PICT Season Opens with Blithe Spirit

Contact: Michelle Belan
Marketing & Communications Director
412.561.6000 x203
mbelan@picttheatre.org
www.picttheatre.org

PICT Theatre opens 2014 season with Blithe Spirit
 PICT Artistic & Executive Director Alan Stanford to direct ghostly comedy
First professional production of Blithe Spirit in Pittsburgh since 1971


Pittsburgh, PA – March 11, 2014. PICT Theatre’s Artistic and Executive Director Alan Stanford has selected a bold assortment of classic plays for PICT’s 18th season, Something Wicked This Way Comes. Each play contains its own version of wickedness, with the Noel Coward classic Blithe Spirit opening the season May 3rd (May 1 and 2 previews.)

Alan selected Blithe Spirit to launch the season with humor and broad appeal. “Noel Coward’s humor and wit is as engaging today as ever, and a comedy from this era might help relieve the withdrawal symptoms for the fans of Downton Abbey.”

About the Plays
Blithe Spirit: Not since 1971, when Helen Wayne Rauh played Madame Arcati for The Playhouse has Pittsburgh seen a professional production of Noel Coward’s classic comedy Blithe Spirit. Perhaps more remarkably, Mrs. Rauh played the very same role in 1945! Written to entertain London’s beleaguered audiences during World War II, this comedy tells the story of Charles Condomine, a novelist who hosts a séance with the quirky clairvoyant Madame Arcati in order to gather material for a book. Much to Charles’ surprise, Madame Arcati not only successfully makes contact with his first wife, Elvira, but now Elvira won’t leave him alone – and his second wife, Ruth, is none too pleased!

Mary Rawson has been cast to play the quirky Madame Arcati, the clairvoyant who unwittingly brings back the dead in Blithe Spirit. Mary earned a Performer of the Year nod from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for her portrayal of Violet Watson in August: Osage County. In addition to her many acting credits, she teaches at Point Park University, and is perhaps most famous for playing Cousin Mary Owl on "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood." Mary will return to the PICT stage to play Miss Havisham in December’s Great Expectations.

Dan Rodden, sometimes described as “Don Knotts meets Cary Grant,” will make his Pittsburgh premiere as Charles Condomine, a role he played for the New American Theatre (Rockford) under the direction of Richard Raether. Other selected credits include Richard Hannay in The 39 Steps (Nebraska Repertory Theatre); Felix Unger inThe Odd Couple (Drury Lane Oakbrook Theatre), and Benedick inMuch Ado About Nothing (The Shakespeare Project of Chicago).

Daina Michelle Griffith will play second wife Ruth Condomine. She was one of Pittsburgh’s busiest actresses in 2013, starring in 7 mainstage productions for Quantum, The REP, No Name Players, barebones and Off the Wall, and earning a nod from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette as Performer of the Year for her efforts. Most recently she appeared inCompany for Pittsburgh Public Theater. She was last seen on the PICT stage in the world premiere of Martin Giles’ Beautiful Dreamers in 2010.

Vera Varlamov returns to PICT to play the ghostly Elvira, having played Rachelka/Marianna in the Pittsburgh premiere of Our Class in April of 2013. Vera earned a nod as a breakout performer by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for her performances in Chekhov’s Three Sisters, as well as playing two roles in two short plays for Funny Chekhov during PICT’s Chekhov Celebration in 2012.

James FitzGerald, who is one of two featured artists for the PICT 2014 season, will play Dr. Bradman, an invited guest to the séance. James most recently appeared on the PICT stage as Mr. Dumby in Lady Windermere’s Fan. James is a stalwart member of the PICT team, having appeared with the company since 2008. He has performed 16 seasons with the Chicago Shakespeare Theater as well as other Chicago-area theatres, and is the recipient of two of Chicago’s Joseph Jefferson Awards. He will be appearing in all but one play during the PICT 2014 season.

 Karen Baum will play Edith, the hapless maid in the Condomine household. Karen is also a featured artist for PICT during the 2014 season. She will appear in all but two plays in the PICT season and only because those two plays have no female roles. Two of her best-remembered performances would be Cordelia in King Lear and the maid in Boston Marriage. Last season with PICT, she played Woman 4, Nurse 1 and Young Girl in the Pittsburgh premiere of Don Juan Comes Back from the War.

 Lissa Brennan will play Mrs. Bradman. She returns to PICT after strongly featuring in Don Juan Comes Back from the War in 2013 as Woman 1, Nurse 2, Nun 1 and Prostitute 1. Previous PICT performances include Annie in In the Next Room or the vibrator play(2012) and as a member of the chorus in Salome. Lissa has also performed with barebones, Quantum and Bricolage as well as her own company Dog & Pony Show.

Johnmichael Bohach, who also designed The Crucifer of Blood set in 2013, is the scenic designer for Blithe Spirit. Joan Markert, who designed costumes for The Crucifer of Blood andLady Windermere’s Fan. will design the costumes. Christopher Popowich will design lighting and Angela Baughman will design sound.

NEW AT PICT THEATRE IN 2014
PICT has introduced a 2:00 pm Wednesday matinee in the final week of the run of each show to help accommodate people with alternate work schedules, retirees, college students and student groups. PICT has often provided ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation at one performance in each production. Beginning this season, the Saturday 2PM matinee for each show will include ASL interpretation to accommodate the hearing impaired. Subscriptions and single tickets are available for both.

THE REST OF THE SEASON

Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett
Aoife Spillane-Hinks will return to PICT to direct Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot in June, with Martin Giles as Vladimir/Didi and James FitzGerald as Lucky. Although PICT produced BeckettFest in 2006, the company offered only a staged reading of Waiting for Godot. In October of that same year, Alan Stanford starred as Pozzo in the Gate Theatre Dublin’s touring production at the Byham. Waiting for Godot is considered by many to be one of most influential plays ever written.
 Woman and Scarecrow by Marina Carr
Alan Stanford will direct this beautiful dramatic comedy by one of Ireland’s most notable female playwrights. The woman of the title, played by Nike Doukas, is surrounded by colorful characters including her husband (James FitzGerald), her Auntie (Sharon Brady), and her strange companion, Scarecrow (Karen Baum).

Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme by Frank McGuinness
The Great War is imminent when a group of boys from Ulster begin training in the British army, preparing for the Battle of the Somme. Frank McGuinness’ lyrical play captures the fierce friendship and loyalty among men who must face the wickedness and wastefulness of war. Matt Torney, who previously directed The Crucifer of Blood for PICT in 2013, returns to direct.

Macbeth by William Shakespeare
Double, double toil and trouble: the witches of Macbeth are just in time for Halloween in PICT’s October production directed by Alan Stanford. Stay tuned for our casting release in April.
 Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, adapted by Hugh Leonard
Hugh Leonard wrote this adaptation specifically for Alan Stanford to produce at the Gate Theatre Dublin, where it met with critical and commercial success. Mary Rawson will play Miss Havisham, and further exciting casting news will be available shortly.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SEASON IS AVAILABLE ON THE FOLLOWING FACT SHEET OR AT THE WEBSITE, picttheatre.org

 TO ORDER TICKETS:
Subscriptions available now. Single tickets on sale April 1, 2014.
By phone at 412-561-6000.  Online at picttheatre.org. Email to tickethelp@picttheatre.org
 PICT Theatre (also known as Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre) was founded in 1996 to diversify the region’s theatrical offerings by providing Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania audiences with high-quality, text-driven, affordable productions of classical theatre and the works of classical and contemporary Irish playwrights and to significantly improve employment opportunities for local talent in all facets of theatrical presentation and production. PICT is a Small Professional Theatre (SPT) affiliated with Actors’ Equity Association, and a constituent member of Theatre Communications Group (TCG) and the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council. PICT is the Professional Theatre in Residence at the University of Pittsburgh, and performs in The Charity Randall and Henry Heymann Theatres from April through December in cooperation with the University of Pittsburgh – Department of Theatre Arts.


