Under Construction: Here Comes the Night
When Olivia, a musician’s wife and climate science advocate, invites Maggie, an old friend turned social media influencer, to spend the weekend while she has an at-home abortion, she doesn’t realize that Maggie, although well-intended, is about to throw Olivia off course. And actually, these women of different generations, are about to change each other’s lives – all because of a woman’s right to choose. As both struggle with their decisions, they ultimately help each other in ways they hadn’t expected, or imagined. What happens when a woman’s right to choose becomes a litmus test for all of her life choices?
Lisa Kenner Grissom is an award-winning LA-based playwright and producer whose work explores dynamic social issues through intimate relationships. Her award-winning short film Tattoo You is based on her one-act of the same name (Winner, Samuel French Off Off Broadway Festival), and has screened at festivals nationally and internationally. Full-length plays include: Here Comes The Night (Semi-Finalist, Garry Marshall Theatre New Works Festival), Motherland (Finalist, Jewish Plays Project and part of 2020 National Tour); Semi-Finalist, Princess Grace Fellowship) Four Chambers (Winner, Kennedy Center Jean Kennedy Smith Award), Building The Perfect Chair (Finalist, TruVoices) and Shelter (Semi-Finalist, PlayPenn). In addition, her work has been recognized as a finalist for the Ashland New Play Festival, O’Neill National Playwright Conference, The Lark, Playwrights’ Center and Heideman Award. Short plays are published by Smith & Kraus. Lisa twice attended the O’Neill Playwrights Conference as a Kennedy Center Fellow. Her work has been presented/developed at The Kennedy Center, Antaeus Theatre Company, Boston Playwrights’ Theatre, Chalk Rep, Clurman Theater, Inkwell Theater, Moving Arts, Manhattan Theatre Source, Road Theatre. Originally from Boston, Lisa is a proud member of the Playwrights Union, Dramatist Guild, and Antaeus Playwrights Lab.
Born and based in Los Angeles, Diana Wyenn is a director, writer, and choreographer of contemporary and original works for theater, opera, film, digital, and site-specific performance. Her practice includes advocacy in the realms of equity, environmental and disability justice. She has worked with the LA Phil, Center Theatre Group, Lincoln Center, The Walt Disney Company, National Sawdust, Barbican, REDCAT, SummerStage, Grand Performances, Chalk Repertory Theatre, and more. Diana also co-founded Plain Wood Productions with her partner Laban, and serves as Artistic Director of TIOH Arts & Culture, where she curates contemporary performing, media, and visual arts. Recent projects include creating Blood/Sugar and co-devising and directing Kristina Wong for Public Office. Her work has been supported by the California Arts Council, National Arts and Disability Center, Center for Cultural Innovation, and featured in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, American Theatre Magazine, Daily Beast, Fast Company, and on NPR. Wyenn received her BFA in Drama from NYU and is a proud associate member of SDC.