PlayGround-Chicago presents Season 4

MONDAY NIGHT PLAYGROUND

Topic: “Tales of the City”
February 2, 2026, 7 pm CT
 Chicago Dramatists & Simulcast

Acknowledging the Legacy of the Land We Inhabit

PlayGround-Chicago acknowledges that we are on the unceded ancestral homeland of the people of the Council of Three Fires, including the Ojibwe, Potawatomi and Odawa, the original inhabitants of the Chicago metropolitan area. As the past and present Indigenous stewards of this land and in accordance with their traditions, the Council of Three Fires have never ceded, lost, nor forgotten their responsibilities as the caretakers of this place, as well as for all peoples who reside in their traditional territory. We recognize the historic injustice of the forcible removal of the Ojibwe, Potawatomi and Odawa people from their ancestral lands, and that we benefit from living and working on their traditional homeland. We wish to pay our respects by acknowledging the Ancestors, Elders and Relatives of the Council of Three Fires Communities and by affirming their sovereign rights as First Peoples. We honor the storytellers of the Ojibwe, Potawatomi and Odawa and are grateful for our ability to share and uplift Indigenous stories and those of other historically marginalized communities. In working with artists and audiences from all over the country, PlayGround-Chicago asks that each member of the PlayGround-Chicago community representing a different geographical space respectfully acknowledge the legacy of the land they inhabit.

To learn about the legacy of the land you inhabit, visit Native-Land.ca | Our home on native land. To read the complete Land Acknowledgment Policy, click here.

PlayGround-Chicago’s Anti-Racist Policy

PlayGround recognizes the impact of racial oppression within society and the American Theater and that we have been complicit in White Supremacy culture. Our goal is to co-create safety for our community by identifying and interrupting instances of racism and all forms of oppression when we witness them, through specific actions rooted in the principles of anti-racism and accessibility. In its endeavor to address the implications of our history, PlayGround is committed to its compliance with the following fundamental rights:

• The recognition of inherent dignity and worth of each human being.
• The recognition of equality of all human beings.
• Recognition of rights of ethnic, racial, cultural, linguistic and religious groups.
• Equality and non-discrimination.

PlayGround’s Anti-Racist Policy applies to: all members of the PlayGround community, including employees, independent contractors, volunteers, audience members, donors, and general members of the community.

To read the complete Anti-Racist Policy, click here.

Monday Night PlayGround Memberships

We are deeply grateful to our 2025-26 Monday Night PlayGround Members, whose direct support helps to underwrite artists fees for the Monday Night series across all four regions:

Dr. & Mrs. Sam & Naomi Abramovitz, Sharon Baldwin, Julie Berthold, Tim Bishop, Linda B Breaux-Smith, Emilie T. & Gordon C. Brooks, John Brown, Summer Broyhill, Madeleine Butler, Ben Cain, Sidney Glass & Eleanor Clement Glass, Joan Cleveland, Sheila Collins, Marilyn Berg Cooper, Logan Varas De Valdes, Betsy Dudak, Cathy Earnest, Ann Ehrmann, Krystyna Finlayson, Michael Tonjum & Jan Gilman, Hollis Greenwood, Elizabeth Groenewegen, Gail Hillebrand & Hugh Barroll, Brandy T Jones, Roxy Jones, Jacqueline Whittier Kubicka, Emily Kuroda, Mr. & Mrs. Douglas Le Blanc, Alice Lehmann, Karen & Matt Levesque, Kristy Lin Billuni, Melinda Lopez, Linda G Marks, Dolores Martinez, Dr. Sheila McCormick, Yvonne McIntyre, Cynthia L Morishige, Dan Morley, Molly Noble & Bob Guilbault, Annette Oliveira, Emily Brauer Rogers, George Rose, Jessica June Rowe, Michelle Ruscetta, John J. Ruskin, Miyoko Sakatani, Jennifer Schultz & Eric Rosenzweig, Mark Sherstinsky, Nancy W. Smith, Stan Stone, Cathy M Stonie, Mary Lou Torre, Kim Tram, Vicki Victoria, Dr. Eidell Wasserman, Bex White, Janine Wilburn, and Cindy Womack. Thank you!

