Company in the News May-2024

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

Amy Ellenberger with her theatre company, Chalk Rep, is opening the world premiere of PANG SPA by David Johann Kim in May at Atwater Village Theatre! All Playground members can use the code PSPLAYGROUND for discounted tickets. Information and tickets can be found at ChalkRep.com. PANG SPA is a K-town dramedy following the story of Daniel Pang. Twenty years after the LA Riots, the family business is gone, his brother is gone, and his parents are disappearing with dementia. As Daniel juggles his parents’ care and idiosyncratic neighbors a flinty young army vet arrives on a mission forcing him to confront his past.

Michael P. Adams‘s full-length play, MLES2GO, will have a reading as part of the Hudson Valley Theatre Festival. The reading takes place on Saturday, May 4, at the River Valley Arts Center in New York. Michael’s short play ONLY ESSENTIALS is featured in Playzapalooza at the Santa Paula Theater Center in Santa Paula, CA, from May 24- June 9. He will also be performing in two of the plays in the festival.

Evan Baughfman‘s spooky holiday play, THE YETI’S CLAW, will be a part of Heartland Theatre Company’s 2024 10-Minute Play Festival! Each story revolves around the theme of “Ghosts”! (THE YETI’S CLAW was written for -and featured in- PlayGround-L.A.’s 11th season.) Show dates are as follows: May 30, 31 & June 1, 2 / 6, 7, 8, 9 / 13, 14, 15, in Normal, Illinois… In other news… Gone in 60 Seconds (Gi60) One Minute Theatre Festival will produce Evan’s newest short scripts, BRAINS and PERFECT PRESENT! BRAINS and PERFECT PRESENT will take the stage May 15th-19th at The Tank (NYC), as part of Gi60 US.

Allie Costa just booked a film – Stay tuned! Her play Wolves Change Rivers, which started at PlayGround-LA, was selected for Roustabout Theatre’s Celebration of New Writers and will have a staged reading on May 27th at Scripps Ranch Theatre in San Diego. Blue Christmas, which also began at PlayGround-LA, was recently produced in Dallas. Before We Burn was part of the Earth Day Expo in Manhattan. Pit Stop was recently produced in Atlanta and will be in New York City May 15th-19th for Gi60: The International One Minute Theatre Festival. Learn more on Allie’s website and IMDB page!

Sandra Cruze‘s monologue excerpt, GRACE, will be streamed via Open-Door Playhouse on May 14th. Check it out on Broadway World for more information!

Danny J Gomez will be co-starring in ‘All of Me’ off-broadway. From its initial run at Barrington Stage in 2022, director Ashley Brooke Monroe and original cast members Madison Ferris and Danny J. Gomez return alongside Lily Mae Harrington, Florencia Lozano, Brian Morabito, and Kyra Sedgwick for this hilarious and candid portrayal of class and disability by Laura Winters. Check it out!

Jonathan Josephson‘s short play “Phone Friend” will be produced at Niles North High School (Skokie, IL) April 26-27. His police satire “Bear Cops” will receive a staged reading as a part of a Celebration of New Writers with The Roustabouts Theatre Co. (San Diego, CA) on May 27. Get more info on his website!

MJ Kang‘s new play, James & Eddie, will be having a staged reading as part of Road Theater’s Slam Fest on Monday, May 13 at 7:30 p.m. James & Eddie was developed during her time with Road Theater’s Under Construction 4, virtual group and is a semi-finalist at O’Neill Festival ’24, as well as a Finalist for Sparkfest ’24 (Amphibian Theater.) Info here!

Stephanie T. Keefer can be seen playing the corporate villain in the feature film A Girl, A Guy, A Space Helmet on Tubi. Stream now!

Mildred Inez Lewis‘s #MeToo play with a twist, /kom’plisit/, will be featured in the Red Bull Theatre‘s May Script Club thanks to PlayGround-Chicago’s Spencer Diedrick.

Jonathan D. Wray will be playing the role of Sylvester in Dominique Morisseau’s award-winning play Detriot ’67 at the Long Beach Playhouse May 18-June 15. More info here.