THE PLAY GROUNDS
A Dark Comedy in Two Acts
Writer and Directed by Bairton Brown
There’s enough Momento Mori,
we need
Momento Vivere!
THE PLAY GROUNDS is a two-act suicide-prevention piece centering Aloe, a disabled, black teenager struggling to overcome his friend's death, and to reverse his own attempt at suicide. This thrilling, diverse dramedy asks, "What if Hamlet decided not to be?" Could his friends, like Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, save him in time? How might they have learned a nonfatal means of resolving intergenerational trauma? This play was developed in Congo Square Theatre’s inaugural Next-Up Playwriting Fellowship.
Congo Square Theatre Company
As a 2022-2023 Samuel G. Roberson Next-Up Playwriting Fellow at Congo Square Theatre. THE PLAY GROUNDS was commissioned and developed over twelve months. Mentorship from Aaron Todd Douglas, Lydia Diamond, Carlyle Brown, Stacey Rose, and Tyla Abercrumbie culminated with a staged reading of the play in a Festival On The Square.
Hollywood Fringe Festival
Following the success of THE PLAY GROUNDS at Denver’s Fringe Festival, the West Coast Premiere of THE PLAY GROUNDS took place at the Broadwater Plunge on June 23, 2023.
Denver Fringe Festival
With the help of Congo Square’s commission fee, Bairton produced and directed the Denver Fringe Festival production of THE PLAY GROUNDS on June 10, 2023.
Edinburgh Fringe Festival
We are currently fundraising to bring our cast and crew to Edinburgh in August 2024 for one more production of THE PLAY GROUNDS prior to publication. Donate below!
Available Now!
Available Now!
The Play Grounds, or Memento Vivere - as well as recordings of its staged readings at Congo Square Theatre Company, Hollywood Fringe Festival (Broadwater Plunge, Second Stage), and Denver Fringe Festival (Jungle Cafe) are available for FREE on New Play Exchange (NPX)
