In Development: "(In)visible Me"
Our second project is part of the national TYA BIPOC Superhero Project.
Spearheaded by playwright and Los Angeles native José Casas, 24 theatres from across the country are commissioning writers to write new super hero stories for young people. The goal is for all the participating theatres to produce their play in 2025. And bonus -- Dramatic Publishing will publish an anthology of all the plays!
We're thrilled to represent the L.A. area as part of this illustrious group of theatres, and to be working with the wonderful June Carryl on her new play, currently titled (In)Visible Me.
Special thanks to Camp Bob Waldorf for our continuing partnership!
October 2024
Our public staged reading was part of our "Show & Tell" series, where we share our process.
The response was positive and we can't wait for next steps for this necessary play!
L-R: Loren Fenton, Leandro Cano, Julanne Chidi Hill, Camille Ariana Spirlin, Angel Nieves, Lorenz Ar
March 2024
We produced a wonderful staged reading with a fabulous group of pros (Camille Spirlin, Lorenz Arnell, Adrian Gonzalez, Julanne Chidi Hill, Leandro Cana & Loren Fenton) directed by Jon Royal as part of the Camp's Social Justice Weekend programming.
Kiana, the main character, is a 15-year-old girl who wishes she could become invisible, thinking it will solve all her problems. But when it actually happens, she learns that the world is much more complicated than she imagined.
The play deals with a lot of issues teens are going through, so the reading was followed by an interactive debrief for the teens led by Kendra Singer from TeenTalk app, where the teen audience were able to unpack their thoughts and feelings about the issues brought up in the play.
It was a wonderful afternoon and we can't wait to share June's impactful play with more people!
Cast members Lorenz Arnell and Camille Spirlin (centD and Abby, who took part in the summer reading!
Summer, 2023
Because the play is geared toward teens, we decided that for this first 2-day workshop, we'd put them center stage! We invited them not only give feedback, but to also embody all the characters, and to read the play for the rest of their peer group.
We loved working with the incredible cohort of young Leaders in Training, who brilliantly cast themselves in the roles, and bravely tackled the language and material. The play deals with some difficult topics that many young people are dealing with today, and we were heartened to hear that the characters and situations felt authentic to the group. Their feedback inspired June to come back on Day 2 with rewrites that were seamlessly incorporated into the final reading!
A huge shout out to our wonderful participants!
Leaders in Training: Isaias Caceres-Santos, Rowan Castillo, Aaliyah Cole, Logan Khusit, Abby Mendoza, Alyssa Pasillas, D Wallace
Pillar Leader: Silver Viramontes
Counselors: Sarah Avalos, Patrick Pierre Silva
And of course to Simon, Ben and Javi, who made it all possible!
JUNE CARRYL is a playwright, actor, and director. She grew up in Denver and studied Political Science and English Literature at Brown University. Her plays include Blue (Rogue Machine, developed at Echo Theatre), Girl Blue (Center Theatre Group's L.A. Writer’s Workshop), N*gga B*tch (Residency, the Cell Theater, Boston Court Theater’s 17th Annual New Plays Festival, Vagrancy’s Blossoming Project); Florence & Normandie (Playwrights Arena and UCLA’s Golden Tongues: Diversifying the Classics), The Good Minister From Harare (Res Theater, Zimbabwe, Playwrights Arena Summer Series, ADAA Saroyan/Paul Award), Consortium (Lower Depths Theatre Ensemble BIPOC Vote Plays), Tow (Coeurage Theatre’s Nomad Project), the life and death of (Vagrancy), Colossus (Semi-Finalist, O’Neill National Playwrights Conference), Boom (Semi-Finalist O’Neill National Playwrights Conference), and Stone Angels (Finalist, the Killroys). Part One of her collaboration with composer Jason Barabba about Aunt Jemima premiered as part of Overtone Industries inaugural Original Vision Opera Development Series. June is the recipient of IAMA’s 2022 Shonda Rhimes Unsung Voices Playwrighting Commission. Favorite theater roles include Fraulein Schneider in Cabaret (Celebration Theatre) and Gerty Fail, Failure: A Love Story (Coeurage Theatre). TV & film include Kemba, Y: the Last Man, Hulu’s Helstrom, and Mindhunter.