PlayGround

PlayGround The Bay Area's leading playwright incubator.

Announcing the 5th Annual FREE-PLAY FESTIVALJuly 31-August 23, 2026Potrero Stage & SimulcastAdmission-Free (Suggested Do...
05/31/2026

Announcing the 5th Annual FREE-PLAY FESTIVAL
July 31-August 23, 2026
Potrero Stage & Simulcast
Admission-Free (Suggested Donation $10-$30)
Check out the lineup: playground-sf.org/freeplay/

PlayGround closes out the summer season with the fifth annual FREE-PLAY FESTIVAL! This four-week “fringe style” new works festival features 21 productions and 61 performances by talented theatre artists from across the country including PlayGround artists based in the Bay Area, Los Angeles, New York and Chicago.

See you this afternoon: May 31 at 3pm PT, Festival Staged Reading"Disloyal" by Anne Brady, directed by Jim KleinmannFeat...
05/31/2026

See you this afternoon: May 31 at 3pm PT, Festival Staged Reading
"Disloyal" by Anne Brady, directed by Jim Kleinmann
Featuring Leontyne Mbele-Mbong, Michael Barrett Austin, Isabel To, Terrance Smith, and Maryssa Wanlass

Get tickets: playground-sf.org/boxoffice/

The things a wife and mother has to do to take care of her family! Peggy Shippen’s certainly been through it, with a war, her husband accused of being a traitor, and suspicion around an attempt on George Washington’s life (really, just a misunderstanding!). But if she wants to get her husband’s veterans pension, she’ll have to make her case before a congressional tribunal stacked with the country’s founding fathers. A PlayGround commission.

PlayGround invites early-career and aspiring directors resident in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, NYC or Chica...
05/30/2026

PlayGround invites early-career and aspiring directors resident in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, NYC or Chicago to apply for the one-year Directing Apprenticeship program. The deadline to apply is 11:59pm on June 30, 2026.

Selections will be announced on or before August 1. Directing apprentices will assist professional directors for 3 rounds of the Monday Night PlayGround staged reading series (90 minutes of rehearsal and a brief tech for each round) and will then have their Monday Night PlayGround directing debut in one of the remaining month.

Directing Apprenticeship – Due 6/30
Apply here: forms.gle/tXQg7jEvBo5aM9Ak8/

Tonight and Tomorrow:BEST OF PLAYGROUND(SF) ’26 (a Festival Premiere Presentation)+ Friday Book Signing by PlayGround Al...
05/30/2026

Tonight and Tomorrow:
BEST OF PLAYGROUND(SF) ’26 (a Festival Premiere Presentation)
+ Friday Book Signing by PlayGround Alum Rachel Bublitz!

May 30 & May 31, 7pm PT at Potrero Stage & Simulcast
Admission: $0-$50 (donations gratefully accepted) or Festival Sponsorship
Get tickets: playground-sf.org/bestof/

"A Wayward Tale" by KT Frances Hartline
Directed by Doyle Ott
Shayna: Krystle Piamonte
Leah: Tessa Koning Martinez
EMT: Patrick Russell

"Dolores Park" by Laura Domingo
Directed by Wynne Chan
Nate: Louel Senores
Margie: Cindy Goldfield
Alex: Patrick Russell

"Bridges of San Francisco County" by Stan Stone
Directed by Jenna Stein-Corman
G.G.: Miyoko Sakatani
B.B.: Rolanda D Bell
Karl: Ryan Tasker

"Abuela Knows Best" by Richard Perez
Directed by Katja Rivera
The Kid: April Ballesteros
La Llorona (Maria): Annette Oliveira

"Lil Ole Orphan Annie" by Sophie Ruf
Directed by Tanika Baptiste
Old Orphan Annie: Rebecca Pingree
Daddy Warbucks: Wayne Wong
Grace: Zoe Chien

"Certified Super Sleuth" by Daniel Martinez Jr
Directed by Claire Ganem
Marge: Carolyn Doyle

Worldbuilding: Your Secret Weapon with Melissa HillmanJune 15, 2026 @ 6:00 PM, Online via ZoomRegistration $50: playgrou...
05/29/2026

Worldbuilding: Your Secret Weapon with Melissa Hillman
June 15, 2026 @ 6:00 PM, Online via Zoom
Registration $50: playground-sf.org/education/

Think worldbuilding is just for sci-fi and fantasy? Think again. In this engaging masterclass, Melissa Hillman uncovers how worldbuilding can transform your playwriting—strengthening your characters, clarifying your story, and grounding your work in authenticity. Learn how to use worldbuilding intentionally, sidestep common traps, and unlock a powerful tool hiding in plain sight.

East Bay-born Melissa Hillman has been part of the Bay Area theatre community for most of her life. She was the Artistic Director of Impact Theatre and served for a decade on TBA's Theatre Services Committee. She holds a PhD in Dramatic Art from UC Berkeley, and has taught all over the Bay Area, including Cal, CSU East Bay, and the Berkeley Rep School of Theatre.

