There is no better way to celebrate 20 years of exceptional theater than with three new plays featuring the work of three celebrated writers through UCSB’s LAUNCH PAD, the beloved Summer Reading Series.
“Every summer, we invite three professional playwrights to UCSB to develop their new works in collaboration with a team of talented students,” says LAUNCH PAD Founder and Artistic Director Risa Brainin.
The readings will begin with Greek Tragedy by Lia Romero, known for her “sharp wit, emotional depth, and ability to capture the complexities of modern relationships,” says the Times Square Chronicles. The play centers around a famous influencer and her dull best friend. It is a timely story in our highly digital world, teaching us about telling stories and living our lives online.
Standing Still follows after, by award-winning playwright and performer Melinda Lopez. The play is set in a yoga studio, where ordinary women are trying to find peace during social unrest and must navigate living their own truths. LAUNCH PAD and the Merrimack Repertory Theatre in Lowell, MA, co-commissioned the play so that a preview production will be available at UCSB in Spring 2026.
To close the series is The Wildes, written by Louis Bayard, who is adapting one of his novels for the stage. This tragicomedy follows Oscar Wilde and his family that most people are unaware of — his wife Constance and two adored sons, who were all swept into a scandal that enveloped him and forced him into exile. Bayard expertly intertwines real characters into fictional adventure. Award-winning actor and UCSB Professor Anne Torsiglieri will join the company for this reading to play Oscar Wilde’s eccentric mother.
Audiences have now enjoyed the LAUNCH PAD Summer Reading Series for 20 years, and it has become a favorite on the stage.
“The plays are in constant evolution throughout the week, and there are always wonderful surprises,” says Brainin. “It’s a joy to be celebrating our 20th anniversary with this stellar lineup of playwrights and plays.”
The readings are free and open to the public at the UC Santa Barbara Studio Theater. Greek Tragedy will take place on June 26 at 7 p.m. Standing Still will take place on July 3 at 7 p.m. The Wildes will take place on July 10 at 7 p.m. A Q&A with the playwright and artists will follow each event. Visit launchpad.theaterdance.ucsb.edu/reading-series/2025 to RSVP.
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