With Comedy & Drama for All! The Made in America Season from PPT

Contact Margie Romero,
Communications Manager at Pittsburgh Public Theater
412.316.8200 ext. 707
or mromero@ppt.org

With Comedy & Drama for All!

The MADE IN AMERICA Season

2012/13 at The Public features eight productions plus a Town Hall series of free events with community participation.

Ted Pappas

Programmed by Producing Artistic Director Ted Pappas, Pittsburgh Public Theater’s MADE IN AMERICA season includes a six-play Subscription Series plus two Special Events, all by American writers and set in cities across the USA. Surrounding the shows, a series of Town Hall Meetings will throw open the O’Reilly Theater doors to a broad range of topics and people. Up first, during the run of Born Yesterday, is “Born Again: Local Women Discuss How They Became Empowered to Follow a Dream.” Panelists will include Erin Molchany talking about her decision to become a politician; Liz Moore Pessaro, who will discuss leaving the corporate world to open her restaurant Bluebird Kitchen; and Dr. Jessie B. Ramey, an award-winning writer and scholar who started the blog Yinzercation to rally for quality public education. “Born Again” takes place on Monday, Oct. 8. Audience participation will be encouraged at these free events. Complete details about the Town Hall series will be available in the fall.

Also new this season is a 7 pm starting time for all Tuesday shows. Six-play packages (ranging from $135 to $321) and tickets for Second City for President are currently available. Single tickets for Born Yesterdaygo on sale Monday, Aug. 20. Single tickets for all other shows go on sale Tues., Sept. 4. Tickets and complete details are available by calling the Box Office at 412.316.1600 or online at ppt.org. Pittsburgh Public Theater’s home is the O’Reilly Theater at 621 Penn Avenue, in the heart of Downtown’s Cultural District.
Pittsburgh Public Theater’s 2012/2013 MADE IN AMERICA Season

SPECIAL EVENT: Second City for President. August 24 & 25
This gut-busting revue will dole out laughter at the expense of both sides of the aisle. If you elect to attend, their campaign promises non-stop hilarity and the wildest of political parties. The Second City, which launched the careers of Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert, Steve Carrell and many others, celebrates more than 50 years of cutting-edge satirical revues. Their current touring troupe features the next generation of the comedy world’s best and brightest, performing the company’s trademark improvisation and sketch comedy with musical accompaniment and audience participation. Showtimes: Fri., Aug. 24 at 8 pm & Sat., Aug. 25 at 5:30 and 9 pm. A cash bar will be open during each performance.

Born Yesterday. By Garson Kanin. Directed by Ted Pappas
September 27 – October 28, 2012
This hilarious classic comedy tells the tale of Billie Dawn’s transformation from ditzy showgirl to solid citizen. The makeover begins when her crooked boyfriend, Harry Brock, goes to Washington to buy himself a Senator and decides that Billie is too dumb to mingle with the political smart set. He hires a nerdy journalist to teach her how to fit in, and what transpires is the stuff of Broadway and Hollywood legend.

Good People. By David Lindsay-Abaire. Directed by Tracy Brigden
November 8 – December 9, 2012
The distance between Boston’s Chestnut Hill and the Lower End is measured in more than miles. Mike and Margaret both grew up poor, but he made it out and became a doctor while she is stuck – a single mother who gets by on sarcasm and bingo games with her pals. When they meet again, an invitation leads Margaret to his luxurious home and into a turbulent conversation with Mike and his surprising wife. This tough and tender play looks at luck, choices, blame, pride, and what people will do to survive.

SPECIAL EVENT: The Chief. By Rob Zellers & Gene Collier. Directed by Ted Pappas
January 3 – 12, 2013
Back for a special 10th anniversary celebration, this made-in-Pittsburgh play about Arthur J. Rooney, Sr. is the best-selling and most beloved production in Public Theater history. Starring Tom Atkins, The Chiefoffers stories about the founding of a legendary football dynasty, and a great American city.

1776. A Musical Play. Book by Peter Stone. Music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards
Directed by Ted Pappas
January 24 – February 24, 2013
The founding of our nation comes to star-spangled life in this grand Tony Award-winning Best Musical. In1776 you’ll see the heroes of the American Revolution like you’ve never seen them before – in rousing songs and dances, comic encounters, and impassioned politics. The stakes have never been higher as John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin wrangle to get everyone on the same page – namely, the Declaration of Independence. Theatrical fireworks will fill the O’Reilly Theater in this thrilling story of how we went from 13 colonies, to the United States of America.

