THE DIGNITY CIRCLE Premieres at Central Works in June

This summer, June 24-July 23, Central Works launches a new play written by Lauren Smerkanich, THE DIGNITY CIRCLE from the CW Writers Workshop. Angela, a Sacto real estate agent, is the facilitator of "Empowerment Sessions" for young women. She picks them up in the grocery store, offering them independence, community, fun, wealth and, above all, dignity...for a small fee. THE DIGNITY CIRCLE is a mystery wrapped up in a con-game. Ms. Smerkanich joined the CW Writers Workshop in 2020 where she developed the play. THE DIGNITY CIRCLE is directed by Gary Graves with an ensemble cast featuring Heather Kellogg Bauman, Dov Hassan*, Sierra Marcks*, Rebecca Pingree, Kim Ridgeway and Adam Roy (*members AEA).

Performing June 24-July 23, 2023, Thur & Fri 8pm, Sat 7pm, Sun 5pm

Central Works is committed to premiering new works inspired by social issues, contemporary texts, and history.

Lauren Smerkanich (playwright), a graduate of The Tisch School of the Arts at NYU, is a writer-director currently based in Los Angeles. Recent honors include placing as a Semi-Finalist (Gigi Inherits Four Mink Coats) and Second-Rounder (Boil) in the 2021 Austin Film Festival Playwriting Competition. Recent favorite credits include writing and directing A Glass of Wine for Animal House's Backyard Plays series, and assistant directing on Poor Clare at The Echo Theater Company (winner "Best Production," 20-21 LA Drama Critics Circle Awards). Additionally, Lauren has recently participated in a writing residency at The Writer's Colony in Eureka Springs, AR, and is a Guest Teaching Artist with The Atlantic Theater Company's Access Success Program.

Gary Graves (director) has been a resident playwright and company co-director at Central Works since 1998. He has been a part of developing 70 world premiere productions with the company, many of which he has either written and/or directed. Some of the other productions he has directed for the company include Dreaming in Cuban, The Lady Matador's Hotel, King of Cuba, Bamboozled, Chekhov's WARD 6, Into the Beautiful North, and Machiavelli's The Prince. He directed the company's first collaboratively developed script, Roux, at the Berkeley City Club in 1997. He also leads the Central Works Playwriting Program, and he teaches playwriting year-round at the Berkeley Rep School of Theater.