Phillip Gregory Burke's HE'S THE FIRST To Have Staged Reading at Open Jar

A full length romantic comedy written by Phillip Gregory Burke, will have a staged reading at Open Jar Studios on June 23 at 7 PM. Dominique Rider (Bernarda's Daughters) is directing.

The cast includes Camron Chapple (Detroit '67), Wilson Hernández (A Boy Called Lobo), Stephanie Marrow, (Little Shop of Horrors) Jamyl Dobson (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), Sharon Hope (American Gods) and Darius Admonson Jr. (How To Steal Time and Other Important People Skills).

The synopsis reads: " A random encounter at a library leaves two curious strangers, from different worlds the chance to explore their similarities or judge their books by their covers. But when insecurity and misunderstandings separate them, their vivacious parental figures-through the aid of a missing library card, catapult them on a discovery of academics, friendship, and perhaps, something more."

A ten minute version of He's The First was filmed by All Arts/PBS, and was a top 13 finalist out of 850 worldwide submissions at the 48th Annual Samuel French Off-Off Broadway Festival. The one act version was a semi-finalist for the Obsidian Theater Festival and won the inaugural Wisconsin Shakespeare Festival New Works Series Award.

Burke is a 2024-2025 Art House INKubator Resident (Paradise Estate), Bandung Resident (Decimals of the Delta), and New Roots Summer 2025 Resident. With his Group, The DIEZ Collective, he won the National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures Fund For the Arts Grant. His play, A Mercy At Midnight Castle, won the 49th Annual Samuel French Off-Off Broadway Festival, placing number 1 out of 850 worldwide submissions, and is published via Concord Theatricals.

As an actor, Burke has acted in commercials with CarShield, Red Lobster, NFL/CBS Sports, Crest, Oral B Pro, Citi Bike, Tyson Foods, and Nike/Air Jordan.

The project is presented by Fresh Ground Pepper through their Playground Playgroup's End-of-Sesh Shares.

Photo credit: Brandon R Nicholas