THE DIFFICULTY ADJUSTMENT to Make World Premiere at Beverly Hills Playhouse

Beverly Hills Playhouse is presenting the world premiere of THE DIFFICULTY ADJUSTMENT by Allen Barton, who will also direct the production. The drama is set to open November 6th – 29th, 2026. Tickets are on sale through bhplayhouse.com.

Allen Barton's THE DIFFICULTY ADJUSTMENT concerns two financial crises, and how two men across twenty years respond to them. One is Sterling, an economics professor during 2008's global financial crisis who is possibly also Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous creator of the Bitcoin protocol. Another is Ethan, the owner of a Los Angeles theatre in 2020-21, during the time of Covid lockdowns, financial repression and 'de-banking.' While Sterling and Ethan never meet, their stories are connected, as Ethan and his wife come to terms with the price for speaking your mind in post-Covid America.

The Cast

Matt Le Nevez - Sterling

Peter O'Connor - Ethan

Rich Rosales - Lopez

Jason Chiumento - Lucif

Cameron Meyer - Lori

Jody Booth - Lisa

Mia Christou - Penny

The Production Team

Playwright & Director: Allen Barton

Set Design: Mia Christou & Collin Bernsen

Lighting Design: Derrick McDaniel

Stage Manager: David Bello

Projection and Audio Design: Sofia Macias

Venue & Performances

Beverly Hills Playhouse

254 South Robertson Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA., 90211

Opening November 6 – 29, 2026. Performances: Friday and Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 7pm.

Running Time: 130 minutes Including Intermission.

Fri. 11/06 8pm | Sat. 11/07 8pm | Sun. 11/8 7pm

Fri. 11/13 8pm | Sat. 11/14 8pm | Sun. 11/15 7pm

Fri. 11/20 8pm | Sat. 11/21 8pm | Sun. 11/22 7pm

Fri. 11/27 8pm | Sat. 11/28 8pm | Sun. 11/29 7pm

Tickets: $40.00 / $20.00 Students. For information and tickets: www.bhplayhouse.com or call or text 310-620-1134.

Allen Barton (Playwright / Director)

Allen Barton is a Los Angeles-based playwright/author, director, teacher and classical pianist. As Playwright: THE DIFFICULTY ADJUSTMENT (2026), OUTRAGE (2023), CIRCLING (2020), DISCONNECTION (2015), YEARS TO THE DAY (2013), and ENGAGEMENT (2010). YEARS TO THE DAY was named one of Los Angeles' 10 Best New Plays by LA Weekly, and has since been performed in a dozen cities across three continents. As Director: ABOUT FAITH, ENGAGEMENT, THE REAL THING, RABBIT HOLE, THE LAST FIVE YEARS, BURN THIS, THE HEIDI CHRONICLES, OLEANNA, SPEED-THE-PLOW, GRUESOME PLAYGROUND INJURIES, BRILLIANT TRACES, DUET FOR ONE, CIRCLING, THE HOW AND THE WHY, OUTRAGE, A DOLL'S HOUSE: PART TWO, MY DAD'S KID, YEARS TO THE DAY. As Supervising Director for Beverly Hills Playhouse: SEX WITH STRANGERS, THE PURPLE LOUNGE, LOST LAKE, BELLEVILLE, AN INFINITE ACHE, A DOLL'S HOUSE.

Allen earned many years' worth of L.A. stage, television and film credits as an actor, and he is also active as a classical pianist - he was a prizewinner in the 2002 Los Angeles Liszt Society Competition, has recorded five compact discs (available on Apple Music and other streaming services), and performs solo recitals on both coasts. In 2010 he was made a Steinway Artist. A native of the Boston area, a graduate of Harvard University and longtime student of the late Milton Katselas, Allen is currently owner and principal teacher at the renowned Beverly Hills Playhouse acting school. His 2017 book THE OASIS OF INSANITY (available at Amazon) is a memoir of his apprenticeship with Katselas, as well as a guidebook to the study and pursuit of acting in the 21st century. A compilation of his work as a playwright, ALLEN BARTON: FIVE PLAYS was released in September 2025.

Matt Le Nevez (Sterling)

Matt's international television credits include starring opposite Kate Beckinsale in the British drama-series THE WIDOW, Christina Ricci's THE LIZZIE BORDEN CHRONICLES, and the Amazon Prime mystery crime series, ABSENTIA.

A mainstay of Australian screens for three decades, Matthew is best known in Australia for his portrayal of Dr Patrick Reid opposite Asher Keddie in the hugely popular Network Ten series OFFSPRING, for which he received TV Week Logie nominations for Most Popular Actor in 2013 and 2014. In 2004 he won the Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his breakthrough performance as Bullet Sheather in the ABC mini-series MARKING TIME. His portrayal of killer Matthew Wales in Network Ten's THE SOCIETY MURDERS won him the Silver Logie Award for Most Outstanding Actor in 2007.

Additional television credits include the lead role of Damian Parer in the film PARER'S WAR which documented the true story of the Australian war photographer, the lead role of legendary motor racing champion Peter Brock in BROCK, and the sci-fi drama THE KETTERING INCIDENT with Elizabeth Debicki.

Film credits include playing a drug-fueled rockstar in Alex Proyas's GARAGE DAYS, Craig Monahan's PEACHES with Hugo Weaving and Jonathan Ogilvie's THE TENDERHOOK opposite Rose Byrne.

