PlayGround presents Season 32

MONDAY NIGHT PLAYGROUND

“Tales of the City”
January 19th, 2026 7pm PT
David Brower Center & Simulcast

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 2024-25 Monday Night PlayGround Members, whose direct support helps to underwrite artists fees for the Monday Night series across all four regions:

Dr. & Mrs. Sam & Naomi Abramovitz, Sharon Baldwin, Julie Berthold, Tim Bishop, Linda B Breaux-Smith, Emilie T. & Gordon C. Brooks, John Brown, Summer Broyhill, Madeleine Butler, Ben Cain, Sidney Glass & Eleanor Clement Glass, Joan Cleveland, Sheila Collins, Marilyn Berg Cooper, Logan Varas De Valdes, Betsy Dudak, Cathy Earnest, Ann Ehrmann, Krystyna Finlayson, Michael Tonjum & Jan Gilman, Hollis Greenwood, Elizabeth Groenewegen, Gail Hillebrand & Hugh Barroll, Brandy T Jones, Roxy Jones, Jacqueline Whittier Kubicka, Emily Kuroda, Mr. & Mrs. Douglas Le Blanc, Alice Lehmann, Karen & Matt Levesque, Kristy Lin Billuni, Melinda Lopez, Linda G Marks, Dolores Martinez, Dr. Sheila McCormick, Yvonne McIntyre, Cynthia L Morishige, Dan Morley, Molly Noble & Bob Guilbault, Annette Oliveira, Emily Brauer Rogers, George Rose, Jessica June Rowe, Michelle Ruscetta, John J. Ruskin, Miyoko Sakatani, Jennifer Schultz & Eric Rosenzweig, Mark Sherstinsky, Nancy W. Smith, Stan Stone, Cathy M Stonie, Mary Lou Torre, Kim Tram, Vicki Victoria, Dr. Eidell Wasserman, Bex White, Janine Wilburn, and Cindy Womack. Thank you! 

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

BECOME A MEMBER TODAY!

Bridges of San Francisco County
by Stan Stone
Directed by Jenna Stein-Corman
G. G………………..Miyoko Sakatani
B.B.………Rebecca Pingree
Karl………Ryan Tasker

Last Call at the Underpass
by Daniel Martinez Jr.
Directed by Ben Chau-Chiu
Elliot…………Leon Goertzen
Theo……….Jordan Covington
Reggie…………Khary Moye

A Wayward Tale
by KT Frances Hartline
Directed by Doyle Ott
Shayna…………………Chris Steele
Leah………….Tessa Koning Martinez
EMT.………………Eric Hayes

I Saw the Figure Five in Gold
by Madeleine Butler
Directed by Nancy Carlin
Lillie Hancock………………..Carla Gallardo
Howard Coit…………………Terrance Smith
Martha Hancock.…………….DeAnna Driscoll

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

Jumper
by George Rose
Directed by GG Grilli
Old Man…………………..Louis Parnell
Young Woman.…………….Krystle Piamonte
Police Officer.……………Eric Hayes

Stage Manager – Raphael Louis Buenaventura

This performance is produced under agreement with SAG-AFTRA.

PlayGround is a member of Theatre Bay Area, ART/New York, the League of Chicago Theatres and Theatre Communications Group.

Biographies

PLAYWRIGHTS

STAN STONE (Bridges of San Francisco County), he/him, wrote and illustrated comic books at the ripe old age of 10, and he’s been writing ever since. Performing Improv as an adult helped hone his storytelling skills. Presently, he is a published poet, actor, screenwriter and playwright. His play, Trouble The Water, was a highlight of the recent AfroSolo Festival. Stan also wrote and performed a solo piece at The Marsh SF, bringing the audience to tears (in a good way).

DANIEL MARTINEZ JR. (Last Call at the Underpass), 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 this past January. Daniel was also recently named a semi-finalist in Nosotros’ Ya Tu Sabes Monologue Slam, for his comedic monologue “Honey Walnut Shrimp.” He’s excited you’re here!

