RING AROUND THE PEONIES Will Have a Staged Reading in April

RING AROUND THE PEONIES, a new play by Karen Campion and directed by KM Jones, examines how America's prison system fails incarcerated women and their families. The reading will take place on Friday, April 17, 2026, at 6:00 PM at Studios 353 in New York City.

Using the intimate framework of Steel Magnolias, RING AROUND THE PEONIES follows five women in a prison cosmetology class who forge unexpected bonds while navigating impossible circumstances. When devastating news arrives, their fragile sanctuary shatters, exposing the brutal realities of a system built on punishment rather than rehabilitation.

"Women are the fastest-growing prison population in America, yet their stories remain largely invisible," says Campion. "This play looks at how the system fails women at every turn - from mandatory minimums handed to nonviolent first-time offenders, to mothers separated from their children, to convicted survivors serving life for killing their abusers, to women cycling in and out because there's nowhere for them to go on the outside."

"Karen has written five fully realized women who refuse to be defined by their worst moments," says Jones. "This play doesn't ask audiences to judge these women - it asks us to see how broken the system is from the moment of sentencing through reentry. It's powerful, necessary theater that creates the empathy statistics can't."

Under Jones's thoughtful direction, the 60-minute one-act is brought to life with compassion and honesty by Raven Jeannette, Jade Mason, Laura E. Johnston, Aailyah Peterman, and Javana Mundy. Through authentic dialogue grounded in extensive research, the play balances survivor's humor with unflinching emotional truth - showing how women create humanity within a system designed to deny it.

About the Director

KM Jones is committed to Diversity, Inclusivity, LGBTQIA+ and Neurodivergent voices in Theatre/Film. Member: League of Professional Theatre Women (Board Member 2020-2025. Past Co Executive Vice President). Past Associate Artistic Director Planet Connections Festivity. Member: AEA, Associate Member SDC. Directorial venues include: The Flea, Open Jar Studios, AMT Theatre, ATA Theatre, ART/NY South Oxford Space, Urban Stages, The Chain Theatre, TADA!, HOSTOS Community College, Houghton Hall, The Tank, Drama League, The RAT NYC, and The Connelly Theatre. Education/Training - St. John's University and The American Academy of Dramatic Arts. IG: @km.jones.52493 FB: @Km Jones

About the Playwright

Karen Campion is a member of The Dramatists Guild whose work has been produced at venues including Chain One-Act Festival, EstroGenius Festival, International Human Rights Art Festival, Queens Short Play Festival, Voices of Women Theatre Festival, Miami One-Acts, and Shawnee Playhouse. Her work has won awards for both short and full-length work on stage and screen.

The reading will be followed by a talkback with the playwright, director, and cast.

EVENT DETAILS: RING AROUND THE PEONIES Staged Reading Date: Friday, April 17, 2026 Time: 6:00 PM Location: Studios 353, 353 West 48th St., 2nd Floor, New York City Admission: Free

For more information and to RSVP: kjdinga814@gmail.com