Bespoke Plays
New plays in Los Angeles and London
Embedded Files
“A different way to experience new writing” - London Theatre 1
"So refreshing, exciting...Staged readings obviously aren’t new, but what Bespoke are trying to do with them right now is something to be admired and cherished.“ - Everything Theatre
“London must welcome such well-produced events showcasing new writing” - A Youngish Perspective
"Absolutely beautiful writing and truly stunning performances." - Hollywood Fringe patrons
"Finely crafted theatre" - LA Hidden Gems
Up Next: LONDON
Up Next: LONDON
Groundbreaking workshop production May 13-15, 2025, at the Union Theatre!
This provocative new drama written and directed by Mimi Collins features an exceptional cast led by "Carnival Row" star Caroline Ford, American multi-hyphenate Tiffany Smith ("Quantum Leap," "Guardians of the Galaxy 3"), and West End veteran Jack Whittle. Jay Faisca and Madeleine Herd reprise their roles from the 2024 London staged reading, with Will Cox joining to complete the ensemble.
Set in a chilling future where birth control flows through every tap, "Water Party" follows couples navigating a dystopian bureaucracy where The Bureau's "infallible" algorithm determines who can become parents. Those deemed worthy receive a precious year's supply of clean water - and with it, the chance to conceive. What begins as a celebratory dinner party evolves into a gripping exploration of bodily autonomy and governmental control.
Up Next: Los Angeles
Up Next: Los Angeles
What happens between Lady Macbeth's final exit and her death?
Mary Chieffo (Star Trek Discovery) gives a tour de force solo performance as four women who married their husband's murderer: Clytemnestra, Bathsheba, and Igraine and Lady Macbeth. Writer/director Ellie Pyle weaves together history and mythology in Blood Brides, a tale of marriage and murder, magic and fate, legacy and survival.
Bespoke Plays returns to Hollywood Fringe with this full production in the Broadwater Black Box (6322 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90038).
Tuesday, June 10 at 9:30 p.m.
Thursday, June 12 at 5 p.m.
Saturday, June 14 at 8 p.m.
Thursday, 26 at 11 p.m.
Saturday, 28 at 5:30 p.m.
Tickets on sale May 1!
Support our 2025 season!
Support our 2025 season!
Bespoke Plays is now officially a non-profit organization so all donations are tax deductible to the extent allowable by law. Check out our season Fundraiser to find out how you can help bring new plays by diverse writers to an international audience.
If you prefer to donate through work to receive a corporate match, you can also find us on Benevity or search us in any 501c3 database as Bespoke Plays, INC.
And check out the brand new selection of t-shirts, drinking vessels, and notebooks featuring Mimi's awesome new logo design on our Merch page!
Previously: Los Angeles
Previously: Los Angeles
From the twisted topical mind of Phinneas Kiyomura (Nimrod, Avatar: The Last Airbender) comes a night of seven short plays that explore the line between right and wrong, truth and fiction, life and death — and then cross it with abandon.
Written by Phinneas Kiyomura
Directed by Alina Phelan Ballou and Mike Rozycki
CAST
Set in the not too distant future, a population boom and resource crisis have resulted in the placement of birth control in the water supply. If you want to have a baby, you and your partner undergo a rigorous application process. All applications are processed by an algorithm, run by The Bureau.
When a couple is approved, they receive a year’s supply of clean water. It is customary to throw a Water Party to celebrate. This is the story of one such party.
Written by Mimi Collins
Directed by Ellie Pyle
Assistant directed and narrated by Jack Kelly
CAST
Brittany Curran
Joel Kelley Dauten
Eliza Huberth
Jake Thomas
Stephanie Sheh
VonDexter Montegut II
In the early morning after the 2016 election, a successful journalist receives a call from a corporate programmer who may or may not have invented an algorithm that can remove anonymity from the internet, sparking an intimate negotiation of complex conflicts of interest.
