Lineup Set for BEST OF PLAYGROUND(LA) '25 at The Broadwater Second Stage

PlayGround has revealed the lineup for Best of PlayGround(LA) ‘25. Originally developed among thirty-six new short plays through PlayGround-LA's Monday Night PlayGround staged reading series, these plays will receive a special one-night encore performance on April 14, 2025 at 7pm PT at The Broadwater Second Stage and simulcast under a unique new media agreement with SAG-AFTRA. Free to stream, watch on-demand, and at the door on show nights (donations gratefully accepted), advanced in-person reservations start at $10.

The Best of PlayGround(LA) ‘25 selected plays/playwrights are:

Friendly Fire by Damian Alejandro Arteaga
Every Blow by Summer Broyhill
I Don't Eat Pie by Amy Ellenberger
Hello in There by Paris Herbert-Taylor
Son of a Kaiju by Mikee Loria
Good Romans by Baylee Shlichtman

Plays & Playwrights

Friendly Fire by Damian Alejandro Arteaga

Arturo Gomez used to be a member of the Minutemen Project, a volunteer group dedicated to "protecting" the U.S - Mexico border, and now recounts his story and the day that changed the course of his life for the better.

Damian Arteaga, he/him, is an accomplished playwright, actor and director in Southern California. This is his second year as part of the Writer's Pool. During his first year his plays Reefer Girl and Land Amongst Sky were performed and his play The Family with a Short Fuse was chosen as Best of Playground-LA. His plays have seen staged readings at CSUF's One Act Play Festival (S.D.H.I.F.L and Izzy), The Larking House Playwright Intensive (The Hole) and The Redlands Theatre Festival (Smiling for Non-Smilers) He hopes to inspire the next generation of playwrights.

Every Blow by Summer Broyhill

In the early hours of the morning, when night shift workers briefly overlap with their children, a father and daughter reckon with survival, loss, and endurance.

Summer Broyhill, she/her, is an actor, dancer, singer, musician, educator, and writer. She has performed on Broadway (Hairspray), National tours (Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella, Hairspray), Off-Broadway (Killer Therapy, The Day Before Spring, and The Independents), and in numerous regional productions, short films, and web series. Her solo play DREAM Lover debuted at the Playground-SF Solo Play Festival in 2022. She is a proud third-year member of the Playground-LA Writers Pool, where six of her short plays have been produced with two, Glue and Thirteenth Night, winning the People's Choice Award. MFA: Old Globe/ University of San Diego Graduate Acting Program. summerbroyhill.com, @summerbroyhill on Instagram.

I Don't Eat Pie by Amy Ellenberger

When the children of feuding families find love together, they attempt to break the cycle of revenge by confronting generational trauma and eating pie.

Amy Ellenberger, she/her, is a Los Angeles based playwright, producer, and actor. She is a founding member and current Artistic Producing Director of the site-specific theatre company Chalk Rep. With a passion for sustainability, she volunteers at Cottonwood Urban Farm and is a member of the San Fernando Valley Climate Reality Project. She holds a B.F.A from Otterbein College and an M.F.A. from UC San Diego.

Hello in There by Paris Herbert-Taylor

Linda and Joe prepare their father John to leave his nursing home.

Paris Herbert-Taylor, she/her, is a writer and producer developing for film, television, and stage. Her Christmas movie 12 Dares Of Christmas is available to stream on Peacock.

Son of a Kaiju by Mikee Loria

The gargantuan kaiju undertakes his greatest challenge: teaching his angsty teen son how to become the next ruler of the monsters!

Mikee Loria, he/him, is a Fil-Am storyteller/actor based in SoCal. Mikee earned a double B.A. in Theatre and Film from UC Berkeley, and is an alumnus of A.C.T's Summer Training Congress. He is writing a feature-length screenplay in collaboration with World Builders Incubator. He looks forward to co-leading in the World Premiere of A Driving Beat at Flint Repertory Theatre in March of this year. IG: @mikeeloria

Good Romans by Baylee Shlichtman

After the events of Antony and Cleopatra, Octavia just wants to turn into a tree for a bit.

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