KT FRANCES HARTLINE (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.

MADELEINE BUTLER (I Saw the Figure Five in Gold), 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 (Best of PlayGround 2025). 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 regularly attended the Kennedy Center Playwriting Intensive and studies playwriting on an ongoing basis with Anthony Clarvoe.

LAURA DOMINGO (Dolored 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.

GEORGE ROSS (Jumper), he/him, is a Bay Area native and the founder and former artistic director of The Metal Shop Players, an award winning youth theater company based at Willard Middle School in Berkeley. This is his third season writing for Playground.

ACTORS

JORDAN COVINGTON (Last Call at the Underpass, “Theo”), 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).

DEANNA DRISCOLL (I Saw the Figure Five in Gold, “Martha Hancock”), she/they, was most recently seen in THE TEMPEST with Marin Shakespeare Company. Before living in the Bay Area, DeAnna spent many years in So. Cal. where she starred in more than 30 productions. Some favorite theatres include: The Old Globe Theatre, SD Repertory Theatre, Cygnet Theatre, and more. Previous to that, DeAnna was in NYC for five years working professionally with various artists including Edward Albee, Peter Lobdell, and Joan Evans. DeAnna is the recipient of several Critics Circle Awards and a Backstage Garland Award for her work. Her television and film credits include: Unverified, Lincoln Heights, Carvington Case, and Veronica Mars among others. DeAnna is a proud member of both Actor’s Equity and SAG/AFTRA.

CARLA GALLARDO (I Saw the Figure Five in Gold, “Lillie Hancock”), she/her, is excited to come back & perform for Monday Night Playground ! Her most recent productions were : A Christmas Carol (Center Rep), Hard Times (Word 4 Word), A Midsummer Night’s Dream & Romeo/Juliet (Marin Shakespeare). You’ll likely find her on stage, spending time with loved ones, or dancing with the homies.

LEON GOERTZEN (Last Call at the Underpass, “Elliot”), he/him, has worked at Capital Stage (The Chinese Lady), East West Players (My Tired Broke Ass Pontificating Slapstick Funk), Berkeley Repertory Theatre (U/S, Journey to the West), Will and Company (Three Musketeers) , Ferocious Lotus (Crane, Carnal, One Act Comedy Workshop, Rooted), Asian American Theater Company (Importance of Being Earnest, Rental Car, Walls, The Cure), San Francisco Mime Troupe (Getting Real), Road Theatre Company (Importance of Being Earnest, Bang Bang You’re Dead), Cutting Ball Theater (Madame Ho, Carnal Prayer Mat), Aurora Theater Company (Global Age Project), and New Conservatory Theater (Fortune and Friends’ Eyes). Film credits include Quitters (with Kieran Culkin and Mira Sorvino) and Beauty and The Blade. Leon is a graduate of the School of Drama at UNC School of the Arts and is a member of Actors’ Equity Association, Screen Actors Guild, Ferocious Lotus Theatre Company, and Playground.

CINDY GOLDFIELD (Dolores Park, “Margie”), she/they, is thrilled to be back at Playground where she has been a company member since the early ’90’s. Recent credits include work at CenterRep (Happy Pleasant Valley, Indecent), TheatreWorks (Happy Pleasant Valley, In Every Generation). Goldfield has also worked at American Conservatory Theater, San Jose Rep, Broadway by the Bay, Marin Theatre Co., and 42nd Street Moon. New York credits: D’Arcy Drollinger’s Project: Lohan and Mr. Irresistible at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club. Cabaret credits include collaborations with Scrumbly Koldewyn (Goldfield & Koldewyn) and David Aaron Brown (One Night Stand.) In addition to her performing credits and awards, Goldfield has two Theatre Bay Area awards for Best Direction.

