PlayGround-LA presents Season 10

MONDAY NIGHT PLAYGROUND

Topic: “Not So Silent Night”
December 13th 2021 7pm PT
Broadwater Second Stage & Vimeo Live Simulcast

Jeff Saves Christmas
by Eric Reid
Directed by Jesus Reyes
Kris……………………………..………………………………….Richard Ruyle
Elf…………………..…………………………………….………..Christine Liao
Jeff………………………………………………………………………..Tony Kim
Singing Elf……………………..………….……………….….Carolyn Deskin
Singing Elf……………………………..………………………..Maiya Reaves

Tis the Damn Season
by Nicholas C. Pappas
Directed by Collette Rutherford
Martha……….………….………………………………………Krystal Mosley
Tom….……………..……………………………….…………….Andrew Perez

Tender and Mild
by Nicki Spencer
Directed by Gabi Mayorga
Stanley………..…………….…………………………………..……Gary Poux
Doris……….…………….……….…………………………..Sherry Michaels
Adele………………….…….……………………………………..Melissa Ortiz

Kris & Noelle
by Uma Incrocci
Directed by Sylvia Cervantes Blush
Noelle………………………………………………..…………….Maiya Reaves
Kris…………………….………………………..……………Jordan Covington
Claudine………………………………………………..Tiana Randall-Quant

Blue Christmas
by Allie Costa
Directed by Jim Kleinmann
Samina……………………………….……………….………Julia Belanova
Caller (OS)………..…………………………………………Carolyn Deskin
Kinnin…………………………………………………………Zach Kumaishi

The Power of Christmas Compels You
by Lauren Gorski
Directed by Tom Dang
Pepper Mintstix…………………………………………………Linda Giron
Santa Claus……………………………………………………Hugo Carbajal
Max…………………………………………………………………….Janet Song
Demon/Grinch/Randy…………………………………Christian Haines

Stage Manager – Tammy Mora

BIOGRAPHIES

PLAYWRIGHTS

ALLIE COSTA (Blue Christmas) is an actor, screenwriter, playwright, director, and singer working in film, TV, theatre, and voiceover. Her acting credits include Future Shock, 90210, Spring Awakening, You Me & Her, and Alien vs. Musical. She’s also appeared in commercials and podcasts, narrated audio books and documentaries, and lent her voice to video games and animated projects. Her scripts have been produced internationally, including the critically-acclaimed Two Girls, Safe Distance, Boxes Are Magic, and Can You Keep a Secret? Occasionally, she sleeps. http://www.alliecosta.com http://www.imdb.me/alliecosta

LAUREN GORSKI (The Power of Christmas Compels You) is an award-winning writer. She has a Master’s in Professional Writing with emphasis in Stage and Screen from the University of Southern California, and a Bachelor’s in English with Emphasis in Creative Writing from the University of California, Irvine. She writes fiction, poetry, screenplays, and stageplays. Her plays have been performed for the Hollywood Fringe, PlayGround-LA and Playground-SF, PianoFight’s ShortLived series, and more. She is a past playwright-in-residence with PlayGround San Francisco. She is also the Co-Editor-In-Chief of Exposition Review, a multi-genre digital literary journal.

UMA INCROCCI‘s (Kris & Noelle) isn’t obsessed with Christmas, but she writes about it a lot. Her play “A Christmas Pickle” was a finalist in the Samuel French OOB Festival in 2020. She also co-wrote the Hallmark Channel movies “A Christmas Carousel” and “Nature of Love.” This is her 4th year as a member of the Playground LA Writing Pool and her short plays have been performed around the country. Her acting credits include appearances on “Modern Family,” “How To Get Away With Murder,” “Jane The Virgin,” “Bored to Death,” and “Lipstick Jungle.”

NICHOLAS C. PAPPAS (Tis the Damn Reason) 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 Playscripts. 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.

ERIC REID (Jeff Saves Christmas) has been an actor, writer and producer in theater arts for over 20 years. His body of work has been dedicated to promoting cultural diversity and providing a unique lens through which to see our true selves.

