PlayGround Chicago presents Season 1

MONDAY NIGHT PLAYGROUND

Topic: “Resolution”

February 6, 2023 7pm CT

Simulcast & On-Demand via Vimeo Live

Fire Ghost
by Lisa Dellagiarino Feriend
Directed by Spencer Ryan Diedrick
Fire Ghost….Carina Lastimosa
Sandy……………..MiKayla Boyd
Ted………………..Benjamin Kelly

Search for an Ending
by Karissa Murrell Myers
Directed by Marti Lyons
Benny.………………Jerome Beck
Shawn.………………Scott Gryder
Ginger.…………Charlotte Harris
Pam.…………………..Chanell Bell

Wily
by Samuel Kelly Fair Levit
Directed by Kaiser Ahmed
Wile E. Coyote.……….Eric Geller
Dakota.……..Hannah Lynn Kato

Tomato Tattoo
by Rammel Chan
Directed by Jamal Howard
Natalie…………….Emily Kuroda
Richard……………David Cramer

Transitional Object
by Kerri Killeen
Directed by Lexi Saunders
Barbie.………….Sarah Guilbault
Elizabeth.………….Jamila Joiner

The Pick Up Artist
by Susan H. Pak
Directed by Kamille Dawkins
Sylvester…………Timothy H. Lee
Halmonie….MeeWha Alana Lee
Rory………………..Dakoka Pariset

Stage Manager: Sarah Gasser

This live stream is produced under a SAG-AFTRA New Media Agreement.

PlayGround is a member of Theatre Bay Area and Theatre Communications Group.

People’s Choice Award

Following tonight’s performance, we invite your participation in this month’s People’s Choice Award. Through the People’s Choice Award, our audience can play a direct impact in furthering the career of a promising new playwright. To vote, make a People’s Choice Award tax-deductible donation on behalf of your favorite play(s)/playwright(s) from the evening. Every donated dollar counts as a vote while directly supporting PlayGround’s award-winning incubator programs.

Cast your vote for your favorite play(s) by making a People’s Choice donation via Zelle (info@playground-sf.org), Venmo (our account ID is @playgroundsf and if they ask for the last four digits of my phone, it’s 8541) or on our website at https://tickets.playground-sf.org/TheatreManager/1/online?donationquick=16 (you can also visit the Monday Night PlayGround page for the People’s Choice donation button). Add a note/memo with your gift to indicate your favorite play(s) or email your selection to boxoffice@playground-sf.org.

At the end of the week, we’ll tally up the top vote-getter and automatic semi-finalist for our season-ending Best of PlayGround. It’s a powerful way of showing your support for new writers and their work, while helping PlayGround continue doing what we do!

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.

THANK YOU TO PLAYGROUND MEMBERS!

We would like to thank PlayGround members Dr. Elaine Baskin & Kenneth R. Krechmer, Sidney Glass & Eleanor Clement Glass, Kenneth C. Clews, Paulette Donsavage & Deeje Cooley, Sunny Da Silva, Carole Florian, Ms. Kristy Lin Billuni, Mr. Scott Mullen, Ms. Vicki Oswald, Michelle Ruscetta, Kathryn Ryan, Andrew Trott, and Dr. Eidell Wasserman for their contribution.

A Monday Night PlayGround membership is a tax-deductible donation and directly supports the more than 400 artists involved in a Monday Night PlayGround season. Members are guaranteed tickets and simulcast access to twenty-four (24) Monday Night PlayGround performances, weekly, October 10, 2022-May 1, 2023, with extended on-demand viewing. Click here to become a member.

Biographies

PLAYWRIGHTS

RAMMEL CHAN (Tomato Tattoo), he/him, is a writer and actor based in Chicago. His short plays have premiered at the Gift Theater and his fiction has appeared in Asimov’s, Riksha, Empyrean Literary Magazine and the Tiger Moth Review. In 2023, his full-length play “House of the Deaf” will be read as part of the Gift Theater’s In The Work series. As an actor, he has performed at Steppenwolf, Goodman Theater, Second City, Writers Theatre, Lookingglass and the late Victory Gardens, among others. On screen credits include The Red Line, Crisis, Patriot and the indie comedy feature I Used To Go Here.

