Carla Ching Awarded The Boost Commission

The Leah Ryan Fund selected the Los Angeles playwright to develop a new work in its second commission cycle.

Updated on Sept. 25, 2026 in Arts Theater — General

Carla Ching Awarded The Boost Commission

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The Leah Ryan Fund has named Carla Ching as the recipient of The Boost, a commission supporting women, trans, and non-binary playwrights over the age of forty. Ching will write a new play titled Kye Club, which draws inspiration from the Korean American kye system.

Why it matters

The Boost commission specifically supports mid-career playwrights by providing a cash award to develop works in dialogue with the legacy of Leah Ryan. This initiative aims to sustain the creative practices of artists who are historically underrepresented in professional theater.

The commission is in its second cycle and requires recipients to be at least 40 years old. Seven finalists were recognized for their contributions during this selection process.

The players

Carla Ching

A Los Angeles-based playwright who was selected for the second cycle of The Boost commission.

Leah Ryan

An American playwright whose work serves as the creative foundation for the commission and the fund's mission.

The Leah Ryan Fund

A foundation established in 2008 to support women, trans, and non-binary playwrights through various awards and commissions.

The details

Ching, who currently resides in Los Angeles, will develop Kye Club as a response to Debt, a play written by Leah Ryan. The new work will be set in Monterey Park and explore the cultural dynamics of the traditional kye savings system.

The Leah Ryan Fund was established in 2008.
The organization began awarding The Leah prize in 2010.
A public reading of the new play is scheduled for the fall of 2027.

Industry Dynamics

The Boost commission follows the organizational mission established by the Leah prize in 2010. This expansion reflects a broader trend in the arts sector of creating targeted funding paths that support playwrights beyond their early-career stages.

Theater audiences can expect to see the development of this new work over the next two years. A public reading of the play is scheduled to take place in the fall of 2027.

The takeaway

This commission highlights the importance of institutional support for playwrights who continue to practice mid-career. Aspiring writers can look to these fund cycles as potential pathways for developing niche thematic works like those centered on community financial systems.