First Peek 2024 June 8-16 at City Garage Theatre

We hope you can join us for our 14th Annual FIRST PEEK reading series featuring brand new work drafted during our February Writing Challenge. Come participate in the process as we explore the creation of nine new full-length plays, hosted by our friends at City Garage in Santa Monica’s Bergamot Station Arts Center.

Raise a glass and share a snack with us before and between readings… and join us for a toast at the end of each evening to celebrate all!

SATURDAY, JUNE 8

5:00 PM – SELF-LOVE by Brianna Barrett

A college freshman tries to figure out love, friendship, and what the heck gender is while being haunted by the ghost of her future self.

8:00 PM – WOUND CARE by Jennie Webb

After meeting her troubled, recently deceased mother—who gave her up for adoption as an infant—Terra is presented with the choice to take part in a government reparations program and runs into more of life’s surreal hurdles. WOUND CARE is a play about searching for what will make things right. 

SUNDAY, JUNE 9

2:00 PM – ATWATER by Matt Schatz 

Two couples are trapped together in a small house on LA’s East Side during an apocalyptic rain storm. There’s also a talking bird.

5:00 PM – PROVENANCE by Jennifer Maisel 

Canvas. Pencil. Paint. How can one piece of art tear at the hearts of generations?

FRIDAY, JUNE 14

8:00 PM – COMPOST by Matt Hoverman

Just another darkly comic fable about a boy, his bloody axe and his magical compost pile. Consider yourself trigger-warned.

SATURDAY, JUNE 15

5:00 PM – DIWALI PARTY by Priya Mohanty

Shreya Das, the torchbearer of Indian tradition in Long Island, finds her legacy threatened by the arrival of Brooklyn Dane, a fervent newcomer eager to embrace Indian culture. Amidst a clash of generations and values, Shreya grapples with her identity, ultimately embarking on a journey of reconciliation and rediscovery.

8:00 PM – THIS IS CRAZY by Deb Hiett

Sometimes life throws you a curveball, or, in Laila and Jackson’s case, a giant, pointy, mysterious (and possibly intergalactic) Thing. Will they be able to hold on to their understanding of how the world works, achieve their hard-earned dreams, and still look their oddball neighbors in the eye again? Life is full of surprises, but this is crazy.

SUNDAY, JUNE 16

2:00 PM – VALENTINES by Vasanti Saxena

Mia and Beth have a beautiful life in a beautiful home in beautiful Los Angeles. When an attractive young visitor stops by, will their beautiful bubble burst?

5:00 PM – it’s forever in there, or FUCK AROUND AND FIND OUT by Ashley Rose Wellman

Two amateur conflict journalists who were kidnapped for ransom during an ill-advised trip to an active war zone are released after years of captivity. They struggle to adjust to “normal life” while navigating their complex feelings for each other, the enormous debts they owe their loved ones, and the horrific ramifications of what happens after you fuck around and find out.

Admission to all FIRST PEEK readings is FREE; due to limited seating reservations are highly suggested. Donations are always welcome!

Covid-19 Safety Policy: Audience members are welcome to wear masks inside the building.

M A K E  A  R E S E R V A T I O N

City Garage Theatre

Bergamot, Building T1
2525 Michigan Ave.
Santa Monica, CA 90404

City Garage’s performance space is located in Building T1, colored red in the map below. More Info & Directions Here

Go Metro! Take the Metro Expo Line to 26th St/Bergamot Station. City Garage Theatre is right across the street from the station. 

The company at City Garage has been producing innovative, award-winning theater in Santa Monica for more than thirty years. It was founded in 1987 by Artistic Director Frédérique Michel and Executive Director Charles A. Duncombe. It produces new work by both US and European writers that focuses on contemporary ideas and politics, as well as classics re-imagined for today’s audience. It is the resident theatre company at Bergamot, the site of an arts-focused redevelopment by the City of Santa Monica.

Visit citygarage.org for more information on current projects and ways to get involved and support the company.