PICT THEATRE’S 2014 SEASON QUICK FACT SHEET

Blithe Spirit by Noel Coward
Directed by Alan Stanford
The Charity Randall Theatre
May 1 – May 17, 2014
NEW THIS YEAR: WEDNESDAY 2PM MATINEE- May 14, 2014
(10 a.m. Student Matinee on Tuesday, May 13)
(2 p.m. matinee on Saturday, May 17 includes an American Sign Language interpretation.)

Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett
Directed by Aoife Spillane-Hinks
The Charity Randall Theatre
June 4 – June 21, 2014
NEW THIS YEAR: WEDNESDAY 2PM MATINEE- June 18, 2014
(10 a.m. Student Matinee on Wednesday, June 4)
(2 p.m. matinee on Saturday, June 21 includes an American Sign Language interpretation.)
 Woman and Scarecrow by Marina Carr
Directed by Alan Stanford
The Henry Heymann Theatre
July 10 – August 2, 2014
NEW THIS YEAR: WEDNESDAY 2PM MATINEE- July 30, 2014
(2 p.m. matinee on Saturday, August 2 includes an American Sign Language interpretation.)

Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme by Frank McGuinness
Directed by Matt Torney
The Charity Randall Theatre
September 4 – September 20, 2014
NEW THIS YEAR: WEDNESDAY 2PM MATINEE- September 17, 2014
(10 a.m. Student Matinee on Tuesday, September 16)
(2 p.m. matinee on Saturday, September 20 includes an American Sign Language interpretation.)

Macbeth by William Shakespeare
Directed by Alan Stanford
The Charity Randall Theatre
October 8 – 25, 2014
NEW THIS YEAR: WEDNESDAY 2PM MATINEE- October 22, 2014
(10 a.m. student matinees on Tuesday, October 8 and Tuesday, October 21)
(2 p.m. matinee on Saturday, October 25 includes an American Sign Language interpretation.)

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens (Adapted for the stage by Hugh Leonard)
Directed by Alan Stanford
The Charity Randall Theatre
December 3-20, 2014
NEW THIS YEAR: WEDNESDAY 2PM MATINEE- December 17, 2014
(10 a.m. student matinees on Tuesday, December 3 and Tuesday, December 16)
(2 p.m. matinee on Saturday, December 20 includes an American Sign Language interpretation.)
           
Subscriptions- full and flex plans available $288-$188*
Single Tickets
Senior Tickets (60+)
(Limited “grab bag” seating at $25; not available at all shows) $48-$38*
$44*
$25*
Military and Youth Tickets:
Military Adult
Military Children (ages 18 and under)
Patrons ages 19-30
Children ages 18 and under
$24*
$5*
$20*
$10*
* Prices do not include handling fees.
Email tickethelp@picttheatre.org to become an E-Subscriber or for online purchasing options, or contact PICT at 412-561-6000 x.207.
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Posted on behalf of Dreamweaver Marketing Associates.  Joyce Kane is the owner of Cybertary Pittsburgh, a Virtual Administrative support company, providing virtual office support, personal and executive assistance, creative design services and light bookkeeping.  Cybertary works with businesses and busy individuals to help them work 'on' their business rather than 'in' their business.  www.Cybertary.com/Pittsburgh

PICT Plays with Mystery and Mayhem

Contact: Michelle Belan
Sales & Marketing Director
412-561-6000 x. 203
mbelan@picttheatre.org
www.picttheatre.org
For Immediate Release

PICT Plays…with Mystery and Mayhem, a Costume Gala by PICT Theatre
*Awards ceremony honoring Sara Steelman and Ray Werner*
**Special Guest Host Jack Gleeson of Game of Thrones is
King of the AE Dance Party**

Pittsburgh, PA – October 16, 2013. PICT Theatre, presenting sponsors PNC Bank and Jones Day, and Dance Party sponsor American Eagle Outfitters are pleased to announce PICT’s reimagined annual fundraiser, a three-part celebration to be held at J. Verno Studios on the South Side.

AWARD RECEPTION, 6-7 PM: PICT is introducing two awards, the Anne D. Mullaney Inspiration Award, which will be presented to Ray Werner, and the Chosky-Rauh Theatre Award, presented to Sara Steelman. Cocktails and hors d’ouevre will be served.

DINNER and SILENT & LIVE AUCTION, 7-9 PM: Guests will dine with actors and directors from PICT’s family as well as special guest Jack Gleeson, star of HBO’s Game of Thrones. Producing Artistic Director Alan Stanford will serve as auctioneer for the live auction.

AE DANCE PARTY & COSTUME CONTEST, 9-11 PM: Jack Gleeson will be the guest host for the AE Dance Party beginning at 9pm. Gleeson will judge the costume contest, where cash prizes for the best Sherlock Holmes themed costume and the best overall costume will be awarded.

ABOUT JACK GLEESON:
PICT’S Producing Artistic Director Alan Stanford has known Jack Gleeson since he was a small boy, and he cast Jack as Tiny Tim in the Gate Theatre Dublin’s production of A Christmas Carol.

Jack also portrayed Young Pip in the Gate’s production of Great Expectations, a production which PICT will present in December of 2014.

“Jack Gleeson is an incredibly talented young actor and I’m extraordinarily pleased by his success. He first worked with me as a most heart-rending Tiny Tim and his natural ability to engage with audiences marked him at once as a natural actor with star quality. Apart from his stage work, which also includes his work in theater for children, he already has a considerable screen career. These credits include appearances in Batman Begins, Reign of Fire and All Good Children. He is also, and very much unlike the character he portrays on Game of Thrones, one of the nicest, most articulate young men you could ever hope to meet, and I’m glad the guests at the gala will get to enjoy his company all evening.”

Jack stars in HBO's Game of Thrones as Joffrey Baratheon. He is a student of Trinity College, Dublin as well as a founder and artistic director of Collapsing Horse Theatre Company, which is based in Dublin.

ABOUT THE AWARDS:
The Chosky-Rauh Theatre Award acknowledges distinguished service to and support of arts and culture. It has been created in honor of philanthropists Richard Rauh and the late Philip Chosky for their many years of leadership gifts. Stephanie Riso, PICT’s co-founder and Operations Director explains, “Philip Chosky and Richard Rauh have been stalwarts in the theatre community since before PICT ever came to be. They have always been passionate about encouraging and supporting all kinds of theatre as well as its professionals and artists. They have, in particular, been extremely generous to PICT over the years. We hope to honor their generosity and commitment and encourage to sustained and meaningful support of theatre with this award.”

The Anne D. Mullaney Inspiration Award has been established to honor the late PICT board member Anne D. Mullaney, a respected attorney and lover of the arts who inspired others with her support of great causes, not only for theatre, but a variety of well-deserved efforts in the Pittsburgh community and beyond. Stephanie Riso notes, “Anne served PICT during the critical years of 2003-2006. She represented kindness and generosity, a sense of humor and a positive attitude. She inspired those around her in countless ways, and PICT is pleased to honor her memory with this award.”

ABOUT SARA STEELMAN, CHOSKY-RAUH AWARD RECIPIENT:
Sara Steelman credits her daughter Amy’s interest in theatre as one of the primary reasons she became so active in theatre, and it was Amy who introduced her to PICT. Through the Indiana Players, the entire family was active in all facets of theatre, from acting and stage management to production and promotion. Both Sara and her husband John Henry serve on the board of the Indiana Players, and last year Sara began coaching the Indiana Players Shakespeare Contest Team. Her support of PICT has come in many forms; not only is she a significant financial supporter, but she has devoted a great deal of time writing articles and copy-editing the program books. Sara served seven terms as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1991 until 2002, and as a director of the Indiana Arts Council.

