Your Little Neighborhood Theater
1516 N. Gardner St., Los Angeles, CA 90046presented by The StageCrafts
WHAT’S ON
AT THE HOBGOBLIN PLAYHOUSE
IMAGO
by Wendy Gough Soroka
Presented by Theatre Unleashed
in association with Fierce Mama Productions
September 24th-October 10th, 2026
OCTOBER
IMAGO
September 24th-October 10th
Katherine Harmston paints butterflies as monsters. At forty-five, she lives and works in a crumbling warehouse loft, refusing to soften her uncompromising art into something that might actually sell, and refusing just as fiercely, to accept help from anyone. When her overbearing Type-A sister Beth arrives with news that their sharp-tongued mother is in hospice, Katherine is pulled back toward the family she’d fled and once again into the orbit of a glossy, commercially triumphant ex-lover who represents everything she loathes about being an artist.
Wrestling with unsettling revelations about her past and an increasingly uncertain future, Katherine is forced to confront the possibility that she may have to finally compromise her lifestyle, beliefs, and independence in the name of survival. Her only hope is an upcoming exhibition, and a bold new painting that represents a complete departure from her established body of work… if she can ever finish it. Will this new work define her career? Or destroy it?
The newest play by fearless LA scribe Wendy Gough Soroka, Imago is an unflinching, funny, and unexpectedly tender play about art and ambition, the debts we owe the people who made us, and what it costs to finally let ourselves transform.
Take Your Show to Edinburgh!
October 7th @ 7pm
In 2027 the Edinburgh Festival Fringe turns 80, with over 4,000 shows running August 6–30. Jenn and Greg Crafts of The StageCrafts are just back from the 2026 Fringe, and they’re sharing what they learned in a one-night workshop for artists planning to go in 2027 or beyond.
We’ll cover setting goals, choosing a venue (door split vs. straight rental), the month-by-month deadline calendar from venue applications through registration, Fringe Marketplace, printing and poster distribution, travel and housing on a budget, press and reviews, awards, and what a day at the Fringe actually looks like.
Best of all? It’s free!
Venue applications open this fall, so the time to start planning is now!
Goodbye. Hello.
October 22nd @ 7pm
The final goodbye of death turns into a long hello when one dead friend returns to haunt their living counterpart. As the months become years and the years become decades, the two come to terms with their unexpected extra time amid the highs and lows that life and death bring.
Goodbye. Hello. is a celebration of life, death, and the friendships that keep us going until the very end.
2026 Hollywood Fringe Scholarship Recipient
2026 The Actors Company Encore Series
Julius Caesar in 60 Minutes
October 23rd-November 1st
Conspirators convince Caesar’s friend Brutus to join their assassination plot against Caesar. To stop Caesar from gaining too much power, Brutus and the conspirators kill him on the Ides of March. Mark Antony drives the conspirators out of Rome and fights them in a battle. Brutus and his friend Cassius lose and kill themselves, leaving Antony to rule in Rome.
I Suck: A Vampire Comedy
October 25th @ 3pm
A darkly funny one-person show that asks: What good is eternal life if you’re not really living?
Stan has been a vampire for over a thousand years, and he’s terrible at it. While other vampires live in castles and accumulate wealth, Stan is stuck in a dead-end job as a middle manager in Toledo, living paycheck to paycheck, haunted by centuries of catastrophically bad decisions.
His latest crisis? He can no longer bring himself to kill people. After realizing he feels a kinship with every human—they’re all his descendants, technically—Stan finds himself unable to feed.
This predicament leads Stan to set out to escape his vampire contract. He embarks on a supernatural journey from heaven to hell, encountering everyone from a chatty St. Peter to a bored demon named Larry to Satan himself. Along the way, he’s forced to relive the choice that started it all—trading his soul and abandoning his family for the promise of power and eternal life.
Southern Goth
October 27th @ 8:30pm
Southern Goth is Dan Ruth’s latest solo work; a dark, eerie and often funny collection of stories about growing up surrounded by the supernatural. A semi-autobiographical memory play, Southern Goth takes place in parts of the southern and rural US, primarily in a very haunted Richmond, VA, during the 1980’s “Satanic Panic” and subsequent indie/goth scene. All references to vampires, witchcraft and hauntings are not coincidental, but a vibrant part of the tapestry of the times, the folklore of the area, and our desire to believe in the unseen.
Although some characters have been fictionalized or amalgamated, the esoteric stories about my mother are all very true.
Venus in Fur
October 22nd-29th
David Ives’ Venus in Fur is a two-person dark comedy about Thomas, a frustrated playwright-director struggling to cast his adaptation of a scandalous 1870 sadomasochistic novel. When Vanda—a crass, seemingly scatterbrained actress—arrives late to audition, she transforms into a commanding, sophisticated force, turning the reading into a dangerous power struggle that blurs fantasy and reality.