Thurgood. By George Stevens, Jr. Directed by Ted Pappas
March 7 – April 7, 2013
In 1967, Thurgood Marshall became our first African-American Supreme Court Justice. In this exuberant one-man play we’ll hear Thurgood’s story in his own words – from humble beginnings as a waiter in Baltimore, to behind the scenes with leaders such as General MacArthur, Robert Kennedy and President Lyndon Johnson, to his triumphant rise to the highest court in the land. A journey of epic proportions,Thurgood is an eye-opening, humorous, and uplifting portrait of a true American hero.

Clybourne Park. By Bruce Norris. Directed by Pamela Berlin
April 18 – May 19, 2013
With brilliant wit this winner of the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and 2012 Tony Award for Best Play inspects one house in two separate years: 1959 and 2009. In Act One, the mid-20th century problem centers on a black family moving into Chicago’s white Clybourne Park. In Act Two, it’s 50 years later and the issue is white gentrification in the now black neighborhood. Clybourne Park is a perceptive and sharply funny play about the minefield of personalities that must be negotiated before a community can be created.

Other Desert Cities. By Jon Robin Baitz. Directed by Rob Ruggiero
May 30 – June 30, 2013
Lyman Wyeth is an actor-politician in the Ronald Reagan mold. His impeccable wife Polly never has a strand of hair out of place. Now retired, their life in a wealthy Palm Springs enclave is upset when relatives arrive for the holidays. Son Trip is a TV reality show producer; Polly’s sister Silda is a wisecracking liberal just out of rehab; most troubling is daughter Brooke, who announces that she is about to publish a revealing memoir. This 2012 Tony-nominated Broadway sensation is an entertaining look at unruly family politics.

TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE AT 412.316.1600 OR PPT.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

The Original Amazing Race, Around the World in 80 Days

Contact Margie Romero, Communications Manager at Pittsburgh Public Theater
412.316.8200 ext. 707 or mromero@ppt.org

Pittsburgh Public Theater Presents

Around the World in 80 Days

In Mark Brown’s thrilling theatrical adaptation of the Jules Verne classic, Phileas Fogg and friends create the original Amazing Race.

PITTSBURGH (March 21, 2012) Pittsburgh Public Theater presents Mark Brown’s adaptation of Around the World in 80 Days, the classic story by Jules Verne. Tony-nominated director Marcia Milgrom Dodge will stage this entertaining adventure that runs April 12 – May 13, 2012 at the O’Reilly Theater, Pittsburgh Public Theater’s home in the heart of Downtown’s Cultural District. For tickets call 412.316.1600 or visit ppt.org. Pittsburgh Public Theater is led by Producing Artistic Director Ted Pappas. Around the World in 80 Days is presented by Highmark.



Ron Bohmer

In this work of highly theatrical imagination, the year is 1872 and Englishman Phileas Fogg (Ron Bohmer) accepts a bet to circle the globe in just 80 days. Accompanied by his French servant Passepartout (Jeffrey Kuhn), he travels by train, steamship, sled, and even elephant. With brilliant bravery (and stunning stagecraft), they rescue an Indian princess, encounter a monsoon at sea, and escape a devious detective, among other daring deeds. In tour-de-force performances, Tom Beckett, Meera Rohit Kumbhani, and Richard B. Watson play dozens of outrageous characters in this funny, romantic, and suspenseful race around the world.

Meera Rohit Kumbhani

The design team is Michael Schweikardt (Scenic), Martha Bromelmeier (Costumes), Kirk Bookman (Lighting), and Zach Moore (Sound). Don Wadsworth is the Dialect Coach, casting is by McCorkle Casting, Ruth E. Kramer is the Production Stage Manager, and Alicia DeMara is the Assistant Stage Manager.

Jules Verne was born in France in 1828. He became a prolific and acclaimed writer of science fiction and fantasy books, including Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and A Journey to the Center of the Earth, which are still popular today. Mark Brown is an actor and writer who currently lives in New York.

Pittsburgh Public Theater Presents

What: Around the World in 80 Days

When: April 12 – May 13, 2012

Performance Schedule

Tues. through Sat. at 8 pm (except Tues., May 8 when the show is at 7 pm).

Sat. at 2 pm (except April 21).

There will be an additional 2 pm matinee on Thurs., May 10.

Sun. at 2 & 7 pm (except Sun. May 13 when the final show is at 2 pm)

Press Night is Thursday, April 19.

Opening Night is Friday, April 20.

Ticket Prices

$28 to $60.

