANHS-SCV and president of Pinay Aspirations. Melissa is committed to exploring & honoring her ancestors’ legacy through art, advocacy, and engagement. She sends deep gratitude to her family for their artistic support and inspiration! melissalocsin.com

GWEN LOEB (Mom Overkill, “Mom”), she/her, has been a PlayGround company member for 23 years. As an avid believer in new works, Gwen has originated numerous roles — including Maybelle in Cow Pie Bingo by Larissa Fasthorse, and Zetta in Dog Act by Liz Duffy Adams. Some of Gwen’s other favorite roles include: Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest at Livermore Shakespeare; the Nurse in Romeo and Juliet at San Francisco Shakespeare; Columbina in Truffaldino Says No at Shotgun; and Pauline in A Bright New Boise at Aurora Theater. When not fighting for #villainrights, Gwen works to save the world with stories at www.wbistories.org

KYLE “KAL” MELGAREJO (Better Unkept, “Leonel”), he/him, is an actor, director, stage manager, and teaching artist based in the Bay Area. As a young Filipino-American artist, Kal hopes to utilize his experiences to uplift and highlight marginalized communities through accessible, innovative, and transformative art within the film, television, and theater industries. He would like to thank his loved ones for all that they do.

KRYSTLE PIAMONTE (Better Unkept, “Joselyn”), she/her, is a San Francisco-based actor. Theatre credits include work at Z Space, SF Playhouse, Ferocious Lotus, Magic Theatre, TheatreWorks, TheatreFirst, Bindlestiff Studio, 59E59 in collaboration with Artistic Stamp, and a 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. www.krystlepiamonte.com

ALEXANDRA RIVERS (Diana Laura, “Diana Laura”), she/her, is an actor, director, teaching artist, and photographer based in the East Bay! Favorite professional acting credits include Joan in Fun Home (Mill Mountain Theatre), Frog in A Year With Frog and Toad (Bay Area Children’s Theatre), and Google Home in Jewish Boys: The Musical! (Musical Cafe). Alexandra has the joy of directing plays for students ages 5-16 with Contra Costa Civic Theatre, teaching improv with Berkeley Repertory Theatre, and teaching theatre in San Francisco elementary schools with the New Conservatory Theatre Center. She is so excited to be making her PlayGround debut!

DAVE SIKULA(Pulp Legislation, “Newt”), he/him, has been acting and directing in the Bay Area for more than two decades. Among his favorite roles are Samuel Beckett in “Sam and Dede, or My Dinner with Andre the Giant,” George Kraft in “Kurt Vonnegut’s ‘Mother Night,’” Lawrence Jameson (“Dirty Rotten Scoundrels”), Edna Turnblad (“Hairspray”), and Hildy Johnson (“The Front Page”). As a writer, he has translated Moliere’s “The Imaginary Invalid” and all of Anton Chekhov’s major plays (and is working on the minor plays). His version of “Uncle Vanya” won the BATCC Award for Best Production in the South Bay.

EMILIE TALBOT (Mack and Mimi Encounter Totality, “Mimi (Mimes)“), she/they, is a Bay Area based actor, director, and teacher. She is a longtime PlayGround company member as both an actor and director, serves on the PlayGround Board, and teaches in the Schools of Entertainment at AAU. She has appeared on stages across the country from Boston to La Jolla, Oregon to Dallas, including stints at numerous Bay Area theatres. Film and television work include 13 Reasons Why, Sonder, and Starting Over plus a whole slew of commercials, industrials, radio dramas, and video games. Later this month she will begin filming on Little Mother Lies with Friday Morning Films. www.emilietalbot.com

MARK RAFAEL TRUITT (Prop Fiction, “Principal Wilson”), he/him, has been a professional actor for the past 40 years. His Bay Area appearances include “Ted Kaczinski Killed People with Bombs”, “Schrodinger’s Girlfriend”, and Joe Goode’s “Body Familiar” for the Magic Theatre, and “The Best of Playgrounds 9 ,11 & 27”, “Jihad Jones and the Kalashnikov Babes”, and “ReOrient Festival. He has also appeared regionally at Yale Repertory, American Stage, Wisdom Bridge, and Northlight Theatre, among others. Film and Television credits include “Titanic”, “Pushing Dead”, “Trauma”, “Star Trek Voyager”, “The Practice”, “Babylon 5”, and “Chance”. He has taught at the Academy of Art University for the past 17 years and is also on faculty at the American Conservatory Theatre, the University of San Francisco, and the University of California, Berkeley. His book, “Telling Stories, A Grand Unifying Theory of Acting Techniques”, is published by Smith and Kraus.

