Long Beach, CA -- The Long Beach Playhouse Studio Collaborative Season is a season of plays mounted by local theater companies, performing arts organizations and individuals. It offers them the opportunity to produce their own shows in our Studio Theater during the three months between Playhouse Studio seasons. Along with the Studio Theater, these groups and individuals have access to Playhouse online ticketing and its prop and costume shops. There is a nominal cost and ticket sales are split between the presenters and the Playhouse.

“We’re a community theater”, said Madison Mooney, Playhouse Executive Director. “It’s important to welcome the artistic community into our theater. The shows bring new audiences, actors, and directors into our theater, which is important to the success of the Long Beach Playhouse.”

The Collaborative season is a unique mixture of plays and performances that span genres and topics,” said Sean Gray, Producing Artistic Director for the Playhouse. “This year our Collaborative season features three offerings from the Playhouse: Staff and Friends Cabaret, our 24-hour marathon, “Plays in Day” in which authors are given 24 hours to write and present a show, and staged readings of the winning plays from our New Works Festival.”

The 11-show season opens on January 6 and closes on March 30. Following is the full list of this year’s offerings including a description and pricing. To purchase tickets, visit the Studio Theater page at www.lbplayhouse.org.

If you would like to request an interview about the LBP Studio Collaborative, please send an email to: [email protected]

Please note:

- Collaborative Shows do not have assigned seating, it’s first come, first served.

The Studio Theater is on the 2nd Floor, it is only accessible by stairs, there is no elevator.

2024 STUDIO COLLABORATIVE DESCRIPTIONS

1. MISSED CONNECTIONS: Dramatic Readings of Postings from Craigslist

Company: Jill Johnson, Producer

Dates: Jan. 6 @ 8pm, 2024

Tickets: $15

Ticket Link: https://lbplayhouse.org/event/missed-connections/

Missed Connections is dramatic readings of actual postings from Craigslist performed by some of Orange County’s most talented actors. Taken straight from the internet, this show was conceived and produced by Jill Johnson, who has spent way too much time reading through all of debauchery on Craigslist for your entertainment. Each show is unique and is brought to life by the incredibly dedicated actors who perform each piece. This is something you don’t want to miss!

2. BECOMING AUSTIN NATION: From Crack to PhD: A Drag Queen’s Story

Company: Austin Nation, Producer

Dates: Jan. 12, 13 @ 8pm, Jan. 14 @ 2pm, 2024

Tickets: $15

Ticket Link: https://lbplayhouse.org/event/becoming-austin-nation/

Diagnosed with HIV/AIDS at the age of 26, this is the story of a person facing his own mortality until the release of the life extending drug AZT. At 40, Austin beat back his demons and is living his best life as a drag performer and a professor at Cal State Fullerton. It’s a story you don’t want to miss!

3. THAT ONE PUPPET SHOW

Company: Geneviève Flati, Producer

Dates: Jan. 19, 20 @ 8pm, Jan. 21 @ 2pm, 2024

Tickets: $20

Ticket Link: https://lbplayhouse.org/event/that-one-puppet-show/

Have you ever wondered what goes on under the camera on the set of The Muppets? "That One Puppet Show" is a musical comedy variety show featuring puppeteers from Hollywood and Broadway. Combined, the cast's credits include: The Muppets, Sesame Street, The Jim Henson Company, Disney, Nickelodeon, HBO, Netflix, Showtime, and more! This live show has everything from our favorite original sketches to full blown musical numbers. Come out for a night that promises a riotous blend of nostalgia, innovation, raffles, guest appearances, music, and comedy performances by some of the most famous people you’ve never heard of. A portion of the ticket sales of this production will be donated to a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Ages 16+

4. LOVE, SEX AND THE I.R.S.

Company: In the Moment Productions

Dates: Jan. 26, 27 @ 8pm, Jan. 28 @ 2pm, 2024

Tickets: $20

Ticket Link: https://lbplayhouse.org/event/love-sex-and-the-i-r-s/

A WILD farce. Jon Trachtman and Leslie Arthur are out of work musicians who room together. To save money, Jon has filed tax returns listing them as married. The day of reckoning comes when the IRS informs the "couple" they're going to be investigated by Mr. Spinner. Leslie masquerades as a housewife, aided by Jon's fiancee, Kate. Complicating matters further Leslie and Kate are having an affair. Jon's mother drops in unexpectedly to meet her son's fiancee, and Leslie's ex-girlfriend shows up demanding to know why Leslie has changed and won't see her anymore.

5. THIS IS OUR YOUTH

Company: Little Renegade Productions

Dates: Feb. 2 & 3 @ 8pm, 2024

Tickets: $20 General Admission, $15 Student/Senior

Ticket Link: https://lbplayhouse.org/event/this-is-our-youth/

This Is Our Youth follows three young adults in New York in 1982, facing the challenges of adolescence, adulthood, relationships, and what in the world to do with fifteen thousand (stolen) dollars. These three go on a life-changing ride over 48 hours, not only coming of age in their own right, but making huge choices, smoking a lot of pot, and diving headfirst into what the real world can be, learning very quickly that even the best-laid plans can come with serious consequences. 

