Good Girls
& Badassery
A staged reading of new works.
May 11, 2024
Step into the world of Good Girls and Badassery, where laughter and poignancy intertwine in a series of powerful vignettes. Written and performed by a spirited ensemble of some of San Diego’s finest, this staged reading of new works delves into the rich tapestry of womanhood—from childhood to adulthood. Featuring modern monologues to a Shakespearean sketch, please join us for an evening that promises to be as enlightening as it is entertaining.
Featured Pieces
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Heard of Lady Macbeth? How about the Weir sisters? Okay…how about the Weird Sisters? (Grossly misnamed by a certain famous playwright in his “Scottish Play”) The WEIR sisters have connections that help people get what they want...for a little coin in return. These three sisters are about to engage in a gig with a power-hungry woman that is going to completely blow up their lives…and many, many others.
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In a candid and engaging narrative, Ellen shares how six friends, each without knowing the others' concerns, suggest she consider antidepressants—a suggestion she initially resists in favor of meditation and mindfulness. As life's challenges mount, including the loss of her mother, she faces the reality that her usual methods aren't enough. This story invites the audience to journey with her as she makes a courageous choice to embrace change, leading to a heartfelt and hopeful turning point in her struggle with anxiety and depression.
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Friends and flirtation are as old as time. And so is rejection. Video cameras that fit in our pockets—that’s new. In No Comment, a man’s attempt at flirtation interrupts two women renewing an old friendship. No Comment explores this encounter and how it changes when one of the women pulls out her phone.
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How do you feel when your mom stands you up after inviting you out for your birthday? How do you feel when this happens year after year in the middle of your life? I Wish You Missed Me But I’m Glad You Don’t meditates on these questions, as a woman prepares herself for an inevitable invitation by accepting the reality of the relationship between herself and her mother.
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C Plus M is a tender look into the mundane world of long married Cassandra and Mason. As Cassandra struggles with a new challenge in middle age, Mason struggles with exactly how to help his wife. Lolo Moreno Inés delivers a play of love, imperfection, and everyday triumph.
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In this engaging follow-up, Ellen shares an inspiring update. But as 2020 brings the world to a pause, she seizes the moment to reevaluate, finding unexpected lightness amid global uncertainty. With wit and resilience, she discovers she's ready to experience life's full emotional range—tears, laughter, and all. This story warmly invites the audience to cheer on her journey of rediscovery and celebrate her newfound strength in vulnerability.
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How do you write a eulogy for someone you barely knew—even if you’re technically their next of kin?
In “Shadows and Echoes,” we accompany Lila as she sorts through remnants of her late father’s life. Tasked with delivering his eulogy, she humorously and poignantly confronts the enormity of her father's legacy—a man acclaimed by the world but a mystery to his daughter.
As she sifts through a sea of memories, she discovers more about her identity than the elusive figure she's attempting to eulogize.
Brought to you by
The What Next Collective
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WRITER/ACTOR/MC
Melissa Jordan Grey is a multifaceted artist, entrepreneur, and changemaker—a passionate polymath forever locked in a battle between the creative and logical.Her performance experience spans many San Diego venues, including the Conrad Performing Arts Center, National Comedy Theater, KO Cabaret, and Finest City Improv, and on radio in the Atlanta and Los Angeles markets.
She is a two-time winner of the International Memoir Writer’s Association’s Memoir Showcase competition and has written pieces for Shaking the Tree, an anthology.
A skilled composer and musician, Melissa crafted the musical score for the Atlanta Olympic Games and has since released two singer-songwriter albums available on Spotify and Apple Music.
In recent years, she caught the playwriting bug after studying at the La Jolla Playhouse and San Diego Writers Ink, and is currently developing a theatrical comedy, Cringe, which she is determined to see on a San Diego stage.
Melissa is honored to serve on the board of the San Diego Performing Arts League and the IRTS Foundation.
Most importantly, she serves as pre-frontal cortex for her husband and two sons, her greatest privilege and accomplishment by far.
Connect with her at www.melissajordangrey.com.
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Actor
Bobbi Randall most recently appeared as Judith Bliss in Hayfever at the Coronado Playhouse, Ann in Lamplighters’ production of The Cocktail Hour, and Dorothy in the Point Loma Playhouse production of Glorious! NYC/Regional credits include Maria in Twelfth Night, Thea Elvsted in Hedda Gabler, Kate Hardcastle in She Stoops to Conquer, Queen Christina in The Abdication, Lyubov Ranyeskaya in The Cherry Orchard, Fastrada in Pippin and Vincent in Edna St. Vincent Millay: A Celebration of the Artist.Bobbi earned her B.A in Theatre at Smith College and her MFA in Acting at The University of Connecticut.