NICKI SPENCER (Tender and Mild) received her master’s degree in Professional Writing from the University of Southern California. Nicki has worked as a Writers’/Showrunner Assistant on several TV Shows including A&E and History Channel’s “Knightfall,” FOX’s “The Gifted” and “Proven Innocent,” and HBO Max’s Golden Globe nominated show “The Flight Attendant.” She has been a member of the playwrighting group Playground LA for seven years and has had several short plays performed in their festivals and shows.

ACTORS

JULIA BELANOVA (Blue Christmas, “Samina“) is thrilled to be part of this month’s Monday Night PlayGround! Julia was last onstage in Allie Costa’s Rise Up in the October 11 Monday Night PlayGround. Earlier in 2021, she played Wookie in PlayGround SF’s online production of Sapience by Diana Burbano. Originally from Northern California, Julia has performed at many Bay Area theatre companies, including San Francisco Playhouse, Marin Shakespeare Company, Jewel Theatre Company, and TheatreWorks Silicon Valley. As an artist and activist, Julia is proud to serve as Program Coordinator of the Anita Hill-led Hollywood Commission. Visit juliabelanova.com or @jebelanova

HUGO CARBAJAL (The Power of Christmas Compels You, “Santa Claus“) has been a theatre artist for over 20 years. An actor, director, and teacher.  Served as a performer educator with Educational Theatre at Kaiser Permanente in Oakland for 8 years. He has also worked with companies such as Cal Shakes, Hartford Stage, Huntington Theatre, The Alley, SF Mime Troupe, Shotgun Players, Cuttingball Theatre, TeatroVision, and Bay Area Children’s Theatre, among others.  Currently a professor of drama at Los Medanos College and CSU Chanel Islands. Currently pursuing a career on TV and Film in Los Angeles.  Look for him on shows like SWAT, Bosch, Good Girls, Brooklyn Nine Nine, and more.

JORDAN COVINGTON (Kris & Noelle, “Kris“) was enchanted by the magic of theater at an early age. Honing his craft with a laundry list of large ensemble stage musicals including: In The Heights (Benny), Chorus Line (Richie), and West Side Story. He was also fascinated by all aspects of film acting and studied directing, acting, editing, screenwriting throughout his collegiate journey. Having developed a solid foundation in the Bay Area, he has moved to Los Angeles to further pursue his career.

CAROYLN DESKIN (Jeff Saves Christmas, “Singing Elf“/ Blue Christmas, “Caller (OS)“) is a Los Angeles based performer and director. She’s recently completed her new short film, Headed Home, which she submitted to AFI conservatory for their directing program. She is currently directing a new comedic web series. And she can be seen on various stages throughout town performing comedic bits.

LINDA GIRON (The Power of Christmas Compels You, “Pepper Mintstix“) (they/them) is a queer, Guatemalan-american actor, playwright, musician and visual artist. Linda has performed and collaborated with a number of Bay Area theaters including Crowded Fire Theater, Shotgun Players, Cutting Ball Theater, Idiot String, The Peripatetic Players, NCTC, SFBATCO, Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts, Faultline Theater and PlayGround SF Writer’s Pool. Linda is thrilled to return to acting in their hometown with PlayGround LA!

CHRISTIAN HAINES (The Power of Christmas Compels You, “Demon/Grinch/Randy“) loves Playground! Past PGSF shows include Sapience, Anna Considers Mars, Value Over Replacement and tons of Monday Nights. Other credits include Straight White Men (MTC) Reginald and Ruckus, The Moonrisers (Moonrisers), Operation Ajax (Little Fish ), Jihad Jones (Perpsective) Death of a Salesman, This is Our Youth (ATSF) and a bunch more. Currently he is doing a bunch of student films, studying with UCB and trying to figure out LA. He holds an MFA from the National Theatre Conservatory and loves his wife, Melissa Ortiz. https://amiosco.wixsite.com/christianhaines

TONY KIM (Jeff Saves Christmas, “Jeff“) is really grateful to be here. Recent plays include Rashomon as Tajomaru, Shizuka as Benkei which was nominated for 6 Broadway World awards, Project at the Ojai Film Fest, Women in Media film fest. Follow me IG @tonykimtime

ZACH KUMAISHI (Blue Christmas, “Kinnin“) is an actor and martial artist originally from Santa Cruz. A graduate of UCLA’s school for Theater, Film, and Television, he works primarily in physical performance, arts education, and theatrical combat. This is his third reading with Playground LA but the first to actually occur in-person, and he’s tremendously excited to be working in a physical space again.

