Local companies are producing world premieres of one-act plays again this week.
Happiness, mother-daughter relations, and incendiary jokes are among the themes of three world premieres as the Pittsburgh New Works Festival partners with local theater companies to present Program D during the fourth weekend of its 33rd season, September. 12-15, in the Genesius Theater at Duquesne University.
Program D opens with Happy, by Marjorie Williamson of St. Louis. When Brenda decides to embrace happiness, she finds it more complicated than she had imagined. Produced by the Summer Company and directed by Heather Ruppert, the cast features JR Graff, Tim Syciarz, and Riley Tate.
In Ahimsa, by Matt Thekkethala of Austin, a joke at a comedy club causes a fiery rift between two lovers. The production is directed by Patti Ross for the Bobcat Players, with a cast of Erin Berger, Xander Boots, Calvin Brookins, Arjun Kunar, Andrew Lasswell, and Jennifer Welch.
January, by Sara Schreck of New Haven, Conn., formerly of Pittsburgh, is a slice-of-life narrative that spans time and generations as a mother and daughter explore their bond, the experience of having and losing a hero, and the role of art in helping us connect with others through time. Dave Joseph directs for R-ACT Theatre Productions. The cast includes Kit Bowman, Kaitlyn Cliber, Maxine Coltin, and Mary-Cait Cox.
TICKETS AND DETAILS
The season runs on weekends through September. 22, with performances on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings at 8 p.m. and matinees at 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Three new one-act plays are presented on each of the five-weekend programs.
The plays were selected from more than 300 submitted anonymously earlier this year. Each submitted play was evaluated, and the participating theater companies chose the 15 to be produced from among the highest scorers. The playwrights of the plays being presented are from states coast to coast, and one is from a playwright in Mexico.
Tickets for each performance cost $17 in advance, $20 at the door, and student tickets $15, reflecting the Festival’s mission to make theater accessible to diverse audiences.
For details and to purchase tickets, visit https://pittsburghnewworks.org/
Categories: Arts and Ideas, Show Previews
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