new works festival 2023

September 22 - october 1, 2023
atwater village theatre

SEPTEMBER 22 @ 8 pm

Cinderellas of America

By Kemiyondo Coutinho
Directed by Kimberly Hébert

Featuring Uche Aguh, Behzad Dabu, Dominic DeVore, LaNisa Renee Frederick, Stephen Graybill, Makha Mthembu, Jessica Obilom, Giovanni Ortega, and Juan Francisco Villa*

*IAMA Ensemble Member

When Nomi's picture-perfect 'happily ever after' gets a rude wake-up call from the ever-watchful border control, she decides to chase the elusive American dream, only to discover it's not all sunshine and sparkly shoes on the U.S. side. Cinderellas of America hilariously uncovers the tragic immigrant experience, revealing the comically bizarre, often zany quests one embarks upon in search of that elusive, shimmering glass slipper.

About the Playwright: Kemiyondo Coutinho

Kemiyondo Coutinho is a multi-hyphenated writer, director and actor hailing from Uganda but who self identifies as an African nomad. Her theatrical debut, Jabulile!, offered a heartfelt portrayal of Swazi women and transcended borders, captivating audiences worldwide in Swaziland, South Africa, Uganda, Canada, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Portland. Kemiyondo's poignant play, Kawuna...You’re It, shed light on the lives of HIV-positive women in Uganda, earning recognition with a reading in New York by Hybrid Theater Works. It was further celebrated at the National Arts Festival in South Africa and headlined the 2015 Gates Foundation World AIDS Day Celebration. Notably, Kemiyondo is a recipient of Forbes Africa's esteemed 30 under 30 award, and remains grounded in her commitment to storytelling that bridges hard-hitting themes with witty comedic commentary, all aimed at making audiences feel seen. She is also the inaugural recipient of John Singleton's Filmmaker's Fellowship, Kevin Hart's Laugh Out Loud Filmmaking Fellowship, and the proud recipient of the Shadow & Act Rising Star Award. Furthermore, she has earned a place among OKAYAfrica's 100 Women of Africa To Watch. Currently, Kemiyondo contributes her creative talents as a writer and Co-Executive Producer on Season 3 of Starz's acclaimed series, P-Valley.

September 24 @ 8 pm

The Wronged Party

By June Carryl
Directed by H. Adam Harris

Featuring Alexis Clayton, Terry Li*, Matt Mitchell, Alycia Pascual Peña, Adina Porter, Nina Rae, Tonatiuh*, Sarah Utterback*, and José Zúñiga

*IAMA Ensemble Member

Ana brings her family together to celebrate her husband Frank's birthday and retirement from teaching. The world is falling apart around them: rovers are terrorizing the streets, the government is cracking down on dissidents, and a comet is hurtling toward earth. The Wronged Party wonders whether we can overcome our worst instincts and be better, and what in the end makes us worth saving.

About the Playwright: June Carryl

June Carryl’s other plays include Blue (Edinburgh Fringe Festival; Rogue Machine, developed at Echo Theatre’s Playwrights Lab); Colossus (Residency, 2023 Ojai Playwrights Conference; semi-finalist, O’Neill Playwrights Conference), N*gga B*tch (Residency, Nancy Manocherian’s the cell theatre, developed at Vagrancy Theater’s Blossoming Project); Girl Blue (CTG L.A. Writers Workshop), Florence and Normandie (Golden Tongues – Diversifying the Classics Initiative - UCLA and Playwrights Arena); The Good Minister Harare (Playwrights Arena Summer Series, ADAA Saroyan/Paul Award), and The Life and Death Of (Vagrancy Theatre). Part One of her collaboration with composer Jason Barabba about Aunt Jemima premiered as part of Overtone Industries inaugural ORIGINAL VISION Opera Development Series. Favorite theater roles include Fraulein Schneider, Cabaret (Celebration Theatre) and Gerty Fail, Failure: A Love Story (Coeurage Theatre). TV and film include Mindhunter, Helstrom and Y: The Last Man, and Kemba.

