Beneath a hidden oak tree, Janie and David grow up side by side. As the tree becomes infected, it bears witness to a love shaped by innocence, obligation, and the quiet truth that not everything you love can be saved.

THE STORY:

In a quiet suburban clearing stands an oak tree that Janie and David, two children from drastically different circumstances, claim as their own. The tree becomes their private world, where they grow up side by side, teaching each other about love, loyalty, and the slow shift from innocence to obligation.

Over the years, as the tree bends, scars, and decays, so does the bond between them that once felt unbreakable. When they return as adults after a decade apart, a childhood secret they buried beneath its branches forces itself to the surface, challenging the pair to confront their past whether they’re ready to or not. In a story that spans childhood innocence, teenage devotion, and the collision of two very different adulthoods, the question lingers: how do you let go of someone you love, even when loving them means hurting yourself?

WHY THIS STORY NOW:

In a time where human connection is fleeting and more and more rare every day, BURL gives the audience an opportunity to look at a relationship up close and look at the impacts that one person can have on the course of your life. Because we’re able to visit Janie and David at various times in their life, we are able to really see how they evolve over time, with one another, and without. Nowadays, we’re only privy to what is shown to us on social media, shiny updates from peoples’ lives. This play shows us what’s going on in the in-between. The moments that perhaps we wouldn’t be so proud to share online. And, hopefully, it will inspire audiences to open up more with one another.

WHY WE NEED YOUR HELP:

We want to put on a great show! We are three independent artists who are self-producing a play with one another. We are each funding small pieces here and there, but we cannot do it all on our own! Our biggest priority is covering theater costs and paying our collaborators a fair wage, using the Actors’ Equity Los Angeles Self-Produced Project Code (LASPPC), and MOST FAVORED NATIONS for our production and design team.

MEET THE TEAM:

AMANDA DACKS (Playwright, Producer)

Amanda Dacks is thrilled to be making her playwright debut with the world premiere of Burl! She is an Emmy-nominated producer whose work can be found on A&E, Amazon, Hulu, and Tastemade. You can also catch her on-screen debut in Chops coming later this year. Amanda is a proud graduate of Bradley University’s theatre department and a longtime student of Adam Lazarre-White. Burl was born out of a desire to explore intimacy, obligation, and the quiet universes we build in our minds. She is deeply grateful to Julia Tolchin and Ana Verde for bringing the universe of her mind to life. Thank you to everyone for being here and supporting new work!

JULIA TOLCHIN (Actor, Producer)

Julia Tolchin is so excited to be originating the role of Janie in the world premiere of Burl. Recent credits include Life & Beth (Hulu), FBI: Most Wanted (CBS), and Katie's Mom (DirectTV/Amazon Prime). Julia is a NYU Tisch graduate and her work has been featured at many prestigious festivals around the world. She’d like to thank Amanda Dacks for trusting her with her words and Ana Verde for always trusting her on her stage. Thank you to everyone for coming to support our play! SAG. AEA. @julia_tolchin

ANA VERDE (Director, Producer)

Ana Verde is a Puerto Rican & Venezuelan writer and director based in Los Angeles. She is a 2023 Tomorrow's Filmmakers Today fellow (Hola México Film Festival), a 2023 Rising Voices fellow (Hillman Grad/Indeed), a 2022 Orchard Project Episodic Lab fellow (The Orchard Project), and a 2022 WAVE Grant Recipient (Wavelength Productions). Her most recent film, Mara Has Three Jobs in San Juan, Puerto Rico, had its world premiere at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival and had a theatrical window of distribution playing in select theaters in front of Barbie and Blue Beetle, it is now available to stream on Hulu and Omeleto. Her other short film, Te llaman las olas, had its world premiere at the 2024 Seattle International Film Festival. She is thrilled to be stepping back into rehearsal with Julia on their fifth collaboration together.

FOLLOW ALONG:

Follow our journey on instagram! @burl_theplay