ABOUT RAY WERNER, ANNE D. MULLANEY INSPIRATION AWARD RECIPIENT:
Ray Werner has enjoyed a distinguished career in the marketing world, and he put his prodigious skills to use for PICT, first as a volunteer on the marketing committee. He joined the PICT board in 2002, taking on the role of President in 2003, and recruiting Anne Mullaney to the board that same year. Ray was selected for this award because of his ability to develop ideas and inspire enthusiastic support —  whether as PICT board president, or in creating a farmer’s market in the Strip District or building a community bread oven in Braddock. Among Ray’s passions is a talent for playwriting that has garnered awards and admiration, and also links him to Chosky-Rauh Theatre Award recipient Sara Steelman: Sara produced and directed Ray’s one-act play Night Song for the Indiana Players.

PICT Theatre (Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre)  was founded in 1996 to diversify the region’s theatrical offerings by providing Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania audiences with high-quality, text-driven, affordable productions of classical theatre and the works of classical and contemporary Irish playwrights and to significantly improve employment opportunities for local talent in all facets of theatrical presentation and production.  PICT is a Small Professional Theatre (SPT) affiliated with Actors’ Equity Association, and a constituent member of Theatre Communications Group (TCG) and the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council. PICT is the Professional Theatre in Residence at the University of Pittsburgh and PICT productions at The Charity Randall and Henry Heymann Theatres are presented in cooperation with the University of Pittsburgh – Department of Theatre Arts.

FACT SHEET -  PICT Plays…with Mystery & Mayhem
A Costume Gala with a Sherlock Holmes Theme

October 28, 2013 from 6- 11 PM
J. Verno Studios, 3030 Jane Street, Pittsburgh PA 15203
Presenting sponsors: PNC Bank and Jones Day
AE Dance Party sponsored by American Eagle Outfitters
Event Planners: Christine Ferguson and Evelyn Castillo

Catering by BIG Catering. Open bar all evening.

6:00 PM                               Award Reception with Cocktails and hors’ doeuvre
                                                Award presentations by Maurice Cohill and Richard Rauh

7:00 PM                               Seated dinner with PICT actors and special guest Jack Gleeson
                                                Silent and live auction
                                                Strolling dessert course

9:00 PM                               AE Dance Party with guest host Jack Gleeson
                                                Photo Booth
                                                Sweet and salty buffet with open bar
                                                Costume award presentation

Ticket Prices:                  Award Reception + Dinner + Dance Party - $250/person
Dinner + Dance Party - $200
Dance Party - $35/person or 2 for $60

Sponsorships and program book advertising available
Contact Terry Moss at tmoss@picttheatre.org.


Tickets and information available online at www.picttheatre.org,
or by calling 412-561-6000

# # #

Posted on behalf of Dreamweaver Marketing Associates.  Joyce Kane is the owner of Cybertary Pittsburgh, a Virtual Administrative support company, providing virtual office support, personal and executive assistance, creative design services and light bookkeeping.  Cybertary works with businesses and busy individuals to help them work 'on' their business rather than 'in' their business.  www.Cybertary.com/Pittsburgh

PICT Announces 2014 Theme: Something Wicked This Way Comes

Contact: Michelle Belan
Marketing Director
412.561.6000 x203
mbelan@picttheatre.org
www.picttheatre.org
SEPTEMBER 23, 2013

PICT Theatre Announces a ‘Wicked’ Season for 2014
Six plays fit the theme: “Something Wicked This Way Comes”
A mixture of classic favorites and pure Irish genius.

Pittsburgh, PA – September 23, 2013. PICT Theatre (Pittsburgh Irish & Classical Theatre) packs its eighteenth year of classic favorites and pure Irish genius, a return to its original mission under the leadership of Producing Artistic Director Alan Stanford. The selection of plays all fit the theme, “Something Wicked This Way Comes,” a line taken from the fifth show of the season.

BLITHE SPIRIT – MAY 1-17, 2014 – THE CHARITY RANDALL THEATRE
PICT launches its season next May with Noel Coward’s immensely popular comedy Blithe Spirit.  This play made its Pittsburgh premiere at the Nixon Theatre in 1942 and was produced again in 1943, and then the Pittsburgh Playhouse produced it in 1945, but since then, there have been no professional productions of this comic gem in Pittsburgh. The story is simple: after a séance gone bad, Charles Condomine is disturbed to find that he now has two wives occupying his home— one of which is his late wife, Elvira. Blithe Spirit playfully mocks the traditions of love and marriage through the machinations of spiritual folly and the fight between a wife living, a wife dead and the haunted husband stuck between them. Even the grim reaper has no rest. A darkly amusing comedy, Blithe Spirit will be directed by PICT Producing Artistic Director Alan Stanford.

WAITING FOR GODOT – JUNE 4-21, 2014 – THE CHARITY RANDALL THEATRE
Though PICT produced BeckettFest in 2006, the company only offered a staged reading of Beckett’s Waiting for Godot. In October of that same year, Alan Stanford starred as Pozzo in the Gate Theatre Dublin’s touring production at the Byham. PICT is finally producing this work as the second production of the 2014 season. Waiting for Godot, considered by many to be one of most influential plays ever written. Of this play, Alan Stanford notes, “ Two men waiting on a road for someone who never arrives. Two other men on a journey that seems to have no purpose or end.  In this simple tragic-comedy, Beckett has captured all life – the waiting and the journeying.” Aoife Spillane-Hinks, who directed PICT’s 2013 season opener Our Classwill return to PICT  to direct.

WOMAN AND SCARECROW – JULY 10-AUGUST 20, 2014, THE HENRY HEYMANN THEATRE
First performed at the Royal Court Theatre in London and subsequently presented at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin, Woman and Scarecrow is Marina Carr’s perfect play about the last moments of a woman’s life. With great beauty and with clear Irish wit and wonder, this play tells the story of a life that was lived and the joy and sadness that comes that comes at journey’s end. The woman of the title is surrounded by colorful characters including her husband, her Auntie, her strange companion- and not forgetting the ‘thing’ in the closet. A wickedly wonderful plot for the adventurous spirit. Directed by Alan Stanford and starring Nike Doukas and Karen Baum,

OBSERVE THE SONS OF ULSTER MARCHING TOWARDS THE SOMME – SEPTEMBER 4-20, 2014, THE CHARITY RANDALL THEATRE
Almost legendary in Irish Theatre, Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme was written in the height of “the Troubles” in Northern Ireland. It was one of the few plays from the Irish Republic which addressed the traditions and sense of Uster-ness of the Northern Protestants. Set during the First World War, the play follows a group of new recruits to the British army from basic training to the night before the Battle of the Somme where over 50,000 British troops died on the first day. Most of the Ulster contingent were killed in the first onslaught. Award-winning Irish playwright Frank McGuinness gives us a play which brilliantly demonstrates duty, loyalty, friendship, and above all, the effect of war on men. PICT’s production marks the 100th anniversary of the beginning of World War I.

MACBETH – OCTOBER 8-25, 2014 – THE CHARITY RANDALL THEATRE
One of Shakespeare’s most popular plays, Macbeth chronicles the lust for power and the enticements that fate can offer. Macbeth, of all Shakespeare’s heroes, is the one on whom temptation and vanity wreak their most terrible revenge. He is the victim of his own delusions and of his own blind ambition. This is a play with no sub-plot. No deviations. No overtly intellectual debate. It is a play of action, power and passion. And there are three wicked witches! Alan Stanford will direct.