TONIGHT ONLY:The Best Short Works submitted from Bay Area High School Students:Friday May 29, 7pm PT at Potrero Stage & ...
05/29/2026

TONIGHT ONLY:
The Best Short Works submitted from Bay Area High School Students:
Friday May 29, 7pm PT at Potrero Stage & Simulcast
+ Book signing by PlayGround Alum Rachel Bublitz!

Admission: $0-$30 (donations gratefully accepted)
Get tickets: playground-sf.org/youngplaywrights/

The plays and playwrights include:
"A Waymo Carol" by Rover Djikstra (Galileo Academy of Science and Technology)
"The End of the Line" by Juan Li Chen (Galileo Academy of Science and Technology)
"The Tramp of the Galaxy" by Christiana Rajakumar (Crystal Springs Uplands School)
"There is No Elevator to Success, You Must Take the Stairs" by Chloe Schoenfeld (Ruth Asawa School of the Arts).

All four plays will receive staged readings by professional actors!

Join us for the One Playground Festival!Tickets here: playground-sf.org/boxoffice/All-PlayGround RecessJune 5 7pm PT - P...
05/28/2026

Join us for the One Playground Festival!
Tickets here: playground-sf.org/boxoffice/

All-PlayGround Recess
June 5 7pm PT - Potrero Stage & Simulcast

Join members of the SF, LA, NY and Chicago PlayGround communities for a special one-night Recess, cold readings of submissions from this season's Monday Night series, including plays inspired by the prompts "Murder Mystery," "Broadway Musical Parodies," "Tales of the City," and "Bedtime Stories."

Best of the Best of PlayGround
June 6 7pm PT - Potrero Stage & Simulcast

Join members of the SF, LA, NY and Chicago PlayGround communities for a special one-night presentation of the Best of the Best of PlayGround, featuring:
Woosh! by Baylee Shlichtman (LA)
Marathon Dan by Uma Incrocci (NY)
Second City, First Draft by Dana Hall (CH)
Bridges of San Francisco County by Stan Stone (SF)

See you Sunday: May 31 at 3pm PT, Festival Staged Reading"Disloyal" by Anne Brady, directed by Jim KleinmannFeaturing Le...
05/28/2026

See you Sunday: May 31 at 3pm PT, Festival Staged Reading
"Disloyal" by Anne Brady, directed by Jim Kleinmann
Featuring Leontyne Mbele-Mbong, Michael Barrett Austin, Isabel To, Terrance Smith, and Maryssa Wanlass

Get tickets: playground-sf.org/boxoffice/

The things a wife and mother has to do to take care of her family! Peggy Shippen’s certainly been through it, with a war, her husband accused of being a traitor, and suspicion around an attempt on George Washington’s life (really, just a misunderstanding!). But if she wants to get her husband’s veterans pension, she’ll have to make her case before a congressional tribunal stacked with the country’s founding fathers. A PlayGround commission.

😎 2026-27 PRODUCING FELLOWSHIP* Applications due May 31 * PlayGround is excited to announce immediate openings to join t...
05/27/2026

😎 2026-27 PRODUCING FELLOWSHIP
* Applications due May 31 *

PlayGround is excited to announce immediate openings to join the 2026-27 Producing Fellowship, designed to foster the next generation of leadership for the American Theatre. We are looking for individuals passionate about theatre and looking to make an impact on the field while developing the skill set to do so for a living. Candidates must reside in one of the four PlayGround regions (LA, SF, NY, or Chicago). Four (4) fellows will be selected with one (1) drawn from each of the four (4) PlayGround regions. Particularly, in filling these roles, we will give weight and priority to BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and disabled applicants with the hope of employing diverse voices who can continue to hone their producing skills in a collaborative environment. Applications are due by 11:59pm on May 31, 2026, with a target start date of August 1, 2026, running through July 31, 2027.

Application Link:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdIsLVQ_vnHUe9JydKp2zgckLaQnwKG0OrzQT9AX05hdIO4qQ/viewform

THIS FRIDAY ONLY:The Best Short Works submitted from Bay Area High School StudentsFriday May 29, 7pm PT at Potrero Stage...
05/27/2026

THIS FRIDAY ONLY:
The Best Short Works submitted from Bay Area High School Students
Friday May 29, 7pm PT at Potrero Stage & Simulcast
Admission: $0-$30 (donations gratefully accepted)
Get tickets: playground-sf.org/youngplaywrights/

The plays and playwrights include:
"A Waymo Carol" by Rover Djikstra (Galileo Academy of Science and Technology)
"The End of the Line" by Juan Li Chen (Galileo Academy of Science and Technology)
"The Tramp of the Galaxy" by Christiana Rajakumar (Crystal Springs Uplands School)
"There is No Elevator to Success, You Must Take the Stairs" by Chloe Schoenfeld (Ruth Asawa School of the Arts).

All four plays will receive staged readings by professional actors!

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Berkeley, CA
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