One of the nation’s oldest and most respected developers of new works for the theatre, PlayGround will mark the conclusion of its 30th Anniversary Season with a four-city gala celebration taking place simultaneously in New York City (Carmine’s Upper West Side), Chicago (Osteria Via Stato), Los Angeles (Rossoblu) and San Francisco (Verdi Club) on Monday, September 15, 2025. Highlighting this year’s event, PlayGround will honor the 2025 PlayGround Heroes, four distinguished dramatists who through their careers and body of work have set an example for the members of the PlayGround community: Mia Chung (New York), Lydia R. Diamond (Chicago), Philip Kan Gotanda (San Francisco), and Steve Yockey (Los Angeles). This year’s event is hosted by the PlayGround Gala honorary committee, comprised of leading theatremakers from across the country, including many past gala honorees: Carson Becker, Snehal Desai, Prince Gomolvilas, Adam Greenfield, Stephen Adly Guirgis, Pam MacKinnon, Jonathan Moscone, Karissa Murrell Myers, Bruce Norris, Lynn Nottage, Jonathan Spector, Tony Taccone, Jeremy Wechsler, and Lauren Yee.

Philip Kan Gotanda is one of the honorees at this year’s One Playground Gala, taking place on September 15 with simultaneous celebrations in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York and Chicago! Gotanda is a multi-disciplinary artist, utilizing the mediums of playwriting, filmmaking, and music to broaden the visibility of the AANHPI lived experience. He was born and raised in Stockton, CA. Growing up in the 50s and 60s, Gotanda’s artistry was informed by his relatives who were placed in internment camps in Arkansas during WWII. While at UC Santa Cruz, he wrote music and in his early career, was striving to make a career out of singing and songwriting. Gotanda’s first play was a musical featuring Asian-American characters. After not finding fulfillment in music, he went to law school. But while studying for the bar his musical, The Avocado Kid or Zen In the Art of Guacamole, was picked up by East West Players and the rest was history.

Following the success of The Avocado Kid, Gotanda continued to write and would eventually produce his first film, The Kiss which was shown at Sundance and a German film festival. His feature film, Life Tastes Good, was an official selection at the Sundance Film Festival and Gotanda’s film adaptation of his play, The Wash, directed by Michael Toshiyuki Uno, was one of the first films about the Asian American family to receive a theatrical release. His play, After The War, premiered at A.C.T. as part of their 40th Anniversary season. His opera, Both Eyes Open, investigates the interior life of a nisei farmer incarcerated during WWII, was presented at the Zellerbach Playhouse in Berkeley earlier this year.

Gotanda is a hero in our community as he reflects the success of honoring impulse and trusting your intuition to guide your life’s decisions. Additionally, he is a hero because of advocacy and work in giving voice to AANHPI artists. Gotanda is a recipient of numerous awards including the USA Artist Award and The Dramatist Guild Legacy Award. He continues to create art that breaks barriers and through his advocacy, sheds light on the AANHPI experience. He is a Professor with the Department of Theater Dance and Performance Studies at the University of California, at Berkeley.

Secure your ticket today to have an opportunity to discuss theatre, films, and his dog with him at PlayGround’s One Playground Gala, September 15 at San Francisco’s Verdi Club. Tickets are $300 (host tickets begin at $500) and include a four-course gourmet dinner, live entertainment and testimonials, both in-person and livestreamed between the four cities. Proceeds from this year’s Gala will support PlayGround’s 30th Anniversary Campaign, a strategic initiative to help propel PlayGround and its burgeoning community of artists to the next level. Other featured honorees in their respective cities include: Mia Chung (New York), Lydia R. Diamond (Chicago), and Steve Yockey (Los Angeles). For tickets and more information, visit https://playground-sf.org/gala.

2025 PlayGround Heroes

Philip’s Incarceration Story.