LISA DELLAGIARINO FERIEND (Fire Ghost), she/her. Virginia-born and Chicago-based, Lisa is an associate member of the Saint Sebastian Players Theater Company, a member of the Dramatists Guild, and President of the Board of Arts For All, a NYC-based nonprofit bringing the arts to in-need youth communities. She has a BFA in Film & TV from NYU and two kids who are disappointed that she doesn’t write plays about dinosaurs.

KERRI KILLEEN (Transitional Object), she/her, is an emerging playwright and dramaturg based in Chicago. Her play Fat Girl, Skinny Girl, et. al received a Naked Angels, First Mondays staged reading. Dramaturgical credits include Dancing at Lughnasa (Gloucester Stage; Emerson Stage) and Richard III (Emerson Stage). Awarded ATHE/KCACTF Dramaturgy Program Note Region One Award and LMDA/KCACTF Student Dramaturgy Region One Alternate for Richard III. Graduate of Emerson College, 2016 with B.A. Theatre Studies: Acting degree.

SAMUEL KELLY FAIR LEVIT (Wily), he/him, is a Chicago-based writer. At Bennington College and beyond, he studied under playwrights Gary Graves, Sarah Hammond, Sherry Kramer, and Jackie Sibblies-Drury, whose work and teachings continue to influence his practice. His dramatic work has been seen and developed in the Apprentice Showcase at Magic Theatre, Bennington College, and most recently at PlayGround-San Francisco. Through all the mediums he works with, Samuel is interested in exploring genre fiction, language, comedy, queerness, and masculinity.

KARISSA MURRELL MYERS (Search For an Ending), she/her, is a Hapa American theatre artist based in Chicago, where she works as an actor, playwright, producer, and casting director. As a playwright, her work has been developed and/or produced at Strawdog Theatre, Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, American Blues Theatre, The Gift Theatre, Silk Road Rising, Our Perspective: Asian American Plays, and Bramble Theatre Company, where she serves as Artistic Director and Co-Founder. Her stage acting credits include working at Court Theatre, Remy Bumppo, Goodman Theatre, The House Theatre of Chicago, and Renaissance Theaterworks. Television work includes Chicago Med, Chicago PD, The Big Leap, Exorcist, and Electric Dreams. She is the resident Casting Director for Strawdog, and works as freelance casting director and consultant for various theatre companies around the US. In 2020, she was featured as one of the American Theatre Magazine’s “Theatre Workers You Should Know” for her work in casting. MFA in Performance from University of Hawaii, BA in Directing and Acting from Boise State University, and proud graduate of The School at Steppenwolf 2019. More at www.kmurrellmyers.com

SUSAN H. PAK (The Pick Up Artist), she/her, received her MFA from Northwestern University, and her JD from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Susan’s work centers on the myriad ways in which Asian Americans, and in particular Korean American women, resist the seduction of protection through assimilation. Her works include: Election at the Goodman Theater, The Fixer at the Steppenwolf Theater, T.A.B. at New York’s Downtown Urban Theater Festival, and Incredible Invisible at Chicago’s Bailiwick Director’s Fest. Her plays Miguk Saram and The F*ck House were finalists at the 2020 and 2021 O’Neill National Playwrights Conference. Susan is a member of the 2021-2022 Goodman Playwrights Unit.

ACTORS

JEROME BECK (Search For an Ending, “Benny”), they/them, is a non binary actor based in LA, with artistic roots in Chicago. While in Chicago, they originated roles in plays such as RIGHTLYND by Ike Holter, INCENDIARY by Dave Harris and IT IS MAGIC by Mickle Maher. They can be seen in tv shows such as The Rookie, The Neighborhood and seasons 3 & 4 of The Chi. They are a graduate of The Theatre School at DePaul MFA program. Jerome is represented by Stewart Talent (Chi) and Stagecoach Entertainment. 