GREAT EXPECTATIONS – DECEMBER 3-20, 2014 – THE CHARITY RANDALL THEATRE
One of the best-known novels of England’s most prolific and loved Victorian writers, Great Expectations chronicles the life and loves of Philip Pirrip, known simply as Pip. Apprenticed to a blacksmith, kind to an escaped convict, sent to the home of an eccentric old woman (still in the bridal wear from her wedding day), Pip falls hopelessly in love with her ward. He is sent to London with great expectations of an inheritance. But the truth behind his expectations is far from anything he believed and the conclusion of his adventures is far from anything he dreamed. This classic of literature by Charles Dickens, which contains some of the author’s most colorful characters, was adapted by Hugh Leonard for Alan Stanford for production at the Gate Theatre Dublin. Alan Stanford will direct.

PICT IS NOW A BLUE STAR THEATRE
PICT Theatre is pleased to announce its participation in the Blue Star Theatre program, a program of Blue Star Families and Theatre Communications Group, with support from the MetLife Foundation. Through this program, military servicemembers and their families can receive discounted tickets. More information about the program can be found at the PICT website.

The Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre (PICT) was founded in 1996 to diversify the region’s theatrical offerings by providing Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania audiences with high-quality, text-driven, affordable productions of classical theatre and the works of classical and contemporary Irish playwrights and to significantly improve employment opportunities for local talent in all facets of theatrical presentation and production. PICT is a Small Professional Theatre (SPT) affiliated with Actors’ Equity Association, and a constituent member of Theatre Communications Group (TCG) and the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council. PICT is the Professional Theatre in Residence at the University of Pittsburgh, and performs in The Charity Randall and Henry Heymann Theatres from April through December in cooperation with the University of Pittsburgh – Department of Theatre Arts.

PITTSBURGH IRISH & CLASSICAL THEATRE 2014 SEASON FACT SHEET

All performances in the Stephen Foster Memorial, 4301 Forbes Avenue, Oakland

Blithe Spirit by Noel Coward

Directed by Alan Stanford

The Charity Randall Theatre

May 1 – May 17, 2014

(10 a.m. Student Matinee on Tuesday, May 13)

Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett

Directed by Aoife Spillane- Hinks

The Charity Randall Theatre

June 4 – June 21, 2014

(10 a.m. Student Matinee on Wednesday, June 4)

Woman and Scarecrow by Marina Carr

Directed by Alan Stanford

The Henry Heymann Theatre

July 10 – August 2, 2014

Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme by Frank McGuinness

Director TBA

The Charity Randall Theatre

September 4 – September 20, 2014

(10 a.m. Student Matinee on Tuesday, September 16)

Macbeth by William Shakespeare

Directed by Alan Stanford

The Charity Randall Theatre

October 8 – 25, 2014

(10 a.m. student matinees on Tuesday, October 8 and Tuesday, October 21)

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens (Adapted for the stage by Hugh Leonard)

Directed by Alan Stanford

The Charity Randall Theatre

December 3-20, 2014

(10 a.m. student matinees on Tuesday, December 3 and Tuesday, December 16)

              

Subscriptions

(wide range of packages and flex plans available-

Early Bird pricing in effect until December 21, 2014) $296-$188*

Single Tickets  $55-$38*

Senior Tickets (60+)  $44*

(Limited “grab bag” seating at $25; not available at all shows) $25*

Military and Youth Tickets:

Military Adult  $24

Military Children (ages 18 and under)$5

Patrons ages 19-30  $20*

Children ages 18 and under  $10*  

* Prices do not include handling fees. Subscription handling fees waived for E-Subscribers.

Email tickethelp@picttheatre.org to become an E-Subscriber or for online purchasing options, or contact PICT at 412-561-6000 x.207. 

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Posted on behalf of Dreamweaver Marketing Associates.  Joyce Kane is the owner of Cybertary Pittsburgh, a Virtual Administrative support company, providing virtual office support, personal and executive assistance, creative design services and light bookkeeping.  Cybertary works with businesses and busy individuals to help them work 'on' their business rather than 'in' their business.  www.Cybertary.com/Pittsburgh

Don Juan Comes Back from the War

Contact: Michelle Belan
Sales & Marketing Director
412-561-6000 x.203
mbelan@picttheatre.org
www.picttheatre.org
For Immediate Release

PICT Presents U.S. Premiere of Don Juan Comes Back from the War
**Alan Stanford directs Duncan Macmillan’s new version of the Odon von Horvath play**
***Featuring David Whalen and Nike Doukas ***

Pittsburgh, PA –July 31, 2013. British playwright Duncan Macmillan was asked numerous times to adapt Don Juan Comes Back from the War by Odon von Horvath, and after reading it in the original German as well as a few translations, he felt compelled to accept the challenge. “I thought it was a fascinating play, to take this extraordinary character – the archetypal lover Don Juan - and refract his character through the dark experience of going through the war, and coming back to a war-torn Berlin as an older man, looking for love and redemption.” Macmillan’s version of the play has only been produced once before, at the Finborough Theatre in London in 2012.  Macmillan traveled to Pittsburgh to attend rehearsals and work with director Alan Stanford and the cast for its U. S. premiere. This production will run August 8-31.

Alan Stanford, PICT’s producing artistic director, most recently directed his adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s Lady Windermere’s Fan for PICT in July 2013. “Don Juan Comes Back From the War is a most amazing journey – a pilgrim’s progress into Hell.”

The Cast:
David Whalen plays the iconic lothario Don Juan; in this play, he is a shell-shocked German soldier on a quest for redemption, seeking the love he left at the altar. He is, appropriately, the only male cast member. Whalen recently played Parker in PICT’s production of Lady Windermere’s Fan, and has more than 20 other performances to his credit on the PICT stage, including Ivanov, Three Sisters, Doubt, The Mask of Moriarty, Stuff Happens, Julius Caesar, King Lear, Salome and The Lieutenant of Inishmore a role he reprised at the Repertory of St. Louis, winning the Kevin Kline Award for Best Actor. In 2012, he was named the MVP (Most Valuable Performer) by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette as well as being recognized as Performer of the Year for 2007.  He will soon begin filming a leading role in the independent film The Legion  as well as originating a role in Tammy Ryan’s Soldier’s Heart. In December, he will reprise his role as Sherlock Homes in PICT’s Sherlock Holmes & The Crucifer of Blood.

Each of the female cast members play multiple characters. Nike Doukas just finished an acclaimed turn as Mrs. Erlynne in PICT’sLady Windermere’s Fan. Nike played Celimene in PICT’s The School for Lies last December, as well as the role of Anna inIvanov and Olga in Three Sisters. Other PICT credits include The Bear, House and Garden, Betrayal and Celebration.

Melinda Helfrich returns to PICT after appearing as Mrs. Daldry in In the Next Room or the vibrator play.

A native of Pittsburgh, Melinda has most recently appeared as Duck Macatarsney in The Monster in the Hall (City Theatre), and as Sanelma Kayramo in The Howling Miller (Quantum Theatre).  Additional credits include the title role in Yerma (Quantum Theatre) and as Elizabeth in Jeffery Hatcher's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (City Theatre.)

Karen Baum, a Point Park University graduate, has previously appeared in three PICT productions (King Lear, Boston Marriageand The Shaughran) as well as on stage with other Pittsburgh theatres including Pittsburgh Public Theatre, Playhouse REP, Bricolage, No Name Players, Unseam’d Shakespeare, and Off the Wall. She is a SAG-AFTRA member with film and TV credits including Promised Land, The Road, My Bloody Valentine 3D, KillPoint, and The War That Made America. She teaches for the Pittsburgh Public Theatre, Civic Light Opera and Hope Academy.

Lissa Brennan is a Pittsburgh-based actor, director, teach and playwright  whose most recent PICT appearance  was the 2012 production of  In the Next Room or the vibrator play. Previous work with PICT includes the Beckett Festival and Salome, her first opportunity to work with Alan Stanford. She has also performed with barebones, the University of Pittsburgh, Quantum Theatre, Bricolage, and her own company, Dog & Pony Show.

