Playwright Carla Ching Receives The Boost Commission from Leah Ryan Fund

The Lean Ryan Fund has announced playwright, Carla Ching, as the next recipient of The Boost, a commission now in its second cycle. The Boost is awarded to a woman, trans, or non-binary playwright over forty for a play to be written in conversation with one of Leah Ryan's plays. For this cycle the chosen play was Debt, a one act comedy about 'unpaid bills, endorphins, band practice, Marvin Gaye, and even more unpaid bills . . . something for everyone.'

Carla Ching receives the commission for her proposed play: Kye Club. At the Number One Seafood restaurant in Monterey Park, a group of friends gather monthly to engage in a radical project: to lend each other money to start new businesses, inspired by the Korean American 'kye' system. A craft beer microbrewery. A plant shop. A fermentation lab. A cafe/record store like the Japanese kissaten. A restaurant. Without venture capital pals or rich parents to fund their projects, they can only make their dreams a reality with a little help from their friends. What happens when you mix friends and money, business and marriage, and when you start a business and have no idea what you are doing? This play will encourage us to look towards community, family, and friends to build what we want, and is slated to have a public reading in the Fall of 2027.

On receiving The Boost, Carla Ching said, 'I cried when I learned I'd gotten the Boost, as I'd been feeling like there isn't a place for me in the theater anymore. I applied because when I read Leah's play Debt, I was gripped by its funny, complex examination of class. I felt close to its themes--scrabbling for years in NYC and crawling out with student loan debt and credit card debt--and I'm hoping the play I write can be something that anyone who's struggling with the cost of living and who dreams of having a little something to call their own can identify with. This is so incredibly meaningful to me and it's giving me the steam to keep going. A million heartfelt thanks to the Leah Ryan Fund.'

The Leah Ryan Fund also recognizes seven finalists for The Boost: Naveen Choudhury, Sandra Daley, Carla Grauls, Mildred Inez Lewis, Emily McClain, Jacquelyn Reingold, and Marlow Wyatt.

On winning the Boost last year Tammy Ryan said, 'Receiving the Boost changed the trajectory of my work and life these past two years and The Boy King in Queens is a play I never would have written if it's weren't for Leah's timeless, surprising, satiric, funny, and poetic voice. I am keen to see what Carla creates, inspired by Leah's words, and with the encouragement and financial support The Boost provides.'

ABOUT Carla Ching

Carla Ching is an Asian American theatermaker and television writer/producer who creates work celebrating the indomitability of the human spirit. She is a native and current Angeleno who called NYC home for 16 years. In her former lives, she was a poet, high school English teacher, teaching artist and writer/performer with Peeling, the autobiographical AAPI theater company.

Her plays include Rage Play (NNPN Festival of New Plays 2025), Revenge Porn or The Story of a Body (Ammunition Theater Company), Nomad Motel (NNPN Rolling World Premiere at City Theatre, Horizon Theatre and Unicorn Theatre; NY Premiere at The Atlantic), The Two Kids That Blow Shit Up (Artists at Play, Theatre Mu), Fast Company (South Coast Rep, EST) and TBA (2g).

Play Development: Berkeley Rep's Ground Floor, CTG Writers' Workshop, The Lark, O'Neill, Chalk Rep Writers Group. Former artistic director of 2g. Founding member of The Kilroys. Alum of New Dramatists. Co-recipient of the Horton Foote Playwriting Award. Recipient of The LA New Play Prize. Member of Ammo.

TV credits: Fear the Walking Dead, I Love Dick, The First, Preacher, Home Before Dark, Mr. + Mrs. Smith. In TV, she's developed work for Netflix, AMC, Hulu, Amazon, FX and Onyx.

ABOUT THE LEAH RYAN FUND

The Leah Ryan Fund was established in 2008 to honor the memory of Leah Ryan, a woman of letters who wrote plays, poetry, essays, lyrics, adaptations, and collaborated with performance artists. In 2010 the Fund began giving out its annual prize, The Leah, to encourage and support the work of women, trans, and non-binary playwrights. It is the purpose of the prize to perpetuate the integrity, compassion, and creativity that Leah herself possessed and inspired in others.

The Boost commission was created to award women, trans, and non-binary playwrights aged 40 or over who have an ongoing practice. The winner will receive a cash award to write a new play in conversation with a work by Leah Ryan. For the Boost's second cycle the Board chose Leah's play Debt as the prompt.

https://leahryanfund.org