PlayPenn Reveals Four New Shows For its 19th Season

Founded in 2005, PlayPenn has entered its 19th year of operation.  This season also marks the third since the organization's resurgence. To celebrate, this July, PlayPenn will present readings of four new plays, adding to their already innumerable canon, which notably will soon be archived at The Free Library of Philadelphia. 

This year's Foundry Graduate Readings are Celebrity Dream Date by Keenya Jackson, Spitting Image by Nimisha Ladva and Junk Redemption by eppchez yo-sí yes. Both Jackson and yo-sí yes were finalists for the 2022 Terrence McNally Award. Meanwhile, The Old Globe has named Ladva an inaugural member of the Powers Playwriting Fellowship. 

Following a successful workshop of The Duat by Roger Q. Mason (now set for its world premiere in June at Philadelphia Theatre Company), PlayPenn will once again partner with PTC for a workshop of Trans World by Ty Defoe. Inspired by MTV’s 90s reality shows, this new comedy blurs the lines between pretend and real drama when six transgender folks are chosen to live in a house together and get filmed for a new reality TV show. So, what happens when people stop being nice and start getting real?

The workshop will consist of a 29 hour rehearsal process culminating in a reading. PlayPenn Associate Artistic Director Santiago Iacinti (Gente Del Sol, Pase Lo Que Pase, Publik Private) will direct. “I was introduced to Ty’s work by May Adrales. One of the first pieces I ever saw in New York was a reading of Ty’s Firebird Tattoo at NYTW’s Reflection of Native Voices. I have followed their work ever since and could not be more excited to collaborate with Ty” says Iacinti.