At the end of December, SPARC Theater announced its 2025 season. The program includes the fourth annual Science@Play reading series, featuring two weekends of thought-provoking science-based plays. PM10 is a newly commissioned piece by film and theater writer and director Mildred Inez Lewis. As a member of the Dramatists Guild, Lewis writes for Antaeus Theatre Company, Ensemble Studio Theatre-LA, PlayGround-LA, and Towne Street Theatre, and is also an associate artist with Rogue Artists Ensemble. PM10 will be directed by renowned Bay Area-based artist Dawn Monique Williams, whose directing credits include productions at Oregon Shakespeare Festival, California Shakespeare Theater, and Aurora Theatre, among many others.

Science@Play seeks to foster a deeper appreciation for the fascinating world of science through the lens of theater. “This is a moment for arts organizations to enlighten their audiences and contribute to a global narrative by showcasing the minds and spirits of the folks in the middle of today’s scientific breakthroughs,” explains Executive/Artistic Director Lisa A Tromovitch. “By commissioning BIPOC writers to create characters for these stories, we uplift people of color as leaders in the scientific community.”

Science@Play’s first reading, of a play to be announced, will take place on Friday, March 14, and Saturday, March 15 at 7:30 pm and Sunday, March 16 at 2 pm at the SPARC Studio in Livermore; PM10 will be performed Friday, March 28 and Saturday, March 29 at 7:30 pm and Sunday, March 30 at 2 pm at the SPARC Studio in Livermore, and at the Front Row Theater in San Ramon on Saturday, March 29 at 2 pm.

SPARC’s 2025 season will culminate with its Shakespeare in the Vineyard production of Sir John Falstaff and the Merry Wives of Windsor, which will run from July 3 to 27 at Darcie Kent Vineyards in Livermore. In the spirit of expanding and broadening access to live Shakespeare performances in the East Bay, SPARC will again move its summer production to the Village Theatre and Art Gallery in Danville for an additional three weekends between August 8 and 24.

SPARC Theater, which is more than 20 years old, has recently received community recognition. Last autumn, the organization was recognized with the Impact Maker Award for Arts & Culture from the Tri-Valley Nonprofit Alliance. Additionally, Tromovitch’s recent direction of Twelfth Night was nominated for several Broadway World awards.

In addition to attending performances, community members can support the organization through buying tickets for one or more Trivia Nights being held on February 28 and two other dates at 3 Steves Winery in Livermore. Tax-deductible donations and corporate sponsorships are other avenues of support.

“SPARC Theater is a local, female-led business that hires San Francisco Bay Area professionals,” notes Tromovitch. “We're part of the local economy as well as the cultural scene. We've been producing and hiring locally since 2002. As we've grown, we have moved to our fourth location, Darcie Kent Vineyards, in a partnership that is yet another example of businesses collaborating here in the TriValley.”

In a year that has seen many theater companies close or struggle to maintain operations, SPARC is forging ahead to expand its offering of readings and performances for audiences in the East Bay and beyond, and reaffirming its commitment to hiring local Bay Area theater professionals, bringing greater opportunities for paid work to artists in the local community.

For more information about SPARC Theater, please visit www.sparctheater.org, www.facebook.com/SPARCtheater, www.facebook.com/SPARCtheater, or www.youtube.com/channel/UC1AIKW65QQLgqT1JilXsEoQ.