To learn more about the Monday Night PlayGround membership program, click here.

BECOME A MEMBER TODAY!

BIOGRAPHIES

PLAYWRIGHTS

RACHEL CHIN (Johor at the World’s Fair), she/her, is a Malaysian-born playwright based in Illinois. She is a William and Lee Phillip Bell Bequest Fellow, an inaugural resident of the Centre 42 Playwright’s Residency, and a Veda Mekani performing arts scholarship recipient. Her plays are on The Playwrights’ Center 2024-26 Venturous List (HARAPAN), shortlisted at the Live Arts WATERWORKS festival (MOUNTAIN MOM), and have been produced internationally at the Yale Cabaret, The Theatre of Others, The Wright Stuff Festival, and the Singapore International Festival of the Arts. Her work explores critical themes including immigration and social justice, bringing larger political topics into intimate domestic spaces.

BETSY DUDAK (Dibs), she/her, is a Chicago area playwright/writer. Reading and productions of her short plays include GOODBYE, MY GIRLS (performed in Scottsdale, AZ, Brentwood, CA, Austin, TX & Chicago, IL throughout 2024): SAME (Lindenhurst, NY, Dec, 2024); CHRISTMAS DISBELIEF (United Kingdom, Dec, 2024); and GLORIA AND HER DRAGONS (Los Angeles, CA, July, 2022); Betsy’s published books are WHAT THE HECK, DEC?!, WANNA BET, and under E.A. Tobolski, SEE ME GRIEVE: A WIDOW’S JOURNEY. She attended University of Chicago’s Graham School of Writing and is a member of the Dramatist Guild. Betsy is beyond thrilled to be a newbie to Playground-Chicago Writers Pool.

DANA HALL (Second City, First Draft), she/her, is a multi-time finalist for the Lanford Wilson New American Play Festival, a top finalist for AACT NewPlayFest, and a finalist for the Morecambe Fringe John Clarke Memorial Prize, the Hear Me Out Monologue Competition, and the Dramatists Guild Foundation National Fellows Program. Her monologue book Cue the Comedy is available now on Amazon.

JESSICA JOHNSON (Rough Rails),  she/her, is a writer, dog mom and all-around nerd living in the great city of Chicago. A master of many forms, Jessica has written articles, stories, poems, sketches, TV scripts and screenplays. She has written about film, television and the web for Time Out Chicago, Time Out New York and RogerEbert.com, as well as appearing on The Rotten Tomatoes Show. She also created and co-starred in the web series 2 Redheads. When not writing and paying the bills, Jessica enjoys chilling with her spouse and puppies on the South Side, reading, watching lots of TV and movies and cross-stitching.

ALFONZO SOLOMON KAHLIL (A Whale Called Grief), they/he, is a poet, playwright, and performance artist, raised on the Westside of Chicago, who believes whatever doesn’t kill you, makes for great art. Awarded Best Actor by New York Film Awards for their portrayal of Peter in The Waiting Room and Dramatist of SCORPIO & THE NEW / NEW TESTAMENT, alfonzo’s art utilizes the spoken word as a medium to explore the realm of the interpersonal. alfonzo holds a BFA in theatre from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and is represented by Stewart Talent. They were previously seen in Measure of a Man (Perceptions) The Island (Court u/s John), HOLD UP, and CHICAGO FIRE.

ALAN MAASS (The Vortex of Time), is a journalist and editor for independent publications and the author of The Case for Socialism (Haymarket Books). A newcomer to playwriting, he has had staged readings of several works, including one play produced by PlayGround-Chicago during the 2024–25 season, and his short play Old Friends Once was performed as part of RhinoFest 2025.

