PlayGround-LA presents Season 9

MONDAY NIGHT PLAYGROUND

Topic: “Illuminate”

December 14, 2020 7pm PT

via Zoom Live Stream

Guiding Light
by Starina Johnson
Directed by Paris McCarthy
Gabriel….……………………………………..…………………..Anthony Rutowicz
Joseph…………………………………….……………….………………….Josef Bette
Mary………………………………………………………………….….Krystal Mosley

That Good Night
by Michael P. Adams
Directed by Nicholas C. Pappas
Elizabeth.……………………………….………….……………………Sheila Collins
Casey…………………………………………..………..…….………..Christina Wren

Twinklers
by Susan C. Hunter
Directed by Jully Lee
George…………………………….………………….…………………David Cramer
Nicole…………………………..…………….………………..Magee Dewan-Smith
Al………………………………….……………….………………………Richard Ruyle

I’ve Decided I’m Not Going
by Charles Velasquez-Witosky
Directed by Jim Kleinmann
Maggie…………………………………….………………………….Debba Rofheart
Lila………………………………….………………………………….Tiffany Mualem
Doctor Hall……………………………………………………………Mark Jacobson
Freddie……………………………………………………………….….Zach Kumaishi

Christmas Spirits
by Emily Brauer Rogers
Directed by Jesus A. Reyes
Ghost of Christmas Past……………………………………….Stephanie T. Keefer
Ghost of Christmas Future………………..…..…………….………..Christine Liao
Ghost of Christmas Present……………………………………..….Tahmus Rounds

Waiting for Umoja
By Daysha Veronica
Directed by Rondrell McCormick
Darius Blackman…………………………………………………Anthony Hawkins Woods
Sydney Blackman………………………………………………Marie-Françoise Theodore
Sky Blackman…………………………………………………..Charlotte Williams Roberts
Justin Blackman………………….……………………….……………..Rogelio Douglas III
Calvin Blackman…………………..………………….……………………….William Warren 

Sarah Gassher – Stage Manager & Sound Designer

Colin Johnson – Visual Designer

BIOGRAPHIES

PLAYWRIGHTS 

STARINA JOHNSON (Guiding Light), she/they, is a multidisciplinary artist who can be seen in award-winning films such as “West Hollywood Motel” and “Casserole Club.” Theatre projects include Piñata, directed by Stan Zimmerman, and complex[ion] woman, directed by Ebony Gilbert. Starina’s play, Border Towns won SLAM Boston’s Diverse Voices in Theatre competition, and her short plays have been produced across the country. StarinaJohnson.com

MICHAEL P. ADAMS (That Good Night), he, is a playwright, actor, producer, and substitute teacher. His plays have been produced in Los Angeles, Memphis, Albuquerque, Spokane, and Tucson, among other locations. Michael is a member of the Alliance of Los Angeles Playwrights, and was just elected to its newly formed board of directors. He is a graduate of the MFA program at San Jose State University.

SUSAN C. HUNTER (Twinklers), she, has been a company member of PlayGround_LA since its beginning. Many plays written here have had full productions elsewhere. Other Works: Caddie Woodlawn (Concord Theatricals) and Heart-to-Heart (30 Short Plays for Passionate Actors).  Affiliations: All Original Playwrights Workshop, At Rise: Playwrights, Theatre West, ALAP, and Dramatists Guild. 

CHARLES VELASQUEZ-WITOSKY (I’ve Decided I’m not Going), he, is a Hispanic-American playwright and theatre artist. He has won awards for his playwriting from the Cary Playwrights Forum and the Winston-Salem Writers Project. In addition to writing plays, Charles is a producer who works in movies, TV, theatre, and new media and has written a comic book published by Legendary Comics. He holds a BFA from University of North Carolina School of the Arts. 

EMILY BRAUER ROGERS (Christmas Spirits), she, recently wrote the following plays: Bloomer Girls, The Paper Hangers, and Gemini Complex. Her screenplay, Romeo, Juliet and Rosaline, was optioned by Amazon Studios. She has been published in a Smith and Kraus anthology, 161 Monologues from Literature and in Kids’ Comedic Monologues that are Actually Funny. Emily has had short plays read and produced in Australia, England, Ireland, and the U.S. She’s currently a member of the Dramatists Guild and Writers Guild of America. For more visit www.emilybrauerrogers.com. 