ERIC FRAISHER HAYES (A Wayward Tale, “EMT;” Jumper, “Police Officer” ), he/him, is the artistic director at Tao House, Eugene O’Neill National Historic Site where he oversees the Eugene O’Neill Festival. He has directed 36 of O’Neill’s 51 plays often taking his productions to Ireland. Like many theatre artists his roots are in acting. He holds an MFA from the Theatre School, DePaul University in Chicago and is happy to be returning to the PlayGround stage to play with so many talented and passionate artists.

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

KHARY L. MOYE (Last Call at the Underpass, “Reggie”), 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.

LOUIS PARNELL (Jumper, “Old Man”), he/him, has been active in Bay Area theatre for the last 50 years. He works most regularly at the SFPlayhouse where he just performed in NOISES OFF and understudied INTO THE WOODS. He’s also worked at A.C.T., Center Rep, TheatreWorks and many other theaters. He also works periodically in film and television.

KRYSTLE PIAMONTE (Jumper, “Young Woman”), she/her, is a San Francisco-based actor. 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 (Bridges of San Francisco County, “B.B.”), 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.

PATRICK RUSSEL (Dolores Park, “Alex”), he/him, most recently appeared in Noises Off at SF Playhouse., Patrick has also performed at ACT, TheatreWorks, Cal Shakes, Aurora Theatre Co, Marin Shakespeare, Magic Theatre, Center REP, and Shotgun Players. Directing credits include She Kills Monsters and Stupid F***ing Bird at SF State and The Arsonists at UC Berkeley. Patrick is a lecturer for acting and movement at UC Berkeley and instructor for ACT, from where he holds an MFA in acting.

MIYOKO SAKATANI (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 (A Blackbox of Our Own, “Morty”), he/him, is back at it with another Monday Night PlayGround! He is a Berkeley-based actor, stage manager, and playwright. Recent acting work includes Found Family (Left Coast Theatre) & Four Play (Theatre Rhinoceros/JT Presents). He hasn’t SM’d for a bit, except for Shotgun’s Champagne Staged Reading Series, in which he SM’d Yellow Face and The Motion. Recent playwriting work includes Better Unkept (part of Best of PlayGround-SF ’24) which he hopes to make a full-length by 2026! He’s also a proud company member of Berkeley Interactive Theater and PlayGround-SF, and a member of Shotgun’s EDIB Committee.
LouelSenores.com

TERRANCE SMITH (I Saw the Figure Five in Gold , “Howard Coit”), he/him, is thrilled to return to Monday Night at Playground after an extended hiatus. He’s performed in theatres all across the Bay Area, including: SF Playhouse, San Jose Stage Company, Marin Shakes, Hillbarn Theatre, Town Hall Theatre, African-American Shakes, Center Rep, SPARC Theatre, The Lorraine Hansberry Theatre Company and many others. He’s toured nationally as apart of the End of Isolation’s production of The Box, and he’s performed overseas at The Eugene O’ Neill Festival in Ireland. He also voices DJ Train Trax on the Daytime Emmy Award winning Netflix Cartoon series Go Go Cory Carson. [terranceaustinsmith.com]

CHRIS STEELE (A Wayward Tale, “Shayna”), 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.

RYAN TASKER (Bridges of San Francisco County, “Karl”), he/him, was most recently seen in Word for Word’s productions of “Hard Times” and “Who’s Dead McCarthy”, as well as at Hillbarn Theatre in “Wait Until Dark”. He also had teeny tiny parts in “Freaky Tales” and “Fairyland”, both released in 2025. Much love to Rebecca, Henry, and Eddie!

