6th Annual PlayGround Solo Fest Lineup Announced!
PlayGround announces the lineup for its sixth annual PlayGround Solo Performance Festival, a curation of the best in Bay Area solo performance, running January 27 to February 12 presented live at San Francisco’s Potrero Stage and simulcast online. The festival of new work features 9 double-bill performances by 10 California artists over three weeks, including Diane M. Barnes, Tina D’Elia, Geoffrey Grier, Champagne Hughes, Ric Iverson, Rachel Kaftan, Daniel Martinez, Jr., Tansu Philip, Azo Safo and April Wish. No two evenings are the same! This year’s festival was competitively selected from open applications, and is a direct extension of PlayGround’s mission and commitment to the discovery of bold new voices for the stage and the development of innovative and timely original content. Tickets are free with donations gratefully accepted, to help support our artists. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit https://playground-sf.org/solofest or email boxoffice@playground-sf.org.
Schedule of Performances and Show Synopses:
Azo Safo in I Heart Maroc
Fri Jan 27 – 7pm PT/ Sun Jan 29 – 7pm PT I HEART MAROC will take you on a journey into the lives of rural Moroccans as experienced by Azo, a 24-year-old Peace Corps volunteer. Azo goes to Morocco to find her life’s purpose with the wide-eyed, innocent hope of changing in the world “one bitlma at a time.” Instead, she is thrust into a culture she has to figure out with her Armenian-American immigrant sensibilities and a language she is too “Kesoula” to learn – according to her language tutor, Khadija. Taking place during the height of the Bush Administration and worldwide condemnation of the US war in Iraq, Azo has to navigate anti-American sentiment, win over ALL the villagers – including the cranky Sidi Ali – nurture a budding romance with her Moroccan true love, Mohammed, and she has to survive a Moroccan wedding…so she can ultimately save humanity OR find her life’s purpose. It will definitely be one of those two outcomes. Will Azo get through her two year service in one piece or will she obey her Armenian immigrant mother’s wishes and move back to Glendale to marry an Armenian dentist?
Tina D’Elia in Overlooked Latinas
Fri Jan 27 – 7pm PT / Sun Feb 5 – 7pm PT Butch lesbian Angel Torres thinks she’s having one of the best days of her life. She’s gaining buy-in from an NBC producer to sign onto the show she’s directing with her buddy Carla Garcia. The show highlights legendary Latinx movie stars including: Roman Novarro, Dolores Del Rio, Lupe Velez, and Rosaura Revueltas, as they face adversity during the McCarthy era. Enter a femme fatale who creates chaos with Angel’s wife and Angel’s life, while Angel’s wife is seeking a sperm donor around every corner.
Daniel Martinez, Jr. in Round Hole
Sat Jan 28 – 7pm PT / Sun Feb 12 – 7pm PT ROUND HOLE is the story of “Square Peg”, a man who doesn’t really know where he fits in. He’s fresh out of the closet, but doesn’t know where to start. When a psychic tells him that he’s been cursed by a powerful bruja and is doomed to chase happiness and never actually BE happy, we see him aggressively pursue what he thinks is his happiness…finding “true love”, weight loss, power bottoming…but he gets it all wrong. He must learn that the true meaning of happiness is not searching for what’s missing from your life and forcing it to fit, but embracing what’s already there. Also, just because you’re gay doesn’t mean you need to be a power bottom. Not everybody is built for that life.
Tansu Philip in Paratha
Sat Jan 28 – 7pm PT / Sat Feb 4 PARATHA is a story Tansu wants to tell because she hasn’t seen anything like it on stage before. Sure, you have funny multigenerational comedies, and shows with Indian representation. But there are no stories showing what it’s like to have a family like the one in Paratha. The single mom, Rupi, isn’t widowed – she’s divorced, because her ex was an alcoholic. She doesn’t have an Indian accent. The Indian aunties don’t just sit around and gossip about people in their community. Well, they do, but they also smoke weed. Indian representation in theatre is so much more than fulfilling stereotypes. This is a fresh take on what it means to be in an Indian-American family, with universal themes that could apply to anyone, like alcoholism, single parenting, mental health struggles, and other concepts usually considered taboo in the Indian community. And, since this is a comedy, all of these situations are depicted in a hilarious and relatable way! This performance encompasses comedy, but also lots of movement, specifically the kind seen in Speech & Debate where one character actually plays multiple characters by changing the way they move and speak.