CHANELL BELL (Search For an Ending, “Pam”), she/her/hers, is an American storyteller and humanitarian. Previous performances include Fireflies (Northlight), She The People (Second City), Crumbs from the Table of Joy (Raven), POWER Book: IV on STARZ network and NEXT on Fox. Recent nominations include the BTAA Ethel Waters Award for her role as Olivia Grace in Fireflies. In addition to performing, Chanell is dedicated to helping young artists fine tune their craft and has spent years teaching storytellers in countries all over the world.

MIKAYLA BOYD (Fire Ghost, “Sandy”), she/her is a Chicago-based dancer, actor, writer. She is a junior at the Latin School of Chicago and a Flag Girl on the South Shore Drill Team. Her previous performances include: Voice of Good Hope (City Lit Theatre), American Blues #ENOUGH Showcase 2021, Metamorphoses (Latin School of Chicago), Emma’s Child (City Lit Theatre), Spike Heels (Latin School of Chicago), American Blues #ENOUGH Showcase 2022, American Blues Youth Playwright Showcase ‘21/‘22, On Fred Gray Ave (City Lit Theatre) as well as stage managing the Winter Dance Company Recital and Adv. Acting Company Production of Lawrence and Holloman at her school. She enjoys the arts, studying medicine/indigenous cultures, and plans to attend university in following years.

DAVID CRAMER (Tomato Tattoo, “Richard”), he/him, has a BFA from The University of New Mexico, studied at the Royal Academy of Art in London, HB Studios in NYC and Harvey Lembeck’s Comedy Improv workshop in L.A. Film and television roles include The Waltons, M*A*S*H, Nash Bridges and The Last Words, among others. Stage credits include The Marin Theater Company, Magic Theater, Word For Word and Shotgun Players. He has been a Playground Company member since 2009.

ERIC GELLER (Wily, “Wile E. Coyote”), he/him. For the last twenty years, Eric’s been a member of “Dancing Squirrels”, a non-profit, children’s theater troupe that performs at for ill and abused kids. Eric also works in immersive theater, most recently, Hollywood Fringe Fest award winners, “Unreal City” and “Vote For Murder.” Eric’s most recognized for hosting an archaeology/exploration series, “Cities of the Underworld,” for The History Channel. Eric’s from St. Louis, attended “Mizzou” and graduated from UC-Irvine.

SCOTT GRYDER (Search For an Ending, “Shawn”), he/him, is excited to return to PlayGround-Chicago. He most recently appeared in Eleanor’s Very Merry Christmas Wish (DMT Productions) the Jeff-Award Winning Buyer & Cellar (Pride Films & Plays), Jesus Christ Superstar (Lyric Opera Chicago), and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Drury Lane Theatre at Water Tower Place). He has performed in a multitude of cabarets, including SIMPLY SCOTTY (with Nick Sula), WOZ: A Rock Cabaret, and Life Is A Cabaret – The Music & Words of Kander & Ebb, at Davenport’s, Skokie Theatre, and Auditorium. B.A. in Theater, Texas Tech University. MeTV’s Green Screen Adventures earned him three National Daytime Emmy Awards. www.thescottgryder.com

SARAH GUILBAULT (Transitional Object, “Barbie”), she/they, is a proud company member of Playground NY and has performed with Playground SF and LA. They cannot wait to join Chicago for the first time!

CHARLOTTE HARRIS (Search For an Ending, “Ginger”), she/her, is a recent Houston transplant excited to be working with Playground again! Some of Charlotte’s more recent work was seen at Second City’s show “A Spoonful of Cynicism”. When not acting, you can find her kayaking, socializing, or tap dancing! She would like to thank her friends and family for their constant support, and this company for bringing her on for another fantastic show!