WAYNE WONG (Mack and Mimi Encounter Totality, “Mack”), he/him, has appeared in over 80 productions, mostly operas. He may be seen next as Durdles in THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD with Lamplighters, then as Dr. Caius in THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR with Pocket Opera. Other engagements include SF Playhouse (AS YOU LIKE IT), Shotgun Players (TRIUMPH OF LOVE) and Opera Parallele (DEAD MAN WALKING). His parents and brother migrated to the US from Hong Kong in 1956.

DIRECTORS

BEN CHAU-CHIU (Diana Laura), they/them, is excited to make their directing debut with PlayGround! They’ve previously worked as an Assistant Director for My Home on the Moon (SF Playhouse), A Christmas Carol, The Headlands (A.C.T.), The Good Person of Szechwan (Cal Shakes), and Semele (U.C. Santa Cruz). They’ve also worked with SF Shakes, 42nd Street Moon, Marin Shakes, Berkeley Rep, Palo Alto Players, and Town Hall Theater. BenChauChiu.com

CLAIRE GANEM (Mom Overkill), she/her, is a director and teaching artist who is thrilled to be back at Monday Night! She is a proud Playground company member and ambassador. In addition to Playground, her work has been featured at Z space, Cutting Ball Theatre, Pianofight, 3Girls Theatre, Left Coast Theatre, Town Hall Theatre, and Magic Theatre, where she was an artistic direction apprentice during their 2018-2019 season. She is a current adjunct professor at UC Santa Cruz and a teaching artist with Town Hall Theatre. In her spare time, Claire loves baking extravagant cakes for her loved ones and taking hikes among the Redwoods.

GG GRILLI (Pulp Legislation), he/him, is an actor, director, writer, producer, filmmaker, and teacher. He’s worked at theaters in the Bay Area, New York City, and around the country for over three decades. Recent projects include directing FUDDY MEERS and THE DROWSY CHAPERONE at the Lesher Center with his students from Bentley School. He was the Founding Artistic Director of BrickaBrack, a multidisciplinary ensemble company, from 2012 – 2020. PlayGround member since 2007! GG is currently devising ON THE FLIP SIDE with students for the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe. www.gggrilli.com

NICK ISHIMARU (Prop Fiction), he/him, is a director, producer, actor, casting director, and scholar. He is producer and co-founder of Kunoichi Productions in San Francisco. Prior to working with Kunoichi, he served as the Artistic Director of Theatre of Yugen from 2016 to 2020, where he has trained in traditional Japanese noh drama and kyōgen comedy for over 15 years and remains a member of their performing ensemble. Director: The Red Demon, A Noh Christmas Carol, Seen/By Everyone, The True Tale of Princess Kaguya, Fun Home, Never Mind, and Anything Goes.

MOLLY NOBLE (Mack and Mimi Encounter Totality), she/her, is happy to be back at beloved PlayGround working with these fine artists. www.mollynoble.com

ELY SONNY ORQUIZA (Better Unkept), he/him, a 2023 YBCA 100 Honoree, Ely Sonny Orquiza is a multidisciplinary Queer Filipino artistic director, stage director, and arts educator native to San Francisco Bay Area, the unceded territory of the Ramaytush Ohlone People. Through theater and the performing arts Orquiza illuminates the experiences of the Asian diaspora, explores the politics of Queer/ness, and gives voice to the narratives of People from the Global Majority. As an artist, Orquiza draws on his heritage and lived experiences to create stunning theatrical productions that captivate audiences and spark meaningful conversations about equity and representation. Through his art and advocacy, he is breaking down barriers and elevating marginalized voices for the American Theatre. For more: elysonnyorquiza.org

PRODUCTION

JIM KLEINMANN (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.