ACTORS

VALERIE BUTLER NEWBERN (Rough Rails, “Meg”), is happily returning to Playground-Chicago to tell another story as Kate in The Shrew Strikes Back by Toby Inoue. A few of her Playground-Chicago credits include although not limited to Mom in Are You Scared Of The Dark by Katherine Swan, Ida Lewis in the Sea and its Keeper by Zach Barr and Boomer in Stay Humble by Ian Michael Minh. Val is a Chicago based actor who loves bringing characters to life on stage and screen.

IAN VOLTAIRE DEANES (A Whale Called Grief, “Pastor”), he/him, was born and raised on Chicago’s south side. Selected Previous Credits and Training include: Youth In Asia: Are You Proud of Me Yet with Second City TC, Kentucky with The Gift Theatre, Not One Batu with Nothing Without a Company, Fabulations: Or The Re-Education of Undine with Pulse Theatre, Second City’s Victor Wong Fellowship 2024, School At Steppenwolf – Class of 2017. You can follow on IG @ianvdeane

DANA MACEL (The HR Tango, “Jack Hofferman“), Dana is an actor and voiceover artist based in Chicago.

BEAUMONDO MALONE (Johor at the World’s Fair, “Rounsevelle Wildman”), he/they, is a Chicago-based theatremaker hailing from different places.

CATHY REYES MCNAMARA (Dibs, “Yolanda”), she/her, received her BA in Musical Theatre from Marymount Manhattan College and is a 2017 graduate of the ACADEMY at Black Box Acting. Recent credits include Spitfire Grill (Refuge Theater Project), Oliver! (St Sebastian Players), and Reefer Madness (Cult Camp Productions).

DINA MONK (Second City, First Draft, “Kat”), she/her, is thrilled to return to PlayGround Chicago. Recent Chicago Theatre credits include Holiday (Goodman Theatre, current); Love Song (Remy Bumppo Theatre Company); Private Lives (Raven Theatre); The Madness of Edgar Allan Poe: A Love Story (Oak Park Festival Theatre); Gaslight (Oil Lamp Theater); The Subtle, Sublime Transformation of Benny V (A Short Leap Theatre Co.). Regional Theatre: A Christmas Carol (Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, three seasons); As You Like It (Montana Shakes!); The Winter’s Tale and Love’s Labour’s Lost (Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival). TV credits: Chicago Fire (NBC). She is represented by Grossman & Jack Talent. www.dinamonk.com

ALEX MORALES (The Vortex of Time, “Leonard”), recent projects include RECIPE FOR DISASTER at Windy City Playhouse; A War of the Worlds at Theatre in the Dark, The Leopard Play at Baker Steep Theatre; Anne Frank: Voices in the Attic at O’Brien Greatworks; Porch Play at Theatre Momentum; and Our Town, One House Over, Animal Farm, A Christmas Carol, and Guys and Dolls at Milwaukee Rep.

ILSA MORALES (The Vortex of Time, “Guide”), she/her, is a Chicago-based actress, comedian, and writer with a background in improv, sketch comedy, and live performance. A graduate of The Second City’s Improv and Conservatory programs, she performs regularly at Playground Theater and Otherworld Theatre.

KAILEY MORAND (Rough Rails, “Kaitlyn”), is a Chicago-based writer, performer, and educator. She has been seen most recently at the Goodman Theatre as an understudy for their revival of Inherit the Wind and originating the role of Ruby in Karissa Murrell Myers’ Black Bear Island. Her plays CRASHING IN and sisterhood and short film Hadley’s Home have been granted developmental productions at Northwestern University, from which she recently graduated with majors in Theatre and Creative Writing, with concentrations in Music Theatre, Playwriting, and Poetry.