CHRISTINE LIAO (Jeff Saves Christmas, “Elf“) is best known for her role thus far as the restaurant cashier in the comedy sketch, The ABC Who Can’t Read Chinese. You can also find her in Fine China on HBO platforms and the recently released video game Life is Strange: True Colors.

SHERRY MICHAELS (Tender and Mild, “Doris“) is an actor and voiceover artist, with over 50 voiceover commercials and the sole voiceover role on a recent Disney animated short. Favorite stage leads include Auntie Mame, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Veronica’s Room. TV includes principal roles on “Betrayed” and “Generation Clash”, a new series for HBO. Film includes featured roles in “You Gotta Leave your Mark” and “Old Pals” with Barry Bostwick. Commercials include the PSA “Amazon Red” with Julia Roberts, as well as commercials for Discover Card, International Delight, and Progressive. Commercial representation is with TGMD. smichaels62@verizon.net

KRYSTAL MOSLEY (Tis the Damn Season, “Martha“) is so excited to be joining fellow cast members back in the Broadwater Theatre! A Chicago native, some of her previous credits include “A Dolls House” with Definition Theatre Company, “Orpheus and Eurydice” with The Chicago Opera, and “10 Virgins” with Chicago Dramatist. Along with the upcoming feature “The Neon Highway” in 2022, Krystal can be seen on CBS Young and The Restless. She would like to thank castmates, family and friends for their continued support.

MELISSA ORTIZ (Tender and Mild, “Adele“) is a former PlayGround SF company member & Ambassador. Most recently she played Ariel in Shoot Me When… at SF Playhouse and Gemma in FLIGHT for Playground’s Solo Fest. Thanks to her family and her husband, for their love and support.

ANDREW PEREZ (Tis the Damn Season, “Tom“)

GARY POUX (Tender and Mild, “Stanley“) is excited to join his PlayGround-LA family on stage once again.

TIANA RANDALL-QUANT (Kris & Noelle, “Claudine“), she, is a born and raised Angeleno trying to change the narrative that “LA is not a theatre town”. Her goal is to create theatre that gives a glimpse into a world full of love and healing. Her biggest inspirations include Audre Lorde, Rihanna, and her sister Jade. She is also a proud co-drafter of the new LA ARTS Document, and a proud co-founder of BLKLST, an organization focused on anti-racism and accountability in Los Angeles Theatre. She can also be found making fun comedy and gaming content with The 354 Squad on Youtube.

MAIYA REAVES (Jeff Saves Christmas, “Singing Elf“/ Kris & Noelle, “Noelle“) uses her formal training and diverse background to work on projects that penetrate the heart and inspire fresh thought. Born and raised in North Carolina, she credits her southern upbringing for keeping her rooted in her purpose and alive in her body. Maiya is currently focused on features and continued training. No stranger to the craft, she received her BFA in performance and has been working as a performer professionally for over 7 years. She brings an enthusiastic discipline to the craft that is infectious. Her most recent projects include Borrelia Borealis (2021),Valleyheart (2021), End Zone 2 (2022) and WHAT. (2022).

RICHARD RUYLE (Jeff Saves Christmas, “Kris“) 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

JANET SONG (The Power of Christmas Compels You, “Max“) is an actor and audiobook narrator who loves to work on new plays and tell stories. It is a joy to return to PlayGround-LA . You can see her credits on resumes.actorsaccess.com/janetsong. You can also find her on IG: @janetsongla

DIRECTORS

SYLVIA CERVANTES BLUSH (Kris & Noelle) , ella/she, is coming off of a workshop reading of Eliana Pipes “Dream Hou$e” which is on its way to the east coast for a rolling world premiere at three theaters. Next week, she’ll join former PlayGrounder Forrest Hartl as an actor in his feature film “Free Lunch”. Lastly she is taking on a new role as Reader of Admissions Applications for UCLA’s Theater Department. Virtual directing credits: Pilar and Paloma, I Kissed Chavela Vargas, This Bitch, and Miss Most Pressing Issue. In the before times she’s directed: Refugee Hotel, Mala Hierba, Electricidad, and Bill’s Shorts 1 and 2.