Peter O'Connor (Ethan)

'What a joy to reprise 'Ethan' from 2023's OUTRAGE.' Select Credits - Off-Broadway: Annie Baker's THE FLICK (Pulitzer Prize, dir. Sam Gold), LITTLE ROCK NINE, PATRON OF THE ARTS (Cherry Lane, dir. Mike Donohue), JAILBAIT (OBIE award, Cherry Lane) Regional & LA: Robert O'Hara's HAMLET (Mark Taper Forum), Allen Barton's OUTRAGE (BHPlayhouse), West coast premiere, Annie Baker's THE ALIENS (SF Playhouse & Studio, D.C., dir. Lila Neugebauer), Molly Smith Metzler's THE MAY QUEEN, (GEVA Theatre, & Cape Playhouse), SMART PEOPLE (Long Wharf), HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE (dir. Amber McGuiness), THE WEIR (dir. Amanda Charlton), CHINGLISH (Portland Stage & Syracuse Stage, dir. May Adrales)

Select Film/TV: MEETING MARSHA (Apple TV/Amazon Prime) w/ Elaine Hendrix, HUSTLERS w/ Jennifer Lopez & Constance Wu (dir. Lorene Scafaria), Ed Burns' PUBLIC MORALS (recurring guest-star, TNT, Steven Spielberg, prod.) FBI/CBS (lead guest star, dir. Joanna Kerns), FBI MOST WANTED / CBS (lead guest star, dir. Jim McKay).

Rich Rosales (Officer Lopez)

Rich Rosales is a comedian, actor, and digital creator whose signature humor explores the extravagant and often absurd world of high society. Best known for his viral 'rich friend' sketches, Rich blends traditional comedic storytelling with character-driven satire centered on wealth and privilege. With over a decade of stand-up experience and television credits including NCIS, THE ORVILLE, and GRAND CREW, Rich has carved out a distinctive space in entertainment where sophistication meets satire, and no luxury is too extravagant to become the punchline.

Jason Chiumento (Lucif)

Jason Chiumento is a Los Angeles-based actor currently training at the Beverly Hills Playhouse. Previously he studied at Michelle Danner's Acting Academy, and had his Los Angeles stage debut in OPPENHEIMER with Rogue Machine Theater in 2018. In addition to his creative work on stage, he also works freelance as an independent videographer and film-maker.

Cameron Meyer (Lori)

Cameron is thrilled to have booked her first recurring role in the theatre, having previously played Lori/LT in Allen Barton's OUTRAGE. In the past year she has appeared in three features released on Prime, plus a television feature released on Hallmark and a comedy short now on the festival circuit. Other recent television credits include SNOWFALL (FX) and TRUTH BE TOLD (Apple TV+). Recent theatre credits include world premieres at the Odyssey Theatre and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland. www.cameronmeyer.com

Jody Booth (Lisa)

Jody Booth has been acting professionally since graduating from Smith College. It's been a wild ride of touring Shakespeare, where her favorite role was Helena in A Midsummer night's Dream, performing on stage, most notably as Mary McLeod in Detective Story, as well as working in film and on television in American Dreams, House, E-Ring and The Beast, to name a few. She has also written and starred in two of her own shorts, YOU LOOK AMAZING and MR RIGHT NOW. Her greatest joy has been raising her two sons.

Mia Christou (Penny / Producer and Set Designer)

Mia has been a BHP member for over 15 years, and joined the teaching staff back in 2019.

She has been involved in many of the productions at the Playhouse, previously serving as producer on A DOLL'S HOUSE and A DOLL'S HOUSE, PART 2, OUTRAGE, CIRCLING, BAKERSFIELD MIST and DUET FOR ONE. She designed all of the sets for those shows, as well as performed as Nora in A DOLL'S HOUSE, PART 2, for which she received the Stage Raw Theatre Award 2025 for Outstanding Leading Performance, as Alice in CIRCLING (A Workshop Production), as Stephanie Abrahams in DUET FOR ONE. She directed A DOLL'S HOUSE (2024) and AN INFINITE ACHE in 2023 to high acclaim. She co-wrote and directed THE POPE OF JOCELYN HOLLOW which won best one-woman play.

Half-Greek/Half-English born in the UK, she has lived and worked on three continents. Previous training was with Irma Sandrey, Geoffrey Horne and Robert Castle at the Lee Strasberg Film & Theatre Institute in New York. Early training included Speech Study with Cicely Berry of the Royal Shakespeare Company. She has a BA Hons in Drama and English from the University of Surrey. Mia would like to thank the Beverly Hills Playhouse community and especially Allen Barton for his kind, dynamic leadership and for maintaining a thriving oasis for artists.

Collin Bernsen (Set Design)

Collin Bernsen is a carpenter, artist, writer and product designer and developer. He's been in and around The Beverly Hills Playhouse since 1992 and is currently studying writing and directing with Allen Barton. He considers Milton Katselas to have been one of the most influential people in his life. Favorite playwrights include Edward Albee, David Mamet and Sam Shepherd.

Derrick McDaniel (Lighting Design)

Derrick has been working in the live theater arena for over 25 years, both in Los Angeles and New York. From ROMEO AND JULIET to GUYS AND DOLLS, Derrick has designed lighting for many plays, musicals, and corporate and private events. A few of his lighting credits include MERCY SEAT (2012 LA Weekly Awards Winner) at the Inside the Ford Theater, SPRING AWAKENING at the Malibu Playhouse, THE ADDAMS FAMILY at the Madrid Theater; and AN OCTOROON at The Fountain Theatre – and many others. Derrick's latest nomination was for a 2020 Ovation Theater Award for Lighting Design for NOWHERE ON THE BORDER at the Road Theater on Magnolia.

David Bello (Stage Manager)