6. PINS: The Royal Renaissance

Company: The CRay Project

Dates: Feb. 9, 10 @ 8pm, Feb. 11 @ 2pm, 2024

Tickets: $25 Early Bird, $35 at the Door, $20 Student

Ticket Link: https://lbplayhouse.org/event/pins-the-royal-renaissance/

In a grand celebration of a half-decade adorned with glamour, The CRayProject celebrates PINS marked at its 5th anniversary with “The Royal Renaissance,” an opulent ode to urban burlesque. Set against the backdrop of a resplendent metropolis, the night unfolded as a majestic tapestry of sensuality and sophistication. Daring performers will grace the stage, with some of your PINS favorites, intertwining the classic allure of burlesque with a contemporary urban flair. As the curtain falls on its five-year fête, PINS will leave an indelible mark on the annals of urban burlesque, crowning CRayProject’s journey with regal jubilation.

7. LBP STAFF AND FRIENDS CABARET FUNDRAISER

Company: LBP, Madison Mooney, Carole Louise, & Serena Bottiani-Henderson, Producers

Dates: Feb. 16 &17 @ 8pm, 2024

Tickets: $20

Ticket Link: https://lbplayhouse.org/event/lbp-staff-and-friends-cabaret-fundraiser-2024/

The Staff & Friends Cabaret Fundraiser is back and better than ever! This year's two night event will showcase beloved volunteers and staff members of the Playhouse performing songs, scenes, stand up and more! Coinciding with the Playhouse's 95th Birthday on February 18th 2024, this audience favorite event will be kicking off our anniversary year. Let's celebrate with a night of fun and raise some funds for LBP!

8. NINA AND TROYBOY

Company: Sparrow and Finch Films

Dates: Feb. 23, 24 @ 8pm, Feb. 25 @ 2pm, 2024

Tickets: $30 General Admission, $25 Student/Senior

Ticket Link: https://lbplayhouse.org/event/nina-and-troyboy/

Nina & Troyboy explores a mother and son's complex relationship set against the emergence of the Black Lives Matter Movement. Troy has gone missing after an argument the night prior. Tempted to fear the worst, Nina must rely on her faith for the preservation and salvation of the son she’s struggled to raise in a "post-racial" America. This fictional drama based on true events explores how mental health, racism and religion collide to color the stark reality facing many young men, and their families across America.

9. DINO, JUDY, FRANK & BABS

Company: Jade Productions, Inc.

Dates: Mar. 1, 2 @ 8pm, Mar. 3 @ 2pm, 2024

Tickets: $30 General Admission

Ticket Link: https://lbplayhouse.org/event/dino-judy-frank-babs/

This show stars Jay Joseph and Joy Demain and features a live band. The show played to sold out houses in Las Vegas. Let's Fall In Love, The Man That Got Away, Luck Be A Lady, The Best Is Yet To Come, The Trolley Song, I Love Paris, Come Fly With Me and so many more musical gems will fill our hearts with love.

Memories trickle through the music so we remember The Way We Were, magically, as if touched by Witchcraft. After all, Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime and Happy Days remembered make us Smile and send us Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Feeling Good we’ll be In the Mood for Love. And love will keep us warm, always knowing we can say “I Did It My Way.”

10. MURDER AT MODJESKA MANOR: An Unscripted Murder Mystery

Company: Modjeska Unscripted Theatre

Dates: Mar. 8, 9 @ 8pm, Mar. 10 @ 2pm, 2024

Tickets: $25

Ticket Link: https://lbplayhouse.org/event/murder-at-modjeska-manor/

Murder at Modjeska Manor, an Unscripted Murder Mystery, makes its return with a new venue, new guests, and new risks in storytelling that will leave you wondering...Whodunnit??? A different cast and different story each night, the Modjeska Unscripted Theatre company will improvise a full length, 90-minute play in the style of Agatha Christie Murder Mysteries and the movie CLUE. We don't know how, when or who, but we'll discover who gets murdered and who did it together, inspired by audience suggestions in a show that will never be seen again.

GENERATION XYZ

Company: (un)defined arts collective

Dates: Mar. 15, 16 @ 8pm, Mar. 17 @ 2pm, 2024

Tickets: $25 General admission, $20 Student/Senior

Ticket Link: https://lbplayhouse.org/event/generation-xyz/

A devised play debuted with CSULB's Theatre Threshold, Generation XYZ investigates patterns of trauma, nuances of womanhood, & gender marginalization in varying political climates by following a multigenerational family from the 1980s to the present.

12. PLAYS IN A DAY 2024

Company: LBP, Alex Shewchuk, producing

Dates: Mar. 23 @ 8pm, 2024

Tickets: $10

Ticket Link: https://lbplayhouse.org/event/plays-in-a-day-2024/

Join us for an exhilarating evening of theatre. Witness the work of exhausted writers, frantic actors, and impulsive directors as they strive to create the debut performance of a show that will never be seen again! All the shows presented will be written, rehearsed, and performed in just one day!

13. LBP NEW WORKS FESTIVAL 2024

Company: LBP New Works Committee producing

Dates: Mar. 29 & 30 @ 7pm, 2024

Tickets: Free

Ticket Link: https://lbplayhouse.org/event/lbp-new-works-festival-2024/

The annual festival nurtures emerging and established playwrights to develop new scripts. Reading 100+ scripts a year, the New Works Literary Committee chooses two top plays to receive a stage reading with critical feedback from professional theatre critics and an audience talk back.

Friday: Adults are $20.00, Seniors $18.00, and Students $14.00

Saturday and Sunday: Aease call and speak to a staff member, 562-494-1014.