Catherine Moore has performed with PICT since 2001 in Portia Coughlin, Tonight at 8:30, The Seagull, the PICT Ireland tour ofFaith Healer, BeckettFest, Julius Caesar, Salome, and Jane Eyre. She was last seen in Pittsburgh in the Quantum Theatre production of  Golden Dragon. As a fight choreographer, her work has been seen at PICT, City Theatre, and Pittsburgh Opera. She is an Associate Teaching Professor at the Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama.

Gayle Pazerski makes her PICT debut in Don Juan. She earned her BFA in Theatre from the University of Kentucky and studied in the graduate acting program at Rutgers University under William Esper. Gayle’s previous acting credits include Chicks with Dicks (Bricolage), The Book of Liz (No Name Players), and The End of the Affair (Quantum). As a playwright, Gayle’s work has been featured with Bricolage’s Midnight Radio series, No Name Players' SWAN Day, Organic Theater Pittsburgh, and the Future Ten 10-minute play festival.

ABOUT THE PLAY:
Don Juan Comes Back from the War by Odon von Horvath in a new version by Duncan Macmillan.
The Great War has just ended. Infamous lothario Don Juan, a shell-shocked German soldier returns to a devastated Berlin, his prospects bleak. After a few days of debauchery to shed the horrors of war, Don Juan embarks on a quest to find the love he left at the altar years before. His reputation and the desires of the women he meets along the way – some who wish to love him, some who seek revenge – threaten to keep him from his goal. With dark humor, Don Juan makes his way to an uncertain fate.  Note: Appropriate for ages 18 and up. This play contains male and female full-frontal nudity and violence.

PICT Theatre (Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre)  was founded in 1996 to diversify the region’s theatrical offerings by providing Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania audiences with high-quality, text-driven, affordable productions of classical theatre and the works of classical and contemporary Irish playwrights and to significantly improve employment opportunities for local talent in all facets of theatrical presentation and production.  PICT is a Small Professional Theatre (SPT) affiliated with Actors’ Equity Association, and a constituent member of Theatre Communications Group (TCG) and the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council. PICT is the Professional Theatre in Residence at the University of Pittsburgh and PICT productions at The Charity Randall and Henry Heymann Theatres are presented in cooperation with the University of Pittsburgh – Department of Theatre Arts.



FACT SHEET -  Don Juan Comes Back from the War by Odon von Horvath in a new version by Duncan Macmillan

Directed by Alan Stanford
The Henry Heymann Theatre in the Stephen Foster Memorial
4301 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213

Cast: David Whalen, Nike Doukas, Melinda Helfrich, Karen Baum, Lissa Brennan, Catherine Moore, Gayle Pazerski.

Design Team: Narelle Sissons (scenic and costume design); Allen Hahn (lighting design); Joe Pino (sound design); Johnmichael Bohach (properties)

Performance Schedule:
Wednesdays – Saturdays at 8pm
Sundays at 2pm
Tuesday, August 27 at 7pm
Saturday, August 31 at 2pm and 8pm

First Week:         Thursday and Friday, August 8 & 9, 8:00 pm – Previews
                                Saturday, August 10, 8:00 pm – Opening Night
                                Sunday, August 11, 2:00 pm – Talkback following performance
Second Week:    Wednesday* – Saturday, August 14-17, 8:00 pm
                                Sunday, August 18, 2:00 pm
Third Week:       Wednesday – Saturday, August 21-24, 8:00 pm
                                Sunday, August 25, 2:00 pm
Fourth Week:     Tuesday, August 27, 7:00 p.m. (Early Tuesday** performance)
                                Wednesday-Friday, August 28-30, 8:00 p.m.
                                Saturday, August 31, 2:00 pm - Matinee performance***
Saturday, August 31, 8:00 pm – Final performance
*Pre-show lecture begins at 7:00 pm in The Charity Randall Theatre.
**Early Tuesday includes 6:00 pm happy hour – free food buffet + drink specials -- hosted at Joe Mama’s Restaurant, 3716 Forbes Ave. 15213)
***American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation available at this performance


PICT Special Events

Talkback – Free to the public
Sunday, August 11, following the 2:00 p.m. performance includes director Alan Stanford and the cast of Don Juan Comes Back from the War (Approximate start 3:30 pm)

Pre-Show Lecture – Free to the public
Wednesday, August 14, 7:00-7:30 p.m.

American Sign Language (ASL) Interpretation available at one matinee performance
Saturday, August 31, 2pm -- (Must purchase ticket for performance)

Subscription Packages:                            $222 - $258 (Standard prices; flex plans available)
Single Tickets:                                               $25-$48 ($20 under age 26 with valid ID)
                                                                                Prices do not include Handling Fees      

Pick, purchase and print your tickets online at www.picttheatre.org,
or call 412-561-6000
# # #


Michelle Belan
Sales & Marketing Director
PICT
Theatre You Can't Stop Talking About
412-561-6000 x. 203
mbelan@picttheatre.org
www.picttheatre.org

Posted on behalf of Dreamweaver Marketing Associates.  Joyce Kane is the owner of Cybertary Pittsburgh, a Virtual Administrative support company, providing virtual office support, personal and executive assistance, creative design services and light bookkeeping.  Cybertary works with businesses and busy individuals to help them work 'on' their business rather than 'in' their business.  www.Cybertary.com/Pittsburgh

Lady Windermere's Fan at PICT

More Modern Milieu for Lady Windermere’s Fan
**Alan Stanford adapts and directs Oscar Wilde’s comic gem **
***Featuring Leo Marks, Nike Doukas, Jodi Gage and John DeMita in 17-member cast ***

Pittsburgh, PA – UPDATE July 3, 2013. Renowned Oscar Wilde expert Alan Stanford, PICT’s interim Producing Artistic Director, will direct his adaptation of the great Irish playwright’s comedy, Lady Windermere’s Fan. Wilde’s play, first produced in 1892 in London, satirizes the morality of Victorian society. Stanford has moved the setting forward in time to 1947; in post-World-War II London, Wilde’s language and ridicule of high-society still resonate. Oscar Wilde was not so much a writer of polite English comedy, but rather a biting Irish satirist who lampooned the social absurdities and prejudices of the English upper classes, prejudices that lasted well into the Twentieth Century. This production, which runs July 11 through July 27, is PICT’s third show of the season, and features a cast of 17 actors.

Stanford continues to build his reputation as a skilled interpreter of the plays of Oscar Wilde. He has been the principal interpreter of Wilde at the renowned Gate Theatre of Dublin as both an actor and director. He has, at various times, directed and appeared in all of the major plays of Wilde, including the role of Lady Bracknell at Ireland’s Abbey Theatre and here at PICT.  Stanford just finished directing PICT’s second show of the season, The Kreutzer Sonata. His previous directing credits include works by Shakespeare, Molière, Noel Coward, Shaw, and Brecht. He directed PICT’s record-breaking production of the Sherlock Holmes’s mystery The Mask of Moriarty in 2011. Following Lady Windermere’s Fan, he will direct Don Juan Comes Back from the Warwhich PICT will present in August.

Nike Doukas returns to PICT to play Mrs. Erlynne, a mysterious woman whom Lady Windermere believes is seducing her husband. Doukas most recently appeared on the PICT stage in David Ives’ The School for Lies in December 2012. She played Anna inIvanov as well as directing and acting in the short plays of Funny Chekhov during PICT’s Chekhov Celebration last summer.

Also returning from the Chekhov Celebration is Leo Marks, who is playing Lord Windermere in his fourth season at PICT. His past PICT credits include Betrayal, The Hothouse, The Importance of Being Earnest, House and Garden and Three Sisters. His 2012 PICT performances in The Bear, Ivanov and The School for Lies were recognized with a Post-Gazette Performer of the Year award.

