Synopsis: Son of an Unknown Father tells the story of the first Black saint of the Americas, Martin de Porres. Born into slavery in Lima, Peru in the 1600s, Martin aspired to break through the chains of his bondage by devoting his life to the Catholic Church. But no matter how virtuous Martin was, nothing could break through the barriers of his oppression. Until one day, Martin discovers he has the power to heal people with his bare hands. Suddenly viewed as the second son of God, people come from far and wide to meet the man with the magic hands. Martin's burden becomes too much and he is forced to make a decision - self-preservation or self-sacrifice?

Playwright: Reynaldo Piniella
Director: Ria T. DiLullo
With: John Concado, Cary Hite, Germainne LeBron, Cedric Leiba, Reynaldo Piniella, Andres Santiago Pina, Mitzie Pratt & Callie Considine reading stage directions.

This work in progress is being presented as a part of The PlayGround Experiment Evolution: Volume 143.

Playwright: Courtney Seyl
With: Anjali Khurana

This work in progress is being presented as a part of The PlayGround Experiment’s Voices of America Writers Workshop.

Created and taught by David Davila, the Voices of America Writers Workshop is a free eight-week workshop for people of color and members of the trans community who want to learn how to tell their own stories through play and screenwriting. The program was created in response to the inequality of opportunities available to marginalized communities. In this workshop non-writers learn to use tools from creative writing, dramatic writing, and comedy writing/improv - focusing on idea generation, the art of dialogue, and story structure to create multi-dimensional characters and captivating narratives.

Playwright: Al Monaco
With: Spencer Aste, Caitlin Belforti, Darpan Joshi, Niall Ridgely, Maya Rosewood &Monica Rounds

Synopsis: Bride and Groom are getting married. There are bridesmaids, there are groomsmen. There’s the mother of the bride, the father of the bride, the mother of the groom, the father of the groom, the wedding planner, the officiant, the best man, the maid of honor. You’ve seen it all before. You’ll see it again. A ceremony as old as civilization itself. Gender is not real. Gender is a fiction. But wow, at a wedding, gender is so fucking real.

The Destiny Offered To Women is being presented as part of Irons in the Fire, Fault Line Theatre's year-round reading series of new plays in development. Tickets are free but RSVP is required.

Director: Aaron Rossini
Playwright: Celine Song
With: Charlotte Arnoux, Eliza Bent, Amara Brady, Geordie Broadwater, Matt Clevy, Ali Rose Dachis, Craig Wesley Divino, Matthew Dunivan, Jonathan Gordon, Shiva Kalaiselvan, Stefani Kuo, Antoinette LaVecchia, Kim Martin-Cotin, Sarah Tolan Mee, Eric Miller, Sarah Murphy, Keith Pinault, David Shih, Lilli Stein, Andy Talen, Paul Valley & Jo Yang

Synopsis: Meet the film team responsible for staging the Apollo 11 moon landing. Or at least, partially responsible—until their lead actor Neil was whisked away at the last minute when NASA decided to go in a different direction. Now, director Sylvia and her crew are being held prisoner in a classified warehouse in the middle of nowhere America, with nothing to do but make a documentary about their thwarted attempt at creating the footage that would inspire the world. Craters is an exercise in fact-finding, (re)enactment, and the power of simulation.

Craters is being presented at Pete’s Candy Story in Brooklyn as part of their Play Date Series which gives audiences an early taste of new dramatic works on the third Monday of every month.

Director: Deby Xiadani
Playwright: Elise Wien

Synopsis: While attending a milestone birthday party, a group of gay friends attempt to navigate the complexities of their relationships, when unexpected events force each man to confront what he has and fight for what he wants.

Members Of The Choir is being presented as part of The Playground Experiment's Stage Experiemnts where two plays continue the development process by adding directors, rehearsal and a little time. Guests are requested to partake in a short moderated talk back based on questions provided prior to reading.

Playwright: Evan Edwards
Director: Rick Hamilton
Stage Manager: Christine Lemme
With: James Edward Becton, Michael Flood, Roy Flores, Jayson Kerr, Peter Macklin, Kelvyn Mitchell, Jason Nadall, and Nicholas Ortiz.

Synopsis: Agrodulce (Italian for bittersweet/sour-sweet) is a one-act play that deals with a family during the 24 hours after the sudden death of the matriarch. The story happens out of chronological order, instead unfolding like memory. It is sad, funny, bitter, and sweet.

Agrodulce is being presented as part of Skeleton Rep's Salon Series, a semi - monthly reading series that creates space for new plays to develop and receive exposure in front of a supportive audience in a comfortable setting (like a living room!), for the simple cost of bringing your own snack/drink. Afterward, the company then invites the audience to mingle with the actors, each other, and the playwright.