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Writer
Rebecca Politzer writes prose and poetry. Her recent work includes “The Melon Times,” and “where is the garden in which we sit,” both published in the 2018 10th Anniversary Issue of Poets and Artists Magazine. Outside of writing, Rebecca paints, hikes, practices martial arts, and enjoys travelling. She and her significant other, Josh, take care of their 14 years old cat, Mimos, named for her loud, screechy meow.
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Writer
Lolo Moreno Inés is a graduate of La Jolla Playhouse’s Spotlight On courses. When not writing, she can be found enjoying the local San Diego things she grew up on: Pinoy food, boogie boarding during winter Santa Anas, and off-roading in Borrego. Lolo is also a truly proud cat mama.
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Artistic Director
Shelley is excited to be a part of the What Next Collective! Shelley enjoys directing and acting, performing on many stages throughout San Diego including Lamplighters, Point Loma Playhouse, Patio Playhouse, Comedy Store, Improv and others. She is grateful to Melissa and this talented group of women for sharing this journey.
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Writer/Actor
Aleta Barthell is a producer and writer. Besides this glorious opportunity with What Next and creating THE WEIR(D) SISTERS, Aleta is developing a play called MY OWN WILDERNESS that explores the fantastical life of a woman experiencing dementia. This project has been funded by the William Male Foundation, which has allowed her to go to her happy place of Dorland Mountain Arts Colony for the loveliest of writing retreats.Aleta is also wrapping up production on a documentary, THE MOSLEYS: Love for the Ages, which will have its West Coast premier at New Village Arts Theatre in Carlsbad on July 15.
Aleta holds a Bachelor in Science from Northwestern University, trained as an actor at the British American Drama Academy and Shakespeare & Company, and has studied playwriting / screenwriting at the Kennedy Center, The Dramatists Guild Institute and UCSD.
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Writer/House Manager
Lindsey Salatka is an author, editor, and book coach. Her writing has been featured in several magazines and anthologies, and her personal essays have been performed in the San Diego Memoir Showcase in 2020, 2021, and 2022. She is on the advisory board of the San Diego Writers Festival and serves as Director of KidsWrite! Children's Writing Contest. She is on the board of the Friends of San Diego Central Library and serves as co-coordinator for their Author of the Month program. Her award-winning novel, Fish Heads and Duck Skin was published in 2021.
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Actor
Susan most recently performed at Oceanside Theatre Company in May 2023 as Margie in Good People. Scripps Ranch Theatre credits include Donna Orbits the Moon, Good People, Absurd Person Singular, Moonlight and Magnolias, California Suite and How the Other Half Loves. Lamb’s Players Theatre credits include The Nerd, Harvey, A Man For All Seasons, ‘Till We Have Faces and The Diviners. Susan performed in Write Out Loud’s Twainfest from 2010 – 2020 and portrayed Clara Schumann for the San Diego Symphony. Other local credits include Defying Gravity, The Last Night of Ballyhoo, Auntie Mame, Dancing at Lughnasa and Jake’s Women at North Coast Rep. On camera credits include host of the three part series Lights, Camera, Friendship and Carol in A Christmas Miracle by Joey Travolta’s Inclusion Films. Susan is also a voice over artist and voices the character of “Gooz” for the ongoing children’s radio series Paws and Tales. She teaches improvisation for teens on the autism spectrum via Unscripted Learning’s Connection program and also teaches filmmaking to teens on the autism spectrum via Joey Travolta’s Inclusion Films.
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Actor/Director/Co-Producer
Jena Joyce is a lawyer who took the question “What Next?” seriously when her daughter headed off to college in 2018. Venturing back into theater after a hiatus of more than 30 years, she has since performed with Coronado Playhouse, Lamplighters Theater, Poway Performing Arts Center, Thruline Theater, La Jolla Theatre Ensemble and more, and serves on the board of the San Diego Performing Arts League.
Jena studied theater at Princeton University where she performed in a dozen plays, costumed several more and served on the board of the student-run Theatre Intime. After earning her Certificate from the Program in Theater and Dance, along with a BA in History, she performed in San Diego with the now-defunct Fritz, Fiesta, NewWorks and Marquis theaters before making an about face to study and practice law.Jena is delighted to be part of The What Next Collective where she can happily wear both Good Girl and Badass hats on an as-needed basis.