Written by Ellie Pyle
Directed by Stephanie Sheh
CAST
Elinor Gunn
Justin Lawrence Barnes
On a rooftop in North Hollywood, Owen and Elodie meet at a friend's birthday party. Then they meet again. And again. And again. They get to know each other, learn about each other, and maybe start to like each other. Again. And again. And again. For both of them, this one encounter challenges what they know about love, desire, hope and time. They discover that nothing lasts forever...except some things do.
Written and directed by J. Holtham
CAST
Tiffany Smith
VonDexter Montegut II
Produced with Laurie Goulding
Previously: LONDON
Previously: LONDON
A 45-year-old woman navigates the absurdities of online dating while attempting to rebuild her life after the death of her fiancé. Through tears and laughter, We'll Always Have Paris is a poignant exploration of modern love, grief, and self-discovery. Finalist, Adam NZ Play Award, April 2024.
Written by Paul Kalburgi
Directed by Mimi Collins
Written by Paul Kalburgi
Directed by Mimi Collins
CAST
Malcom Jeffries
Lisa Depus
Sally Vanderpump
Cindy Evans
Part courtly romance, part spiritual allegory, this re-imagining of the Magdalene mythos, in 13th-century Languedoc, weaves a tapestry of historical heresies, sultry songs and witchcraft wisdom.
Written by Ellie Pyle
Directed by Mimi Collins
Assistant Director Analiese Emerson
Written by Ellie Pyle
Directed by Mimi Collins
Assistant Director Analiese Emerson
CAST
Angus Maxwell
Tyne Maud Pearson
Geebs Marie Williams
Will Cox
Aude Ponthieux
Kaid Sherwood
Patrick McHugh
Lily's new boyfriend is funny, charming, sweet and one hell of a kisser. There's one catch: he's The Devil. Literally. Satan Incarnate. He's retired, left all that demon business behind, is just a nice guy, standing in front of a nice girl. But still. When you're dating in L.A., is that really a deal breaker? A comedy about falling in love, making it work and whether or not the road to hell is paved with good dates.
Written by J. Holtham
Directed by Mimi Collins
CAST
Jay Faisca
Madeleine Herd
Eva-Marie Kung
Tom Campion
Our Mission
Our Mission
Bespoke Plays develops new plays in Los Angeles and London, creating international opportunities for writers with diverse stories and worldviews, through a process customized to the goals of the writer and needs of the play.
What is a staged reading?
What is a staged reading?
A staged reading is a performance of a new play that gets as close as it can to the feel of a production with 25 hours or less of rehearsal and the actors keeping their scripts in their hands. Not having to memorize lines frees up the actors to focus on their characters and the writer to make changes to the script during the rehearsal process once they start to hear it out loud. All you NEED for a staged reading is actors and scripts, but we're a bit extra, so we like to throw in a bit of blocking, lights, sound, or costumes when we can.
About Us
About Us
Bespoke Plays is a writer-driven 501c3. Our board consists of playwrights who work in genre across TV, Film, Games, Comics and Podcasts. The plays we’ve developed run the gamut of science fiction, historical romance, dark comedy, magical realism, and political drama. Our core writers all have experience not just working in multiple mediums but recognizing the strengths of a story for adaptation in one medium vs another. Actors in our company have had significant roles in shows such as Star Trek: Discovery, The Magicians, Yellowjackets, Leverage, The Affair, City on the Hill, Supergirl, Daredevil, Punisher, Madam Secretary, Supernatural, Westworld, Sailor Moon, Girls5eva and House of Cards as well on Broadway and in National Tours. All of our casts and/or creative teams have been multicultural and many have included the full gender and sexuality spectrum. The stories that we choose to tell and the artists behind the scenes also represent gender parity and this diversity of worldviews. We offer opportunities for cultivating multi-hyphenates as writers and actors frequently switch hats as well as crossing over into directing and producing. Our readings are customized to the goals of the writer and the readiness of the play and we have always paid our actors and directors union recommended stipends. We believe theater is a community first, and a vital living artform where future diverse content and talent can still be discovered.
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