Director & Playwright: Ria T. DiLullo
With: Barron Bass, Claire Buckingham, Michelle Cage, John Carlin, Brendan Cataldo, Emmanuel Linden-Broner, Dani Martineck, Courtney McClellan & Miranda Poett

Synopsis: Meet the film team responsible for staging the Apollo 11 moon landing. Or at least, partially responsible—until their lead actor Neil was whisked away at the last minute when NASA decided to go in a different direction. Now, director Sylvia and her crew are being held prisoner in a classified warehouse in the middle of nowhere America, with nothing to do but make a documentary about their thwarted attempt at creating the footage that would inspire the world. Craters is an exercise in fact-finding, (re)enactment, and the power of simulation.

Craters is being presented as part of the Corkscrew Theater Festival which showcases original productions by early-career theater artists who are creating work through robust and/or innovative collaborations and advocates for underrepresented artists and viewpoints. 

Director: Deby Xiadani
Playwright: Elise Wien
With: Angela Bilkic, Cristina Henriquez, Ruby Hurlock, Robert Leverett, Elyse Steingold, and Alicia Thomas

This work in progress is being presented as a part of The PlayGround Experiment Evolution: Volume 71.

Playwright: Noemi de la Puente
With: Priyanka Krishnan, Marta Rymer, and Jeffrey Vause

Synopsis: Sex, lies, blackmail, and loss bleed together in this gripping political tragedy where one teen's struggle with purpose and identity serves as both a currency and a curse.

This reading is presented by The Playground Experiment and is a part of First Reads Festival of new plays in development.

Playwright: Ashley Jackson
With: Brad Makarowski, David Michael Kirby, Karina Richardson, Kirsten Hopkins, Manning Jordan, Starr Kirkland, Ysabel Jasa

This work in progress is being presented as a part of The PlayGround Experiment Evolution: Volume 57.

Playwright: Michael Narkunski
With: Claire Shiell and Raf Nadal

This work in progress is being presented as a part of The PlayGround Experiment Evolution: Volume 54.

Playwright: David Michael Kirby
With: Catherine Overfelt and Yvette King

This work in progress is being presented as a part of The PlayGround Experiment Evolution: Volume 53.

Playwright: Tim Lorge
With: Drew Jordan, Jimmy Moon, Kristen French, Kyle Minshew, Paul Peglar, and Ryan Ramirez

Synopsis: It may not be the first time someone fell in love, but it may be the first time Frank and Izzy fell in love.  And god only knows if the things that pop into their lives are a miracle, dumb luck or something they may forget.

This reading is presented by The Playground Experiment and is a part of First Reads Festival of new plays in development.

Playwright: Brad Makarowski
With: Alexandra Bonesho, David Michael Kirby, Don Castro, John Robert Tillotson, Sharlene Hartman

This work in progress is being presented as a part of The PlayGround Experiment Evolution: Volume 38.

Playwright: Mike Lesser
With: Cait Johnston, Hakim McMillian, and Jon Wan

Synopsis: Mark is teaching a computer to think. Margaret is living with dementia. Ellie is just trying to make sense of it all.  A meditation.

This reading is presented by The Playground Experiment and is a part of First Reads Festival of new plays in development.

Playwright: Jonathan Calindas
With: Alex Castro, David Michael Kirby, David Meyers, Rhonda Dodd, Roy Flores, Tamara Torres

"The one you stand behind is the one that lives."

Synopsis: The One You Feed is a bifurcating play that splits at several critical junctures based on audience feedback.

The work tells the story of two clans on the brink of war. Townsen need water to survive. Lupae control the stream. The One You Feed follows Diane and Red, one wolf and one townsen, as they pledge their allegiance and help their side prepare for results of the upcoming vote.

Director: Kristen Seemel
Playwright: Daria Miyeko Marinelli
With: Fedna Jacquet, Annie-Sage Whitehurst, Geany Masai, Maki Borden, Inés del Castillo, Rebecca Hirota, Olivia Jampol, and Rachel Lin

This work in progress is being presented as a part of The PlayGround Experiment Evolution: Volume 8.

Playwright: Marcy Lovitch
With: Carson Lee and Risa Benson

I will be in a reading of the upcoming short film Got This as well as a workshop on translating a scene from script to screen. This is the first event of many that Saturday Afternoon Pictures has planned in the local community as they move through the production and post-production process of creating Got This.

Synopsis: When beloved Bugsy goes missing at the worst possible moment, Hope and Jack are at loose ends. Make way for the Cat Patrol: the day may yet be saved!

Director & Screenwriter: Susan Barry
With: Emily Pantalone, Reagan Frankhouser, and Richard Kent Green

Synopsis: Enjoy 23 monologues expressing the many expressions of love: celebration, obsession, possession, passion, heartbreak, loss, regret, jealousy, exhilaration, gratitude. An ensemble of directors will work with 23 actors to present the chosen monologues to get you in the mood for love.

I will be performing a monologue called Blank Page.
Director: Ian Harkins
Playwright: Corey Pajka