Past Productions
LiveStreamed PlayReading Series
Visit our Utopia Theatre Project Facebook Page to watch the livestreams!
Visit our Utopia Theatre Project Facebook Page to watch the livestreams!
FRIDAY AUG 21st @ 7:30pm PST
"The Puerto Rican Society Club"
by Ed Gonzalez Moreno
ED GONZALEZ MORENO is an Actor, Playwright, Teaching Artist, and Director. Before the pandemic you’ve probably seen him on ads for companies such as Disney, Jos A Bank, and Vanguard as well as on Netflix as “Hector” in Freshman Year.
Lately he’s been channeling his energy more into storytelling with his latest play, The Puerto Rican Society Club. The play is based off his experience as a kid in his hometown of New Britain, CT, growing up in and around the real life “Puerto Rican Society of New Britain.
Featuring:
PAPITO: Eduardo Esqueda
OLGA: Leticia Duarte
TITO/COMPI: Tiago Santos
PABLO: Myles Romo
CAESAR: Felix Colon
JESSICA: Sassary Giana Vazquez
EDDIE: Luis Rivera
MIDIAN: Natalie Delgado
DINORA: Deborah Cortez
PAM: Natasha Dee Davis
LUZ: Michelle Navarrete
AMANDA: Gabriella Fanuele
ANGEL/CHELO: Cameron Mathews
Stage Directions: Natalia Delgado
"The Puerto Rican Society Club"
by Ed Gonzalez Moreno
ED GONZALEZ MORENO is an Actor, Playwright, Teaching Artist, and Director. Before the pandemic you’ve probably seen him on ads for companies such as Disney, Jos A Bank, and Vanguard as well as on Netflix as “Hector” in Freshman Year.
Lately he’s been channeling his energy more into storytelling with his latest play, The Puerto Rican Society Club. The play is based off his experience as a kid in his hometown of New Britain, CT, growing up in and around the real life “Puerto Rican Society of New Britain.
Featuring:
PAPITO: Eduardo Esqueda
OLGA: Leticia Duarte
TITO/COMPI: Tiago Santos
PABLO: Myles Romo
CAESAR: Felix Colon
JESSICA: Sassary Giana Vazquez
EDDIE: Luis Rivera
MIDIAN: Natalie Delgado
DINORA: Deborah Cortez
PAM: Natasha Dee Davis
LUZ: Michelle Navarrete
AMANDA: Gabriella Fanuele
ANGEL/CHELO: Cameron Mathews
Stage Directions: Natalia Delgado
FRIDAY AUG 7th @ 7pm PST
"Desdemona: a play about a handkerchief"
by Paula Vogel
"Having slept with Othello’s entire encampment, Desdemona revels in her bawdy tales of conquest. Her foils and rapt listeners are the other integral and reimagined women of this Shakespeare tragedy: Emilia, Desdemona’s servant and the wife of Iago, and Bianca, now a majestic whore of Cyprus. The reluctantly loyal Emilia pesters Desdemona about a military promotion for her husband. Her motive, however, is that he leave her a wealthy widow, preferably sooner than later. Bianca, now a street-wise yet painfully naive prostitute, visits Desdemona, thinking she is a very good friend and fellow hooker (at least one night a week). Bianca thinks the worst when she discovers that Desdemona knows intimate details of the life of her lover, Cassio. Though Desdemona has never been intimate with Cassio, her life is soon in danger when her husband, Othello, also suspects her of infidelity."
"Desdemona: a play about a handkerchief"
by Paula Vogel
"Having slept with Othello’s entire encampment, Desdemona revels in her bawdy tales of conquest. Her foils and rapt listeners are the other integral and reimagined women of this Shakespeare tragedy: Emilia, Desdemona’s servant and the wife of Iago, and Bianca, now a majestic whore of Cyprus. The reluctantly loyal Emilia pesters Desdemona about a military promotion for her husband. Her motive, however, is that he leave her a wealthy widow, preferably sooner than later. Bianca, now a street-wise yet painfully naive prostitute, visits Desdemona, thinking she is a very good friend and fellow hooker (at least one night a week). Bianca thinks the worst when she discovers that Desdemona knows intimate details of the life of her lover, Cassio. Though Desdemona has never been intimate with Cassio, her life is soon in danger when her husband, Othello, also suspects her of infidelity."
