Julia Tolchin and Gabriel Rivas to Star in BURL's World Premiere in West Hollywood

Julia Tolchin (Life & Beth, FBI: Most Wanted) and Gabriel Rivas (F1: The Movie, Lisa and Liza) will star in the world premiere of Burl, a new play by Amanda Dacks, directed by Ana Verde. The production opens Friday, March 27, 2026 with weekend performances through April 4 at the Actors Company's venue, The Other Space, in West Hollywood.

Tolchin is independently producing the play via the Actors' Equity Association's Los Angeles Self-Produced Project Code (LASPPC), a framework designed to support actor-driven productions in the Los Angeles market.

"I don't know how to fix all the problems in the world, but I do know that I can offer a beautiful piece of art to my community about the power of connecting with one another. We're so grateful to Actor's Equity for providing this code so that independent theatermakers can produce their own work," says Tolchin.

Burl follows Janie (Tolchin) and David (Rivas), two children from drastically different circumstances, who claim a large oak tree as their own. The tree becomes their private world, teaching each other about love, loyalty, and the slow shift from innocence to obligation. Years later, estranged and changed, they return to find a buried secret forcing its way to the surface.

Burl marks the playwriting debut of Amanda Dacks, an Emmy-nominated producer whose work has spanned A&E, Amazon, Hulu, and Tastemade. Her on-screen debut, in Chops, arrives later this year.

Director Ana Verde is making her professional debut as a theater director, after years of directing film projects and developing screenwriting projects such as Te llaman las olas and Mara Has Three Jobs in San Juan, Puerto Rico, which have played numerous film festivals to critical acclaim. The latter was produced by Lena Waithe's Hillman Grad, as part of their Indeed Rising Voices program.

The creative team also includes scenic design by Jane Hamor, sound design by Wylie Rush, and stage management by Diana Verde.