Ric Iverson in Ric Iverson is Alive and Well and Living in Milpitas – The Highly Concentrated Version
Sun Jan 29 – 7pm PT / Fri Feb 3 – 7pm PT With his unique blend of prose, song, humor, and pathos, Ric Iverson’s solo musical chronicles his life as a gay man—with all its joys and hurdles—from the sunny beaches of Santa Cruz, to the bright lights of Vegas.
Diane M. Barnes in Not One Of Us
Fri Feb 3 – 7pm PT / Sun Feb 12 – 7pm PT NOT ONE OF US is a comedic/dramatic exploration of class, race, gender and privilege from Yale Medical School to Lagos Nigeria, from practicing medicine to becoming a patient. Presented via Zoom at the 2021 Solo Fest, PlayGround brings Diane back for her in-person Solo Fest debut!
April Wish in Wendy, My Darling
Sat Feb 4 – 7pm PT With special video appearances by Busy Philipps and Jon Cryer, this mutli-media rich indie rock musical is a hilarious and heartfelt look at one of literature’s most unexamined main characters: Wendy Darling.
Geoffrey Grier in Resurrection
Sun Feb 5 – 7pm PT / Fri Feb 10 – 7pm PT Geoffrey Grier performs Resurrection, a story of Grier’s rise, fall, and recovery from many vices. He takes us on a very personal journey that is a narrative of resilience from his hometown of Detroit to San Francisco. Grier’s journey goes from the extremes of family love to the depths of addiction. He then invites us to experience his uplifting voyage of recovery and resurrection from the vices. The performance is directed by Dr. Ayodele Nzinga.
Champagne Hughes in Adjustments
Fri Feb 10 – 7pm PT / Sat Feb 11 – 7pm PT A production meeting and cue to cue within the mind of an actor grappling with a history of shame and criticism when trying to achieve organic self expression. A solo performance including movement, song, poetry, and crowd participation.
Rachel Kaftan in Boy Vey
Sat Feb 11 – 7pm PT BOY VEY tells the true story of a young Jewish woman in her sexual prime, as she grapples with the harsh reality of being a third generation Holocaust survivor. In terms of style, the show is a mixed media dark comedy. It relies heavily on video projections as Rachel interacts with images and ghosts of her past. The show also includes music and brief moments of singing.
About the Artists
Diane M. Barnes (she/her): Diane M Barnes, M.D., is an actor, writer and solo performer. A graduate of Stanford and Yale School of Medicine, trained at Stanford and UCSF , Diane is Board Certified in Diagnostic Radiology. After a life changing hemorrhagic stroke, Diane discovered improvisation and storytelling. Author of two acclaimed solo shows developed with David Ford, My Stroke of Luck, detailing her experience of stroke, and Not One of Us, focusing on the intersection of class, race, privilege and gender in medicine, she is currently working on a multigenerational saga of her ancestors, What We Carry. Dianebarnes415.com
Tina D’Elia (she/her): Tina D’Elia is an award-winning solo performer, SAG-AFTRA actor, co-screenwriter, casting director and producer. She received the Best of Fringe and Best of Sold Out shows for her third solo show “The Rita Hayworth of this Generation” with her director Mary Guzmán and dramaturg David Ford. D’Elia’s “Overlooked Latinas” collaboration team includes Mary Guzmán, director, David Ford, dramaturg/coach, and Latinx consultant Carolina Morales. Both “The Rita Hayworth of this Generation” and “Overlooked Latinas” were presented in “The Marsh Rising Star” series and developed in solo performance classes with instructor David Ford at The Marsh in San Francisco, CA.
Geoffrey Grier (he/them): Using the depth of his experiences, Grier now manages the San Francisco Recovery Theatre, whose mission is to organize the partnership between actors, scripted material, writers, directors, and newcomers (returning citizens and homeless performers). As a recovering addict, Grier believes that the artistic processes of theater and the performing arts give people a chance to lower the masks they wear on the street and successfully communicate from the heart and in the moment.
Champagne Hughes (all pronouns): Champagne Hughes is the Bay Area’s Director of Taboo Topics. For most, she is known for her contributions to the Arts as an administrator, actor, DJ and event producer. Now, Hughes completed her Counseling Psychology Masters (CIIS) with a drama and sex therapy emphasis. Among many other, Hughes’ mission includes developing emotional support programs for artists, establishing best practices for role closer and repair, transforming toxic societal attitudes toward human sexuality through a pleasure centered, intersectional lens. Acting Credits: Central Works, AASC, Altarena, OTP, SF Playhouse. Art Administrative Credits: The Flight Deck, ACT, BRT, Beach Blanket Babylon.