$15.75 for students and age 26 and younger with valid ID.

For tickets call 412.316.1600 or visit ppt.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

Freud's Last Session at the O'Reilly

Contact:
Margie Romero, Communications Manager at Pittsburgh Public Theater
412.316.8200 ext. 707
mromero@ppt.org

Pittsburgh Public Theater Presents

Freud’s Last Session

On the eve of war, a battle of faith ignites between Sigmund Freud and C.S. Lewis in Mark St. Germain’s award-winning new play.

PITTSBURGH (February 10, 2012) Pittsburgh Public Theater is proud to present the Pittsburgh premiere of Freud’s Last Session, Mark St. Germain’s new play about an imagined meeting between outspoken atheist Sigmund Freud (David Wohl) and Christian writer C.S. Lewis (Jonathan Crombie). Freud’s Last Session won the 2011 Off-Broadway Alliance Award for Best Play. Directed by Mary B. Robinson, it runs March 1 – April 1, 2012 at the O’Reilly Theater, Pittsburgh Public Theater’s home in the heart of Downtown’s Cultural District. For tickets call 412.316.1600 or visit ppt.org.

The play is set on September 3, 1939 in the study of Freud’s London home, where the legendary psychoanalyst is meeting with C.S. Lewis, a young Oxford professor and writer. As they listen to radio bulletins about England going to war, religious views become the main theme of their conversation. Once a skeptic, Lewis now has a profound faith in God, while Freud thinks anyone who believes is suffering from obsessional neurosis. Sometimes shocking, often very funny, always thought-provoking, discussion topics include free will, science, myths, joy, pain, the New Testament, family, and of course, sex. This riveting play delves deeply into the minds, and more surprisingly the hearts, of two rare and brilliant men.

Freud’s Last Session was suggested by The Question of God, a book by Dr. Armand M. Nicholi, Jr. The design team for Pittsburgh Public Theater’s production is Allen Moyer (Scenic & Costumes), Phil Monat (Lighting), and Zach Moore (Sound). Fred Noel is the Production Stage Manager, Adrienne Wells is the Assistant Stage Manager, and casting is by McCorkle Casting, LTD.

About the Playwright

In addition to Freud’s Last Session, Mark St. Germain’s plays include Dr. Ruth, which will premiere this summer at the Barrington Stage Company; Best of Enemies, to be produced in New York next season; The Fabulous Lipitones, a musical comedy co-written with John Markus which will premiere at the Theatrical Outfit in Atlanta in 2013; Camping With Henry and Tom (Lucille Lortel, Outer Critics Circle Awards), Ears On a Beatle, The God Committee, and Out of Gas On Lover’s Leap. With composer Randy Courts Mark he wrote the musicals The Gifts of the Magi, Jack’s Holiday, and Johnny Pye. He also wrote the Tammy Wynette musical Stand By Your Man for the Ryman Theater in Nashville. Television work includes writer and creative consultant for “The Cosby Show”.

Pittsburgh Public Theater Presents

What: Freud’s Last Session

When: March 1 – April 1, 2012

Performance Schedule

Tues. through Sat. at 8 pm (except Tues., March 27 when the show is at 7 pm).

Sat. at 2 pm (except March 3 & 10).

There will be an additional 2 pm matinee on Thurs., March 29.

Sun. at 2 & 7 pm (except Sun. April 1 when the final show is at 2 pm)

Press Night is Thursday, March 8.

Opening Night is Friday, March 9.

Ticket Prices

$22 to $55.

$15.75 for students and age 26 and younger with valid ID.

For tickets call 412.316.1600 or visit ppt.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

As You Like It Sizzles in the New Year at the O'Reilly Theater

Contact
Margie Romero
Communications Manager at Pittsburgh Public Theater

412.316.8200 ext. 707
mromero@ppt.org

Pittsburgh Public Theater Presents



Gretchen Egolf



As You Like It

The pursuit of happiness is at the heart of Shakespeare’s romantic comedy in this all-new production directed by Ted Pappas.

PITTSBURGH (December 28, 2011) Pittsburgh Public Theater continues its red hot season with a glowing new production of William Shakespeare’s As You Like It, directed by Ted Pappas. As You Like It runs January 19 – February 19, 2012 at the O’Reilly Theater, Pittsburgh Public Theater’s home in the heart of Downtown’s Cultural District. For tickets call 412.316.1600 or visit ppt.org. As You Like It is Presented by PNC.