SHARIBA RIVERS (A Whale Called Grief, “Sister”),  she/her, is a company member at MPAACT and a member of Playground-Chicago. She has recently returned from Wisconsin where she appeared in The Children at Next Act Theatre and in The Barber and the Unnamed Prince and A Midsummer Night’s Dream at APT. She’s appeared on stages across Chicago. TV: The Chi, Chicago Med and Chicago Fire. FILM: Bob’s Best Friends, Instinct of Fear, Fitting Descriptions, and Smoking Gun! RECOGNITION: 2024 3Arts Stan Lipkin & Evelyn Appell Lipkin award; listed as one of Newcity’s 50 Players in 2023 and 2025. Shariba is represented by Gray Talent Group. www.sharibatheactor.com

JUSTINE SERINO (Rough Rails, “Train”), she/her, Justine is very glad to be back at PlayGround-Chicago. Originally from Massachusetts, some of her favorite Chicago credits include work with The Gift Theatre, Artemisia Theatre, Babes with Blades, The Side Project, Stage Left, The Artistic Home.

DIANA SIMONZADEH (The Vortex of Time, “June”), she/her, is a proud PlayGround-Chicago company member, is thrilled to be returning to Theater Wit! Theatre credits include: The Corpse Washer at Actors Theatre Louisville’s 43rd Humana Festival of New American Plays; Perfect Mendacity at Asolo Rep; Night Over Erzinga and Scorched.

PETER STEILSTRA (Johor at the World’s Fair, “Andak”), originally from San Francisco, is a Chicago based actor and singer, thrilled to be returning to Playground Chicago. Favorite Chicagoland credits include Alice by Heart (Kokandy Productions), The Threepenny Opera (Theo Ubique), and Girlfriend (PrideArts). He is a proud company member of PlayGround-Chicago, glad to be playing again in his second season.

PAUL TAVIANINI (Johor at the World’s Fair, “George R Davis”), he/him, Regional: Becoming A Man, A.R.T.; Picasso At The Lapin Agile, Capital Rep (Einstein); Terra Nova, Capital Rep (Birdie Bowers); A Raisin in the Sun, Indiana Repertory (Karl Lindner); Stones in His Pockets, Hippodrome (Jake, et al.); Alabama Story, Actors Theatre of Indiana (Garth Williams); Bright Star, Phoenix Theatre (IN); And Then There Were None, Drury Lane Theatre; TV: “Chicago P.D.”, “Dark Matter”, “Kidnap & Rescue”; Film: “Rampage: The Hillside Strangler.” Education: M.F.A., Brandeis University.

WILLIAM C. THOMPSON (Rough Rails, “Harold”, he/him, is an experienced SAG-AFTRA and AEA actor who has worked extensively in theater, film, and voice over for decades. Recent TV and film roles include Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, Questar’s romantic comedy “The Christmas Pitch,” Netflix’s series “Easy,” and numerous Independent films. He has extensive training in improv and on-camera and theatre techniques and is delighted to be a member of the Playground-Chicago Company.

 RACHEL WADE (Second City, First Draft, “Kat”), she/her, is an actor, writer, and comedian from Des Moines, IA. She studied Theatre Arts at The University of Iowa, is a graduate of Second City’s Conservatory, actor with Playground Chicago, and co-founder of Lady Dog Theatre Company. She was most recently seen in The Grownups at Lady Dog Theatre Co. and performing with her sketch group Communal Beverage. During the day she teaches preschool, children’s theater, and is a dog mom to beloved Springer Spaniel Mabel. Thank you for being here!

BRAEDYN YOUNGBERG (Second City, First Draft, “Alex”), he/him, is thrilled to be returning to PlayGround-Chicago and support their mission to develop local playwrights! Regional theatre credits include “Don Armado” (Loves Labors Lost), “Roderigo” (Othello), and “Antonio” (Twelfth Night) with Marin Shakespeare Company, “Orlando, et al” (As You Like It) with SF Shakes, “The Monster” (Young Frankenstein) with Spreckels PAC, and “Brad Majors” (The Rocky Horror Show) with Sixth Street Playhouse. Braedyn has trained locally with The Second City and iO Chicago, as well as regionally with Shakespeare & Company.

DIRECTORS