JENNA STEIN-CORMAN (Stage Manager), she/her, grew up immersed in the bay area theatre community. After graduating from Sarah Lawrence College, she has gone on to work as a teaching artist, stage manager, and director in theaters all over the bay. Currently, she works with Town Hall Theatre, The Berkeley Playhouse, and the San Francisco Mime Troupe. She recently stage managed PlayGround’s 2nd annual “twisted” holiday show, A Very Hitchcock Christmas.

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, corporations and government agencies whose contributions make our work possible. This list reflects gifts of $125 or more committed between February 1, 2023 & February 19, 2024.

GOVERNMENT, CORPORATE, & FOUNDATION DONORS

Alameda County Arts Commission • Amazon • American Rescue Plan Act & CARES Act • Art Space Development Corporation • Avenue Greenlight • 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 • Disney • Grants For The Arts • KFF • Koret Foundation • LA County Arts Commission • Lenore & Howard Klein Foundation • The Leo J. & Celia Carlin Fund • Negley Flinn Charitable Foundation • NIAC • Nvidia • NYSCA-A.R.T./New York Creative Opportunity Fund • Phyllis C. Wattis Foundation • Planet Earth Arts • Rock Paper Scissors Landscape Inc. • Rye Financial Services • San Francisco Arts Commission • The Shubert Foundation • The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation

SEASON SPONSORS ($5000+)

Emilie T. & Gordon C. Brooks, Daniel E. Cohn & Lynn Brinton, Paul Haahr, Lara Gilman & Jim Kleinmann

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS ($2500+)

John H. Gilman, Carlie Wilmans, Anonymous

PRODUCERS CIRCLE ($1000-$2499)

Randy Adams, Meriko Borogove, David Goldman, Regina S. Guggenheim, Linda Kremer, Eric Craig Moody, Nitin, David Steele, Janine Wilburn, Anonymous (2)

PLAYWRIGHTS CIRCLE ($500-$999)

Steve & Gretchen Debenham, Hillary DeMartino, Keith Goldstein and Donna Warrington, Ms. Kathryn A Hecht, Paul & Pam Kleinmann, Gregg & Jennifer Le Blanc, Kathy Roberts & Aaron Loeb, Dr. Gary W. London, Pam MacKinnon, Danny & Dolores Martinez, Molly Noble and Bob Guilbault, Jeffrey Trescott, Pam & John Walker, Christian Wilburn, Maury Zeff, Anonymous (5)

PATRON ($250-$499)

James & Cassandra Carpenter, Sheila Collins, Kelly & Carlos Delgado, Philippa M Kelly & Paul Dresher, Jonathan Luskin, Dolores Martinez, Chris and Cindy Redburn, Diane Sampson, Jon & Susan Sweedler, Jon Tracy, Anonymous

ASSOCIATE MEMBER ($125-$249)

Mary E. Baird, Ms. Lynda H Barber, Ruth & Robert Brayton, Fair & Levit Family, Anirvan Ghosh, Dana Hall, Tobi Marcus, Michelle Nedboy, Doug Peckler & Evelyn Jean Pine, Kimberly Ridgeway, Mary Ann & Malcolm Rodgers, Kathryn Ryan, Christine Sheppard, Ms. Susan Terris, Mary Lou Torre, Anonymous (2)

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.

DONATE

PLAYGROUND COMPANY

PlayGround Writers Pool 2023-24

Daniel Baxter, Robyn Brooks, Nicole Apostol Bruno, Madeleine Butler, Jediah Craig, Cherielyn Ferguson, Elizabeth Flanagan, Ipsheeta Furtado, KT Frances Hartline, Sam Hurwitt, Tejahra Jacobs, Ruth Kirschner, Steve Koppman, Sarena Kuhn, Greg Lam, Jennifer Le Blanc, Kristy Lin Billuni, Justin P. Lopez, Mikee Loria, Daniel Martinez, Jr, Alanna McFall, Matthew Morishige, Richard Perez, Bridgette Dutta Portman, Xinyuan Pu, Kimberly Ridgeway, George Rose, David Schweidel, Louel Señores, Stan Stone, Lisa Thompson, Mike Tuton, Kaz Valtchev, Michael Waterson, Christian Wilburn, Maury Zeff