JIM KLEINMANN (Blue Christmas; Artistic Director & Co-Founder), 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 REYES (Jeff Saves Christmas) is an Associate Producer for PlayGround-LA and the Community Partnerships Director at Center Theatre Group. At CTG he designs and implements free in-person and online community programs and commissions short plays for the library play readings series. Jesus is a freelance director and writer from East L.A.

IVAN RIVAS (The Power of Christmas Compels You) is a member of Rogue Machine Theatre and resident director at Downtown Repertory / Sierra Madre Shakespeare Festival. He is a proud alum of USC School of Dramatic Arts and Directors Lab West.

COLLETTE RUTHERFORD (Tis the Damn Season) is pleased to be back directing live, in-person theatre with PlayGround. Recent directing projects include: Gallathea (Infinite Jest Theatre Company), Joan (Catworks Productions), Romeo & Rosalind (Inglewood Playhouse), and This is Not a Drill (SkyPilot Theatre). Other local projects include: Lysistrata Unbound (Not Man Apart/Odyssey Theatre Ensemble), The Blank Theatre’s annual Young Playwrights’ Festival, New American Theatre’s Festival of New One Acts, Five Women Wearing the Same Dress (Infinite Jest Theatre Company), An Ideal Husband (Kentwood Players) and Fefu and Her Friends (Odyssey Theatre Ensemble). ColletteRutherford.com

ANGELA SONNER (Tender and Mild) is a mom with a theatre degree. She is currently the musical theatre director for Performing Arts Workshops and a resident stage manager for 24th St Theatre’s Enter Stage Right Program. Angela also enjoys taking on guest director roles for Theatre 21 with Biola University and also enjoys working as a professional mentor with the MFA Directing candidates of University of California, Los Angeles. She is currently working with About…Productions on their new work, Adobe Punk, opening this Spring 2022.

PRODUCTION

JULLY LEE (Associate Producer), she/her, is the artistic director of COLD TOFU, the nation’s first and longest running Asian American improv company, as well as Associate Producer for PlayGround-LA. She has also directed with Playground-SF, Company of Angels, Exposition Review, hereandnow, Center Theatre Group’s Library Readings Series, East West Players’ David Henry Hwang Writer’s Institute, Los Angeles Female Playwrights Initiative, The Alliance of Los Angeles Playwrights, Artists At Play, EST-LA, Road Theatre and Playwright’s Arena. As an actor, recent TV/film credits include Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Jane the Virgin, Veep, This Is Us, Henry Danger and The Kominsky Method. jullylee.com

PARIS MCCARTHY (Associate Artistic Director), she/her, is thrilled to return as the Associate Artistic Director for PlayGround-LA. She first started as an actor in the company in 2013 and moved on to direct before filling in her current role. You may have seen her other directorial work at InkFest women’s playwright festival. She is a Graduate of UNLV’s MFA of acting program and is the proud mother of Clover who turned One yesterday.

TAMMY MORA (Stage Manager)

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 1,000 original ten-minute plays by 250 Bay Area and Los Angeles early-career writers and has commissioned/developed more than 100 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 10th annual Best of PlayGround Gala will take place on Monday, April 11, 2022, live at the Broadwater Theaters and simulcast via Vimeo Live. PlayGround-LA is a fiscally sponsored project of PlayGround. For more information, visithttp://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 December 1, 2020 and December 13, 2021.

Playwrights Circle ($500+)
Les Ostrov, Julianne Spencer, Nancy & Carty Spencer

Patron ($250-$499)
Dr. Elaine Baskin & Kenneth R. Krechmer, Miss Rhea M. MacCallum, Tiffany Mualem, J.B. Strasser, Mr. Ben Watkins, Anonymous (2)

Associate Member ($125-$249)
Dr. Elaine Baskin, Frieda de Lackner, Miss Rebecca Harris, Lara Gilman & Jim Kleinmann, Lizi Watt, Dale Underwood & Kirsti Aho

Supporting Member ($75-$124)

Elaine Baskin & Ken Krechmer, Angela Agard, Karen and Michael Berk, Kathy Bette, Angela Edewi, Steven Haft, Becky Harris, Paris McCarthy, Rob Roy and Kazue McGregor, Jesus Reyes, Tahmus Rounds, Lolli & Pop Rutkowski, Anonymous