Originally presented in 2024 at The Whitmore Lindley Theater Center, Domino Too Productions is bringing back this audience favorite.
Livestream Available October 24th
Belladonna Highway
October 24th-30th
Mitch is a washed up novelist trying to claw his way back to the NYT best seller list. His quest for a quiet writers retreat leads him to the mysterious, decrepit Hotel Belladonna, a desert oasis full of secrets. Once there, his retreat is derailed by ill fated romance, dangerous enemies and a 100 year old cold case only he can solve! This new musical from the writer team of Ben Boquist and Ben Barahona Ginsberg is a love letter to California and film noir.
Join us for this premier staging featuring live piano and a talented cast of actor/ singers. Perfect for anyone who likes radio drama, jazz, ghost stories, flirtatious banter and crime fiction. Are you ready to check in to the Hotel Belladonna?
On The Line
October 25th @ 9pm
Set during the graveyard shift at a Seattle crisis call center in 1984, the empathetic Hannah is tasked with training the charming new hire, Nick. The team spends their evening navigating both personal revelations and calls from women experiencing eerily similar crises. As the night deepens, the calls connect, threads appear and the mystery is closer than you think. On the Line explores how women learn to trust their instincts in a world that insists the danger is under control… until it’s already too late. Loosely inspired by Ann Rule’s real life experience with serial killer, Ted Bundy.
“A dramedy worthy of life well-beyond the [Hollywood] Fringe,” “a textbook perfect one-act.” –Larchmont Buzz
“Chilling performances and a strong script.” -Stage Takes
“Shocking and satisfying,” “RECOMMENDED.” -Gia on the Move
“The best one act thriller I’ve seen.” –Audience Review
“I was kept riveted by two powerhouse central performances and a scenario that felt like an anaconda slowly constricting around my throat.” –Audience Review
“A masterfully written thriller with excellent performances… Brilliant storytelling all around.” –Audience Review
“The performances ride a razor’s edge from start to finish, with remarkably sensitive direction for such a frightening play.” –Audience Review
- Hollywood Fringe Award for Fringe First for World Premiere – NOMINEE
- Hollywood Fringe Award for Dramatic Theatre – NOMINEE
- Take the Stage Award (Theatre 68 Arts Festival) – NOMINEE
- The Screamiest Award (Midsummer Scream) – NOMINEE
- Seasonal MiniFest Award (The Stagecrafts) – NOMINEE
CONTENT WARNING: This play contains graphic discussions of sexual assualt.
Macbeth in 60 Minutes
October 23rd-November 1st
Macbeth mixes witchcraft, prophecy, and murder. Three “Weïrd Sisters” appear to Macbeth and his comrade Banquo after a battle and prophesy that Macbeth will be king and that the descendants of Banquo will also reign. When Macbeth arrives at his castle, he and Lady Macbeth plot to assassinate King Duncan, soon to be their guest, so that Macbeth can become king.
After Macbeth murders Duncan, the king’s two sons flee, and Macbeth is crowned. Fearing that Banquo’s descendants will, according to the Weïrd Sisters’ predictions, take over the kingdom, Macbeth has Banquo killed. At a royal banquet that evening, Macbeth sees Banquo’s ghost appear covered in blood. Macbeth determines to consult the Weïrd Sisters again. They comfort him with ambiguous promises.
Another nobleman, Macduff, rides to England to join Duncan’s older son, Malcolm. Macbeth has Macduff’s wife and children murdered. Malcolm and Macduff lead an army against Macbeth, as Lady Macbeth goes mad and commits suicide.
Macbeth confronts Malcolm’s army, trusting in the Weïrd Sisters’ comforting promises. He learns that the promises are tricks, but continues to fight. Macduff kills Macbeth and Malcolm becomes Scotland’s king.
Joan Q, Genuine Intuitive
October 24th-28th
Joan Q – a comic clairvoyant with a morbid wit and open heart – is delighted to welcome SpookyFest audiences into her interactive psychic comedy séance, where she will bring audience tarot reads, cosmic gossip, guests with strange true stories, and steamy Scorpio season synchronicities to the Hobgoblin stage.
“So popular that soon everyone was upstairs in the reading rooms,” wrote Sally Quinn in Vanity Fair of Joan’s party readings.
And her recent Edinburgh Fringe show was reviewed by audiences as “a magical and mystical must see,” “a warm hug,” and “ethereal…& witty as anything.”
Intimate, funny, spooky, improvisational and heartfelt, Joan Q is a unique experience welcoming of the woowoo skeptic and believer alike.
Say Goodbye to Hollywood - Halloween Specdracular
October 27th @ 6:30pm
Say Goodbye to Hollywood is a comedy / talk / variety series hosted by Mike Celestino and Fard Muhammad. It celebrates what we have loved about the history of the entertainment industry, examines where things stand in the present of this transformational time for show business, and looks ahead to the future of what might become of the unique city of Los Angeles and its talented creative community. This Halloween-themed special will be filled to the brim with spooky songs, guests, comedy sketches, and more— all connected to the broader popular culture and the happenings of Hollywood.
