For a couple of years, my friend Bjorn Johnson (the critically acclaimed, award winning actor and director) and I would go to UCLA to Brian Alan Lane’s writing classes to act in his writing students’ material. Brian (who is a brilliant writer himself as well as being a professor 
at Cal State Long Beach and UCLA) would invite us to come down and meet up with some of Brian’s other friends: Bob Butler (who is one of the most successful directors in the history of television and the nicest guy you’ll ever meet) and Howard Murray (a director who has worked on half the comedies you’ve seen on TV) and we'd act out the pieces while Butler or Murray directed.
We had a blast and got to take chances we wouldn’t “on the job”, the writers got to see their material acted out, and it was great all around for everyone.
Soon we had the idea to stage what we'd been performing there. I was teaching acting classes, and had brought to the mix a group of talented actors, who were now “cold-reading” the material of Brian’s students and the result was really remarkable. The actors, writers and directors combined together so well that we knew it was time, so Michael Hayes came on as producer, and Conundrum was born.
The show was staged as a benefit for The Make-A-Wish Foundation, and the idea was that it was going to be an evening of wishes fulfilled for all:from the writers who got to see their work performed before a live audience, to the actors who got to be in the show, to the set designers, costumers, stage managers and stage hands, to the producer and director, to the people in the audience who got to contribute and make a difference, to finally the kid who got a wish fulfilled as an end result.
The generosity was staggering. Professionals from all over the industry contributed and gave their time and efforts for free, all for a great cause.. The show is now even officially part of the curriculum at Cal State Long Beach!