John DeMita returns to PICT to play Lord Darlington after his 2011 performance in Race.  Other theatre credits include the Andak Stage Company, The Hollywood Bowl, Geffen Playhouse, American Conservatory Theater, Intiman Theater, Oregon Shakespeare Festival and the Pacific Resident Theatre, where he is a founding member. DeMita is a graduate of Yale University and the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco.

Jodi Gage will begin her first season with PICT playing the suspicious Lady Windermere, who believes her husband is having an affair. Other Pittsburgh credits include The REP, Pittsburgh CLO and the Theatre Factory.  Gage is a Performing Artistic Affiliate, as well as Managing Director of Mozawa, an international company that creates original works of interdisciplinary art.

PICT welcomes back Martin Giles, Helena Ruoti, James FitzGerald and David Whalen.

Martin Giles is in his 12th season with PICT, with credits including The School for Lies, Ivanov, The Mask of Moriarty, House & Garden, The Importance of Being Earnest, The History Boys, What the Butler Saw and The Gigli Concert, which helped earned him a Post-Gazette Performer of the Year award. Most recently he wowed audiences with his one-man tour de force performance in PICT’s The Kreutzer Sonata. Giles will direct A Skull in Connemara for PICT in September, and in December, he’ll reprise his role as Dr. Watson in Sherlock Holmes & The Crucifer of Blood.

Helena Ruoti is in her seventh season with PICT.  Previous PICT credits include Ivanov, School for Lies, Afterplay, House and Garden, Antony & Cleopatra, The Seagull, Hamlet, Heartbreak House, King Lear, Rock N Roll and What the Butler Saw.

James FitzGerald is in his 6th season with PICT. Other Pittsburgh credits include the Pittsburgh Public Theater, Quantum Theater and Bricolage. He was acknowledged by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for his work in the Best of Pittsburgh 2011 and 2012. With many credits in Chicago, FitzGerald is also the recipient of Chicago’s Joseph Jefferson Award, a Jeff Citation and an After Dark Award.

David Whalen is in his 8th season with PICT. He has performed in more than twenty productions for PICT, including the Chekhov Celebration, Pinter Festival, Julius Caesar, Stuff Happens, Doubt, Salome, King Lear, Pride & Prejudice and The Lieutenant of Inishmore, a role he reprised at The Repertory of St Louis, winning the Kevin Kline Award for Best Actor.  His Pittsburgh credits include Pittsburgh Public Theatre, City Theatre, Quantum, The REP and Barebones Productions. In 2012, he was named the MVP Performer by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette as well as being recognized as Performer of the Year for 2007.  Whalen will be appearing in PICT’s productions of Don Juan Comes Back from the War in August, and he will reprise his role as Sherlock Homes in Sherlock Holmes & The Crucifer of Blood in December.

Returning after her PICT debut last year, Colette Freiwald performed in Three Sisters and Ivanov. A graduate of Point Park University, she performed in Room Service and The Hostage, and she recently performed with Prime Stage in Walk Two Moons.

Lisa Ann Goldsmith was last seen on the PICT stage in Jane Eyre, and other PICT credits include The Shaughraun and Pride & Prejudice. Pittsburgh credits include Unseam’d Shakespeare, Pittsburgh CLO, Quantum Theatre and The REP.

Dylan Marquis Meyers is returning to PICT after his performance in The Importance of Being Earnest in 2011. He is in his junior year in the drama department at the University of Pittsburgh.
Six actors will be making their PICT debuts: Lily Davis, Jordan Ross Weinhold, Heidi Friese, Casey Jordan, Hannah Morris, Luke Halferty.

Lily Davis is a recent graduate of Point Park University this May, where she performed in The School for Scandal and TheCrucible. Her performance as Jane in 800 Words: The Transmigration of Philip K. Dick with Caravan Theatre Group earned her a mention in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in 2012.

Jordan Ross Weinhold is recently graduated with a BA in Musical Theatre at Point Park University, where he performed in The Producers and played opposite Lily Davis in The School for Scandal. Lily and Weinhold play opposite each other again in Lady Windermere’s Fan.

Heidi Friese is also a recent graduate of Point Park University, where her credits include Evita, Peter and the Wolf, A Chorus Line, M33 and The Producers.
A recent graduate of Wright State University, Casey Jordan’s university credits include The Merchant of Venice, Anything Goes,and The Phantom of the Opera.

Hannah Morris is in her junior year at Point Park University.
Also in his junior year at Point Park University, Luke Halferty appeared there in The School for Scandal, and he just completed his debut performance with the St. Vincent Theatre in Latrobe.

ABOUT THE PLAY:
Lady Windermere’s Fan
The play, the first of Wilde’s quartet of social satires, was first presented in 1893. It proved an instant success and established Wilde as a major playwright. Although greeted as a delightful comedy by the West End society of late Victorian London, it is in fact a thinly-veiled attack on the hypocrisy of what was called Good Society.

In this play, as in others from his pen, Wilde took the relatively unusual step of centering the plot around two female characters and proved himself every bit as adept at this as his contemporaries, Shaw and Ibsen.
The plot is simple enough. A young wife, married to an aristocrat of previously blameless character finds that he has been financially supporting a woman of dubious reputation. His refusal to explain drives her to take desperate steps. And yet, the safety of her own reputation in this world of privilege and prejudice and the avoidance of a scandal that could ruin her life hangs on the behavior of the very woman she suspects.
PICT Theatre (Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre)  was founded in 1996 to diversify the region’s theatrical offerings by providing Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania audiences with high-quality, text-driven, affordable productions of classical theatre and the works of classical and contemporary Irish playwrights and to significantly improve employment opportunities for local talent in all facets of theatrical presentation and production.  PICT is a Small Professional Theatre (SPT) affiliated with Actors’ Equity Association, and a constituent member of Theatre Communications Group (TCG) and the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council. PICT is the Professional Theatre in Residence at the University of Pittsburgh and PICT productions at The Charity Randall and Henry Heymann Theatres are presented in cooperation with the University of Pittsburgh – Department of Theatre Arts.

FACT SHEET -  Lady Windermere’s Fan by Oscar Wilde
Adapted by Alan Stanford

Pittsburgh Premiere
Directed by Alan Stanford
The Charity Randall Theatre in the Stephen Foster Memorial
4301 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213

Cast: John DeMita, Nike Doukas, Jodi Gage, James FitzGerald, Martin Giles, Leo Marks, Helena Ruoti, Lily Davis, Colette Freiwald, Heidi Friese, Lisa Ann Goldsmith, Luke Halferty, Casey Jordan, Dylan Marquis Meyers, Hannah Morris, Jordan Ross Weinhold, David Whalen


Design Team: Michael Essad (scenic design); Joan Markert (costume design); Cat Wilson (lighting design); Steve Shapiro (sound design); Johnmichael Bohach (properties)

Performance Schedule:
Wednesdays – Saturdays at 8pm
Sundays at 2pm
Tuesday, July 23 at 7pm
Saturday, July 27 at 2pm and 8pm

First Week:         Thursday and Friday, July 11 & 12, 8:00 pm – Previews
                                Saturday, July 13, 8:00 pm – Opening Night
                                Sunday, July 14, 2:00 pm – Talkback following performance
Second Week:    Wednesday* – Saturday, July 17-20, 8:00 pm
                                Sunday, July 21, 2:00 pm
Third Week:       Tuesday, July 23, 7:00 p.m. (Early Tuesday** performance)
                                Wednesday-Friday, June 24-26, 8:00 p.m.
                                Saturday, July 27, 2:00 pm - Matinee performance
Saturday, July 27, 8:00 pm – Final performance
*Pre-show lecture begins at 7:00 pm in The Charity Randall Theatre.
**Early Tuesday includes 6:00 pm happy hour – free food buffet + drink specials -- hosted at Joe Mama’s Restaurant, 3716 Forbes Ave. 15213)


PICT Special Events   (Free of Charge)

Talkback
Sunday, July 14, following the 2:00 p.m. performance includes director Alan Stanford and the cast of Lady Windermere’s Fan

Pre-Show Lecture
Wednesday, July 17, 7:00 p.m.


