Donna Kaz’s THE DOCENT to Premiere at Lakewood Playhouse

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The production features Brookelyne Peterson and Megan Marshall and marks the final show under Producing Artistic Director Joseph C. Walsh.

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Rehearsals are underway at Lakewood Playhouse for the world premiere of The Docent by Donna Kaz , continuing the theatre's 88th Season: Heroic Acts, dedicated to celebrating the many forms courage can take. Performances run October 9th-25th, 2026.

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As Urban Forestry expert Edna Gregory guides us through the trees of Central Park, her story unfolds into a deeply human journey - one that begins with a young woman finding her place in New York City and blossoms through her profound friendship with Charles, a vibrant soul who opens her eyes to a community, a calling, and a deeper understanding of love. Set against the backdrop of 1981 New York, this moving tribute honors both the beauty and heartbreak of a pivotal moment in history, revealing how ordinary people rise to extraordinary courage in the face of uncertainty and loss. In The Docent, heroism takes root in the quiet, transformative power of connection.

In keeping with Lakewood Playhouse's mission to uplift voices and foster empathy through storytelling, The Docent - first introduced in the theatre's inaugural Festival Of New Voices - celebrates the heroic act of bearing witness, of caring for one another, and of new meanings of the word 'family'.

Playwright Donna Kaz said: 'I moved to New York City in 1979 to pursue a career in theatre – a field that was devastated by the epidemic. By the end of the 1980's my circle of close friends and colleagues had been greatly impacted by AIDS. In 2007 I became a docent for the 9/11 Tribute Center and was particularly moved when, in 2010, a severely damaged tree was returned to the World Trade Center Memorial site. As I led tours around this Callery pear tree, now known as the Survivors Tree, I began to consider the connection between trees and tragedy and thus, 'The Docent' was born.'

Joseph C. Walsh, Producing Artistic Director of Lakewood Playhouse said 'There is something especially meaningful about ending my time at Lakewood Playhouse by bringing a new story into the world. The Docent has been a gift in so many ways. I am profoundly grateful to Donna Kaz for trusting us with her beautiful play and for giving me the opportunity to help bring these characters, these relationships, and this story to life for the very first time.

This production has also reminded me why I fell in love with theatre in the first place. It is about people coming together to tell a story, taking care of one another through the process, and creating something that none of us could have made alone. I could not have asked for a more extraordinary cast and creative team to share this journey with. Their generosity, talent, courage, humor, and heart have made this experience unforgettable.

The Docent is a story about connection, memory, friendship, loss, and the ways we become part of one another's lives. In many ways, those themes feel particularly close to me right now. After my years at Lakewood, I am leaving with an enormous sense of gratitude, for the artists who trusted me, the audiences who showed up, the colleagues who became family, and the community that allowed me to grow alongside it.

I hope this production feels like what theatre can be at its best: an invitation to see one another more clearly, to listen a little more deeply, and to remember that the stories we share can change us. It has been an honor to tell this one.'

The cast features Brookelyne Peterson as 'Eddie' Gregory, Megan Marshall as Edna Gregory, Melvin Rouse, Jr. as Charles Calder, Sergio Antonio Garcia as Raymond, and Jerry Romasco as Vinnie/Ted (also understudy Raymond). Kaelynn Miller will understudy the role of 'Eddie' Gregory and Sonia D. Alexis will understudy Edna Gregory.

The creative team are Donna Kaz (Playwright), Joseph C. Walsh (Director), Russell Dunmire (Assistant Director), Aleeza McCant (Scenic & Costume Designer ), Alonna Hall (Lighting Designer), Brookelyne Peterson (Sound Designer/Intimacy Coordinator), Madeleine Arnold (Properties Designer/Assistant Stage Manager), and Maisha Rice (Stage Manager).

Performances run from October 9th-25th at Lakewood Playhouse, 5729 Lakewood Towne Center Blvd. SW, Lakewood, WA. Shows are on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm, with Sunday matinees at 2:00pm. Please note - the opening night on Friday, October 9th will start at the earlier time of 7:00pm. There is also a Pay What You Can/Industry Night performance on Sunday, October 18th at 7:30pm.

Tickets are on sale now. Call the Box Office at (253) 588-0042 or visit www.lakewoodplayhouse.org to book tickets online.

Donna Kaz 's plays/musicals have been produced around the world including Stamina (American Renaissance Theatre/Best Ten Minute Plays of 2019 Smith and Kraus); JOAN (Edinburgh Festival Fringe) Food, The Musical (Best New Musical Award, William Patterson University) Performing Tribute 9/11 (Harlem Stage); Feminists Are Funny, Pride Edition (Lincoln Center); The History Of Women In Theatre: Condensed (Women Playwrights International, Dramalabet, Sweden); Silence Is Violence (Women's Arts International Festival, Kendal UK); If You Can Stand The Heat: The History Of Women And Food (City of Women Festival Slovenia) and Life After 9/11: 25 Years Later ( James Street Players). Her awards include a Jerry Kaufman Playwriting Award, Venus Theatre Lifetime Achievement Award, Ian MacMillan Writing Award, Boundary Stone Screenwriting Award, Skowhegan Medal and the Yoko Ono Courage Award for the Arts. She has held residencies at Yaddo, Ucross, Blue Mountain, Djerassi, Wurlitzer, Mesa Refuge and Marble House. Kaz's memoir, UN/MASKED, Memoirs Of A Guerrilla Girl On Tour, (Skyhorse 2016) was named best nonfiction prose of 2017 by the Devil's Kitchen Literary Festival. She is currently a 2026 Pine Meadow Ranch artist in residence and lives on Long Island. donnakaz.com

Founded in 1938, Lakewood Playhouse has served the South Puget Sound for nearly nine decades, producing theatre that entertains, educates, and enlightens while building community through the power of live performance. Season 88, Heroic Acts, explores stories of courage, compassion, resilience, and hope through an exciting lineup of musicals, new works, and award-winning plays.

Lakewood Playhouse, 5729 Lakewood Towne Center Blvd SW, Lakewood, WA 98499

Phone: (253) 588-0042

www.lakewoodplayhouse.org

Photo Credit: Donna Kaz

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/seattle/article/Photos-THE-DOCENT-by-Donna-Kaz-Will-Make-World-Premiere-at-Lakewood-Playhouse-20260926)._