PlayGround-NY

The Playwright Host Committee would love to see you at our Four-City Gala on Sept. 16! Party with playwrights and get to know your PlayGround community as we celebrate 30 years of new plays and artistic excellence.

https://playground-sf.org/benefit/

PlayGround Artistic Director Jim Kleinmann talks 30 Years of playground on KRON - Live in the Bay! Join us for the 30th Anniversary Gala on September 16: https://playground-sf.org/benefit/

San Francisco theater network celebrates 30 years of success Jim Kleinmann, co-founder of Playground, joined host Rachael Maurer to chat about the theater group’s 30-year celebration!

Announcing the BEST OF Free-Play! Join us for a weekend of encore Free-Play performances on our stage and simulcast FREE, 9/6-7 (view on-demand through 9/14):

BLACK BASTARD by Jon Joseph Gentry
Transports to 1990s Houston in a humorous, heartfelt coming-of-age tale. Jon, an inquisitive Black boy, develops a love for literature until his family fractures, thrusting him into the role of "man of the house."
Sep 6th 6pm & Sep 7th at 8pm

STARE INTO THE VOID AND YOU'LL SEE STARS by Kaz Valtchev
Luna is on a camping trip with her friends, waiting to watch a meteor shower, sounds relaxing right? Except she's a ball of anxiety being haunted by the ghost of her friend, Jenn, while her living friends have planned an intervention for her ma*****na use.
Sep 6th 8pm & Sep 7th at 6pm

Get tickets: https://tickets.playground-sf.org/TheatreManager/1/online?event=377

PLAYGROUND 30TH ANNIVERARY GALA
Celebrate PlayGround Nationally!
Just a few weeks away: September 16, 2024
5pm-8pm PDT Verdi Club, San Francisco
5pm-8pm PDT Rossoblu, Los Angeles
7pm-10pm CDT Osteria Via Stato, Chicago
8pm-11pm EDT Carmine’s Upper West Side, New York City

Book tickets: https://playground-sf.org/benefit/

The final Week of PlayGround's Free-Play starts Friday! We've got some great performances coming to our stage. Here's the line-up:

Friday, August 23, 2024
6 PM: BAD BEHAVIOR, A PLAY IN ONE ACT by Adrian Thomas
8 PM: TITLE PENDING by Heather Tyson

Saturday, August 24, 2024
2 PM: ONE OF THE GOOD ONES by Melina Cohen-Bramwell
4 PM: TITLE PENDING by Heather Tyson
6 PM: THE DEFINITION OF DRAG by SNJV
8 PM: BAD BEHAVIOR, A PLAY IN ONE ACT by Adrian Thomas

Sunday, August 25, 2024
12 PM: ONE OF THE GOOD ONES by Melina Cohen-Bramwell
2 PM: POST GRAD LIFE by Joelle Joyner-Wong
4 PM: BAD BEHAVIOR, A PLAY IN ONE ACT by Adrian Thomas
6 PM: WHERE I COME FROM by Jerry Metzker
8 PM: GODDESS DA FROM THE PLANET YURONIT by Melinda E. Lopez

Get tickets: https://playground-sf.org/freeplay/

Are you looking for directing experience in professional theatre? The PlayGround 2024-25 Directing Apprenticeship may be for you! APPLICATION DUE TODAY!

Apply here: https://playground-ny.org/jobopportunities/

Week one of the Free-Play Festival was fantastic! Have you already scored your reservations for Week 2? Here's what's coming up, starting Friday - Live at Potrero Stage, simulcast, and on-demand for one week! Get tickets: https://tickets.playground

Friday, August 16, 2024
6 PM: BLACK BASTARD by Jon Joseph Gentry
8 PM: STARE INTO THE VOID AND YOU’LL SEE STARS by Kaz Valtchev

Saturday, August 17, 2024
2 PM: TITLE PENDING by Heather Tyson
4 PM: STARE INTO THE VOID AND YOU’LL SEE STARS by Kaz Valtchev
6 PM: WHERE I COME FROM by Jerry Metzker
8 PM: BLACK BASTARD by Jon Joseph Gentry

Sunday, August 18, 2024
12 PM: BLACK BASTARD by Jon Joseph Gentry
2 PM: WHERE I COME FROM by Jerry Metzker
4 PM: THE TEST by Carl Erez and Princess Kannah
6 PM: GODDESS DA FROM THE PLANET YURONIT by Melinda E. Lopez
8 PM: STARE INTO THE VOID AND YOU’LL SEE STARS by Kaz Valtchev

Calling all directors on the rise! Are you looking for opportunities to gain experience in professional theatre? The PlayGround 2024-25 Directing Apprenticeship may be for you! Easy application, due Thursday: 8/15.