DAYSHA VERONICA (Waiting for Umoja) is a playwright, author, digital media producer, MFA candidate at UCLA and a Television Academy Foundation Internship alum. Her plays have been workshopped/performed at UC San Diego, UCLA, Meet Cute LA, Celebration Theatre, and PlayGround-LA! Her digital work has appeared on Hulu, Amazon Prime, Apple TV, BuzzFeed, Refinery29, and The Huffington Post. She is currently under commission with PlayGround-LA. Social: @DayshaVeronica

ACTORS

ANTHONY RUTOWICZ (Guiding Light, “Gabriel”), he, is excited to add the role of ‘Bright Light’ to his PlayGround résumé. Catch Anthony in the virtual choose-your-own adventure holiday experience entitled “STORAGE RUN” produced in association with ROGUE Artists.

JOSEF BETTE  (Guiding Light, “Joseph”), originally from Chicago, IL, LA transplant since 2011. He is happy to be part of the PlayGround LA community since 2019 and his film credits include “Chasing the Blues” and “Parked” on Amazon Prime.

KRYSTAL MOSLEY (Guiding Light, “Mary”), comes all the way from Chicago, currently residing in LA and is super excited about the production this evening! Some of her credits include: 10 Virgins with Chicago Dramatist, Ruined with Eclipse Theatre and Blood Wedding with Pursuit Productions. She would like to thank the PlayGround-LA cast, friends and family for their continued support!

SHEILA COLLINS (That Good Night, “Elizabeth”), she, has acted onstage, on television and in films since the early 2000s. Favorite stage roles include Ruth in A Raisin in the Sun, Emilia in Othello, Charlotte in Charlotte’s Web, and Hattie in The Little Foxes. Having appeared numerous times on the physical stage of PlayGround L.A., this will be her second Zoom appearance and she is thrilled to be here. 

CHRISTINA WREN (That Good Night, “Casey”) 

DAVID CRAMER (Twinklers, “George”) 

MAGGIE DEWAN-SMITH (Twinklers, “Nicole”), she, returned to acting after retiring from UCLA where she was a Nurse Practitioner and Assistant Clinical Professor. She served in the USAF Reserve for 27 yrs: a Flight Nurse for 16 yrs, including Desert Storm, an Administrative Nurse in the Air Force Surgeon General’s office in DC and retired as a LtCol. She studied with Laura Gardner, Jeanie Hackett, now studies in Gordon Hunt’s Workshop with Richard Gilbert-Hill, Helen Hunt. This is her third appearance with PlayGround LA, happy to be a part of this group of gifted writers, imaginative directors, and talented actors. 

RICHARD RUYLE (Twinklers, “Al”), he, is an actor, playwright, and civil engineer.  Regional acting credits include Over The Tavern at La Mirada Theatre, Sideman at Ensemble Theatre in Santa Barbara, Monster at East West Players, and Heathen Valley at San Jose Stage Company.  His one act plays have been produced at the Attic Theatre and Moving Arts.  PlayGround plays he has authored include IC, Do You Hear…?, Heart of a Dog, A Gift, and Straight Shot. 

DEBBA ROFHEART (I’ve Decided I’m Not Going, “Maggie”), she, is a Los Angeles actor and inveterate theatre junkie–loving to participate on stage, back stage, or from the audience–who adores studying and performing Shakespeare, above all. Debba is a proud member of PlayGround-LA, Son of Semele Ensemble, and Open Fist Theatre Company. Long live live theatre!

TIFFANY MUALEM (I’ve Decided I’m Not Going, “Lila”), she, a Jersey native, began her career training classically as a singer and performing, singing and dancing in musicals. Later she trained at The William Esper Studio in NYC where she graduated from their two-year intensive Meisner program. Currently, she loves performing with her indie comedy improv teams she formed at The Upright Citizens Brigade. Credits include: local and regional commercials, feature and short films as well as local and touring theater. Tiffany stars as leading lady Sam in “The Frame,” a mind-bending feature film written and directed by mastermind filmmaker Jamin Winans. “The Frame” is released worldwide and you can find it on Amazon Prime. Tiffany is thrilled and grateful to be a part of PlayGroundLA!

MARK JACOBSON (I’ve Decided I’m Not Going, “Doctor Hall”), he, just appeared on NCIS: LA last week and you can hear him in 3 of the nominees at this year’s Game Awards! Mark is an audition coach and teaches on-camera acting for US Army Entertainment Europe. He is the Director of Development for the Coeurage Ensemble.
 

