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Free-Play Festival at PlayGround
Dates: 7/31/2026 - 8/23/2026
📍 Theatre: PlayGround
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The Free-Play Festival at Potrero Stage is a four-week showcase of innovative new works, running from July 31 to August 23, 2026. This event will feature up to 20 productions and 60 performances from artists across the United States, including those based in the Bay Area, Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago. The festival emphasizes radical accessibility with opportunities for both seasoned professionals and emerging talent to present their work, allowing for a diverse array of themes and styles. With a history of highlighting unique narratives and bold performances, this year's festival promises to continue that tradition.
Cast and Creative Team for Free-Play Festival at PlayGround
Creative Team
PlayGround
Company
Jonathan Josephson
Director of Marketing and Communications
Denise Shama
Producer
Brighde Mullins
Producer
Jim Kleinmann
Artistic Director
News About Free-Play Festival at PlayGround
MY DEAD UNCLE'S PORN COLLECTION to Play PlayGround Free-Play Festival
August 07, 2026 Barbara Brady's solo dramedy about family secrets and a peculiar relative will run at Potrero Stage in San Francisco as part of the PlayGround Free-Play Festival.
IMPROV PLAYHOUSE OF SAN FRANCISCO to Perform in Free-Play Festival
July 29, 2026 Improv Playhouse of San Francisco will present three fully improvised performances at Potrero Stage as part of the Free-Play Festival, hosted by PlayGround, with each show built around a different theme.
PlayGround Announces 2026-2027 National Producing Fellows
July 21, 2026 PlayGround has announced four next-gen theatre leaders as its 2026-2027 Producing Fellows, selected from over 100 applicants to train across SF Bay Area, Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago.
Sean P. Breen's NEXT TIME Musical to Play SF Playground's 2026 Free Play Festival
July 14, 2026 Sean P. Breen's original musical Next Time, directed by Brandon Joseph, will have three performances at SF Playground's Free Play Festival, featuring a cast of seven in a story set in a 1990 Pennsylvania barbershop.
New Fully Scored Opera WATERFALL To Perform At The Playground Free Play Festival
July 10, 2026 The Playground Free Play Festival will present Waterfall, a new fully scored opera by composer Lisa Scola Prosek, at Potrero Stage in San Francisco. The work tells the story of poet Laura Hothkiss Brown, who leapt from the Golden Gate Bridge.
Applications Now Open For PlayGround's 2026 National Free-Play Theatre Festival
February 13, 2026 The 5th annual Playground Free-Play Festival is now accepting applications. This national event, set for 2026, invites playwrights to submit their works for a chance to be featured in a celebrated theatrical showcase.
MADE IN AMERICA? By Yide Cai to Premiere at PlayGround's 2025 Free-Play Festival
August 09, 2025 This August, PlayGround will present the West Coast premiere of Made in America?, a bold new solo play by award-winning playwright Yide Cai, as part of the 2025 Free-Play Festival.
AL'S CULT by Melina Cohen-Bramwell Premiering at Potrero Stage
August 03, 2025 Performances for Al's Cult are August 21 through August 24 at Portrero Stage, 1695 18th Street, San Francisco CA 94107.
ANAK NI TAPIA: LEAVING MOTHER Comes To San Francisco
July 26, 2025 Following a series of celebrated performances in Chicago, Milan, Hollywood, and Toronto, Chicago-based playwright and performer Lani T. Montreal brings her powerful solo show, Anak ni Tapia: Leaving Mother, to San Francisco's FREE PLAY FESTIVAL this August.
PlayGround's 2025 Free-Play Festival Returns to Potrero Stage This August
June 10, 2025 PlayGround will conclude its summer season with the fourth annual Free-Play Festival, running August 1–24, 2025, at Potrero Stage and online via simulcast.
Heather Tyson's TITLE PENDING Will Make its San Francisco Debut
August 05, 2024 Heather Tyson, now a multiple award-winning Solo Artist, is bringing her acclaimed solo show, TITLE PENDING, to Playground SF's FREE-PLAY FESTIVAL on August 17, 23 and 24.
PlayGround's Free-Play Festival to Return in August at Potrero Stage
June 17, 2024 PlayGround's Free-Play Festival will return in Augus at Potrero Stage, featuring 11 diverse productions by theatre artists nationwide. Enjoy a variety of performances from dance to ensemble plays. Learn how to purchase tickets.
PlayGround to Present the Second Annual FREE-PLAY FESTIVAL in August
August 01, 2023 Join PlayGround for their second annual FREE-PLAY FESTIVAL, featuring workshops and premieres of original plays. Reserve your tickets now for this exciting event in San Francisco.
PlayGround Announces 29th Season Of New Plays & Playwrights
August 15, 2022 PlayGround, California's leading playwright incubator and theatre community hub, has announced its 29th season, including the return of the celebrated Monday Night PlayGround staged reading series on third Mondays,* October - March, in-person this year at Berkeley's Freight & Salvage and live simulcast.About the Theatre
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PlayGround Frequently Asked QuestionsFAQ
What shows have played recently at PlayGround?
Monday Night PlayGround (03/02/26-03/02/26)
A VERY HITCHCOCK CHRISTMAS (12/06/25-12/07/25)
Innovators Showcase (11/04/24-11/24/24)
Monday Night PlayGround: The American Experiment (10/21/24-10/21/24)
Interrogations: Pre-Election Coverage (10/03/24-10/20/24)
Where I Come From (08/17/24-08/25/24)
Festival: Best of PlayGround (SF)'24 (05/25/24-05/26/24)
Festival Reading: Crazy Jezebels (05/20/24-05/20/24)
Festival Premiere: A Thousand Natural Shocks (05/18/24-05/19/24)
Festival Reading: The Passing Storm (05/17/24-05/17/24)
A VERY HITCHCOCK CHRISTMAS (12/06/25-12/07/25)
Innovators Showcase (11/04/24-11/24/24)
Monday Night PlayGround: The American Experiment (10/21/24-10/21/24)
Interrogations: Pre-Election Coverage (10/03/24-10/20/24)
Where I Come From (08/17/24-08/25/24)
Festival: Best of PlayGround (SF)'24 (05/25/24-05/26/24)
Festival Reading: Crazy Jezebels (05/20/24-05/20/24)
Festival Premiere: A Thousand Natural Shocks (05/18/24-05/19/24)
Festival Reading: The Passing Storm (05/17/24-05/17/24)
What shows are coming up next at PlayGround?
Monday Night PlayGround (3/2/26-3/2/26)
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