Company in the News August-2022

See what PlayGround-LA Writers, Alumni, and Company Members are up to this August!

Sylvia Cervantes Blush is currently in pre-production for two shows. She makes her LATC debut with the world premiere of Lily Rushing’s (Genízaro) DESERT STORIES FOR LOST GIRLS (learn more here.) She will be traveling to Dallas in the near future for Karen Zacarías’ hilarious and poignant play NATIVE GARDENS. And, it wouldn’t be any fun if she weren’t juggling a third adventure. Let’s just say you might catch her voice on a variety of foreign shows streaming on Netflix.

Debba Rofheart is Peter Quince in Open Fist Theatre Company’s critically acclaimed production of Shakespeare’s A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM Directed by James Fowler, and set in Athens, Georgia in 1855. The production opens July 2nd at Atwater Village Theatre, where performances continue through August 13th. Get tickets here.

Jennie Webb‘s FOOTPRINT was named a Finalist for Gulfshore Playhouse 2022 New Works Festival. Her play NOT CAKE, developed through Rogue Artist Ensemble’s inaugural Rogue Lab, will be workshopped by the company this fall. And she is proud to have co-created the Ignite Project at Ensemble Studio Theatre, Los Angeles; through its first cohort, the Ignite Project lit the flame for the creation of 8 brand new works by EST/LA members and affiliated artists. Learn more here.

Michael P. Adams‘s play A NIGHT OUT is part of the Playzapalooza One-Act Festival at the Santa Paula Theater Center, which ran through July 31st.

Stephanie T. Keefer was interviewed in the Inside Scoop podcast. Listen here.

Mildred Inez Lewis‘ WE WUZ ROBBED, originally read in PlayGround LA, is being published by NextStage Press in 9 x 9, a collection of baseball shorts. Her book for GREEN BOOK, a musical will be read by New Circle Theatre members. She’s looking forward to going to the Samuel French OOB Festival with WE JUMP BROOM this August.

Allie Costa recently wrapped a creepy thriller. For something just as thrilling but not creepy, check out her episode of Behind the Screens.  Allie has a recurring role on THE KIT BULL STORY, which is streaming whenever you listen to podcasts. She also wrote and directed an episode of an upcoming immersive audio series and contributed additional material to a film that was just selected for the Long Story Shorts International Film Festival. To learn more, visit this link.

Aaron Higareda‘s short play PANQUETZALIZTLI (which was conceived for Playground-SF”s Monday Night PlayGround December 2020 topic “Illuminate”) will be showcased for El Teatro Capesino’s Palabra Vol. Familia. Filmed as a live performance in July, and streaming video on demand from August 12nd-22nd, 2022. Check it out here.

Jonathan Josephson‘s THE LEGEND(S) OF SLEEPY HOLLOW  received its Australian Premiere earlier this year at Perform Australia in Brisbaine. His short plays CHUBBY BUNNY and JORGE HOSTS HANUKAH have been produced a few times in 2022 and were both published for the second time – by YouthPLAYS (in collection AND HILARITY ENSUES, PURSUED BY A BEAR) and Paragon Press, respectively. While his novel has stalled a little bit, his first published short story, THE PAIN CRITIC is now available from Danse Macabre Magazine. He also recently joined Antaeus Theatre Company as the Director of Marketing and Communications. Learn more about what Jonathan is up to here.

Misao McGregor’s latest 10-minute play SHITTING BRICKS will be presented alongside 14 other new plays as a part of Cherry Picking’s Magical Thinking New Works Festival on August 22nd and 23rd at Wild Project in NYC. Learn more here.

Evan Baughfman‘s sci-fi/horror play, THE WOLF MAN: 2092, recently premiered at Midsummer Scream horror convention. Force of Nature Productions presented the play as part of a preview of their September show, “Tales from Tomorrow: Origins”! “TfT:O” is a show featuring reimagined origin stories for classic Universal monsters! It will run Sept 9th-11th and Sept 16th-18th at the Brickhouse Theatre in North Hollywood. Check it out here.

Forrest Hartl is in post production for his first feature film. For more info, visit this link.

Carla Vega narrates the audiobook for THINGS WE DO IN THE DARK by Jennifer Hillier, a dark, suspenseful, psychological thriller, which was just Released. Learn more and see what else Carla is up to here.

Joni Ravenna‘s screenplay, THE SECRET NOTES OF PROFESSOR THOMAS, (co-written with Josh Townshend-Zellner) was just announced WINNER of the Plaza Classic Screenwriting Competition (read about the competition here). In addition to the monetary prize and table read, the script will be read by Impossible Dream Entertainment’s Sean Reddick (producer of “Get Out” and Academy Award Winning, “Black Klansman”) before meeting with Joni and Josh about its viability. We wish them good luck and hope the meeting results in a development deal!

Elayne Heilveil’s piece JUST JOEY will be published in the up-and-coming new anthology by ‘Smith and Kraus’ called WE-US: MONOLOGUES FOR GENDER MINORITY CHARACTERS. This marks her inclusion in fourteen anthologies published by Smith and Kraus and Applause Theatre and Cinema Books. She has also written and currently directing a full length play NIGHTY NIGHTY to be performed at Theatre West which originated from a Playground prompt.

Ben Cain is currently shooting a film in West Virginia called DESPERATE HOURS directed by Gina Gershon.