The PlayGround Experiment Celebrates 200th Volume With Special Alumni Event

The PlayGround Experiment in Manhattan has announced their 200th Volume, Monday November 13th, marked with a special alumni presentation featuring works developed through the PG Evolution. The PlayGround Experiment's Evolution process, begins with its flagship bi-weekly play development series, Volumes, where playwrights bring in fresh pages to workshop with actors in a low-stakes environment. Commencing in 2015 as a small evening of playwrights and actors gathering at Fika coffee shop in Hell's Kitchen, Volumes quickly outgrew the space and moved to Think Coffee in Greenwich Village where it thrived until the pandemic forced the event into cyberspace. Through the pandemic, Volumes continued to grow and reach writers and audiences from coast to coast and even globally. As theaters slowly began to reopen post-shut-down, The PlayGround Experiment found a new home at the Marjorie S. Dean Little Theatre at the West Side Y, where they now alternate between in person and virtual events. Since its inception, Volumes has aided in the development of 657 new plays and musicals.

The 200th Volume features excerpts from Aztec Pirates and the Insignificance of Life on Mars by David Davila, Mixed Messages by Evan Edwards, Let There Be Love by Mrinalini Kamath, Save Me Toño Robens by Denisse Estefany Mendoza, Who Brought the Doughnuts? by Erin Moughon, Spills by Ruthie Rado, A Thousand Natural Shocks by Jacob Marx Rice, Burritos 'Pa Morir by Orlando Rodriguez, Tomorrow We Love by Jeffrey Vause, and Pot Odds by Gabi Wagner. The event will also feature special performances of songs from the new musical Christmas Eve in Dikanka by Kit Goldstein Grant.

Per Artistic Director Mike Lesser "We want to take this moment to reflect on all the work we've done and thank all the actors, playwrights, volunteers, and donors who have played with us in PGE events since our inception eight years ago. Thank you to our family and friends who have put up with our creative spirits, odd hours, tantrums and fits of joy and for being supportive rocks! We'd like to give extra thanks to Westside Y and our home at Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater. Here's to 200 more Volumes and beyond!"

The 200th Volume celebration comes just a few days before The PlayGround Experiment's 5th annual Faces of America Monologue Festival on Saturday Nov 18th at 7pm at the Marjorie S. Deane Little Theatre. Tickets for Saturday's monologue festival can be purchased HERE.

Founded by playwright Mike Lesser, The PlayGround Experiment is a home for theatre artists to explore, test, and develop new work while finding inspiration and support from the community that it creates. Playwright/Actor relationships thrive in a safe, inclusive environment, strengthened by diversity, that enables each to find structure, heart, and truth, which encourages growth beyond The PGE. The PlayGround Experiment hosts a multitude of events including its flagship bi-weekly event "Volumes" where playwrights bring in their messy work. Playwrights can then take their work through the "PG Evolution," a development process that takes work from Volumes and develops it through readings, workshops, and eventually production. Join the fun anytime at www.theplaygroundexperiment.com.

The 200th Volume Celebratory Event will be presented at 7:00pm EST on November 13th at the Marjorie S. Dean Little Theatre at the West Side Y, 10 W 64th St, New York, NY 10023. The event is free of charge. RSVP HERE