ZACH KUMAISHI (I’ve Decided I’m Not Going, “Freddie”)

STEPHANIE T. KEEFER (Christmas Spirits, “Ghost of Christmas Past”), she, is a classically trained actor based in Los Angeles. She works in film, television, theater and voice over.  At U.C., Irvine, she had the good fortune to study with legendary Polish theatre director Jerzy Grotowski. Her short film, “ONE DANCE,” was broadcast nationally on CBS and FOX, and Stephanie has gone on to write, direct and produce other short films that have been seen in various film festivals nationally.  Catch her on Amazon Prime in the sci-fi rom com “A GIRL, A GUY, A SPACE HELMET.”   

CHRISTINE LIAO (Christmas Spirits, Ghost of Christmas Future”), she, played Waverly Jong in Sierra Madre Playhouse’s Joy Luck Club in Fall 2019. Her best known role thus far is as the waitress/clerk in the comedy sketch, “The ABC Who Can’t Read Chinese.” You can also find her in “Fine China” on HBO platforms as part of the HBO APA Visionaries 2020 winners.

TAHMUS ROUNDS (Christmas Spirits, “Ghost of Christmas Present”), he, has appeared in many television shows, including “How I Met Your Mother,” “Bones,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Parks and Recreation,” “Criminal Minds” and “911 Lonestar.” Among other theatre credits, he is a former Blue Man in Blue Man Group, performing over 1000 shows in Chicago, Boston and New York. He is excited and honored to be a member of PlayGround-LA.

ANTHONY HAWKINS WOODS (Waiting for Umoja, “Darius Blackman”), he, is super excited to be back working with PlayGround LA. Favorite theatre credits include: Stick Fly, Take Me Out, Blues for an Alabama Sky, and Angels in America. TV credits include Criminal Minds and Henry Danger. 

MARIE-FRANÇOISE THEODORE (Waiting for Umoja, “Sydney Blackman”), she, is an accomplished classical stage & screen actress/writer/director based in Los Angeles. Originally from Chicago, she was recently seen in “Never Ever Land” written by Rider Strong. She has graced local stages in leading roles at Sacred Fools, Boston Court and Theatricum Botanicum. Regional/International credits include The Guthrie, Penumbra Theatre, Court Theatre, Watford Palace (UK) and Northumberland Theatre (UK). She can currently be seen in A.X.L., How To Get Away With Murder, Station 19 and The Morning Show. Marie-Françoise is super psyched to be a PlayGround again! She gives thanks for her beautiful son, Aaron. 

CHARLOTTE WILLIAMS ROBERTS (Waiting for Umoja, “Sky Blackman”), she, has been acting and performing since the age of seven. Getting her start in Film early, she became a part of SAG/AFTRA and has been pursuing film and theatre ever since. She received her Bachelor’s in Fine Arts with an emphasis in Acting at California State University Fullerton. Since graduating, Charlotte has performed in several playhouses in Los Angeles. One being The Ruskin Group Theatre in which she portrayed Beneatha in “A Raisin in the Sun” which was 2016 Ovation Recommended.Charlotte recently co-starred in the film ” The Way Back” starring Ben Affleck and the internet series  “Solve” airing on the Snapchat app.  She has worked as a Co- Star on several TV shows. “Unsolved” streaming on Netflix, “Baskets” on FX, and “Preacher” on AMC. To keep up with Charlotte, check out her website at charlottewilliamsroberts.com 

ROGELIO DOUGLAS III (Waiting for Umoja, “Justin Blackman”), he, is an actor and spoken-word poet from Brooklyn, NY. He has a BA in Theater (SUNY New Paltz) and an Acting MFA from UCLA Theater, Film & Television — Class of 2020! A few of his most recent credits include — Class of 2020 by Lisa Loomer (Company of Angels), The Displaced by Isaac Gomez (San Diego Rep Theater), Titus Andronicus (Shakespeare by the Sea), and up next Measure for Measure (SBTS). RD3 can also be seen in numerous films and TV roles on NBC, CBS, and HBO. Forever grateful to PlayGround-LA! Love, Light & Black Therapy. www.RogelioDouglasiii.com | @RogelioDouglas3 

WILLIAM WARREN (Waiting for Umoja, “Calvin Blackman”), he, is a native of Gary, Indiana. He began his journey at the famed Second City Theater Improvisation Workshop in Chicago, Ill. William who is an actor and vocalist has performed in various musical productions, toured Canada with the Platters and performed as a backup vocalist with recording artist Billy Davis and Marilyn McCoo of The Fifth Dimensions, Stephanie Mills, Deniece Williams and Phillip Bailey of Earth Wind and Fire. As well as numerous other artist. William is currently collaborating on a production of Igor Stravinsky’s L’Histoire du Soldat with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and recently appeared in August Wilson’s Seven Guitars at The Long Beach Playhouse, the critically acclaimed The Little Foxes at Antaeus Theatre: Towne Street Theatre; IN RESPONSE; THE FERTILE RIVER at Baylor University, and 2019 NAACP Theatre Award nominee PERIPHERY at The Hudson Theatre.