Guest Cast & Crew Members
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![Man wearing sunglasses, a straw hat, a light blue short-sleeve button-up shirt, and khaki shorts standing outdoors by the water with rocky terrain and other people in the background.]()
Blair Hatch
ACTOR
Blair was Wesley in Curse of the Starving Class at the Ruse Marquis Theatre. He sings for the band Barefoot Hockey Goalie, soon to be releasing their new rock opera, Clairemont. -
![Young man smiling holding a cello in front of a brick wall.]()
Jac Ostrie
STAGE TECHNICIAN
Jac Ostrie has been involved in music since they began learning piano at 4 years old. They received a B.M. in double bass performance from Eastman School of Music in 2022. They have worked with the Theatre for All Program at New Village Arts Theatre since its inception in 2015. Outside of music they also have a B.S. in math and enjoy folding origami. -
![A woman with wavy, shoulder-length brown hair wearing a navy tank top standing in front of a metallic wall, with her arms crossed.]()
Julie Alexandria
ACTOR
Julie is an accomplished TV host. She has been on the sidelines covering college football on Fox and the Big Ten Network; the US Open for ESPN; and baseball for MLB Network, the Washington Nationals, and, most recently, for the San Diego Padres. Julie has hosted entertainment shows interviewing celebrities for MTV, the Emmys Red Carpet, the Miss USA Pageant, and the Oscars. NYC Off-Broadway: Pieces (New World Stages); Twelfth Night (Urban Stages); Marisol (Hudson Guild Theater). Other NYC/Regional credits include: Tony and Tina’s Wedding, The Diary of Anne Frank (Tennessee Rep); Brighton Beach Memoirs (Long Beach Playhouse); and Yo Soy Latina (Crossroads Theater). Julie was also part of the original cast of the musical Gidget, directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Numerous national network commercials and Voice Overs. She can currently be heard as the voice of Progressive Insurance and on the latest installment of Harley Quinn and Joker for DC Comics on Spotify. -
![Close-up photo of a woman with blonde hair and blue eyes smiling.]()
Lauren Krause Garbacz
ACTOR
Lauren Krause Garbacz (Alice) is a former San Diego newscaster, 3x Hawaii Ironman triathlete, and SAG actor who has appeared in TV, Film and commercials. Her biggest accomplishment is taking a break to be mom and manager to three, most of the time, happy teenagers who are ballet dancers, actors and musicians. Another constant love is her husband, Greg, and horseback riding, both of which make her heart beat. -
![A man with dark hair and light skin wearing a white shirt and a white undershirt, standing against a plain background.]()
Pete Zanko
ACTOR
Pete Zanko is a local actor.
The Curtain Rises on the What Next Collective
The What Next Collective came to life on a rainy night in March 2023. After seeing an inspiring one-woman show, co-founder Jena Joyce and I lamented the lack of opportunities to amplify women’s voices “of a certain age.”
What if we did it ourselves, then? After all, our wisdom, experience, and degrees from the School of Hard Knocks are the perfect fodder for comedy, tragedy, and everything in between. Thus, the idea for the What Next Collective was born.
Having studied playwriting at the La Jolla Playhouse, Finest City Improv, National Comedy Theater, and San Diego Writers’ Ink, I knew there was great local talent to be found. And once the idea took hold, word spread, and a group coalesced quite nicely—lawyers, businesswomen, technologists, teachers, and marketers by day; actors, directors, and writers by night.
I suggested Good Girls and Badassery as a theme for our first season because it spoke to the unspoken duality that all women must straddle. It’s the dance every woman knows: being a peacemaker and ground-shaker in the same breath. Good Girls and Badassery is about embracing the kind of strength that doesn’t always roar but speaks in the actions we take every day.
Our debut season is packed with stories that challenge motherhood myths, flip the script on flirtation, and put a fresh spin on sisterhood and emotional survival. It’s not just storytelling; it’s life-telling, our way of saying we’re here, we’re layered, and we’re just getting started.
So, let’s raise the curtain on the complex, the heartfelt and the downright real. I’ve always believed that if you can’t get in the front door, you go to the back and climb in a window. Good Girls and Badassery is that window, indeed.
Melissa Jordan Grey
Founder/Producer
From the Producer
SOLD OUT!
Saturday May 11
Doors open at 5 pm.
Show starts at 5:30 pm.
Join us beforehand for drinks in the courtyard before the show!
La Jolla Community Center
6811 La Jolla Blvd
La Jolla, CA 92037
Suggested donation: $10 per person.
Cash or Venmo appreciated.
RSVP Today!
