Gamblin' Life or Death at Potrero Stage

Compassion Collab's world premiere of Gamblin' Life or Death is a multilingual musical theater production in 5 languages: English, Spanish, Polish, French, and Cantonese. It has 4 performances from Thursday, November 5 through Sunday November 8, 2026 at Potrero Stage (1695 18th Street, San Francisco). The project is fiscally sponsored by PlayGround, whose mission is to support the development of significant new local voices for the theatre.

In the underground South San Francisco of the early 1900s, Yasi Ming-Moreno falls into deadly debt among sharks through her poker gamblin' addiction, which leads to unintended consequences for her mother and brother. As people and spirits appear in Victorian costumes and other outfits, who is kind-hearted or devious?

• Follow the English. Actors perform a line in non-English and then English seamlessly, with no subtitles.
• Enjoy original electroacoustic music, and 2 licensed songs of Jacob Collier.
• Experience surprise, laughter, grief, and where to go from here.

Playwright & Director Derek S. Chan acted in over 10 bilingual musical productions in San Francisco, then decided a multilintual musical production should be open to any languages. In the Bay Area, diverse multilingual communities live. Audiences can feel performers and performers can express themselves in multiple languages, while the production can explore its local stage impact and stage-to-screen potential.

Recommended for adults and kids ages 10+.

Cast:

• Christina Kruszewska as Sabina Mazur & Dr. Marta Laskowska in Polish and English
• Eugenio Geiken as Cipriano Ming-Moreno in Spanish and English
• Joann Wu as Mrs. Ming-Moreno in English, Cantonese, and Spanish
• Manling Tan as Yasi Ming-Moreno in English and Cantonese
• Robin Dumas as Wulfran Kerjean & Spirit Accompanist in English and French
• Barry Chan as Spirit Sage in English and Cantonese

Creative Team:

• Cast & Clara Hsu as Final Translators
• Inga Chernogradskaia as Scenic, Props, & Lighting Designer
• Khem Myrick as Stage Manager & Sound Designer
• Leo Beare as Costume Designer & Props Crew
• Lucca Troutman as Composer & Music Director
• Derek S. Chan as Playwright, Lyricist, Director, & Producer

Gamblin' Life or Death is presented as part of PlayGround's Potrero Stage Presenting Program.

Little Blue Something Heavy By Jacob Collier

These selections are used by special arrangement with Concord Music Group, Inc., www.concord.com. All Rights Reserved.