Subscription Packages:                            $222 - $258 (Standard prices; flex plans available)
Single Tickets:                                               $25-$48 ($20 under age 26 with valid ID)
                                                                                Prices do not include Handling Fees      

Pick, purchase and print your tickets online at www.picttheatre.org,
or call 412-561-6000

# # #

Posted on behalf of Dreamweaver Marketing Associates.  Joyce Kane is the owner of Cybertary Pittsburgh, a Virtual Administrative support company, providing virtual office support, personal and executive assistance, creative design services and light bookkeeping.  Cybertary works with businesses and busy individuals to help them work 'on' their business rather than 'in' their business.  www.Cybertary.com/Pittsburgh

Point Park University Presents The School for Scandal

Point Park University’s Conservatory Theatre Co. presents Sheridan’s Restoration comedy, ‘The School for Scandal’

Directed by Alan Stanford, preview April 11, play runs April 12-21 at The Pittsburgh Playhouse

PITTSBURGH – Point Park University’s Conservatory Theatre Company presents Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s comedy of manners, The School for Scandal, directed by Alan Stanford.

The School for Scandal runs Friday, April 12-Sunday, April 21, in the Rauh Theatre at the Pittsburgh Playhouse. Performances are 8 p.m., Thursday – Saturday, and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are $18-$20 (student, senior and group rates are available) and can be purchased by calling the Pittsburgh Playhouse box office at 412.392.8000, or online at www.pittsburghplayhouse.com. There will be a preview performance at 8 p.m., Thursday, April 11, with tickets discounted at $12. Patrons can take advantage of the “Pay what you will” performance at 2 p.m., Saturday, April 13, subject to availability.

Widely regarded as a comic masterpiece of the Restoration Period, The School for Scandal provides a witty look at the art of gossip, featuring trysts and elaborately fabricated stories as the pastime of 18th century Londoners.

The Conservatory Theatre Company’s production of the School for Scandal is directed by Alan Stanford, interim artistic director of the Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre, and features set design by Michael Essad, costume design by Joan Markert, lighting design by Andrew David Ostrowski, and sound design by Steve Shapiro. The stage manager is Rebecca Krall; assistant stage managers are Kelsey Bower, Brandon Martin and Nicole White.

Celebrating his 46th year as a professional actor, director and producer, Stanford has a memorable history with the Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre over the past six years. He has directed Salome, Pinter’s Betrayal and Celebration, and The Mask of Moriarty by Hugh Leonard, and has appeared with them as Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest, as well as performances in The Pitmen Painters, Ivanov and Swansong. His adaptation of Jane Eyre has also been presented by the company. He initially trained for the theatre in London at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and has had a long and renowned career in the Irish theatre. He was a founder and Producing Artistic Director until 2012 of Ireland's Second Age Theatre Company, a theatre regularly funded by The Arts Council of Ireland and dedicated to the presentation of classical works and the development of a love and appreciation of theatre by younger audiences.

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Contact: Ramesh Santanam | Director of Marketing & Public Relations
rsantanam@pointpark.edu | 412.392.8106

Posted on behalf of Dreamweaver Marketing Associates.  Joyce Kane is the owner of Cybertary Pittsburgh, a Virtual Administrative support company, providing virtual office support, personal and executive assistance, creative design services and light bookkeeping.  Cybertary works with businesses and busy individuals to help them work 'on' their business rather than 'in' their business.  www.Cybertary.com/Pittsburgh

PICT Announces Stellar 2012 Season

Single tickets on sale now for stellar PICT 2012 season

“Get Turned On” with local, national and internationally-acclaimed artists who bring the world to our stages in a titillating Pulitzer finalist by a leading American female playwright, a true story, an exploration of the comedic facets of a Russian master (and the great Irishman who was inspired by him), and a zany holiday farce!



Media Contact: Melissa Hill Grande
Associate Artistic Director and Director of Marketing
Pittsburgh Irish & Classical Theatre
mgrande@picttheatre.org
412-561-6000 x203

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Pittsburgh, PA – March 20, 2012. PICT has assembled a team of world-class artists to bring the 2012 season to life, including Simon Bradbury, Alan Stanford, Matt DeCaro, Linda Kimbrough, Brad Heberlee, Megan McDermott, Melinda Helfrich, Nike Doukas, Leo Marks, and Jessica Frances Dukes. Top-notch local favorites gracing the PICT stage this season include Helena Ruoti, David Whalen, Larry John Meyers and Martin Giles.

Leading off the 2012 season is the Pittsburgh premiere of Sarah Ruhl’s Pulitzer finalist, In the Next Room or the vibrator play, featuring Brad Heberlee as Dr. Givings, Megan McDermott as Catherine Givings, Jessica Frances Dukes as Elizabeth, and Melinda Helfrich as Sabrina Daldry.

Heberlee has performed with The Civilians, as well as with such companies as Pearl Theatre Company, Atlantic Theatre Company, SoHo Rep, Denver Center Theatre Company, Weston Playhouse, Milwaukee Rep and Actors Theatre of Louisville. He holds an MFA from Yale School of Drama.

McDermott just finished an acclaimed co-production of Time Stands Still at Delaware Theatre Company and ACT2 Playhouse in Philadelphia. She has worked with such companies as The Wilma Theatre, Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, and McCarter Theatre Center. She is also a company member in PICT’s Chekhov Celebration.

Dukes reprises the role she played in the wildly successful Woolly Mammoth production. She comes to Pittsburgh straight from Geva in Rochester, where she is doing A Raisin in the Sun.

Helfrich played the title role in Ruhl’s Eurydice at Alliance Theatre in Atlanta. Her Pittsburgh credits include productions with Quantum Theatre and City Theatre. She is currently performing in City Theatre’s The Monster in the Hall. The production is directed by Alan Stanford and also features Lissa Brennan (Salome), Philip Winters (Synge Cycle, Pride & Prejudice), and Denver Milord in his PICT debut.

Scenic design is by Gianni Downs, lighting by Andrew David Ostrowski, Costumes by Pei-Chi Su, and sound design by Mark Whitehead. In the Next Room or the vibrator play performs April 19 through May 5 in the Charity Randall Theatre.

The Pitmen Painters by Lee Hall, author of Billy Elliott, is the second play in the PICT 2012 season. Simon Bradbury stars as Oliver Kilbourn, with Alan Stanford as Harry Wilson and Linda Kimbrough as Helen Sutherland.

Originally from Northern England, Simon Bradbury is the 2010 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Performer of the Year, and spent 17 seasons at the Shaw Festival in Canada. His previous PICT productions include acting in Chaplin, The Shaughraun, BeckettFest, King Lear, Rock ‘n’ Roll, and Hobson’s Choice, and directing What the Butler Saw. He recently toured the world as a headliner for Cirque du Soleil in Ovo.

One of Ireland’s best-loved sons and a recent transplant to Pittsburgh, Alan Stanford is the PICT 2012 artist in residence. Stanford makes his second on-stage appearance at PICT, following his inimitable Lady Bracknell in last year’s The Importance of Being Earnest. Stanford has a long association with Dublin’s famed Gate Theatre, where he has directed numerous productions including Great Expectations, A Christmas Carol, and God of Carnage. He has toured the world over the past decade as Pozzo in the Gate Theatre production of Waiting for Godot. Stanford is also a company member in PICT’s Chekhov Celebration, directing Brian Friel’s Afterplay and The Yalta Game, and starring as Count Shabelsky in Ivanov and Svetlovidov in Swan Song.

