To The Playground, a new play by Andy Bragen about the parents who gather at an East Village playground, has its world premiere in La MaMa's Downstairs Theatre this December, directed by Carolyn Cantor. Previews start December 4, opening night is December 8, and the run closes December 20.
The play stays on the benches with the grown-ups. Across an afternoon, a week and a whole summer, it follows their pleasures, fixations and worries, from potty training to climate anxiety. Bragen has said the idea came from the hours he spent at Tompkins Square Park with his daughter.
Five actors make up the company: Cindy Cheung, Ugo Chukwu, Mia Katigbak, Annie Parisse and Christina Rouner.
Sets are by Colleen Murray, lighting by Thomas Dunn and costumes by Phuong Nguyen, with sound design and original music by Fitz Patton. Dominique Nadeau is the production stage manager and Kate Purdum the creative and production manager.
It is the third production from Andy Bragen Theatre Projects, the writer's own company, which makes writer-led work. The first two were Don't You F**king Say a Word at 59E59 in 2016, directed by Lee Sunday Evans, and Notes on My Mother's Decline in 2019, co-produced with The Play Company and directed by Knud Adams.
The play runs about 85 minutes. Performances are Thursdays and Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 6pm and Sundays at 4pm, with added shows on Tuesday, December 8 at 7pm and Wednesday, December 9 at 8pm. Tickets are $30, $25 for students and seniors and $10 for La MaMa members, and the first ten tickets for every performance are $10, two per person. La MaMa's Downstairs Theatre is at 66 East 4th Street, and tickets are on sale from La MaMa.
