Company in the News October-2025
See what PlayGround-LA Writers and Company Members are up to this October!
Esther Banegas Gatica is playing Tita in MOJADA: A MEDEA in Los Angeles by Luis Alfaro by Full Circle Players. Alfaro takes the chilling ancient Greek tale of Medea and re-imagines it in a Los Angeles Mexican-American immigrant community. After sacrificing nearly everything to begin this new life, Medea and her family weigh their love for each other against their drive to succeed. More information available here!
Jon Gentry stars as Remy Washington in MONSTERS OF THE AMERICAN CINEMA at Urbanite Theatre in Sarasota, FL from October 31-December 7. Synopsis: Remy Washington, a Black man and widower, has inherited both a drive-in movie theater and the responsibility of raising Pup, his late husband’s straight, white teenage son. The two forge a strong bond around a shared love of classic American monster movies, but when Remy discovers that Pup has been tormenting a gay classmate, their relationship begins to fracture, and the real horrors surface. Beneath the flickering glow of the drive-in screen, MONSTERS OF THE AMERICAN CINEMA becomes a haunting, funny, and unexpectedly tender tale of fatherhood and loss that the Los Angeles Times hails as “exhilarating.” More information available here!
Rachel Borders‘ play DEATH DOULA is having a staged reading at IAMA Theatre as part of their 2025 New Works Festival on Thursday October 9th. Please come! More information available here!
Edward Hong has been accepted into the Actors Studio West director’s unit and has a Progressive national commercial now airing!
Allie Costa recently appeared in a variety of films, including the sci-fi thriller, SYNTHETIC HEARTS, and the musical, WELCOME. As well as, Murder Behind the Mic, an evening of classic radio noir stories presented in front of a live audience. Her play REMEMBERANCE, which began at PlayGround-LA, is currently running in The Bahamas, courtesy of Shakespeare in Paradise. The Truth is Out There will be part of Gi60, produced at The Tank NYC October 15th-18th. Constellations, Future Shock, and Mermaid Story – three films Allie wrote, directed, produced, and appeared in – were selected for the 2025 Alabama International Fringe Festival. Plainview recently took the stage at the Lion and Unicorn in the UK, while Low Light (which also began at PlayGround-LA) and Private Citizen were both selected for a staged reading festival in Hollywood. Looking Foreclosure had its world premiere in West Virginia, and On Her Own Terms had a staged reading in Montana. For more information, visit http://www.alliecosta.com and http://www.imdb.me/alliecosta
Jonathan Josephson‘s recently workshopped short play From Inside the House has been selected as a finalist in Scene 24 Productions’ 10 for 10 Playwriting contest. His Romeo & Rosaline & Shylock & Zombies mash-up These Violent Delights (PlayGround Table Read 2023-24) won third prize in Theatricus’ Vox Nova New Play Prize and will recieve a staged reading later this fall. His short play Juliet and Her Romeo, or Whatever will be published by YouthPLAYS later this fall, his 24th published play. He’s currently in the midst of writing two brand new plays with the PlayGround-LA Playwrights Residency (The Right to Arm Bears) and Colony Theatre Lab (title TBD). [jonathanjosephson.com]
Evan Baughfman’s monologue, BUTTERFLYMAN, will have its world premiere in the Gi60 NYC One Minute Play Festival… The festival will be available for livestream October 17th & 18th… What is BUTTERFLYMAN about? “A misunderstood cryptid—the Mothman—finally sets some things straight.” OCTOBER 15th-18th, at The Tank NYC! More info available here!
Tony Kim will be starring in a short play with Write Act Rep in Noho opening Oct 11th. It’s part of their seasonal short play festivals. This one of course is Halloween themed. Usually a good time, come check it out! More information available here!
Jennie Webb was honored to have her play Separate Loads included in ARTFUL RESISTANCE: a night of short plays in support of grassroots activism and Democracy Action Network (DAN) (co-produced by PlayGround solo performer Azo Safo, the evening also included plays by PlayGround-LA artist Allie Costa). And she’s excited that her work will be a part of L.A. Camerata’s “Madwomen: pt 2, Remembrance & Revenge,” an evening weaving together theatrical scenes and historically-informed music to reclaim women’s rage on October 12 at City Garage in Santa Monica. More information available here!
Stephanie T. Keefer can be seen in episode 106 of Amazon’s new series COUNTDOWN.
Matthew Henerson is appearing in the world premiere of BESIDE MYSELF, by Paul Slade Smith at North Coast Repertory in San Diego through October 5. This production then transfers to the Laguna Playhouse where it will run from October 30 – November 16. Henerson will also be playing Von Strack in AMADEUS at the Pasadena Playhouse in a production directed by Darko Tresnjak and starring Jefferson Mays. AMADEUS runs from February 11 – March 8. He also continues to recur as Special Agent Carl Laughlin on NCIS: ORIGINS. lagunaplayhouse.com pasadenaplayhouse.org
Cara Sanchez’s play, The Life and Undeath of Lucy Westenra, will be a part of the Long Beach Shakespeare Company’s New Works Festival. This retelling of Dracula blends gothic and psychological horror to see inside the mind of the iconic vampire’s first victim. It will feature as a part of their Poetry Series on Sunday, October 5th and will have its production from October 29th through the 31st. More information available here!
Andrés Agustín Barrera moved from the Bay Area to Southern California this past September to begin a new academic chapter as a theatre major at UCLA!
Michael P. Adams‘s full-length play “MLES2GO” is getting a workshop production at Ohio State University at Mansfield from October 10-13.
Jacqueline Castañeda will be performing the short play Kingdom of Heaven as part of Towne Street Theatre’s In Response Series, Sundays 10/5, 10/12, 10/19, and 11/02 at 3pm at the Stella Adler. Tickets available here!
Carolyn Deskin is currently patiently awaiting the release of her first feature film! carolyndeskin.com
Dr. Teddy Alexis Rodriguez will be directing the production of “Anon(ymous)” by Naomi Iizuka at Fullerton College, Theatre Arts Department. More information available here!
Jully Lee is in THE NIGHT OF THE IGUANA by Tennessee Williams at Boston Court Pasadena, directed by Jessica Kubzansky, with fellow PG-LA member Christian Haines! Now playing through October 19. More information available here!
Andy Lowe will be directing a developmental reading of Traffic Report by Tamadhur Al-Aqueel, which she originally developed as a 10 minute for a Playgrounds prompt. Sunday, October 12th, 1pm – 3pm Location: Art of Acting Studio, 1017 N Orange Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90038 Synopsis: Mia lives a relatively free existence in North America. Her Father, “back home,” lives in fear. As a retired journalist with links to the resistance, Mia would like to see her father to escape his homeland to join her family in California. But their plan backfires and is compromised by foreign operatives who have brought some of that surveillance into their own home. Then there are listeners everywhere. What do you do when you can’t tell apart your friends, your family, or your enemies? RSVP Link