Ric Iverson (he/him): Ric Iverson, Bay Area Native, brings his very unique story to life through original music. Born and raised in Santa Cruz, the classically trained Iverson has performed the Bay Area as a musician and musical theatre actor, including in such roles as Daddy Warbucks in Annie, Will Rogers in Will Rogers Follies, and Peter Jones Jr. in Cumberland Blues.
Rachel Kaftan (she/her): Rachel Kaftan is an actor/playwright based in Los Angeles. She loves inhabiting bold, complex, humorous characters. Rachel earned her B. A. in Theatre Arts from Loyola Marymount University. Currently, she stars in her touring dark comedy solo show, titled BOY VEY. Website: rachelkaftan.com
Daniel Martinez, Jr. (he/him): Daniel Martinez is an award winning gay Mexican-American actor/writer from San Jose. Daniel is passionate about creating and performing stories that showcase characters you wouldn’t normally see in mainstream media. His web series pilot Play the Fool was featured in and honored by several film festivals. Daniel also starred in and wrote two short plays; We Need to Talk About New Year’s Eve, and The Pact. Daniel recently returned to the stage in Dress Blues as part of the Santa Cruz 8 Tens Festival. Me Again is Daniel’s first venture into solo performing, and this piece is extremely intimate. He’d like to give special thanks to Austin Bean for directing this piece and being a huge help every step of the way. Thank you to Mom, Dad, Candace, Gladys, and Odie for being patient with all the time spent locked away in his room, writing. And thank YOU for attending- whether by chance or by choice, Daniel is honored to share this story with you all.
Tansu Philip (she/her): Tansu Philip is an Indian-American actress and writer based in LA. She’s a proud member of the PlayGround LA company! She loves to write comedies with strong feminist characters who have agency over their decisions, distinct, detailed descriptions of interpersonal family dynamics in an immigrant household, and bold explorations of foreign communities. PARATHA is a pilot that only sheI – a first generation, Indian-American immigrant, feminist, funny, small business owner – could write, so she did!
Azo Safo (she/her): Avo Safo is an actor/writer based in Los Angeles. She wrote her solo play, I HEART MAROC, during the pandemic lockdowns. She performed it at Hollywood Fringe Festival in 2021 and then performed it at Binge Fringe Festival at Santa Monica Playhouse, NAMBA Women’s Voices Festival, and Solo Fest at Whitefire Theatre. Azo has also written a short film for the 48 Hour Film Festival and several short plays for local festivals.
April Wish (she/her): From hundreds of stage performances to producing nearly a dozen feature films, she is a pioneer in interactive live streaming narrative storytelling and throws really wild themed birthday parties for her kids. Having spent two decades working to support and uplift female voices on stage and on screen, she is excited to be amplifying her own story now as a Solo Theatre Artist.
Performance Schedule
Friday, January 27, 2023, 7pm
Azo Safo in I HEART MAROC
Tina D’Elia in OVERLOOKED LATINAS
Saturday, January 28, 2023, 7pm
Daniel Martinez, Jr. in ROUND HOLE
Tansu Philip in PARATHA
Sunday, January 29, 2023, 7pm
Ric Iverson in RIC IVERSON IS ALIVE AND WELL AND LIVING IN MILPITAS – THE HIGHLY CONCENTRATED VERSION
Azo Safo in I HEART MAROC
Friday, February 3, 2023, 7pm
Ric Iverson in RIC IVERSON IS ALIVE AND WELL AND LIVING IN MILPITAS – THE HIGHLY CONCENTRATED VERSION
Diane M. Barnes in NOT ONE OF US
Saturday, February 4, 2023, 7pm
Tansu Philip in PARATHA
April Wish in WENDY, MY DARLING
Sunday, February 5, 2023, 7pm
Tina D’Elia in OVERLOOKED LATINAS
Geoffrey Grier in RESURRECTION
Friday, February 10, 2023, 7pm
Champagne Hughes in ADJUSTMENTS
Geoffrey Grier in RESURRECTION
Saturday, February 11, 2023, 7pm
Rachel Kaftan in BOY VEY
Champagne Hughes in ADJUSTMENTS
Sunday, February 12, 2023, 7pm
Diane M. Barnes in NOT ONE OF US
Daniel Martinez, Jr. in ROUND HOLE
TICKETS: For tickets and more information, visit https://playground-sf.org/solofest or call (415) 992-6677. NOTE: For in-person attendance, full vaccination with booster is required and KN95 or N95 masks must be worn at all times (PlayGround will provide masks for those who don’t have them). To access the live-stream/on-demand broadcast, log in at https://tickets.playground-sf.org, select the main menu (“home”) and “tickets for upcoming performances” to find your show and then click “watch”. For box office questions, including online access, email boxoffice@playground-sf.org.