By JESSICA NEU

With only two programs left, the Pittsburgh New Works Festival continues to showcase some of the best and most creative national and local playwrights. The Pittsburgh New Works Film Festival marches forward, featuring Program C from September 4th to 7th. Just like programs A and B, program C showcases four original new short plays. For the third weekend in a row, the festival delivers insightful, thought-provoking work that will conjure up a range of emotions. Whether you enjoy comedy, tragedy, fantasy, or wit, these four short plays have content for every theatergoer. 

Program C kicks off with The Bowl. A hilarious glimpse into the fears and anxiety that can plague any couple about to announce their engagement to their immediate family members. Written by Michael Buzzelli, directed by Hannah Brizzi, and produced by the Riverfront Theater Company, The Bowl stars Wendy Parkulo, Liam Gannon, Richard Garbee, and Tonilyn Jackson. Parkulo and Gannon portray Kayla and Josh, who are newly engaged. Kayla’s anxiety is heightened as she prepares for her parents to arrive. Josh puts out snacks in an effort to entice Kayla’s parents to want to drink more alcohol, with hopes that a bit of a buzz will lighten the mood as they announce their engagement. Kayla is a teacher at a local high school and confiscated a student’s rather large stash of gummy bears laced with edible marijuana. Josh does not realize the gummy bears are actually edibles and puts them on the coffee table for communal consumption. Kayla’s parents arrive while she is upstairs, and before she realizes, many of the gummy bears have been consumed. A hilariously relatable interaction ensues that cleverly combines delightful Pittsburgh references with witty one-liners, creating a play that depicts the courage it takes to overcome anxieties, confront our parents, and choose our own path to happiness. 

Next up is Joel Doty’s Forty-three Flights ‘til Truth. Directed by Erin Fulton and produced by Summer Company,Forty-three Flights ‘til Truth depicts sisters Yvonne (Allie Burns) and Cheryl (Sarah JK Shoemaker) who are stuck in a broken elevator on the 43rd floor. Although both women are grown adults, Cheryl has an established career, a husband, and children. In contrast, Yvonne is still struggling to find her way in the world. Doty’s play proves to be an intense character study of the differing ways in which we approach both trauma and near-death experiences. Cheryl remains relatively calm. Anxious, certainly afraid, but pragmatic and hopeful that they will be rescued. Yvonne, on the other hand, is frantic, panicked, and even unhinged at times. Her guttural screams elicit years of pent-up frustrations and trauma. The sisters’ dichotomous personalities enable an intense, suspenseful interaction marked by raw dialogue and visceral emotion. We learn that the girls are in an elevator at an attorney’s office so they can sign paperwork after their father’s passing. The unexpected time together prompts an intense exchange of raw dialogue, ranging from disclosing childhood secrets to unpacking unresolved trauma. This exploration of the human psyche in flight-or-fight moments also uncovers our need for everything in our lives to have a viable explanation. While not quite a Lord of Flies-level psychiatric deep dive, “Forty-three Flights ‘til Truth” is a thought-provoking exploration of familial relations and challenges one’s own contribution to generational trauma. 

After a brief intermission, audiences returned for Sam Heyman’s Violet and Harris. Director Soren DeNiz brings to life the story of Violet (Penelope Zamborsky) and Harris (Samir Tanay). The two once shared a room, but now they are separated by a physical and metaphorical barrier. Violet is confused by their disconnection and does not recall when or why the separation took place. In an effort to reconnect with Harris, Violet attempts to begin a game of catch through their respective rooms or the barrier. The game goes awry as Harris grows angry at what he perceives as Violet’s carelessness or immaturity. Zamborsky approaches Violet with a child-like innocence, and Tanay’s Harris is a profoundly complex and nuanced character grappling with his own emotions related to growing up and needing his own space. From a plot perspective, “Violet and Harris” is the most ambiguous of the four shows. Still, its unfinished lines allow you to draw some of your own conclusions about Violet and Harris’s strained yet codependent relationship.  

Program C concludes with the hysterically macabre A Date with the Devil. Written by Nathan Wagner, produced by Prime Stage Theater, and directed by Linda Haston, A Date with the Devil follows a couple down a partially frustrating, partially morbid path that will have you laughing the entire way. We first meet Lilith (Kaitlin Cliber), who is in the midst of an exasperating phone call with her boss. She is complaining that Daniel (Marston Leff), her live-in boyfriend, has “swiss cheese” for a brain and is oblivious to the obvious concerns surrounding Lilith’s actions or their relationship as a whole. As Daniel arrives home and asks permission to enter their shared apartment, we quickly realize the antecedent for Lilith’s frustration. Daniel is the epitome of emotional intelligence, therapeutic language, and emotional sensitivity. As Lilith tries to explain her frustrations, he asks if she is looking for “comfort or solutions.” Cliber and Leff are perfectly cast in their respective roles and transform Wagner’s witty script into a modern-day Abbott and Costello skit. The result is a hilarious look at relationships that delivers a unique perspective on what inspires us, the battle between good and evil, free will, and true love. Date with the Devil is a deviously delightful end to yet another excellent program from the Pittsburgh New Works Festival. 

TICKETS AND DETAILS

The Festival continues next weekend with Program D, Septembder 11 – 14. Find all the details and tickets here

Categories: Arts and Ideas, Reviews

Tags: Pittsburgh New Works Festival