New Play Celebrates Legacy of Berkeley Music Camp

Eisa Davis' '||: Girls: || ||: Chance: || ||: Music: ||' draws from her own formative summers at the Young Musicians Program.

Mar. 12, 2026 at 10:12pm

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Playwright Eisa Davis' new music-filled drama '||: Girls: || ||: Chance: || ||: Music: ||' premieres at the American Conservatory Theater, inspired by the legacy of the Young Musicians Program, a prestigious UC Berkeley music camp that nurtured artists like Raphael Saadiq and Joshua Redman. The play follows four musically gifted teenage girls as they prepare for the summer's final concert, exploring themes of friendship, identity, and the power of arts education.

Why it matters

The Young Musicians Program was a transformative experience for many young artists of color in the Bay Area, providing access to intensive music training and a nurturing community. Davis' play celebrates this legacy and the profound impact that arts education can have on shaping the next generation of musicians and creative leaders.

The details

Davis, a Berkeley native, attended the Young Musicians Program every summer from age 10 to 17, and the experience left a lasting impression. Her new play, co-produced with New York's Vineyard Theater, is set at a fictional all-girls music camp and features a cast of musically gifted teen actors from the Bay Area and New York. The play explores the teens' immersion in music theory, composition, and performance, as well as the ways creative risk-taking and attentive listening translate to friendship and identity.

  • Davis attended the Young Musicians Program from age 10 to 17.
  • '||: Girls: || ||: Chance: || ||: Music: ||' makes its world premiere at the American Conservatory Theater's Strand Theater on March 18, 2026.

The players

Eisa Davis

A Berkeley native and playwright whose 2006 play 'Bulrusher' was a Pulitzer Prize finalist. She attended the Young Musicians Program as a child and is the writer of '||: Girls: || ||: Chance: || ||: Music: ||'.

Pam Mackinnon

The director of '||: Girls: || ||: Chance: || ||: Music: ||' and the outgoing artistic director of the American Conservatory Theater.

Raphael Saadiq

A Grammy-winning musician who attended the Young Musicians Program as a child.

Joshua Redman

A jazz saxophonist and bandleader who attended the Young Musicians Program as a child.

Samora Pinderhughes

An Emmy-winning multidisciplinary artist who attended the Young Musicians Program as a child.

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What they’re saying

“It's really an embarrassment of riches, the incredible teaching that I've had.”

— Eisa Davis, Playwright (San Francisco Chronicle)

“I've had huge respect for Eisa as a writer as well as a performer for years.”

— Pam Mackinnon, Director (San Francisco Chronicle)

“It's crucial to creating the kinds of humans we want to be and want to live with.”

— Eisa Davis, Playwright (San Francisco Chronicle)

What’s next

The play '||: Girls: || ||: Chance: || ||: Music: ||' will make its world premiere at the American Conservatory Theater's Strand Theater on March 18, 2026 and run through April 19, 2026.

The takeaway

Eisa Davis' new play celebrates the legacy of the Young Musicians Program, a transformative arts education initiative that nurtured generations of musicians and creative leaders in the Bay Area. The play underscores the profound impact that intensive arts training can have on shaping young people's lives and identities.