A Staged Reading of QUEEN OF LUCIA – Written by Lisa Balderston & Directed by John Tessmer.
LOCATION: La Jolla Library – 7555 Draper Avenue, La Jolla, CA 90037.
READINGS: 1/20/26 at 6:00 pm & 1/24/26 at 2:00 pm.
SYNOPSIS: In Queen of Lucia, Jack and Elena seek respite from the demands of her Bipolar Disorder by going to a secluded cottage in the country. Jack hopes the surroundings will help Elena find balance, but her erratic behavior soon disrupts any chance of serenity. As Elena’s mental health deteriorates, her emotional abuse toward Jack intensifies. Torn between his vows and the toll of being her caregiver, Jack must decide whether to stay in a toxic cycle or break free to save his own sanity. In this raw exploration of love, duty, and mental illness, both must confront the truth about their relationship, and try to find hope for their future together.
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The Scripteasers Sixth Annual “Leftovers” Readings
STILL STANDING – A Short Play by LISA BALDERSTON
Join us on Friday, November 21, 2025 @ 7:30 pm -10:00 pm
A NEW STAGED READING: Join us for The Scripteasers Sixth Annual “Leftovers,” a night of post-Thanksgiving Readings, including my 10-minute play, Still Standing. After months of grueling recovery, comedian Sonya returns to the stage for her highly anticipated comeback set, ready to find the humor in her recent battle with illness. The show takes an unexpected turn when a menacing heckler emerges from the shadows: Cancer itself, personified as a cruel antagonist unwilling to let her move on. What follows is a fierce, funny, and profoundly human showdown, transforming the stand-up routine into a dramatic battle for survival and self-acceptance. Blending biting humor with moments of aching vulnerability, this dramedy explores the challenge of maintaining your timing and voice when life relentlessly interrupts the performance. Ultimately, Still Standing asks whether laughter and resilience are enough to defeat the darkness that refuses to stay backstage. (Cast: Rhiannon McAfee & Martin Wojtysiak- Narrated by Marc Biagi) – Friday, November 28th at 7:30 pm
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THE SCRIPTEASERS READING of LET’S CHAT by LISA BALDERSTON:
Join us on Friday, June 13, 2025 @ 7:30 pm -10:00 pm
When overworked Professor Gracie uses AI to generate a quiz but fails to fact-check it, her sharp-eyed student, McKenzie, spots the errors and seizes an opportunity. Confronting the professor, McKenzie demands a grade boost in exchange for her silence, sparking a tense and hilarious battle of wits over accountability, academic integrity, and the growing role of AI in education. As accusations fly and ethical lines blur, the play forces the audience to consider who is truly at fault—an overburdened educator, a savvy student, or the very technology they both choose to use? Let’s Chat is a timely and unsettlingly relevant exploration of AI’s impact on learning, the fine line between innovation and deception, and what it means to create in an age of automation.
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A NEW PLAY READING: QUEEN OF LUCIA by Lisa Balderston
Synopsis: In Queen of Lucia, Jack and Elena, a married couple seeking respite from the
overwhelming demands of Elena’s Bipolar Disorder, retreat to a secluded cottage deep in the countryside. Jack hopes the peaceful surroundings will help Elena find balance, but her erratic mood swings soon disrupt any chance of serenity. As Elena’s mental health deteriorates, her emotional abuse toward Jack intensifies, pushing him to the brink of collapse. Torn between his vows and the toll of being her caregiver, Jack must decide whether to stay in a toxic cycle or break free to save his own sanity. In this raw exploration of love, duty, and mental illness, both must confront the truth about their relationship. Can they find a way to navigate the storm of mental illness together, or will the isolation reveal irreparable fractures in their marriage?
The SCRIPTEASERS Reading of QUEEN OF LUCIA – September 13, 2024
AUDIENCE & READER RESPONSES:
“Art is meant to move us and you definitely did that. The fact that it brings people to important conversations about things that aren’t even directly part of the focus of the work is also commendable. Art can inform as well and start conversations and your play does both.” (Marc Biagi)
“Thank you all for a super fun experience. Lisa, I loved being a part of this thought-provoking new play. And the discussion afterwards was so engaging. (Samantha Goldstein – Reader)
“Congratulations on the reading of your play. It was a really good Reading and the crowd was certainly very enthusiastic” (Michael Adler)
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PLAY SUMMARY:
When Christina Alvarez decides to attend the Celebration of Life of her former high school English teacher, it’s not to pay her respects to the well-respected educator. Memories from Christina’s senior year still haunt her, memories of a teacher who made her life miserable. How does she confront a ghost about events that happened 25 years ago? Can she find peace in the comfort of a church, in the company of a stranger, and in front of a deceased teacher’s larger-than-life photo at the alter?
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PowPAC COMMUNITY THEATRE PRESENTS: PowPAC Reader Theatre Showcase
September 25, 2022 – Sunday 4:30 pm
LISA BALDERSTON 