September 29 @ 8 pm

About Me:

By Kenneth Lin
Directed by Eli Gonda*

Featuring Alex Alcheh*, Caitlin Zambito, and Susan Ziegler

*IAMA Ensemble Member

Cameron and Libby, two aspiring writers, meet each other on an online dating site, and go through a necessary New York City rite of passage: dating someone you thoroughly dislike. Initially, they last six months. But, years later, after the city and life has ground them into their respective destinies, they reunite when Libby’s dying. What if missed chances and connections are all that’s left to see you to the end?

About the Playwright: Kenneth Lin

Kenneth Lin is an award-winning playwright and screenwriter whose plays Exclusion, Kleptocracy, Life on Paper, Warrior Class, Intelligence-Slave, Fallow, Po Boy Tango, and Said Saïd have garnered widespread acclaim. His awards and honors include the Princess Grace Award, Kendeda Graduate Playwriting Competition, L. Arnold Weissberger Award, and the TCG Edgerton New Play Prize. He has written and produced several film and television projects and was nominated for an Emmy for his work on House of Cards. Education: Yale School of Drama, US Fulbright Fellowship. Upcoming: Farewell My Concubine with composer Jason Robert Brown. Kenneth currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife and sons.

September 30 @ 8 pm

The truth gAME

By Ben Lear
Directed by Kate Sullivan

Featuring Josh Bywater*, Alpha Faye, Matthew Law, Sarah Ramos, and Courtney Sauls*

*IAMA Ensemble Member

Set against the backdrop of Summer 2020, as protests rage and cases soar, a white couple and a black couple are having dinner. What begins as a reunion between old friends soon devolves into a treacherous dance, as ulterior motives and uncomfortable truths emerge. The Truth Game invites the audience to play along, challenging each of us to confront the lengths we're willing to go to protect our own power.

About the Playwright: Ben Lear

Ben Lear is an award-winning filmmaker and composer. He produced and directed They Call Us Monsters (2017), a feature documentary about juveniles facing life sentences, which premiered on PBS Independent Lens and won the audience award for its 2016-2017 season. His short film, Bad for the Boats (2017), premiered at the Academy Award-qualifying Palm Springs International Shortfest and continued to play in festivals around the country. He is currently in development on a number of documentary and fiction film projects, including his first narrative feature, The Gold Coat, with Big Beach Films. Previously, Ben Lear wrote and performed in Lillian: A Folk Opera (2010), which premiered at Le Poisson Rouge in NYC and led to performances at TED and the UN. His original song, “Imaginary Friends,” made the Academy Award shortlist for Best Original Song in 2011. The Truth Game is his first play.

October 1 @ 8 pm

Trauma Play

By Abigail Miller
Directed by Diana Wyenn

Featuring Stefanie Black*, Parvesh Cheena*, Matt Corboy, Sharon Lawrence*, Paula Andrea Placido, Sonal Shah*, and Keliher Walsh*

*IAMA Ensemble Member

When playwright Britt Benson gets buzzy reviews for Trauma Play, her life begins spiraling out of control into a meta-upon-meta shitstorm. Britt is forced to face the sexual assault she endured at six years old which, because of said reviews, is now being publicized, scrutinized, and poked full of holes — to the point that Britt begins to doubt her own memory of the trauma.

About the Playwright: Abigail Miller

Abigail Miller lives in Los Angeles and has spent the last decades acting in shows such as Justified, Mad Men, and The Sinner. Most recently she starred in the Apple TV series Home Before Dark and the feature film Jess Plus None. In 2023, she sold her first feature Alma & The Wolf with Michael Patrick Jann attached to direct. Her plays include Trauma Play and St. Mary Star of the Sea which was workshopped at the Whitefire Theatre in May of 2023. She is currently pitching a TV series based on the novel Shiner by Amy Jo Burns. Abigail enjoys hiking and (for the time being) picketing and then grabbing a cup of coffee with friends. #unionstrong #sagaftrastrike #wgastrike