Apply here: https://playground-ny.org/jobopportunities/

🔥Free-Play Festival starts tonight in SF! Simulcast & On-Demand
Get tickets: https://tickets.playground-sf.org * Admission Free

FREE-PLAY FESTIVAL starts this weekend! This three-week “fringe style” new works festival features 11 productions from highly sought-after theatre artists from across the country! Simulcast/on-demand starting Friday:

Friday, August 9, 2024
6 PM: VENN DIAGRAM by Margo Rofé
8 PM: THE DEFINITION OF DRAG by SNJV

Saturday, August 10, 2024
2 PM: THE TEST by Carl Erez and Princess Kannah
4 PM: VENN DIAGRAM by Margo Rofé
6 PM: GODDESS DA FROM THE PLANET YURONIT by Melinda E. Lopez
8 PM: POST GRAD LIFE by Joelle Joyner-Wong

Sunday, August 11, 2024
12 PM: VENN DIAGRAM by Margo Rofé
2 PM: POST GRAD LIFE by Joelle Joyner-Wong
4 PM: THE DEFINITION OF DRAG by SNJV
6 PM: THE TEST by Carl Erez and Princess Kannah
8 PM: ONE OF THE GOOD ONES by Melina Cohen-Bramwell

Full line-up: https://playground-sf.org/freeplay/

Calling all directors on the rise! Are you looking for opportunities to gain experience in professional theatre? The PlayGround 2024-25 Directing Apprenticeship may be for you! Easy application, due in two weeks: 8/15,

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdPc0xNsE2c3U2XrBKPt7E2NkSuFSHkos-tBoTgI2fYYiGI6g/viewform

* Raise a Glass! Tickets Available! *
PlayGround will mark its third decade of incubating new plays by hosting simultaneous parties in New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco on Monday, September 16, 2024. The events, which will also be livestreamed, will feature a starry array of playwright alumni, including many of the busiest names in theatre today.

Join friends, artists, and fellow supporters at Carmine's Upper West Side on Sept 16!
Tickets: https://tickets.playground-sf.org/TheatreManager/1/login?event=375

PLAYGROUND 30TH ANNIVERARY GALA
Celebrating PlayGround Nationally
September 16, 2024
8pm-11pm EDT Carmine’s Upper West Side, New York City

PlayGround will mark its third decade of incubating new plays by hosting simultaneous parties in New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco on Monday, September 16, 2024. The events, which will also be livestreamed, will feature a starry array of playwright alumni, including many of the busiest names in theatre today.

Join us! Details here: playground-sf.org/gala

The 2nd Annual ONE PLAYGROUND FESTIVAL is now available on-demand!
More than 50 members of the PlayGround community (many pictured!) and theatre-makers from across the country gathered at Potrero Stage and online to celebrate a phenomenal year and discuss important issues affecting the American Theatre. Several sessions are available on-demand, including:

- Recess LIVE! Impromptu readings of PlayGround community play excerpts
- Success Beyond the Incubator, with Howard Ho (NY), Mildred Inez Lewis (LA), Karissa Murrell Myers (Chicago), and Cleavon Smith (SF)
- Bringing PlayGround Plays to Life: Casting Best Practices, with Tessa Corrie, Christian Haines, and Melissa Ortiz
- The Best of the Best of PlayGround (2024), featuring Bessie in Medias Res by Robyn Brooks (SF), Love Language of Origin by Michael P. Adams (LA), Jie Jie by Howard Ho (NY), and Mycelium by Juliet Kang Huneke (Chicago)

Watch on-demand: https://tickets.playground-sf.org/

Join theatre makers from across the country for the One PlayGround Festival! Performances, workshops, thoughtful conversations, and much more. Simulcast live and streamed on-demand until June 9.

Register here:
https://playground-sf.org/oneplaygroundfestival/

The 28th PlayGround Festival of New Works is still available ON-DEMAND thru May 31 (extended on-demand for Festival Sponsors)
Reservations are free (donations gratefully accepted)
Festival link: https://playground-sf.org/festival/

Streaming this weekend and on-demand:
BEST OF PLAYGROUND(SF) ’24 (a Festival Premiere Presentation)
The Best Short Works from the 2023-24 Monday Night PlayGround Season
May 25 & May 26, 7pm PT at Potrero Stage & Simulcast
On-Demand thru May 31

WATCH ONLINE: https://playground-sf.org/bestof/

Bessie in Medias Res by Robyn Brooks, directed by Tanika Baptiste
Iván y El Justiciero by Justin P. Lopez, directed by Karina Gutierrez
Madam Gorgo by Kimberly Ridgeway, directed by Jim Kleinmann
Better Unkept by Louel Señores, directed by Ely Sonny Orquiza
Freedom by Stan Stone, directed by Norman Gee
Mack & Mimi Encounter Totality by Lisa Gaye Thompson, directed by Molly Noble

HEY PLAYWRIGHTS! Applications for the 2024-25 PlayGround-NY Writers Pool are being accepted, now through June 30, 2024! Details https://playground-ny.org/submit/

WORK WITH US: 2024-25 PRODUCING FELLOWSHIPS
PlayGround is excited to announce immediate openings to join the 2024-2025 Producing Fellowship, designed to foster the next generation of leadership for the American Theatre. We are looking for individuals passionate about theatre and looking to make an impact on the field while developing the skill set to do so for a living. Candidates must reside in one of the four PlayGround regions (LA, SF, NY, or Chicago). Eight fellows will be selected with two drawn from each of the four PlayGround regions. Particularly, in filling these roles, we will give weight and priority to BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and disabled applicants with the hope of employing diverse voices who can continue to hone their producing skills in a collaborative environment.

