By JESSICA NEU
The Pittsburgh New Works Festival offers a platform for new one-act plays to come to life. The festival runs August 21st – September 14th and is divided into programs A – D. Program A runs August 21st – 24th, Program B runs August 28th – 31st, Program C runs September 4th – 7th, and Program D runs September 11th – 14th. Each program consists of 4 one-act plays, except for Program D, which will feature three one-act plays.
These fifteen plays were chosen from over 200 entries, and feature work from local and national writers, directors, and performers. Each play in Program A of Pittsburgh New Works Festival is clever, succinct, and most importantly, relatable.
Kicking off the festival is At the Tone. Written by local playwright Peter Surdo and produced by Community Theater Players of Ben Avon, At the Tone highlights how we project our own fears and insecurities onto others, especially those we love the most. The debut of At the Tone was a posthumous celebration as Surdo tragically passed away in a fatal car accident last month. Director James Critchfield brought Surdo’s work to life with the help of actors Stacy Bartlebaugh-Gmys as Gwen and Ronald J. Gmys as Charles. Gwen and Charles work together as the “Time Team” who tell telephone callers the time of day in the early 1960s. The “Time Team” are dating, but begin to quarrel as speculation of job layoffs and infidelity begin to consume Gwen and Charles. Themes of fear, jealousy, competition, commitment, and the feeling that you are needed or enough fill this play with tension and contemplation. Bartlebaugh-Gmys’ and Gmys’ performances in At the Tone set a polished and thought-provoking tone for the Pittsburgh New Works Festival.
Following At the Tone is Susan Cain McQuilkin‘s The Fourth Quarter. Directed by Jennifer Luta, The Fourth Quartertells the story of retired school teacher, Donna (Nancy Julian), and her husband, Ed (Mark Boles). Ed is also recently retired and is recovering from knee surgery. However, as Donna navigates her “fourth quarter” in life with ease and fills her days with luncheons and various activities, Ed struggles to find his identity after being “forced out” of his career as an engineer. The Fourth Quarter addresses common identity crises that we face throughout life, not just when we retire. Who are we without our jobs? What brings value to our lives? When do we stop seeing ourselves as viable contributors to society? What is our purpose? These serious rhetorical questions are juxtaposed against Donna and Ed’s relatable married-couple banter. Donna wants to travel, but Ed is reluctant to venture on guided tours with older people. Ed expects Donna to have meals planned and prepared, but Donna wants Ed to contribute more to their relationship. In an effort to force Ed out of his “slump,” Donna banishes him to the backyard shed. The result is hilarious, poignant, and heart-warming, proving that your “fourth quarter” can be your best yet.
After a brief intermission, audiences returned to their seats for Quiet Tonight. Written by Matthew Green and directed by Katie Kirby, Quiet Tonight is described as a “domestic vampire tale,” but also explores the human psyche and brings mental health crises to center stage. Donnie (Andrew Lasswell) sits in his living room somewhere between acute alertness and a comatose sleep. Lydia (Carley Weissert) soon arrives, and the two sit down to share a meal and discuss their day. The conversation quickly turns to why they are both there and awake in the middle of the night. Donnie’s girlfriend and Lydia’s sister, Michelle (Sarah Leigh Orbin), is locked in the bedroom and tied down to the bed. Through Donnie and Lydia’s discussion, we learn that Michelle is deeply unstable, dangerous, and perhaps both mentally and physically ill. She is unable to be around others, cared for, or even given proper nourishment. We hear Michelle’s cries for help and taunts towards Donnie and Lydia. The two are clearly in irreconcilable anguish over Michelle’s condition, and their own mental states are being pushed beyond reason. Quiet Tonight is a loud voice in the critical discussion of mental health awareness and the cognitive and emotional decline of those who assume the role of caregiver.
Finally, The Bay of Fundy (or Amaranthine) explores a subject that exists amongst people’s deepest fears – the loss of a child. Written by David Gill and directed by Rachel Potts, The Bay of Fundy introduces us to Sydney (Jess Uhler) and her boyfriend, Ponko (Shiloh Oliver). Ponko greets Sydney outside and asks if she is packed and ready to leave. Sydney appears distracted and disengaged, but manages to muster enough on-topic replies to keep the conversation moving. Celebrating his recent sobriety, Ponko is ready to pack up their car as the two venture off to Boston to get a fresh start on life together. Sydney, however, is clutching a photograph and looking at the birds, waiting for an Eagle to return in particular. She believes that birds can offer insight or answers to her never-ending turmoil. Her teenage son disappeared a year ago, and his body has yet to be discovered. The only clue that Sydney has is an overturned boat that her son was on when he disappeared. The Bay of Fundy profoundly tackles the notion of hope and our ability to live a duplicitous life with one foot in our tragic past and one foot in our tenaciously hopeful future. We are reminded that in moments of immense grief or when we are met with unimaginable, to look for the elements in life that represent that which is unfading, everlasting, and immortal.
TICKETS AND DETAILS
The Pittsburgh New Works Festival runs from August 21st to September 14th. Program A runs August 21st – 24th, Program B is August 28th – 31st, Program C runs September 4th – 7th, and Program D runs September 11th – 14th. Performances are at Duquesne University’s Genesius Theatre. Tickets and more information available at https://pittsburghnewworks.org/tickets
Categories: Arts and Ideas, Reviews
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