Gruesome Playground Injuries

Gruesome Playground Injuries follows Doug and Kayleen over the course of 30 years, revealing their relationship through a series of brief, non-linear encounters that unfold at moments of physical and emotional injury. From childhood to adulthood, they cross paths again and again—sometimes as caretakers, sometimes as catalysts for one another’s pain.

Told in sharp, intimate scenes, the play uses wounds as a metaphor for connection, asking why we hurt ourselves, why we cling to certain people, and whether growing up together means growing apart.

Tender, unsettling, and unexpectedly funny, Gruesome Playground Injuries is a powerful portrait of two people bound by timing, trauma, and the complicated ways we learn to love.

Our Black Box Theater programming is sustained by the generosity of the Sigel Family Foundation — Jonathan and Deborah Sloane, Robert and Susan Sigel, and Jonathan and Lisa Sigel — whose commitment helps us bring bold, intimate productions to the community.