DIRECTORS

NANCY CARLIN (I Saw the Figure Five in Gold), she/her, has has directed and performed extensively in regional theater including the American Conservatory Theater, Berkeley Rep, TheatreWorks, Aurora, Jewel, Rogue, and Marin Theaters, Shotgun Players, Marin Shakes, Center Rep, and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. A former longtime company member of A.C.T., associate artist with Cal Shakes, and member of PlayGround, Carlin is a theater arts lecturer with UC Berkeley, and SJSU. She holds a BA in comparative literature from Brown University and an MFA in acting from A.C.T. Ms. Carlin is a member of AEA, SAG-AFTRA, and SDC. She co-authored the musical Max Understood, and can be seen in Eleanor Coppola’s film, Love is Love is Love. www.nancycarlin.com

WYNNE CHAN (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.

BEN CHAU-CHIU (Last Call at the Underpass), they/them, is a company member and ambassador with PlayGround-SF. They’ve worked on The Case of the Missing Messenger, Madam Gorgo, Delta Daze, and Lucky Chances. Outside of PlayGround, they’ve also worked with A.C.T., SF Shakes, Plethos Productions, SF Playhouse, Shotgun Players, and Cal Shakes.

GG GRILLI (Jumper), he/him, GG Grilli 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 The Servant of Two Masters with Bentley School at the Lesher Center and attending the Emma Rice Company’s first ever educators residency. He was the Founding Artistic Director of BrickaBrack, a multidisciplinary ensemble company, from 2012 – 2020. PlayGround member since 2008! Recently with PG: Nick in Shadow of an Uncle Nick (A Very Hitchcock Christmas), Victor in Work/Shoot (Festival). www.gggrilli.com

DOYLE OTT (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.

JENNA STEIN-CORMAN (Bridges of San Francisco County), 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.

PRODUCTION

RAPHAEL LOUIS BUENAVENTURA (Stage Manager), he/him, is a Bay Area–based stage manager, production manager, and director with extensive experience across new works, festivals, and independent theatre. Known for their calm leadership, rigorous organization, and artist-first approach, Raphael specializes in supporting bold, queer, and ensemble-driven storytelling. Recent credits include work with SF Playground, Theatre Rhinoceros, Bindlestiff Studio, and JT Presents, as well as serving as Executive Director of SF Eagle Players. Raphael thrives in fast-paced rehearsal rooms and brings grounded, joyful professionalism to every process.
For collaborations: rsd.buenaventura@gmail.com

PLAYGROUND, founded in 1994 by Jim Kleinmann, Brighde Mullins and Denise Shama, has grown into one of this nation’s leading playwright incubators and theatre community hubs, with a core commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, helping to uplift and center artists from historically underrepresented communities. Over three decades, PlayGround has supported more than 300 early-career playwrights, developing and staging over 1,500 of their original short plays through PlayGround’s signature programs, Monday Night PlayGround and the PlayGround Festival of New Works. PlayGround has also commissioned 100 new full-length plays by 60 of these writers through its Commissioning Initiative and has directly facilitated the premiere of 36 of those works through its innovative New Play Production Fund. Over the past 29 years, PlayGround has developed a unique model for identifying and nurturing some of this country’s best new writers, while helping them to build a significant body of original work and lasting connections with the artistic collaborators they need to know to ensure their success. PlayGround expanded to Los Angeles in 2012, to NYC in 2021, and to Chicago in 2022.

In 2015, PlayGround signed a long-term lease to operate the former Thick House Theater (San Francisco), where PlayGround has produced its festival since 2008. Following a successful $300,000 renovation, PlayGround reopened the theatre in February 2017 as Potrero Stage: PlayGround Center for New Plays. In addition to supporting PlayGround’s expanding new play programs (including the PlayGround Solo Performance Festival launched in 2018, as well as Free-Play Festival and “Twisted” Holiday Show, both launched in 2022), the theatre serves as home for some of the Bay Area’s leading new play developers and producers. In 2019, PlayGround launched the Innovator Incubator, fostering theatrical innovation and next generation innovative theatre companies. The program culminates in the annual Innovators Showcase, which takes place each November, featuring over half-a-dozen new works, from developmental readings to full premieres, by the year’s Innovator Incubator cohort. PlayGround has fostered 13 new companies through this program.

