As part of the Opera Unbound Showcase, the San Francisco Opera’s Department of Diversity, Equity, and Community is sponsoring a free public staged reading of When You're the King, They Let You Do It, my new translation of Victor Hugo's Le Roi s'amuse. This is the play that inspired Verdi's classic opera Rigoletto, which opened the SF Opera’s 103rd season in September 2025. I also served as director and Teaching Artist for this event, working with a dozen volunteer members of the community to bring my translation to life and perhaps draw some parallels to our own time.

Following the reading of When You’re the King, They Let You Do It, the Showcase will continue with participants from The Opera in You writing workshops sharing original stories.

See the SF Public Library’s website for more information.

Community and catharsis for our new era. I am producing and directing a staged reading of “A Bright Room Called Day,” by Tony Kushner, a play about five bohemian, artsy friends in 1930s Berlin, reacting to the rise of Hitler.

The reading will take place at the bohemian, artsy Madrone Art Bar! Admission is free but we will be soliciting donations for Lambda Legal, should you be so moved.

Featuring Genevieve Perdue (Agnes), Brian Martin (Baz), Dan Kurtz (Husz), Karen Offereins (Gotchling), Katherine Park (Paulinka), Valerie Fachman (Die Alte), Isaac Kumpula (Traum/Swetts), Sophie Ruf (Malek), and Elana Swartz (Zillah).

I am directing staged readings of MORGAUSE by Lucy Elizabeth Knight and IGRAINE by Nirmala Nataraj. This evening of four short plays about Arthurian women will also feature ELAINE OF GARLOT by Elaine Gavin and MORGANNA by Jessica Chisum, both directed by Megan Briggs.