Fellows generally work 4 hrs/wk (default Fellow workday is Friday, 10am-2pm PT / 12pm-4pm CT / 1pm-5pm ET) via zoom. Pay is salaried, $20/hr.

Applications are due by 11:59pm on May 31, 2024, with a target start date of August 1, 2024, running through July 31, 2025. Interviews with select candidates will be conducted in June. Applications must be submitted through this Google Form:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1JTlpHfF0BY684nGsliEIstIzpikoKXsorCQ_HvHIc-A/edit

Streaming this weekend and on-demand:
PlayGround Festival of New Works
A THOUSAND NATURAL SHOCKS by Jacob Marx Rice (a Festival Premiere Presentation)
Directed by Tracy Ward
May 18 & May 19 7pm PT
Potrero Stage & Simulcast/On-Demand thru May 31

WATCH ONLINE: https://playground-sf.org/apertures/

A Thousand Natural Shocks follows Kennedy, who is doing okay! Her depression is under control, she’s got a stable job, and her wife adores her. But when the couple decides to make a baby, they must navigate the chaos of IVF, the inevitability of pain, and the Tik-Tok teen crashing on their couch. Taking its title from Hamlet’s famous monologue, the play takes us on a journey through the increasingly fraught trials and tribulations of modern love and life. Featuring. Catherine Castellanos (Doctor), Zoe Chien (Jennifer), Rebecca Pingree (Molly), Jeunee Simon (Kennedy), and Maryssa Wanlass (Laurel).

Streaming this weekend and on-demand:
PlayGround Festival of New Works
APERTURES OF LOVE IN TIMES OF WAR by Anne Yumi Kobori (a Festival Premiere Presentation)
Directed by Katja Rivera
May 11 & May 12 7pm PT
Potrero Stage & Simulcast/On-Demand thru May 31

TICKET LINK IN BIO

Apertures of Love in Times of War follows Ed, a Mexican-American photographer turned war correspondent, and Aya, a Japanese-American writer. Their love affair spans a vast ocean of time and space, but they cannot escape the brutal reality of their forced separation during World War II, when Aya was imprisoned in the Japanese Internment Camps, and Ed risked his life to capture photographs of war-ravaged Europe. Over the course of a tumultuous affair, they unite in their crusade to report the truth about the war-torn world. A play that re-examines what it means to be an American through the lens of the country’s not-so-distant past. Featuring Michael Barrett Austin (Marty), Justin Hernandez (Ed), Brian Herndon (Jean-Baptiste), Julie Kuwabara (Gabriella /Miyo), Sakura Nakahara (Aya), and James Aaron Oh (Takahashi).

Announcing the Best of the Best of PlayGround!
SF: Bessie in Medias Res by Robyn Brooks 🎼
LA: Love Language of Origin by Michael P. Adams 👨‍❤️‍💋‍👨
NY: Jie Jie by Howard Ho 🎥
CH: Mycelium by Juliet Kang Huneke🍄
Encore Performance: Saturday, June 1 at 7p
Potrero Stage and Simulcast

More: https://playground-sf.org/oneplaygroundfestival/

Where are our origins, especially when when we've had to flee from home?
Come see REFUGE TO PLANET MIN by Vicky Pham, directed by Austin Ku . Featuring Kimberly Van Vo , Amy Hart Nguyễn , Stephanie Jeane Toussaint . Join us for BEST OF PLAYGROUND(NY) ‘24 TOMORROW NIGHT: April 22 at The Producers Club and Simulcast.

Tickets are free! Reservation now:
https://tickets.playground-sf.org/TheatreManager/1/online?performance=1448

Uncover the twisted family tree and more skeletons than a royal closet in 'The Origin of the Prince of Denmark'—the play that spills the tea on Hamlet's uncle, revealing how revenge became the family heirloom, one patricide at a time!

Come see THE ORIGIN OF THE PRINCE OF DENMARK by Lyra Nalan , directed by Jim Kleinmann . Featuring James Suarez , Alex Shafer , Bex White , Parker Damm . Join us for BEST OF PLAYGROUND(NY) ‘24 on April 22 at The Producers Club and Simulcast.

Tickets are free! Book here:
https://tickets.playground-sf.org/TheatreManager/1/online?performance=1448

Meet the cast of Monday's Best of PlayGround(NY) '24!

https://playground-ny.org/best-of-playgroundny-playbill-apr-2024/

PlayGround-NY PlayGround brings its unique playwright incubator programs to NYC! Coming Fall 2021.