JAMILA JOINER (Transitional Object, “Elizabeth”), she/her, is a graduate of the University of Minnesota. Jamila has been seen in many Minneapolis stages including The Guthrie’s A Christmas Carol (2017), The History Theater’s Teen Idol: A Bobby Vee Story (2016 & 2018), Park Square Theater’s Antigone (2019), Mixed Blood Theater’s ROE (2019), Walking Shadow Theater Company’s Reboot (2021), and many more. Her on-screen credits include commercial modeling for many local and national companies. She would like to thank the artistic team of the Playground Chicago for choosing her and making this piece of work her Chicago debut! @jamilajoiner, www.jamilajoiner.com

HANNAH LYNN KATO (Wily, “Dakota”), she/her, is a recent graduate from North Central College, holding degrees in Musical Theatre and Acting. Recent credits include: A Christmas Carol (Drury Lane Theatre), Fishing for the Moon (Northern Sky Theater), Tiny Beautiful Things (North Central College) and a workshop for Mill Girls, a new musical directed by Jess McCleod. Hannah is represented by the wonderful agents at Big Mouth Talent. Thank you so much to everyone at Playground Chicago for this wonderful opportunity! Soli Deo Gloria. hannahkato.com

BENJAMIN KELLY (Fire Ghost, “Ted”), he/him, is a proud graduate of Illinois State University, with a B.S. in acting. He is incredibly thrilled to be making his debut at PlayGround-Chicago. At Illinois State, he played Jason/Tyrone in Hand to God, King Edward IV in Richard III and Harry Fatt in Waiting For Lefty. Other roles include Roy Cohn in both parts of Angels in America at Joliet Junior College and original roles in several world-premiere works through Coalescence Theatre Project. Ben is based in Chicago, and you can find him on Instagram at ben13kelly.

EMILY KURODA (Tomato Tattoo, “Natalie”), she/her, is proud to be a member of PlayGround!

CARINA LASTIMOSA (Fire Ghost, “Fire Ghost”), she/her , is a San Francisco Bay Area native, currently residing in Chicago. Chicago credits include world premieres of W.o.W. (Theatre Above The Law), Poison and I Build Giants (The Plagiarists). SF/Bay Area credits include Dogeaters (Magic Theatre), Sisters Matsumoto (Center REPertory Company), A Dreamplay (Cutting Ball Theater), Slaughterhouse-Five (Custom Made Theatre Co.), A Kind of Sad Love Story (Bindlestiff Studio) and as a performer/educator for Kaiser’s Educational Theatre. Carina is a recipient of the Theatre Bay Area TITAN Award and a graduate of Indiana University. Carina is represented by Lily’s Talent Agency. www.carinalastimosa.com

MEEWHA LEE (The Pick Up Artist, “Halmonie”), she/her, is an actor whose journey began when her son, Alan, a film student left this world. Acting has helped sustain her from the demise of grief. She is a member of AEA and SAG AFTRA. She has appeared in Off-Broadway plays, the award-winning short films, feature films like UMMA, A GREAT DIVIDE and TV shows, AWKWAFINA IS NORA FROM QUEENS, THE CHAIR, and RETREAT. Being an actor gives her the opportunity to tell the stories of immigrants and women, and themes relating to mental illness and racism, all issues she has lived through.

TIMOTHY H. LEE (The Pick Up Artist, “Sylvester”), Broadway debut in KPOP! National tour: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Regional: Newsies (Gateway), Mamma Mia!, Shrek the Musical (3DT), Evita (PVPA). Tim is a NYU Steinhardt vocal performance, CSU Fullerton BFA graduate. Endless thanks to DGRW Agency and Tara Rubin Casting. Love Mom and Dad in South Korea. And as always… all the glory to God. Psalm 37:5. IG: @tim_haechanlee

DAKOTA PARISET (The Pick Up Artist, “Rory”), he/him, is a Chicago actor and multi-disciplinary artist originally from Beaver Crossing, Nebraska. He’s stoked to be playing at the Playground again! Chicago credits include work with City Lit Theater, Pale Horse Playhouse, Collaboraction, Silk Road Rising, Unheard of Company, BYOT Productions(company member) and The Lightbulb Factory(ensemble/founding AD), and readings with readings for Movies: Live!, Stage Left and Chicago Dramatists. Thanks again to the folks at Playground for the opportunity!