Chicago actor Linda Kimbrough returns to PICT, where she played in Pride and Prejudice and The History Boys. Kimbrough’s recent credits include the Northlight Theatre production of Hugh Leonard’s A Life opposite John Mahoney, and The Gospel According to James at Victory Gardens and Indiana Repertory Theatres.

The play is directed by Andrew S. Paul and also features Daryll Heysham (Othello, The Mask of Moriarty), Larry John Meyers (Endgame, Pinter Celebration, Uncle Vanya), and Sean Sears (Antony & Cleopatra). Rachel McKeon and Bernie Balbot make their PICT debuts.

Scenic design is by Gianni Downs, costume design by Rachel S. Parent, lighting design by Jim French, and projection design by Jessi Sedon-Essad. The Pitmen Painters plays in the Henry Heymann Theatre May 31 through June 23.

An outstanding repertory company has been assembled from across the country for “Tragedian in Spite of Himself: A Celebration of the Life and Theatre of Anton Chekhov”. The Chekhov celebration includes productions of Three Sisters and Ivanov, as well as two evenings of short plays: After Chekhov, featuring Brian Friel’s Chekhov-inspired Afterplay and The Yalta Game, and Funny Chekhov, featuring The Bear, The Proposal, Swan Song, Drama and On the Evils of Tobacco.

Nike Doukas and Leo Marks come to Pittsburgh from Los Angeles. Doukas will play Olga in Three Sisters, Anna Petrovna in Ivanov and Popova in The Bear, and will direct The Proposal. Her previous PICT credits include An Ideal Husband, Pinter Celebration, and last season’s critically-acclaimed House and Garden. She has an MFA from the American Conservatory Theatre and is a regular presence at theatres throughout Southern California including South Coast Rep and The Old Globe in San Diego. Marks is Baron Tuzenbach in Three Sisters and Dr. Lvov in Ivanov, and will direct Swan Song. Marks was a member of the Pinter Celebration company, and played in The Hot House, Betrayal and Celebration. Other PICT credits include Antony & Cleopatra, House & Garden, and The Importance of Being Earnest. The OBIE Award-winning actor was a founding member of New York’s acclaimed Elevator Repair Service, and has appeared at some of the most respected theatres in the country, including The Shakespeare Theatre, South Coast Repertory, Actors Theater of Louisville, the Old Globe and Intiman.

New York-based actor Christian Conn makes his PICT debut as Andrei in Three Sisters and Lomov in The Proposal. Conn has worked with some of the most prominent regional theatres in America, including multiple productions with Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, The Shakespeare Theatre, Playmaker’s Rep and Syracuse Stage. His recent credits include Studio Theatre’s hit production of Venus in Furs, and Pittsburgh Public Theater’s As You Like It.

Four-time Joseph Jefferson Award-winner Matt DeCaro returns to PICT to play Borkin in Ivanov and Chubukov in The Proposal. Based in Chicago, DeCaro’s previous PICT credits include The Lieutenant of Inishmore and King Lear. Other stage credits include David Mamet’s Romance at the Goodman Theatre and Glengarry Glen Ross at Steppenwolf, which also played at the Dublin Theatre Festival.

The Chekhov company also includes Pittsburgh’s greatest leading actors, including former Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Actor of the Year award winners David Whalen, Helena Ruoti, Larry John Meyers, and Martin Giles.

David Whalen returns to PICT this season to play Vershinin in Three Sisters. He also headlines Friel’s The Yalta Game. He recently played Sherlock Holmes in PICT’s record-breaking production of The Mask of Moriarty. Other PICT credits include The Importance of Being Earnest, Pinter Celebration, Doubt, and The Lieutenant of Inishmore.

Pittsburgh favorite Helena Ruoti returns to PICT to play Zinaida Lebedev in Ivanov and Sonya in Afterplay. Ruoti’s other recent PICT credits include the queen in Antony & Cleopatra, House & Garden, Rock ‘n’ Roll, and What the Butler Saw.

Martin Giles plays Lebedev in Ivanov, Andrei in Afterplay, and directs The Bear. Giles’ acting credits with PICT include Dr. Watson in The Mask of Moriarty, as well as House & Garden, Pinter Celebration, Synge Cycle and BeckettFest. His directing credits include the world premiere of his original work Beautiful Dreamers, as well as The Dumbwaiter in Pinter Celebration and The Well of the Saints in Synge Cycle.

Larry John Meyers plays Chebutykin in Three Sisters and Nyukhin in The Evils of Tobacco, and will direct Drama. His other PICT credits include The Hot House in Pinter Celebration, Endgame in BeckettFest, Crime and Punishment, and Stuff Happens.

Thrilling young actresses Vera Varlamov (Irina in Three Sisters) and Katya Stepanov (Sasha in Ivanov) make their professional debuts. The Chekhov company also includes PICT newcomers Christian Conn, Adrian Enscoe, Colette Freiwald, Billy Hepfinger, Megan McDermott, and Jonathan Visser. Returning to PICT are Joe Domencic (Hobson’s Choice), James FitzGerald (The Mask of Moriarty, The Importance of Being Earnest), Robert Haley (Stuff Happens), Alan Stanford (The Importance of Being Earnest), and Terry Wickline (Too Clever by Half) . Harriet Power makes her PICT debut directing Three Sisters, and Andrew S. Paul directs Ivanov. Scenic design is by Gianni Downs, with lighting design by Allen Hahn, costume design for Three Sisters and Ivanov by Pei-Chi Su, costume design for Funny Chekhov and After Chekhov by Rachel S. Parent, and sound design by Elizabeth Atkinson. The Chekhov Celebration plays July 19 through August 26 in both the Charity Randall and Henry Heymann Theatres.

The season concludes with The School for Lies, a hilarious modern verse adaptation of Moliere’s The Misanthrope by David Ives. Andrew S. Paul directs and Nike Doukas and Leo Marks star in this family-friendly comedy that plays November 29 through December 15th in the Charity Randall Theatre.

The 2012 Media Sponsors are WYEP and Essential Public Radio. Single tickets are available now through PICT’s new online ticketing system at www.picttheatre.org, or by calling ProArtsTickets at 412.394.3353 for a $1.50 phone fee. A range of options are available for money-saving season subscriptions, and can be purchased by contacting Eric Nelson at 412.561.6000 x206, emailing enelson@picttheatre.org, or on the PICT website at www.picttheatre.org.

PICT receives state arts funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

FACT SHEET - PICT 2012 Mainstage Productions

In the Next Room or the vibrator play
by Sarah Ruhl
Pittsburgh Premiere
Directed by Alan Stanford
The Charity Randall Theatre
April 19 – May 5


The Pitmen Painters by Lee Hall
Pittsburgh Premiere
Directed by Andrew S. Paul
Henry Heymann Theatre
May 31 – June 23


Chekhov Celebration
Tragedian in Spite of Himself: A Celebration of the Life and Theatre of Anton Chekhov
Three Sisters
Trans. By Paul Schmidt
Directed by Harriet Power
Henry Heymann Theatre
July 19 – Aug 26


Ivanov
Directed by Andrew S. Paul
New English version by Tom Stoppard
U.S. Premiere
The Charity Randall Theatre
Aug 2 - 25

After Chekhov
The Yalta Game
Afterplay
by Brian Friel
Pittsburgh Premieres
Directed by Alan Stanford
Henry Heymann Theatre
Aug 10-26

Funny Chekhov
The Bear
The Proposal
Swan Song
Drama
On the Evils of Tobacco
The Charity Randall Theatre
Aug 17 - 25

The School for Lies by David Ives
Directed by Andrew S. Paul
The Charity Randall Theatre
Nov 29 – Dec 15

Tickets:

Subscriptions: $224 - $252 (10 packages and Flex Plans available)

Single Tickets: starting at $25 ($20 under 26 with valid ID)

Call ProArtsTickets at 412.394.3353 or visit PICT online at www.picttheatre.org

PICT - Great Stories. Well Told.

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