Warhol/Frankenstein 4D
October 31st @ 11:59pm
In New York’s drug-fueled 60’s, after recruiting Edie Sedgwick, Lou Reed and Valerie Solanas for screen tests, Pop Art innovator Andy Warhol decides to abandon his signature soup can paintings and dedicate himself to making edgy art films. In 1973 he produces “Flesh for Frankenstein” in 3D, a shocking and sexy retelling of the classic horror tale.
Experience this hilarious gross-out populated by Warhol’s beautiful Superstars, and all the bloody disgusting body parts and dismemberments crammed into the making of his kitchy classic.
SpookyFest Film 2026
Join us for a thrilling night of spooky short films! At 7:00 PM, we’re kicking off a lineup of ten terrifying shorts exploring the darker side of humanity… and beyond. Stick around after each block so you can decide the audience favorites, live! Get your tickets now. Whatever’s out there won’t wait.
Sardines
A group of cousins plays Sardines in a Can, unaware they are being hunted in the dark.
Ron's Night Out
Dating can be a dangerous ride.
80% of Home Invasions Happen During the Day
After drinking hallucinogenic tea to escape her overbearing parents, a moody teenage girl is tormented by a masked serial killer who may or may not be real…
Deadication
An unsuspecting woman stumbles upon an antique book, only to discover that it opens a portal to a sinister past and unleashes an unspeakable evil.
A Bedtime Ballad
Sarah, a young girl battling schizophrenia, confronts a chilling milestone—her first night alone. Her once benign imaginary friend has twisted into a sinister presence, blurring the boundaries between reality and nightmare.
Dinner Date
The Lioness is dedicated to one goal: keeping her Lion happy. When dinner goes awry, she takes over the evening in order to please her love.
Take My Hand
Stop motion short featuring dolls about a little boy who finds and unlikley visitor inside his bed…
BTS
Cell phones. Teens. Social Media. Followers. Likes. Challenges. Popularity. Fame.
15-year old, Ava Kozlov, wants nothing more than to be a dance influencer. Three mysterious women offer her a way to catapult to stardom, with one catch: all she needs to do first is complete a brand new dance challenge at an abandoned, haunted location. What could go wrong?
The Lido
Casey moves to Hollywood to pursue her dream of being an actor. The sublet she’s staying in is called The Lido apt. complex, which has a secret that has Casey linked to an unsolved murder of a 1930s Hollywood starlet. Can she handle the visions from the past to help solve the mystery today?
Jenny
When a frustrated college senior finds a haunted ring, she must use her classmate’s spirit as a guide to solve her murder while confronting the dangers lurking around campus, and her own misconceptions, in order to avoid meeting the same fate.
Parking Made Easy
Convenient Parking Options for The Hobgoblin Playhouse
Patrons of The Hobgoblin Playhouse can enjoy plentiful metered street parking on both Gardner Street and Sunset Blvd. There is also unmetered street parking available on Hawthorn Avenue, at the north end of the block.
Nearby Food & Drink
Sonny's
Some call it the Best Pizza in LA.
Sunset Thai
Seafood is the chef’s specialty at this casual eatery that also offers curries & other Thai dishes.
Bossa Nova
A huge menu of everything from traditional Brazilian eats to pizza & salads offered in casual digs.
Toi on Sunset
Typical Thai cuisine served in a colorful, rock ‘n’ roll-themed setting with late-night hours.
Moun of Tunis
Eatery features fixed-price menus of North African fare & belly dancing amid Moroccan-style decor.
Blackwood Coffee Bar
Espresso & other specialty caffeine drinks offered in a chic cafe with striking, contemporary decor.
El Compadre
Eatery dishing out Mexican fajitas, tacos & margaritas in a casual, colorful environment.
Imagine Your Show Here at The Hobgoblin Playhouse
Got a project you want to produce? Need some rehearsal space? How about a workshop or class you want to lead? With our versatile space and dedicated team of trained professionals, we strive to ensure every booking is a success. Contact us today to learn more about our packages and availability.
Get in Touch with Us
Address
1516 N. Gardner St., Los Angeles, CA 90046
boxoffice@thestagecrafts.com
Phone
(323) 591-4849
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MEET THE STAGECRAFTS
OUR PARTNERS
OUR CIRCUIT PARTNERS
PREFERRED VENDORS
OUR VENUES
OUR FESTIVALS
OUR EVENTS
- The LA Freeway Circuit
- LAX to EDI Weekend
- No Drink Minimum
- New Play In a Day
- Once Upon A Stage LA
- Snarky Screenings
OUR RESIDENT COMPANIES
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