DIRECTORS 

PARIS MCCARTHY (Guiding Light), she, has worked with PlayGround LA for 7 years first as an actor, then director, and now Associate Artistic Director. She freelances as a script reader but her finest achievement of 2020 is her daughter Clover.

JULLY LEE, (Twinklers), she, is the artistic director of COLD TOFU, the nation’s first and longest running Asian American improv company, as well as a resident director with PlayGround-LA. She has also directed with PlayGround-SF, Company of Angels, Exposition Review, hereandnow, East West Players, Los Angeles Female Playwrights Initiative (LAFPI), The Alliance of Los Angeles Playwrights (ALAP), Playwrights’ Arena, Artists At Play, The Road Theatre, EST-LA, and Center Theatre Group in their Library Readings Series. As an actor, recent TV/film credits include S.W.A.T., Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Veep, The Kominsky Method, This Is Us and Henry Danger. jullylee.com

NICHOLAS C. PAPPAS (That Good Night), he, is a playwright, dramaturge, and director. Plays include: Including Shooter (publisher: Playscripts), The Ballad of 423 and 424 (Heideman Award; Actor’s Theatre of Louisville), Fatty (Berkeley Rep’s Ground Floor), and The Dreams in Which I’m Dying (Deborah Aquila Reading Series). Published by Dramatics Magazine and Playscrips. He has directed at San Francisco Playhouse, Moorpark College, SFSU, and others. Dramaturgy: Center Theatre Group, San Francisco Playhouse, Berkeley Rep, South Coast Rep, and TheatreFolk. A graduate of San Francisco State University’s MFA program, he teaches at Moorpark College and is currently in development on several television and film projects. 

JIM KLEINMANN (I’ve Decided I’m Not Going), he, 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.

JESUS A. REYES (Christmas Spirits), he, has directed The Refugee Hotel by Carmen Aguirre for East LA College @elactechicaltheatre IG, Mima by Remi Mark for The Blank Theatre’s YPF and as Community Partnerships Director at CTG commissioned short plays by Diana Burbano, Juan E. Carrillo, D’Lo, Forrest Hartl, Judy Soo Hoo, and Julie Taiwo-Oni. A longtime PlayGround director. 

RONDRELL MCCORMICK, (Waiting for Umoja)

SARAH GASSER (Resident Stage Manager & Sound Designer) joined PlayGround in 2017 and has staged managed for the Monday Night PlayGround series and PlayGround Festival. She stagemanages for companies around the Bay Area, including Brava and Bay Area Children’s Theatre. In her administrative capacities, she assists with PlayGround’s marketing, social media, communications, and website, as well as serving as assistant to the Artistic Director.

COLIN JOHNSON (Visual Designer) is a multi-hyphenate production artist who has sullied the grounds of the Bay Area arts since 2008. His work has been produced or featured at PlayGround, Pianofight, The Circus Center Cabaret, San Diego Comic-Con, Image Comics, Potrero Stage, Pint-Sized Plays, The Olympians Festival, Shotz, Shotgun Players, The Curran, and various theatre, radio and film venues throughout the country. He is the Artistic Director of Awesome Theatre, Chief Creative Officer at Troubleshoot Productions and an Instructor / Director / Designer at Circus Center. He makes movies until he gets too frustrated and makes theatre until he has panic attacks.

PLAYGROUND-LA is the first regional expansion of the celebrated Bay Area playwright incubator and theatre community hub, PlayGround. PlayGround was launched in San Francisco in 1994 by co-founders Jim Kleinmann, Brighde Mullins and Denise Shama. In 1996, Kleinmann became PlayGround’s first Artistic Director. Since its founding, PlayGround has developed and staged over 950 original ten-minute plays by 250 Bay Area and Los Angeles early-career writers and has commissioned/developed more than 80 full-length plays. In the process of staging those works, PlayGround has helped to identify some of the leading emerging writers and, at the same time, has engendered the creation of a true community of theatre artists, bringing together hundreds of local actors, directors and playwrights. Each month, Oct-Mar, PlayGround-LA announces a topic to the thirty-six writers of the PlayGround-LA Writers Pool. Writers have four-and-a-half days to generate their original short plays and the top six are cast with leading local professionals and rehearsed for just 1.5 hours before being presented as script-in-hand staged readings on the second Monday of the month via Zoom live stream. At the end of each season, six of the thirty-six works developed in the Monday night series are selected for a one-night celebration, the Best of PlayGround Gala. The 9th annual Best of PlayGround Gala will take place on Monday, April 12, 2021, via Zoom live stream. PlayGround-LA is a fiscally sponsored project of PlayGround. For more information, visit https://playground-la.org.