UTOPIA's Livestreamed PlayReading Series seeks to further awareness around social justice issues. For every virtual show, we will highlight the work of a non-profit organization.
This week, we encourage direct donations to The Sex Workers Project, which provides client-centered legal and social services to individuals who engage in sex work, regardless of whether they do so by choice, circumstance, or coercion.
This week, we encourage direct donations to The Sex Workers Project, which provides client-centered legal and social services to individuals who engage in sex work, regardless of whether they do so by choice, circumstance, or coercion.
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Thursday July 23 @ 7pm PST : "Stupid Fucking Bird" by Aaron Posner*
"An aspiring young director rampages against the art created by his mother’s generation. A nubile young actress wrestles with an aging Hollywood star for the affections of a renowned novelist. And everyone discovers just how disappointing love, art, and growing up can be. In this irreverent, contemporary, and very funny remix of Chekhov’s The Seagull, Aaron Posner stages a timeless battle between young and old, past and present, in search of the true meaning of it all. Original songs composed by James Sugg draw the famously subtextual inner thoughts of Chekhov’s characters explicitly to the surface. STUPID FUCKING BIRD will tickle, tantalize, and incite you to consider how art, love, and revolution fuel your own pursuit of happiness." For this project, we encourage direct donations to NAMI, National Alliance on Mental Illness, the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. |
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Friday July 10 @ 7pm: "Seeds" by Anne Yumi Kobori
Allied soldiers Thom, Matt, and Jake have survived the destruction of Europe to return home as heroes - but with a terrible secret. As they journey toward a future of redemption and love, the woman they left behind in France makes her own journey into the past. This ensemble-driven play weaves in and out of time to unearth the painful truth at the center of each character.
Seeds takes a compassionate and sometimes humorous view of not only the soldiers who are impacted by war, but also the women who are their family, lovers, and casualties. They find that even the deepest buried secrets have the capacity to sprout and come to light.
We will be running a Virtual Tip Jar for the artists during and after the performance.
For this project, we encourage direct donations to RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network), which is the nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization. RAINN created and operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline (800.656.HOPE) in partnership with more than 1,000 local sexual assault service providers across the country and operates the DoD Safe Helpline for the Department of Defense. RAINN also carries out programs to prevent sexual violence, help survivors, and ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice.
Allied soldiers Thom, Matt, and Jake have survived the destruction of Europe to return home as heroes - but with a terrible secret. As they journey toward a future of redemption and love, the woman they left behind in France makes her own journey into the past. This ensemble-driven play weaves in and out of time to unearth the painful truth at the center of each character.
Seeds takes a compassionate and sometimes humorous view of not only the soldiers who are impacted by war, but also the women who are their family, lovers, and casualties. They find that even the deepest buried secrets have the capacity to sprout and come to light.
We will be running a Virtual Tip Jar for the artists during and after the performance.
For this project, we encourage direct donations to RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network), which is the nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization. RAINN created and operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline (800.656.HOPE) in partnership with more than 1,000 local sexual assault service providers across the country and operates the DoD Safe Helpline for the Department of Defense. RAINN also carries out programs to prevent sexual violence, help survivors, and ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice.
Friday June 26th @ 7pm PST
"RISE UP Cabaret"
featuring Black and Queer Artists
In honor of Black Lives Matter and Pride Month
RISE UP Cabaret will be a recurring showcase of Black and Queer Artists. This first showcase will feature the talents of Tanika Baptiste, Danielle Ferrer, Bezachin Jifar, T Erra Nce, and Charles Peoples III.
We will be running a Virtual Tip Jar for the artists during and after the performance.
We encourage direct donations to The Center for Black Equity, "the National leader in connecting members of the Black LGBTQ+ community with information and resources to educate, engage and empower their fight for equity and access.
"RISE UP Cabaret"
featuring Black and Queer Artists
In honor of Black Lives Matter and Pride Month
RISE UP Cabaret will be a recurring showcase of Black and Queer Artists. This first showcase will feature the talents of Tanika Baptiste, Danielle Ferrer, Bezachin Jifar, T Erra Nce, and Charles Peoples III.
We will be running a Virtual Tip Jar for the artists during and after the performance.
We encourage direct donations to The Center for Black Equity, "the National leader in connecting members of the Black LGBTQ+ community with information and resources to educate, engage and empower their fight for equity and access.
