PlayGround

The Mon. night PlayGround series is a monthly volunteering event for One Brick, so I decided to pick it as my event of choice to coordinate a few months ago. Now that I’ve done it a second time, I can honestly say that each show is high quality and entertaining. I went in it w/​no expectations and couldn’t believe how much I enjoyed myself. PlayGround is designed to showcase playwrights, so if you appreciate clever writing, you’ll appreciate it all the more. Playwrights are given a different topic every week and hae to write a 10 minute play based on this theme. The cast of professional actors is given the script mere hours before showtime and act out the play with script in hand. In less capable hands, this could be a recipe for tomato throwing. Instead, the scripts seem to disappear as you get swept up by the inventive, creative, often funny mini-​plays that come out. What’s also nice about the PlayGround is its «pay-​what-​you-​can» policy for its shows, making it an affordable opportunity for students or the otherwise cash-​strapped to afford a night of theater. But if you do happen to have some dollars to spare, humor the volunteers like me handing out envelopes and put a little something in them to support the production. After all, the show must go on.

I attended my first Monday Night PlayGround for the new season earlier this week at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre. Since attending for the very first time a little over a year ago I can truly say that I have become a huge fan. Seriously, these performances are nearly as addictive as Unilocal itself. Participating actors and actresses see their scripts for the very first time just two and a half hours before the show so you never know what to expect. Even though they perform with the scripts in hand you’re guaranteed a very original show live on stage.
The topic for the performance that I attended was «Palindrome», and thank goodness none of the six performances made reference to Sarah Palin.
The shows begin promptly at 8 PM and each performance is followed by the next one with no intermission. On most evenings the performances are over by 9:30 PM.
As it was we had an overflow of volunteers this week meaning that most of us did very little. I folded a few programs, handed out a few audience surveys, greeted ticket holders at the door and I was done. That’s not a bad deal in exchange for watching great theater on stage. I’ll be there again on December 15!

Great writing! Amazing ten minute creations each different yet each based on the same theme (the opener of the 15^th season: The Impossible Dream). Fine fine acting– script in hand reading after only an hour and a half with one of the Bay Area’s innovative directors. The actors and actresses look like they are having fun. The actors pool like the writers pool is rich with bay area favorites as well as newbies to watch.
A great evening out! Third Monday each month from Oct to April. Must see entertainment!

To get this out FIRST: I work for PlayGround, so I’m not just any ol’ person posting a review, but I will say that Monday Night PlayGround is GREAT fun – for the audience, but also for all the artists involved. It’s fast and furious and completely original. You never really know what’s going to happen – neither do the performers, either. A lot of what happens is just improvised on the spot.
Thanks to all who posted here, and to all who come and join in the fun. The next one is Dec. 17^th, and after that, January 21.