PLAYGROUND-LA CONTRIBUTORS

PlayGround-LA is deeply grateful for the generous contributions of the many individuals whose support makes our playwright incubator programs possible.  The list below reflects gifts made between October 1, 2019 and October 12, 2020.

Patrons ($250 and above)

Ruth & Robert Brayton, Michael Fried/Planet Earth Arts, Les Ostrov, Two Kids with a Camera, Anonymous (3)

Associate Members ($125-$249)

Laverne Agard, Kathleen Cecchin, Dina Fisher, Becky Harris, Mark V. Jones

Supporting Members ($75-$124)

In memory of Dylan Duncan Wright, Michael Borders, Frieda de Lackner, Susan Hunter Eiden, Mr. Jonathan Josephson, Lara Gilman & Jim Kleinmann, Josh Pritchard, Anonymous (2)

Contributing Members ($25-$74)

Daysha’s Big Sister, Miss Erika Agard, Charline Alexandre, Sylvia & Bill Blush, Diane and Steve Ciesinski, Ms. Frieda de Lackner, Angela Edewi, Elayne Heilveil, Ms. Mildred Inez Lewis, Bette Linderman, Anonymous (2)

Friends (Up to $24)

Chase Abrams, Michael Adams, Brandon Baer, Aldo Billingslea, Rachel Borders, Mind Your Own Business, Diana Burbano, Melissa Chalsma, Carolyn Deskin, Rebecca L. Foster, Jun Hee Han, Miss Ariel Jacobson, Julianne Jigour, Ian Kaye, Mrs. Rosette Laursen, Christopher Gary Lawson, Debra Lee, Erika Lewis, Anonymous, Kerri McCanna, Eliza McNitt, Daniel Melling, Laurel Ollstein, Katie Page, Ms. Adrienne Whitney Papp, Vanessa Parish, Tahmus Rounds, Steven Rubio, Richard Ruyle, LA Thomas, Harriet White, Desireé York, Anonymous (3)

Become a PlayGround-LA contributor!

DONATE

PLAYGROUND-LA WRITERS POOL 2020-21

Michael P. Adams, Amanda Andrei, Evan Baughfman, Rachel Borders*, Diana Burbano*, Kathleen Cecchin*, Bridget Connelly, Allie Costa*, Jerome Joseph Gentes*, Briggs Hatton, Elayne Heilveil, Susan C. Hunter, Uma Incrocci, Julianne Jigour*, Starina Johnson*, Mark V. Jones, Jonathan Josephson*, Ian Kaye, Arthur Keng*, Mildred Inez Lewis, Rhea MacCallum*, Eliza McGowan-Stinski, Misao McGregor*, Scott Mullen*, Nicholas C. Pappas*, Emily Brauer Rogers, Jessica June Rowe*, Richard Ruyle, Joe Samaniego, Mercedes Segesvary*, Mark Sherstinsky*, Ayesha Siddiqui, Nicki Spencer*, Charles Velasquez-Witosky, Daysha Veronica*, and Desiree York
* Best of PlayGround Award recipient

PLAYGROUND-LA COMPANY

Sylvia Cervantes Blush, Jordan Carlson, Frieda de Lackner, Carolyn Deskin, Julio Hanson, Kurt Kanazawa, Stephanie T. Keefer, Christopher Gary Lawson, Jully Lee, Jackie Marriott, Gabi Mayorga, Paris McCarthy, Rondrell McCormick, Krystal Mosley, Tiffany Mualem, Gary Poux, Tiana Randall-Quant, Ivan Rivas, Debba Rofheart, Tahmus Rounds, Mae Ruling, Lamar Usher, Carla Vega, Christina Wren

PRODUCTION & STAFF

James A. Kleinmann
Co-Founder & Artistic Director

Paris McCarthy
Associate Artistic Director

Sarah Gasser
Resident Stage Manager & Sound Designer

Colin Johnson
Resident Visual Designer 

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