This romantic comedy features smart, funny and feisty Rosalind, who is one of Shakespeare’s greatest inventions. In this sparkling role, The Public is thrilled to welcome back Gretchen Egolf, who was last seen here as Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy in the world premiere of The Secret Letters of Jackie and Marilyn. Playing her would-be beau, Orlando, is Christian Conn, who appeared on Broadway in Desire Under the Elms. Making her Public Theater debut as Rosalind’s cousin, Celia, is Julia Coffey.

Returning to Pittsburgh for As You Like It are several accomplished veterans who have performed recently at The Public: Ross Bickell (The Royal Family) as Duke Frederick and Duke Senior; Douglas Harmsen (The Importance of Being Earnest) as Touchstone; Anderson Matthews (Superior Donuts) as Jaques; and Noble Shropshire (Camelot) as Adam/Mar-Text. Also featured are Theo Allyn (Phoebe), David Bielewicz (Jaques De Boys), Alex Coleman (Corin), Don DiGiulio (Dennis), Lisa Ann Goldsmith (Audrey), Daniel Krell (LeBeau and Amiens), Chris Landis (Silvius), Lindsay Smiling (Charles, William and Hymen), and David Whalen (Oliver).

In As You Like It, when Rosalind is banished from the palace, she takes refuge in the Forest of Arden disguised as a boy. There she discovers a world full of colorful characters, all in riotous pursuit of happiness. With original music composed by Michael Moricz, director Ted Pappas has set his production in the Edwardian era, that short golden age at the dawn of the 20th century when social change promised to be the new fashion. Creating this stylish world is the design team: James Noone (Scenic), Gabriel Berry (Costumes), Kirk Bookman (Lighting), and Zach Moore (Sound). Randy Kovitz is the Fight Director, Ruth E. Kramer is the Production Stage Manager, and Fredric H. Orner is the Assistant Stage Manager.


Pittsburgh Public Theater Presents

What: As You Like It

When: January 19 – February 19, 2012

Performance Schedule

Tues. through Sat. at 8 pm (except Tues., Feb. 14 when the show is at 7 pm).

Sat. at 2 pm (except Jan. 28).


There will be an additional 2 pm matinee on Thurs., Feb. 16.

Sun. at 2 & 7 pm.

Press Night is Thursday, Jan. 26.

Opening Night is Friday, Jan. 27.

Ticket Prices



$28 to $60.



$15.75 for students and age 26 and younger with valid ID.



For tickets call 412.316.1600 or visit ppt.org

Sophocles' ELECTRA at Pittsburgh Public Theater

Contact Margie Romero, Communications Manager at Pittsburgh Public Theater


412.316.8200 ext. 707 or mromero@ppt.org

Pittsburgh Public Theater Presents

Electra

by Sophocles

adapted by Frank McGuinness

The fate of a family is revealed in 90 minutes of theatrical dynamite, directed by Ted Pappas.



Catherine Eaton Plays Electra


PITTSBURGH (September 1, 2011) Pittsburgh Public Theater launches its 37th season with Electra, written by ancient Greek master Sophocles and adapted by Frank McGuinness. After highly successful productions of Medea and Oedipus the King, Greek native Ted Pappas will now direct Electra. It runs September 29 – October 30, 2011 at the O’Reilly Theater, Pittsburgh Public Theater’s home in the heart of Downtown’s Cultural District. For tickets call 412.316.1600 or visit ppt.org. Electra is presented by First Niagara with production sponsors Jim and Electra Agras and Production Underwriters Jim and Kathe Patrinos.

Lisa Harrow/Clytemnestra

Electra brings to life the myths of ancient Greece while it tells a timeless story of one family’s tragedy. As the play begins, Orestes (Michael Simpson), his friend Pylades (David J.M. Bielewicz), and his faithful servant (Edward James Hyland) secretly return to the palace of Mycenae. Years before he had been sent into hiding after the murder of his father, King Agamemnon, by his mother Clytemnestra (Lisa Harrow) and her lover Aegisthus (David Whalen). Despite the passage of time his sister, Electra (Catherine Eaton), can’t get over their father’s death. Their other sister, Chrysothemis (Catherine Gowl), and the women of Mycenae (The Chorus: Glynis Bell, Shinnerrie Jackson, and Amy Landis), tell her to pull herself together. But that’s hard in the presence of her regal mother who proclaims her righteousness. Will fate give Electra her revenge? That answer will not be revealed until the play’s shocking conclusion.

The design team for Electra is James Noone (Scenic), Gabriel Berry (Costumes), Kirk Bookman (Lighting), and Zach Moore (Sound). Ruth E. Kramer is the Production Stage Manager and Fredric H. Orner is the Assistant Stage Manager.

