City Rewinds: 50 Years of New Plays‘ provides a decade-by-decade retrospective of the organization’s most beloved shows.
City Theatre’s new reading series that celebrates some of the company’s audiences’ favorite productions from the past 50 years. City has dug into its production archives and solicited feedback from audience members to curate a decade-by-decade retrospective of its most-remembered plays. Patrons will have the opportunity to revisit and experience a staged reading of a script (including some of the original artists) from each organizational era.
The first reading takes place Monday, September 30, with the best-selling show in City Theatre’s 50 years, the 2016 production of Robert Askins’ Hand to God, featuring almost the entire original cast. Hand to God received an extension and rave reviews from audiences and press who fell for the demonic puppet, Tyrone.
Writing in October 2016 for the Pittsburgh City Paper, Ted Hoover said: “Seeing Hand to God could send you straight to Hell, but you’ll be laughing the whole way down.” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s longtime theatre critic Christopher Rawson wrote, “Yes, Hand to God is just as funny as you’ve heard, and if you haven’t heard, you must live too far away from the South Side to hear the gales of laughter. But ‘gales’ isn’t strong enough – make it tornadoes.”
Subsequent City Rewinds readings will feature plays by playwrights Emily Mann, Sam Shepard, and Michael Hollinger.
In January 2025, as part of the reading series, City Theatre will also celebrate the 50th anniversary of the founding of Kuntu Repertory Theatre, the company founded by Dr. Vernell Audrey Watson Lillie, which served as one of Pittsburgh’s leading African-American theatres in Pittsburgh from1974 to 2013, producing playwrights such as Rob Penny and August Wilson. City Theatre and Kuntu Rep collaborated on over a dozen productions in the 1980s and 1990s. In 2021, City Theatre dedicated its studio theatre in honor of Dr. Lillie.
ABOUT Hand to God, written by Robert Askins and directed by Clare Drobot.
In a church basement in a little town in Texas, something evil is afoot. Or, well — at hand. The youth group has a monster in its ranks: a rogue puppet named Tyrone. He’s hijacked the hand of timid teen Jason, and there’s nothing his classmates, his mother, or the pastor can do to exorcise this foul-mouthed demon. Hand to God is a thrill ride of a comedy about good and evil, sex and sin, faith, and the filthy mind of one twisted sock puppet.
Hand to God is rated R for rude, raunchy, and riotously funny content. You’ve been warned.
Featuring: Michael Greer*, Nick LaMedica*, Alex Manalo, Tim McGeever*, and Lisa Velten Smith* The original production’s creative team included Tony Ferrieri (scenic), Tracy Christiansen (costumes), Andrew David Ostrowski(lighting), Elizabeth Atkinson (sound), and Stephanie Shaw (puppet design). Nancy McNulty McGeever was the dialect coach, and Diego Villada provided fight choreography. Patti Kelly was the stage manager, and City Theatre’s then-artistic Director, Tracy Brigden, directed the show. *Member of the original 2016 City Theatre cast. All appear courtesy of the Actors’ Equity Association.
TICKETS AND DETAILS
All City Rewinds readings will occur Monday evenings at 7:00 pm in City Theatre’s Gordon Lounge.
A special City Rewinds subscription is also available for the reading series;
- September 30, 2024 | Hand to God by Robert Askins; directed by Clare Drobot
- November 18, 2024 | Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters First 100 Years; directed by Monteze Freeland
- January 27, 2025 – KUNTU REP: A Dramatic Collage; directed by Monteze Freeland
- February 24, 2025 – Curse of the Starving Class by Sam Shepard; directed by Jed Allen Harris
- April 7, 2025 – Opus by Michael Hollinger; directed by Sheila McKenna
For tickets and further information, visit: 412.431.CITY (2489) or https://trustarts.org/production/94464/list_performances
Categories: Arts and Ideas, Show Previews
Leave a Reply Cancel reply