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February 14 - March 8, 2020
"Three Sisters" Directed by Angie Higgins Adapted by Ella Ruth Francis Join us for this immersive adaptation of Chekhov's Three Sisters that weaves music, movement, and mythology into this classic tale of family and fate. The three Prozorov sisters long to return to Moscow. Schoolmistress Olga wishes for a husband, while bored Masha will do anything to escape from hers, and the hopeful Irina dreams of romance. With a company of soldiers in town, the stage is set for love, laughter, philosophy, and heartbreak. Led by director Angie Higgins, our audience will be right in the action, drinking and sitting with the cast as they navigate their way through the story. With vintage leather couches and lighted bookshelves, The Bindery’s library-like space provides an atmospheric setting for this intimate production. We are so happy to be collaborating with The Bindery as we embark on this new innovative theatre project. Our fantastically talented, diverse cast of 13 features some of the Bay Area's best talent. PRESS PAGE |
Performance Location:
The Bindery 1727 Haight St, San Francisco, CA 94117 (415) 863-8688 |
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Arts EventsFebruary 15 - March 9 at 7:00pm
"Every Day Alice" Written by Anne Yumi Kobori Directed by Maryssa Wanlass Every Day Alice explores familiar characters from Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan, in a modern setting. Alice, a brilliant young writer, has been placed in a mental hospital due to nervous breakdowns from her overactive imagination. Her boyfriend Peter longs for adventure and a release from the responsibilities of adulthood. Their publisher/pianist friend James struggles to connect with his wife, Isabel, a mute professional dancer. The epic foursome is joined by Freudian doctor Avshalom, mad retired-actress Hattie, drunk window-cleaner Smythe, and card-sharp judge Queenie. Together they navigate the blurred lines between mental health and artistic expression, as they discover what it truly means to grow up. GET YOUR TICKETS HERE Interview with the Playwright Every Day Alice KALW Vice By Proxy - radio interview start at 19:30 Mercury News Theatrius Daily Cal review Broadway World Berkeleysider NBC Bay Area Works by Women SF Daily Cal Bay Area News Group/San Jose Mercury News BAR (Bay Area Reporter) & BARTab Arts Events Girls That Roam Green Room Radio On Air Crosscurrents SF Chronicle |
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September 7 - October 6, 2018
"Dêmos Krátos Theátro: Plays By and For the People"
Conceived by Maryssa Wanlass
Featured Playwrights: Cleavon Smith, Carol Lashof, Kenneth Heaton
Live Music: Lauren Mayer
Clown Work: Amelia Adams
Dêmos Krátos Theátro, an evening of short plays that address the topic of democratic engagement in our current political climate. Four Bay Area playwrights explore what it means to be a citizen of a democracy, drawing inspiration from Ancient Greece, the birthplace of Democracy and Theatre. Their incisive works are joined by the live satirical music of singer-songwriter Lauren Mayer, and the clowning work of Amelia Adams.
"Dêmos Krátos Theátro: Plays By and For the People"
Conceived by Maryssa Wanlass
Featured Playwrights: Cleavon Smith, Carol Lashof, Kenneth Heaton
Live Music: Lauren Mayer
Clown Work: Amelia Adams
Dêmos Krátos Theátro, an evening of short plays that address the topic of democratic engagement in our current political climate. Four Bay Area playwrights explore what it means to be a citizen of a democracy, drawing inspiration from Ancient Greece, the birthplace of Democracy and Theatre. Their incisive works are joined by the live satirical music of singer-songwriter Lauren Mayer, and the clowning work of Amelia Adams.
August 6, 2018 at 7:30pm
"Every Day Alice"
Written by Anne Yumi Kobori
Directed by Maryssa Wanlass
Monday Night Play Space
Dragon Productions, Redwood City
Every Day Alice explores familiar characters from Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan, in a modern setting. Alice, a brilliant young writer, has been placed in a mental hospital due to nervous breakdowns from her overactive imagination. Her boyfriend Peter longs for adventure and a release from the responsibilities of adulthood. Their publisher/pianist friend James struggles to connect with his wife, Isabel, a mute professional dancer. The epic foursome is joined by Freudian doctor Avshalom, mad retired-actress Hattie, drunk window-cleaner Smythe, and card-sharp judge Queenie. Together they navigate the blurred lines between mental health and artistic expression, as they discover what it truly means to grow up.
