PHILADELPHIA, PA — Broken bones, broken hearts and a relationship spanning three decades return to Theatre Exile this fall as the South Philadelphia company opens its 30th anniversary season by revisiting a play that helped shape its history.
Rajiv Joseph’s “Gruesome Playground Injuries” runs Oct. 29 through Nov. 15 at Theatre Exile, with opening night set for Thursday, Nov. 5, at 7 p.m. Producing Artistic Director Deborah Block directs the intimate two-character production starring Philadelphia performers Jenna Kuerzi as Kayleen and Daniel Burgess as Doug.
Theatre Exile first staged “Gruesome Playground Injuries” in 2011, marking the first Philadelphia production of Joseph’s work. Bringing it back 15 years later gives the company an opportunity to introduce a new audience to a story built around humor, vulnerability and the lasting marks people leave on one another.
“Gruesome Playground Injuries is a perfect Exile show to bring back for our 30th anniversary,” Block said. “It uses our trademark humor and intimate storytelling to show the sides of ourselves that we often keep in the dark.”
The story begins when Kayleen and Doug meet at age 8 in their elementary school nurse’s office. Kayleen has a painful stomach ache, while Doug arrives battered and bloodied after taking a running dive from the school roof.
It will not be their last reunion.
From ages 8 to 38, injuries, heartbreak and bad decisions repeatedly bring the pair back into each other’s lives. Joseph tells their story through scenes that jump backward and forward in time, gradually revealing how their physical and emotional wounds influence the people they become.
“This seemingly simple coming-of-age story allows the audience to love these two broken souls as we see the vulnerability that they hide from the rest of the world,” Block said. “Even though there is often danger behind their decisions, their rawness allows us to see ourselves as they navigate the choices of life.”
Kuerzi returns to Theatre Exile after earning a 2024 Barrymore Award nomination for Outstanding Leading Performance in a Play for “Camp Siegfried.” The Philadelphia actor and singer received three additional Barrymore nominations in 2025 for her work in “Grease” and “GayMis,” with “GayMis” winning Outstanding Ensemble in a Musical.
Burgess, a Philadelphia actor, writer and theatermaker, recently played Calvin in Arden Theatre Company’s “A Wrinkle in Time,” earning a 2026 Barrymore Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Performance in a Play. His credits also include “Stop Kiss” with South Camden Theatre Company and national touring work with Enchantment Theatre Company.
As founder of Ubin Theatre, Burgess also develops, writes, directs and performs original work, including productions presented as part of the Philadelphia Fringe Festival.
The production’s creative team is tasked with following Kayleen and Doug through three decades while supporting the play’s deliberately fractured chronology.
Colin McIlvaine serves as set designer, with Drew Billau as lighting designer, Millie Hiibel as costume designer and Nana Nimako as props designer. Liz Atkinson adds another layer to the production environment. The team also includes stage manager Melody Wong and dramaturg Jordan Neff, among others.
- What: Theatre Exile presents Rajiv Joseph’s “Gruesome Playground Injuries,” directed by Deborah Block and starring Jenna Kuerzi and Daniel Burgess
- When: Oct. 29-Nov. 15, 2026; opening night is Thursday, Nov. 5, at 7 p.m. Performance dates and times vary
- Where: Theatre Exile, 1340 S. 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147
- Cost/Tickets: Single tickets start at $10. Flex Pass Subscriptions are $45 and include four single tickets valid for any show date during the season. Tickets are available online or through the box office at 215-218-4022.
- More Info: www.theatreexile.org
For Theatre Exile, the production offers more than a look back at a play from its past. By returning to Kayleen and Doug as the company begins its 30th season, “Gruesome Playground Injuries” reconnects audiences with the intimate, provocative storytelling that has become part of the theater’s identity.
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