About the Playwright

Sophocles was a leading dramatist during the Athenian Golden Age. Born in 495 BC near Athens, Greece, he was beloved in his day and is remembered more than two millennia later for his great works of tragedy. Sophocles wrote well over 100 plays but only seven have survived intact: Ajax, Antigone, The Women of Trachis, Oedipus the King, Electra, Philoctetes, and Oedipus at Colonus. He is appreciated by modern audiences for his treatment of the individual and the complex issues he addresses. He died peacefully when he was over 90 years old, around 406 BC.

Pittsburgh Public Theater Presents

What: Electra

When: September 29 – October 30, 2011

Performance Schedule

Tues. through Sat. at 8 pm (except Tues., Oct. 25 when the show is at 7 pm).

Sat. at 2 pm (except Oct. 1 & 8).

There will be an additional 2 pm matinee on Thurs., Oct. 27.

Sun. at 2 & 7 pm (except Oct. 30 when the final show is at 2 pm).

Press Night and Opening Night are Thursday, October 6.

Ticket Prices

$28.75 to $60.75.

$15.75 for students and age 26 and younger with valid ID.

For tickets call 412.316.1600 or visit ppt.org

Red Hot Season for the Public Preview Party

Contact Margie Romero,

Communications Manager at Pittsburgh Public Theater

412.316.8200

412.316.8200 ext. 707

or mromero@ppt.org

Preview Party at The Public

A Happy Hour and Sneak Peek to ignite the Red Hot season

Pittsburgh Public Theater will celebrate its upcoming Red Hot season with a Preview Party on Thursday, August 25 from 6 to 8:30 pm at the O’Reilly Theater in Downtown’s Cultural District.

The doors will open at 6 pm for a happy hour with musical entertainment, munchies, and refreshments (including beer and wine). At 7 pm, Producing Artistic Director Ted Pappas will give an entertaining sneak peek at The Public’s 2011/12 lineup of plays and special events.

In addition, one-night-only discounts will be offered on subscription packages and a raffle will feature valuable prizes, such as season tickets with a year’s worth of pre-show dining ($1000 value), and other great items.

Tickets for the Preview Party at The Public are $10. To purchase, visit the O’Reilly Box Office, call 412.316.1600, or go to ppt.org

Hilarious Comedy God of Carnage Closes Out Pittsburgh Public Theater Season

Contact:
Margie Romero
Communications Manager at Pittsburgh Public Theater

412.316.8200 ext. 707
mromero@ppt.org

Pittsburgh Public Theater Presents

God of Carnage

A polite meeting between four parents turns into a wild free-for-all in Yasmina Reza’s hilarious comedy, directed by Ted Pappas.

PITTSBURGH (May 3, 2011) Pittsburgh Public Theater closes its highly successful 2010/11 season with the knockout comedy God of Carnage, winner of the 2009 Tony Award for Best Play. Written by French superstar Yasmina Reza and directed by Ted Pappas, God of Carnage runs May 26 – June 26, 2011 at the O’Reilly Theater, Pittsburgh Public Theater’s home in the heart of Downtown’s Cultural District. For tickets call 412.316.1600 or visit ppt.org. The Presenting Sponsors of God of Carnage are Randi and L. Van V. Dauler, Jr.

God of Carnage is set in a trendy Brooklyn neighborhood, where two married couples get together to discuss a playground fight that took place between their young sons. Annette (Susan Angelo) and Alan (David Whalen) have taken time off their high-powered jobs to visit the home of Veronica (Deirdre Madigan) and Michael (Ted Koch). The meeting starts well enough, with the home’s artistic décor complimented and espresso and dessert served. But quickly things start to happen that scratch this veneer of refinement. Incidents such as a work crisis that’s handled by cell phone, the fate of a hamster, and an upset stomach bring about surprising, hilarious reactions. Soon the social niceties drop away and these civilized adults find themselves behaving like naughty, primitive children. Fast-paced and filled with both social commentary and physical comedy, this international hit is making its Pittsburgh premiere at The Public.

The design team for God of Carnage is Anne Mundell (Scenic), Ted Pappas (Costumes), Phil Monat (Lighting), Zach Moore (Sound), and Stephen Tolin (Special Effects). Fred Noel is the Production Stage Manager and Adrienne Wells is the Assistant Stage Manager.

