February 2015
Theater Festival in Black and White: Multicultural Edition
The Theater Festival in Black and White: Multicultural Edition shone a light on Pittsburgh’s diverse communities by soliciting one-act plays from an array of playwrights from various cultural backgrounds.
The Code, By Alexis Payne, Directed by John Gresh
Sublet: A Futuristic Real Estate Comedy, By John Reoli, Directed by Eric A. Smith
Family Matters, By Michael A. Jones, Directed by Joseph Martinez
The Roar of the Crowd, By Matt Henderson, Directed by Vanessa German
Terms of Contract, By Paul Kruse, Directed by Adil Mansoor
A Journey to Love, By Marla Carter, Directed by Joanna Lowe
No Late Seating, By Emma Wagner, Directed by Sharnece Thomas
Paper Trail, By Brian Pope, Directed by Abby Kim
March – April 2015
Dinah
Written and Directed By Ernest McCarty
Dinah, a dazzling play about the legendary blues singer Dinah Washington, ran from March 14 – April 5, 2015.
“An upbeat celebration of an American artist.”
– Sharon Eberson, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (review)
“It’s great songs sung by a wonderful singer backed up by a terrific band.”
– Ted Hoover, City Paper (review)
“Flowers nails it with her strong, nuanced voice…. Dinah is a showcase of local talent…a dazzling revue.”
– Denise Johnson, New Pittsburgh Courier (review)
“Flowers…brought Dinah Washington to life. Each number was a beautiful and respectful homage to Dinah and her work.”
– Lonnie The Theatre Lady, Burgh Vivant (review)
Ernest McCarty is both director and playwright of this play set during the last year of the short life of the remarkable woman called the Queen of the Blues. Dinah includes a riveting array of musical numbers and biographical vignettes.
May – June 2015
Fences
By August Wilson
Directed By Mark Clayton Southers
“A vivid tale of societal struggle and family conflict, transformed by love…Scenes crackle with tension.” – Christopher Rawson, Post-Gazette
Set in the 1950s, August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece Fences evokes the early rumblings of the civil rights movement. The central character is Troy Maxson, a middle-aged resident of Pittsburgh’s Hill District. The play follows Troy’s struggle to accept the generational changes that allowed his son to succeed in ways Troy never could.
Reviews: Post-Gazette, City Paper
Preview: Post-Gazette, Post-Gazette (poster/program artist info)
September – October 2015
Dulcy
By George S. Kaufman and Marc Connelly
Directed By Corey Rieger
Though brimming with good intentions, the bubbly but meddling Dulcy seems to always cause calamity whenever she puts her mind to helping her husband. This wonderfully quirky 1921 comedy was penned by Pittsburgh native George S. Kaufman, often called Broadway’s greatest comic playwright, and frequent collaborator Marc Connelly, a native of McKeesport (and both Pulitzer Prize winners). In our rollicking production, directed by Corey Rieger, the setting is updated from the roaring ’20s to 2015.
November 2015
The Piano Lesson
By August Wilson
Directed by Mark Clayton Southers
“A thorough, caring production of a great play, directed with verve by Mark Clayton Southers.”
– Christopher Rawson, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
“[The audience’s] warmth and enthusiasm [was] unsurprising…. Such a reception was warranted by the caliber of this production.”
– Gerard Stanley Hornby, City Paper
August Wilson’s 1990 Pulitzer-winning drama is set in 1936 Pittsburgh’s Hill District. The Piano Lesson focuses on conflict between a brother and sister who differ on what to do with a family heirloom, a piano. The brother, Boy Willie, is a sharecropper who wants to sell the piano to buy the land where his ancestors toiled as slaves. The sister, Berniece, remains emphatic about keeping the piano, which shows the carved faces of their ancestors during the days of their enslavement. Presented on the stage of the August Wilson Center.
Previews: Post-Gazette, Tribune-Review
Reviews: City Paper, Burgh Vivant, Pittsburgh Tattler, Post-Gazette, New Pittsburgh Courier