Our Yearly Festival Of New Works, Over 29 Years Running, Features Performances Of Our Top Monday Night Plays Through Best Of Playground, Two Full-Length Premieres, A Series Of Staged Readings, And The Finalists Of Our Young Playwrights Project.

Schedule Of Events:

Performances:

May 6, 2025

Festival Kick-Off & Playwrights Panel

Hear From Five Of The Playwrights Featured In This Year’s Festival Of New Works! Join Artistic Director Jim Kleinmann In Conversation With Playground Playwright Alumni Jediah Craig, Carl Andrew Johnson, Daniel Martinez Jr., Matthew Y. Morishige, And Bridgette Dutta Portman. These Award-Winning Dramatists Will Discuss Their Plays, Their Processes, And The Role Of New Works In The Evolving Landscape Of American Theatre. A Festival Kick-Off Reception With The Playwrights Immediately Follows The Panel Discussion.

Meet The Panelists:

Jediah Craig, He/Him, Is A Member Of The Playground Writers Pool, Playwright’s Center Of San Francisco, And Theatre Bay Area. He Lives In Berkeley With His Very Patient Family, Who Humor Him As He Stumbles Through “This Writing Thing,” Secretly Hoping It’s Just A Phase.

Carl Andrew Johnson, He/Him, Is A Recent Addition To Playground-Sf, With A Passion For Writing Satire, Speculative Fiction, And Comedy. While Taking Screen And Stage Playwriting Courses At Berkeley City College, He Was Encouraged By His Instructor To Submit His Work To Local Theater Groups. His Writing Often Draws From Personal Experiences, Blending Humor And Thought-Provoking Elements, With The Goal Of Ensuring That Audiences Leave With Both A Smile And Something To Ponder.

Daniel Martinez Jr. Is An Award Winning Playwright Based In San Jose, Ca. This Is His Third Season In The Writers Pool And The Water Is Still ~Warm~. Daniel’s Short Plays Have Had Several Staged Readings Through Playground Sf. Daniel’s Newest One-Act Play, Vodka Cran, Was Recently Featured In Mountain Community Theater’s New Works Festival. Daniel’s Newest One Man Play, What’s In A Name?, Premiered At Playground’s Solo Performance Festival In January 2025. Daniel Loves Writing And Sharing Stories With All Of You- Thank You For Watching! During The Day, Daniel Manages A Film School For Adults With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities.

Matthew Y. Morishige Is A Playwright, Actor, And Musician Based In Berkeley, Ca. Matt Has Worked With Theatre Companies Such As American Conservatory Theater, Cornerstone Theatre Company, And Pan Theater As A Performer. He Has Been A Member Of The Playground Writers Pool Since The ‘22-‘23 Season And Is Currently A Resident Playwright. He Is Energized By Collaboration With Artists Across Multiple Disciplines.

Bridgette Dutta Portman, She/Her, Is A Playwright, Novelist, And Teacher. She Is President Of The Pear Theatre Board Of Directors And A Member Of The Pear Playwrights’ Guild And The Dramatists’ Guild. She Received The 2023 June Anne Baker Prize From Playground And Is Currently Developing A Full-Length Commission, Rivals Of Mars. She Teaches Composition And Creative Writing At Uc Berkeley.

Jim Kleinmann (Moderator/Artistic Director), He/Him, 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.

Location: Potrero Stage And Virtual Via Vimeo Live

May 9, 2025

7:00pm - The Red Fortune Cookie By Karissa Murrell Myers

May 10-11, 2025

Work/Shoot By Matthew Y. Morishige

About The Play: Maya Money, Aurora, And Farrah Fenix Fight To Find What’s Real In The “Heightened” World Of Professional Wrestling.

Featuring: L Duarte, Krystle Piamonte, Charisse Loriaux, Gg Grilli, And Jeunee Simon.