Contributing Member ($25-$74)
Miss Erika Agard, Ms. Janice G Bail, Mr. Evan Baughfman, Mr. Alan Bell, Sylvia & Bill Blush, Sunah Cherwin, Sheilah F Clarke-Ekong, Sidney Glass & Eleanor Clement Glass, Dana and Sumner Fein, Ms. Elaine Sandra Feincalvin, Sarah Gasser, Mr. Joshua Gershick, Ms. Frances Gillmor, Mr. Dean S. Grason, Pete Hazelett, Elayne Heilveil, Julianne Jigour, Cynthia Hunter Lang, Daniel Melling, Penny Mikesell, Marti Mimiaga, Kam O’Horo, Joni Ravenna, Sharon Ridge, Debba Rofheart, Emily Brauer Rogers, Jessica June, Rowe, Steven Rubio, Collette Rutherford, Julianne Spencer Spencer, Ms. Doeri Welch, Robin L. Wimsatt, Ms. Kristina Velasquez Witosky, Anonymous

Friends (Up to $24)
Dr. Leslie Allee, Theresa Amy, Miss Eleanor Anova, Cass Brayton, Ms. Lisa Bruce, Steve Budd, Ms. Marytheresa Capriles, Creativity Lover, Susan Culver, Angela Cummings, Ralph Damato, Reena Dutt, Lisa Dutton, Alanna R Gabriele, Juls Hoover, Ms. Judy Louise Johnson, Rhea MacCallum, Gail MacGowan, Doug O’Neill, Lorrie O’Shatz, Ms. Adrienne Whitney Papp, Vanessa Parish, LB Pines, Ms. Melanie Claire Queponds, Mr. Jess Roat, Roland Ruiz, Cathy M Stonie, Sindy Swerdlove, Lisa Thompson, Anonymous

To contribute to PlayGround-LA, visit https://playground-la.org/contribute.

PLAYGROUND-LA WRITERS POOL

Michael P. Adams, Brianna Barrett, Evan Baughfman, Rachel Borders, Emily Brauer Rogers, Diana Burbano+, Malick Ceesay, Sarah  Congress, Bridgette Connelly, Allie Costa+, Lauren Gorski+, Briggs Hatton, Elayne Heilveil, Aaron  Higareda, Susan Hunter, Uma Incrocci, Julianne Jigour+, Starina Johnson+, M.J. Kang, Arthur Keng+, Ken Levine, Mildred Lewis+, Rhea MacCallum+, Liza McGowan, Tahirih  Moeller, Scott Mullen+, Nicholas C. Pappas+, Peter Pasco, Joni Ravenna, Eric Reid, Jessica June Rowe+, Richard Ruyle, Mark Sherstinsky+, Ayesha Siddiqui, Nicki Spencer+, Daysha Veronica+
+ Past Best of PlayGround playwright.

PLAYGROUND-LA COMPANY

Jahnavi Alyssa, Josef Bette, Sylvia Cervantes Blush, Jordan Carlson, Jordan Covington, Frieda de Lackner, Carolyn Deskin, Rogelio Douglas III, Julio Hanson, Mark Jacobson, Kurt Kanazawa, Stephanie T. Keefer, Christopher Gary Lawson, Jully Lee, Christine Liao, Jackie Marriott, Gabi Mayorga, Paris McCarthy, Rondrell McCormick, Krystal Mosley, Tiffany Mualem, Gary Poux, Tiana Randall-Quant, Maiya Reaves, Jesus Reyes, Ivan Rivas, Debba Rofheart, Tahmus Rounds, Mae Ruling, Collette Rutherford, Anthony Rutowicz, Lamar Usher, Carla Vega, William Warren, Charlotte Williams, Christina Wren, Demetrius Wren

PRODUCTION & STAFF

James A. Kleinmann, Co-Founder & Artistic Director
Paris McCarthy, Associate Artistic Director
Jully Lee, Associate Producer
Jesus Reyes, Associate Producer
Tammy Mora, Resident Stage Manager

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3286 Adeline St #8
Berkeley, CA 94703-2485