Featuring: Ed Berkeley, Ella Ruth Francis, Norman Gee*, Elliott Hanson, Anne Yumi Kobori, and Caitlin Papp.
*Member, Actor's Equity Association
This event is pay-what-you-will in cash at the door. The staged reading will be followed by a brief talkback with director, playwright, and actors.
Interview with the Playwright
"Every Day Alice"
Written by Anne Yumi Kobori
Directed by Maryssa Wanlass
Monday Night Play Space
Dragon Productions, Redwood City
Every Day Alice explores familiar characters from Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan, in a modern setting. Alice, a brilliant young writer, has been placed in a mental hospital due to nervous breakdowns from her overactive imagination. Her boyfriend Peter longs for adventure and a release from the responsibilities of adulthood. Their publisher/pianist friend James struggles to connect with his wife, Isabel, a mute professional dancer. The epic foursome is joined by Freudian doctor Avshalom, mad retired-actress Hattie, drunk window-cleaner Smythe, and card-sharp judge Queenie. Together they navigate the blurred lines between mental health and artistic expression, as they discover what it truly means to grow up.
Featuring: Ed Berkeley, Ella Ruth Francis, Norman Gee*, Elliott Hanson, Anne Yumi Kobori, and Caitlin Papp.
*Member, Actor's Equity Association
This event is pay-what-you-will in cash at the door. The staged reading will be followed by a brief talkback with director, playwright, and actors.
Interview with the Playwright
April 23, 2018 at 8pm
"Natural Shocks"
Written by Lauren Gunderson
Featuring Maryssa Wanlass
PianoFight Second Stage, SF
"Natural Shocks"
Written by Lauren Gunderson
Featuring Maryssa Wanlass
PianoFight Second Stage, SF
Based on Hamlet’s “To be or not to be,” NATURAL SHOCKS is a 65-minute, one-woman tour-de-force play that bursts to life when we meet a woman waiting out an imminent tornado in her basement. She overflows with quirks, stories, and a final secret that puts the reality of guns in America in your very lap. The play is part confessional, part stand up, and part reckoning.
Lauren Gunderson has been named America’s Most Produced Playwright by American Theatre magazine in 2018. As she told American Theatre Magazine just after the 2016 election, “The communal embrace of theatre was always an ancient way of processing politics, society, and great change. I believe it still is.” https://www.naturalshocks.org/
Our reading features Utopia Artistic Director Maryssa Wanlass, and benefits Everytown for Gun Safety.
Lauren Gunderson has been named America’s Most Produced Playwright by American Theatre magazine in 2018. As she told American Theatre Magazine just after the 2016 election, “The communal embrace of theatre was always an ancient way of processing politics, society, and great change. I believe it still is.” https://www.naturalshocks.org/
Our reading features Utopia Artistic Director Maryssa Wanlass, and benefits Everytown for Gun Safety.
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March 9 - 24, 2018
"Seeds" Written and Directed by Anne Yumi Kobori Fridays and Saturdays @ 7pm. PianoFight Second Stage, SF |
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Allied soldiers Thom, Matt, and Jake have survived the destruction of Europe to return home as heroes - but with a terrible secret. As they journey toward a future of redemption and love, the woman they left behind in France makes her own journey into the past.
This ensemble-driven play weaves in and out of time to unearth the painful truth at the center of each character. Seeds takes a compassionate and sometimes humorous view of not only the soldiers who are impacted by war, but also the women who are their family, lovers, and casualties. They find that even the deepest buried secrets have the capacity to sprout and come to light.
Featuring: Christian Haines*, Melissa Ortiz*, Laura Jane Bailey*, Scott Ragle*, Jeremy Alan Howard, Elliott Hanson, Linda Maria Giron, Ella Ruth Francis, Alex Blaine
*An Equity-approved project.
This ensemble-driven play weaves in and out of time to unearth the painful truth at the center of each character. Seeds takes a compassionate and sometimes humorous view of not only the soldiers who are impacted by war, but also the women who are their family, lovers, and casualties. They find that even the deepest buried secrets have the capacity to sprout and come to light.
Featuring: Christian Haines*, Melissa Ortiz*, Laura Jane Bailey*, Scott Ragle*, Jeremy Alan Howard, Elliott Hanson, Linda Maria Giron, Ella Ruth Francis, Alex Blaine
*An Equity-approved project.
