Company in the News March 2024

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

Tamadhur Al-Aqeel‘s play, The Little Bear is part of the LA Short Play Festival opening March 23rd at Company of Angels. The festival features 8 short plays written by Los Angeles playwrights. The Little Bear by Tamadhur Al-Aqeel Directed by Tanya Kane-Parry Welcome to The Little Bear, a former destination eatery named for the famed (and extinct) California Brown Bear, where the magic of endless possibilities and dishes died with the owner during Covid. More info here.

Jahnavi Alyssa will be playing Shelby in Kentwood Player’s production of Steel Magnolias at the Westchester Playhouse. They open March 15 and run weekends through April 6. They would love to see you there! Show info is here.

Evan Baughfman‘s short story, AXE WON’T CUT, has been published in the newest No Bad Books Press anthology, “Queens in Wonderland”! In this book, each story is LGBTQ+ themed and is somehow inspired by Lewis Carroll’s “Wonderland” world! What is AXE WON’T CUT about? “Gilliam (Gil) O’Teene, the Red Queen’s trusted executioner—her Head Beheader—refuses to follow Her Majesty’s latest orders to kill…” Why the refusal? And what happens next? Well, you’ll have to read to find out! (You’ll likely be surprised by some of the proceedings…). Get your copy of the book here.

Allie Costa recently appeared in two films and a musical. Her new play Live a Little runs March 22nd-April 14th at the L.A. Unmasked festival, which includes other PlayGround creatives, and her play Blue Christmas, which began at PlayGround-LA, runs April 5th-13th in Dallas as part of A Light in Dark Places. Unfinished Business was recently produced in Illinois, Faking Glory was produced in Michigan, and Two Girls was part of V-Day 2024 in London. Learn more at her website and IMDb.

M.J. Kang is a recurring guest star in a new television show, “Gangnam Project”, that will be debuting on CBC and BBC for those in Canada and the UK. It’s a musical dramedy about siblings finding themselves in the KPop world.

Esther Banegas Gatica was recently interviewed by Canvas Rebel Magazine talking about taking a risk and her current career in writing, translating, directing, acting, consulting and more. Read the article here.

Stephanie T. Keefer is performing in the play 12 Angry Jurors at the Group Repertory Theater in North Hollywood. The show runs Fri/Sat/Sun through March 3rd. Check it out here.
Mildred Inez Lewis has been awarded a commission from Finish Line Theatre (Chicago) to write Timonia of Nashville, an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Timon of Athens. She’s completing commissions from ReproEco and the Lucille Lortel.
Andrew Joseph Perez recently released his 72nd audiobook title, In The City of Pigs by André Forget. You can find his audiobooks, bullwhips, and antics on Instagram and TikTok @andrewjosephperez
Tansu Philip has been performing on the UCB house team Hi Baby Gorgeous! since October. The FINAL PERFORMANCE is 3/4 at 10 PM at the UCB Theatre and tickets are only $5. She would love to see her fellow Playgrounders there on this big night! Ticket info here.

Janet Song will be taking over the role of Olga for the final 5 performances of THREE, by Nick Salamone, from March 11 – March 18 at the Los Angeles LGBT Center. This “queer meditation on Chekhov’s Three Sisters” is a co-production with Playwrights’ Arena. Tickets are available here.

Carolina Xique, Co-Producing Artistic Director of (un)defined arts collective, is proud to announce that the company’s inaugural season kicks off with a devised production in collaboration with Long Beach Playhouse’s Studio Collaborative Season of Generation X, Y, Z. “A mother’s love always comes with expectations…” “We don’t have to fear what we don’t know…” “This is my love letter to you…” These words, poems, prose, tales, and dialogue, collected from dozens of women & gender-marginalized individuals, tell the mother-daughter stories of Sarah (Mercedes Cooper), Joanna (Rose-Marie Roy), and Hero (Victoria Melkonyan), a family of 3 different generations from the late 1970s to the present. Generation XYZ investigates patterns of trauma, nuances of womanhood, & gender marginalization in varying political climates though following this multigenerational family. Showings: – Friday, March 15th, 2024 @ 8PM – Saturday, March 16th. 2024 @ 8PM – Sunday, March 17th, 2024 @ 2PM General Admission: $25 Students/Seniors: $20 More info available here. If any Playgrounders would like access to a special discount code, please email Carolina Xique at cxique97@gmail.com or info@undefinedarts.org.

Jennie Webb‘s play adaptation.resilience, a play about sustaining love and navigating grief in times of extreme disruption, was chosen to be part of EST/LA’s Winterfest 2024. adaptation.resilience was previously supported by PlayGround. Directed by Laura Stribling with actors Desiree Mee Jung, Lauren Campedelli, Ray Xifo, Mika Dyo and Sarah Garic, the reading will be at 7pm on Sunday, March 3rd at at 7pm at Ensemble Studio Theatre/LA, Atwater Village Theatre. Show info available here.