Performances by:

Wesleigh Gates

Kirsten Michelle Schnittker 

Ajani Brannum

Abhijeet “Moodzi” Mudgerikar

Sam Wentz, with Jacob Wolff and Amelia Charter

jeremy de’jon guyton

Dance Party DJed by Jesse Perlstein 

This event serves as a fundraiser to raise money for next year's FIRST DRAFT programming!

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FIRST DRAFT is an ongoing performance series founded by Emily Barasch that showcases works in progress by Los Angeles–based performing artists. Organized as a creative laboratory, the program centers community-building and artistic exchange, supporting experimental performance practices that challenge dominant social orders and prioritize self-directed research.

Performance-making is often isolating, shaped by individualistic and extractive production models. FIRST DRAFT intervenes by activating shared resources, mutual support, and collective growth among local artists. The series positions performance as a collaborative practice, providing space for rigorous artistic research, advocating for more equitable models of development, and strengthening the Los Angeles performance ecosystem.