"Utopia Theatre Project's debut of Seeds is exceptional craft at its best" - Jonathan Farrell
"Director and playwright Anne Yumi Kobori crafted an ingenious way of telling the story and building the plot...The audience was immediately drawn into Seeds." -David Dailey
"Director and playwright Anne Yumi Kobori crafted an ingenious way of telling the story and building the plot...The audience was immediately drawn into Seeds." -David Dailey
© Robin Jackson Photography
Nov 30 - Dec 9, 2017
"Stories from Silence: #metoo"
Utopia Theatre Project and Bay Area artists respond to the epidemic of sexual abuse and assault with an evening of electrifying new plays giving voice to the silenced. All proceeds will benefit MISSSEY, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with the mission of ending child exploitation and empowering its victims. Learn more about MISSSEY.
Featured Playwrights: Victoria Chong Der, Melissa Keith, Cleavon Smith, and Nic A. Sommerfeld
Directors: Melissa Haines, Champagne Hughes, Stephanie Prentice, and Maryssa Wanlass.
Performers: Daryl Harper, Alicia Stamps, Norman Gee*, Maryssa Wanlass*, Willem Long*, James Gregory, Maria Budig, Anne Yumi Kobori, Marisa Darabi, Douglas Giorgis*
"Stories from Silence: #metoo"
Utopia Theatre Project and Bay Area artists respond to the epidemic of sexual abuse and assault with an evening of electrifying new plays giving voice to the silenced. All proceeds will benefit MISSSEY, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with the mission of ending child exploitation and empowering its victims. Learn more about MISSSEY.
Featured Playwrights: Victoria Chong Der, Melissa Keith, Cleavon Smith, and Nic A. Sommerfeld
Directors: Melissa Haines, Champagne Hughes, Stephanie Prentice, and Maryssa Wanlass.
Performers: Daryl Harper, Alicia Stamps, Norman Gee*, Maryssa Wanlass*, Willem Long*, James Gregory, Maria Budig, Anne Yumi Kobori, Marisa Darabi, Douglas Giorgis*
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May 6 - May 19, 2017
"The Seagull" by Anton Chekhov Directed by Maryssa Wanlass* Adapted by Anne Yumi Kobori Utopia Theatre Project breathes life into Chekhov's The Seagull with this new adaptation. Drawing on some of the Bay Area's finest actors in surprising roles, this gender- and ethnically diverse cast reveals all the longing, passion, and humor of Chekhov's original intent. Omni Commons, a gorgeous old Italian ballroom and event venue in Oakland, hosts this production. The unconventional theatre space allows for an intimate, immersive experience. Enter into the world of Chekhov's most beloved characters - a world of art, ideas, and love - in this intimately staged production. Actors: Elizabeth Carter*, Christian Haines*, Mary Baird*, Mark Vashro, Anne Yumi Kobori, Melissa Ortiz*, J Jha, Anne Hallinan, Dameion Brown, Sean Garahan, Loell Bullock "SEEDS" Staged Reading and Talkback Written by Anne Yumi Kobori Directed by Stephen Muterspaugh May 21st, 4pm, Pianofight SF Actors: Greg Ayers*, Laura Jane Bailey*, Christian Haines*, Marissa Keltie*, Joshua Marx*, Briana Mitchell, Charles Peoples III, Sydney Schwindt, Damien Seperi "TRIBE" Written by Alec Forrest Brown Directed by Drew Kemp and Anne Yumi Kobori. May 16th, 8pm, Theatre on San Pedro Square Actors: Drake Bonin, Max Jennings, Drew Kemp, Dominic Lewis, Matt Sherrill, and Kyle Van Zanten. "Love in 10" Plays by Andre Abrahamians and Anne Yumi Kobori March 15th, 7:30pm, Rabbit Hole Studio, SF A ten minute play festival on the themes of love and relationships. Actors: Andre Abrahamians, Anne Yumi Kobori, Nick Manfredi, and Briana Mitchell. "Museia" Staged Reading and Talkback Written by Anne Yumi Kobori Directed by Amelia Bethel Featuring Briana Mitchell, Andre Abrahamians, and Tennyson Jones. Bindlestiff Studio, SF *These Actors appear with the special permission of Actors’ Equity Association |
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