Matthew Y. Morishige Is A Playwright, Actor, And Musician Based In Berkeley, Ca. Matt Has Worked With Theatre Companies Such As American Conservatory Theater, Cornerstone Theatre Company, And Pan Theater As A Performer. He Has Been A Member Of The Playground Writers Pool Since The ‘22-‘23 Season And Is Currently A Resident Playwright. He Is Energized By Collaboration With Artists Across Multiple Disciplines.

Location: Potrero Stage And Virtual Via Vimeo Live

May 10 - Opening Night

May 11 - Closing Night

May 12, 2025

Festival Staged Readings

7:00pm - Yi-An Bu Yi An (Madam Ease Is Not At Ease) By Lyra Nalan, Directed By Michelle Talgarow

Location: Potrero Stage And Virtual Via Vimeo Live

May 16, 2025

Festival Staged Readings

7:00pm - Mycelium By Juliet Kang Huneke, Directed By Lana Richards

Location: Potrero Stage And Virtual Via Vimeo Live

May 17 - 18, 2025

7pm - The Passing Storm By Jessica June Rowe (A Festival Premiere Presentation)

Directed By Ely Sonny Orquiza

About The Play: A Man Trapped In A Deadly Storm During His Ascent Of Mount Everest Must Wrestle With Ghosts Of The Past—Both Figurative And Literal.

Featuring Michael Ching, Leon Goertzen Matthew Hanjoong, Brian Herndon, Lorrie Smith Saito, And Isabel Anne To.

Jessica June Rowe Is A Writer, Playwright, Editor, And Perpetual Daydreamer. Her Short Plays Have Been Featured On Multiple Stages In Los Angeles With Companies Such As Playground-La And Neo Ensemble Theatre. She Is The Flash Fiction Editor Of Exposition Review And Her Own Fiction Has Appeared In Best Microfiction 2022, Among Others, And Has Been Nominated For The Pushcart Prize And The Best Of The Net. One Of Her Poems Is Stamped Into A Sidewalk In Valencia, Ca. She Also Really Loves Chai Lattes.

Location: Potrero Stage And Virtual Via Vimeo Live

May 19, 2025

Festival Staged Readings

7:00pm - Winter’s End By J.S. Puller, Directed By Tracy Ward

Location: Potrero Stage And Virtual Via Vimeo Live

May 23, 2025

7:00pm - 8:30pm - 2025 Young Playwrights Contest
Playground Invites Bay Area High School Students, Grades 9-12, To Create A New First-Person (Not Autobiographical) Solo Piece Inspired By The Prompt "The American Experiment" For Consideration In The 2025 Young Playwrights Contest (Extended Submission Deadline: April 28, 2025). The Top Four Playwrights Will Be Announced On Or Before May 7th. The Finalists Will Each Receive A Professional Staged Reading Of Their Play As Part Of The Playground Festival Of New Works

Through The Lenore & Howard Klein Foundation Playground Young Playwrights Project, Playground And Bay Area High Schools Partner To Enable Young Writers To Find Their Own Expressive Voice Through The Creation, Development, And Production Of Short Plays. Each Year, Bay Area High School Students, Grades 9-12, Are Invited To Submit Short Plays For Consideration In The Young Playwrights Contest. The Top Four Playwrights Receive Professional Public Staged Readings Of Their Winning Short Works As Part Of The Annual Playground Festival Of New Works.

Playground Offers Bay Area High School Students Free Tickets To Its Monday Night Playground Series And Playground Public Programming At Potrero Stage, Including The Playground Solo Performance Festival, Playground Festival Of New Works, And The Playground Innovators Showcase. For More Information Or To Reserve Student Group Tickets, Contact Us At [email protected].

Location: Potrero Stage

Click here to Register

May 24, 2025

7:00pm - Best Of Playground(Sf) ’25

Location: Potrero Stage And Virtual Via Vimeo Live

Date: May 6 - 24, 2025

Time: 7:00pm

Location: Potrero Stage, 1695 18th St San Francisco, CA 94107

And Virtual Via Vimeo Live

Click here to Buy Tickets

Click here for more Information