Reflecting on a great year

posted by Tracy Brigden, Artistic Director

Tracy Brigden, Artistic Director

Every December, I reflect on what we have accomplished at City Theatre throughout the year.  I take some time to contemplate the work that we have created on stage – plays like The Morini Strad, When January Feels Like Summer and The 39 Steps that have been embraced by our wonderful audiences here in Pittsburgh. This year, I am also reflecting back on the whole DECADE of plays and programs we have created at City – as I celebrate my Tenth Anniversary as Artistic Director of this incredible company.  I am grateful everyday that I get to lead a theatre company that is dedicated to developing and producing the finest quality contemporary plays.

What many of you may not know is that your support of City Theatre enables us to remain one of the only places in the country where both up-and-coming and award-winning playwrights can see their new work develop, flourish and begin a journey through the landscape of contemporary American theatre. In addition to playwrights, many directors, designers and actors travel to Pittsburgh to work with our extraordinary local theatre artists and to take part in the exceptional play development activities that are at the heart of what we do at City Theatre.

Here are a few highlights of City Theatre’s achievements in 2010:

• The world premiere of When January Feels Like Summer by Cori Thomas received standing ovations and a nomination for the American Theatre Critics Association’s annual M. Elizabeth Osborn New Play Award.

• Tony Award-winner and Western PA native Michele Pawk received rave reviews for her performance in Robert Hewett’s one-woman play The Blonde, the Brunette and the Vengeful Redhead.

• City Theatre’s Young Playwrights Contest and Festival received a record number of submissions from middle and high school student writers in western PA.

• We continue to be a service leader for audiences with disabilities, expanding our offerings to include open captioning at select performances in addition to our audio-described performances.

• The 39 Steps, adapted by Patrick Barlow from the novel by John Buchan and from the movie of Alfred Hitchcock, kicked off the 2010/11 season to rave reviews and record single ticket sales.

• The world premiere of Willy Holtzman’s The Morini Strad earned a nomination for the American Theatre Critics Association’s annual ATCA/Steinberg New Play Award.

• Thanks to the generosity of PPG, City Theatre’s new PPG Courtyard offers audiences a beautiful space to mingle before performances and during intermissions. 

City Theatre's PPG Courtyard

At this time of year, especially now as I celebrate my tenth year with City Theatre, I feel tremendous gratitude and appreciation for all you have helped us to accomplish and all that is to come.  The future is looking very bright.

End of the VENGEFUL REDHEAD

posted by Carlyn Aquiline, Literary Manager and Dramaturg

This weekend is your last chance to see Tony Award-winning Michele Pawk in a tour-de-force performance in The Blonde, the Brunette and the Vengeful Redhead by Australian playwright Robert Hewett, who joined us for previews and opening night. Michele plays seven characters who offer their individual perspectives on the same event. The characters often contradict one another, at times obviously deceive themselves, and clearly manipulate some details to shine a better light on themselves. All of which means that the whole truth (whatever that is!) can never actually be known by the audience members, who must ultimately decide what they think the “truth” is.

What IS true is that Michele Pawk gives an outstanding performance and that director Lou Jacob and the designers—Tony Ferrieri (set), C.T. Steele (costumes), Andy Ostrowski (lights), and Jane Shaw (sound)—invite the audience in on the fun of watching Michele transition from one character to the next as the set revolves and she changes costumes and wigs. Sometimes we get just a peek and sometimes we get the full view but the transitions between monologues—which are all like complete short plays in themselves—are a blast to watch, and the character of the production would suffer greatly without them.

I don’t think the other designers will be insulted if I bring special attention to C.T. and the amazing costume design he has created, which includes the initial vision for the indispensible wigs and ongoing collaboration with wig designers Elsen Associates to develop them to their final looks. Thanks to him, Michele is able to change to a new and distinctive look for each character in a few seconds flat and, amazingly, those wigs actually make her face look different for each character.

Michele Pawk as Rhonda, the "redhead," wearing the first of C.T. Steele's craftily designed costumes and wigs. They're unique to the personality and style of each character but allow for lightning quick changes in the transitions between monologues, which are great fun to watch.

Catch Michele in performance through Sunday afternoon. Several performances are already sold out. Here is some press in case you missed it before:

Post-Gazette preview article.  Post-Gazette review by Chris Rawson.

Tribune-Review preview article. Tribune-Review review by Alice Carter.

And, for fun, here’s Michele’s “Personality Test” in today’s Tribune-Review.