PlayGround Resident Playwrights 2023-24

Cass Brayton, Bailey Jordan Garcia, M.J. Kang, Samuel Kelly Fair Levit, Daniel Martinez, Jr., Matthew Y. Morishige, Molly Olis Krost, Evelyn Jean Pine, Bridgette Dutta Portman, Alexis Standridge, Leela Velautham, Jennie Webb

PlayGround Company

Molly Aaronson-Gelb, Angel Adedokun, Patrick Alparone, Linda Amayo-Hassan, Liz Anderson, Rinabeth Apostol, Michael Asberry, Michael Barrett Austin, Mary Baird, April Ballesteros, Tanika Baptiste, Aldo Billingslea, Millie Brooks, Julia Brothers, Nicole Apostol Bruno, Lizzie Calogero, Ron Campbell, Joy Carlin, Nancy Carlin, Ben Chau-Chiu, Tessa Corrie, David Cramer, Will Dao, Anne Darragh, Roshni Datta, Khalia Davis, Natalia Delgado, Dodds Delzell, Livia Gomes Demarchi, Carolyn Doyle, Leticia Duarte, Nora el Samahy, Rebecca Ennals, Gisela Feied, Britney Frazier, Michael French, Claire Ganem, Sarah Gasser, Norman Gee, Douglas B. Giorgis, Linda Giron, Amy Glazer, Cindy Goldfield, BW Gonzalez, Gabriel Grilli, Rudy Guerrero, Rosie Hallett, Katherine Hamilton, Eric Fraisher Hayes, Brian Herndon, Monica Ho, Champagne Hughes, 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, Sam Misner, Brady Morales-Woolery, Lisa Morse, Khary L. Moye, Molly Noble, Karen Offereins, Annette Oliveira, Soren Oliver, Ely Sonny Orquiza, Tony Ortega, Doyle Ott, June Palladino, Carla Pantoja, Louis Parnell, Jed Parsario, Michael Phillis, Krystle Piamonte, Rebecca Pingree, Stephanie Prentice, Ezra Reaves, Virginia Reed, Cathleen Riddley, Kimberly Ridgeway, Katja Rivera, Adrian Roberts, Stacy Ross, Adam Roy, Katie Rubin, Patrick Russell, Miyoko Sakatani, Louel Señores, 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, Christian Wilburn, Elena Wright, Hector Zavala

PlayGround Staff

Jim Kleinmann, Co-Founder & Artistic Director
Jacque Bugler, Production Manager/General Manager
Jonathan Josephson, Director of Marketing & Communications
Lana Richards, Associate Director of Development
Bacilio Mendez II, Executive Producer
Norman Gee, Associate Producer
Katja Rivera, Associate Producer
Tessa Corrie, Casting Associate
Patricia Cotter, Casting Associate
Brittany Mellerson, Resident Designer
Sarah Gasser, Resident Stage Manager
Darius Adamson Jr., 2023-24 Producing Fellow
River Bermudez Sanders, 2023-24 Producing Fellow
Zoe Chien, 2023-24 Producing Fellow
Carmia Imani, 2023-24 Producing Fellow
Julie Lippert-Pasco, 2023-24 Producing Fellow
Xinyuan Pu, 2023-24 Producing Fellow
Christy Spence, 2023-24 Producing Fellow
Emily Zhou, 2023-24 Producing Fellow

PlayGround Ambassadors 2022-23

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 Equity Workgroup

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

PlayGround Board of Directors

Stephanie Prentice, Chair
James A. Kleinmann, President
Emilie Talbot, Vice President
Nitin, Treasurer
Diana Burbano, Secretary
Regina Guggenheim, Chair Emeritus
Tanvi Agrawal
Linda Amayo-Hassan
Hillary DeMartino
Katie May
Bacilio Mendez II
Rebecca Martinez
David Steele
Christian Wilburn

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