Following the closure of theaters due to the pandemic in 2020, PlayGround was one of the first theatres in the country to shift all of its programming online, with the launch of the PlayGround Zoom Fest and a unique partnership with the performers union, SAG-AFTRA. With the return of in-person performance, PlayGround recommitted to radical accessibility with admission-free programming and online simulcast and on-demand streaming of all performances.

PlayGround’s alumni have gone on to win local, national, and international honors for their short and full-length work, including recognition at the Steinberg Awards, Glickman Awards (including 6 of the last 10), Humana Festival, O’Neill National Playwrights Conference, Bay Area Playwrights Festival, 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.

In addition to its company of playwrights, PlayGround maintains a company of leading local directors, actors, designers and technicians whose work is regularly seen on the top professional stages in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago and at regional theatres across the country. PlayGround has actively positioned itself as a hub, bringing together hundreds of individuals and organizations representing the best in local theatre. For more information about PlayGround, visit https://playground-sf.org.

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.

Coming Soon

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 January 1, 2025 & January 25, 2026.

GOVERNMENT, CORPORATE, & FOUNDATION DONORS

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 • Rye Financial Services • SF Shines • The Shubert Foundation • State Compensation Insurance Fund

SEASON SPONSORS ($5000+)

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

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS ($2500+)

Randy Adams, John Gilman, Regina Guggenheim, Kathryn Hecht, Nitin Nitin & Vasugi Kailasam, Jessica June Rowe, Christian Wilburn, Janine Wilburn, Anonymous

PRODUCERS CIRCLE ($1000-$2499)

Jahnavi Alyssa, Linda Amayo-Hassan, Meriko Borogove, Anne Brady, Summer Broyhill, Madeleine Butler, Sheila Collins, Jediah Craig, Elizabeth Dudak, Jessica Forbess, David Goldman, Greg Gorel, Gina & Steve Harris, Uma Incrocci, Jonathan Josephson, Linda Kremer, Tobi Marcus, Rebecca Martinez, Bram McGinnis, Molly Noble & Bob Guilbault, Kendall Phillips, Evelyn J Pine & Doug Peckler, Bridgette Dutta Portman, Arthur Rock & Toni Rembe Rock, Kathryn Ryan, Miyoko Sakatani, Diane Sampson, Sanjit Sengupta, Kurt Taylor, William C. Thompson, Jeffrey Trescott, Hechale Productions

PLAYWRIGHTS CIRCLE ($500-$999)

Tanvi Agrawal, Ben Cain, Lydia R. Diamond, Leon Goertzen, Philip Gotanda & Diane Takei, Toby Inoue, Paul & Pam Kleinmann, Margery Kreitman, Kathy Roberts & Aaron Loeb, Jenny Rand, Cindy & Chris Redburn, John Ruskin, Kitt Saginor, Mercedes Segesvary, Jerome Solberg

PATRON ($250-$499)

Linda Ayres-Frederick / Phoenix Arts Association Theatre, Ruth Brayton, Marilyn Cooper, Clint Fleener, Alex Loddengaard, Alan Maass, Tobi Marcus, Stephanie Prentice & David Haines, George Rose, Mark Sherstinsky, Jon & Susan Sweedler, Mary Lou Torre, Robin Wimsatt, Maury Zeff

ASSOCIATE MEMBER ($125-$249)

Sharon Baldwin, Deepanshu Dutta, Krystyna Finlayson, Clint Fleener, Patience Haggin, Abbe Kalos, Karen Levesque, Pam Mackinnon, Linda Marks, Jack Needleman, Karen Reaume, Katja Rivera, Nancy Smith, Ann Hearn Tobolowsky, Christina Velasco, Matt W Wills, Susannah Wise

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

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

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https://facebook.com/PlayGroundsf
https://instagram.com/playgroundsftheatre
www.playground-sf.org

PlayGround
3286 Adeline St #9
Berkeley, CA 94703-2485