About the Playwright

Yasmina Reza is a French writer, based in Paris, whose works have been critical and popular international successes. In addition to God of Carnage, her plays include Art, Life X 3, Conversations After a Burial, The Passage of Winter, The Unexpected Man, and A Spanish Play. She recently wrote and directed her first movie, Chicas, and is the author of Dawn, Dusk or Night (L’Aube, le Soir ou la Nuit), a book about Nicolas Sarkozy during his campaign to become the president of France. She has also written several novels and the film Le Pique-Nique de Lulu Kreutz.


Pittsburgh Public Theater Presents

What: God of Carnage

When: May 26 – June 26, 2011

Performance Schedule

Tues. through Sat. at 8 pm (except Tues., June 21 when the show is at 7 pm).

Sat. at 2 pm (except May 28 & June 4).

There will be an additional 2 pm matinee on Thurs., June 23.

Sun. at 2 & 7 pm (except June 26 when the final show is at 2 pm).

There will be no public performance on Wed., June 8.

Press Night is Thurs., June 2. Opening Night is Fri., June 3.

Ticket Prices

$35.75 to $60.75. $15.75 for students and age 26 and younger with valid ID.

For tickets call 412.316.1600 or visit www.ppt.org

Superior Donuts at the O'Reilly is Fresh and Tasty

Contact:

 Margie Romero

Communications Manager at Pittsburgh Public Theater
412.316.8200 ext. 707
mromero@ppt.org

Pittsburgh Public Theater Presents

Superior Donuts

The latest from the director of Camelot, Ted Pappas, this crisp and fresh new play by Tracy Letts is sprinkled with colorful characters.

PITTSBURGH (March 25, 2011) Pittsburgh Public Theater presents Superior Donuts, the fresh and tasty hit play by Pulitzer Prize-winner Tracy Letts. Directed by Ted Pappas, Superior Donuts runs April 14 – May 15, 2011 at the O’Reilly Theater, Pittsburgh Public Theater’s home in the heart of Downtown’s Cultural District. For tickets call 412.316.1600 or visit www.ppt.org.

Superior Donuts is the name of a Chicago donut shop owned by aging hippie Arthur Przybyzewski (Anderson Matthews). The place has seen better days, but it’s still a daily stop for Star Trek-obsessed cop James (Wali Jamal) and his patrol partner Randy (Antoinette LaVecchia), outspoken homeless woman Lady Boyle (Sharon Brady), Russian DVD entrepreneur Max (Donald Corren), and his gigantic nephew Kiril (David Agranov). When lively and literate Franco Wicks (Brandon Gill) shows up, it looks like Superior Donuts might get some new blood. But that blood might also be spilled if bad guys Luther (Daryll Heysham) and Kevin (Joe Jackson) catch up with him. Containing both adult language and adult laughs, Superior Donuts also touches on the changing face of urban neighborhoods and what one generation owes to the next.

The design team for Superior Donuts is Michael Schweikardt (Scenic), Amy Clark (Costumes), Phil Monat (Lighting), and Zach Moore (Sound). Randy Kovitz is the Fight Director, Don Wadsworth is the Dialect Coach, Fredric H. Orner is the Production Stage Manager, and Alicia DeMara is the Assistant Stage Manager.

About the Playwright

Tracy Letts received the 2008 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award for Best Play for August: Osage County. He is also the author of the plays Killer Joe, Bug, and Man from Nebraska (Pulitzer finalist). He became an ensemble member of Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre in 2002. In addition to writing plays, Letts has also appeared on stage, television, and film. Stage productions include Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? American Buffalo, Betrayal, The Pillowman, and many others. TV and film roles include Guinevere, U.S. Marshals, “Profiler,” “Prison Break,” “Seinfeld,” “Home Improvement,” and others.

Pittsburgh Public Theater Presents

What: Superior Donuts

When: April 14 – May 15, 2011

Performance Schedule

Tues. through Sat. at 8 pm (except Tues., May 10 when the show is at 7 pm).

Sat. at 2 pm (except April 16 & 23).

There will be an additional 2 pm matinee on Thurs., May 12.

Sun. at 2 & 7 pm (except Sun. May 15 when the final show is at 2 pm).

Press Night is Thurs. April 21. Opening Night is Fri. April 22.

Ticket Prices: $35.75 to $60.75. $15.75 for students and age 26 and younger.

For tickets call 412.316.1600 or visit www.ppt.org

17th Annual Shakespeare Contest at the O'Reilly

Contact Margie Romero, Communications Manager at Pittsburgh Public Theater


412.316.8200 ext. 707 or mromero@ppt.org

Pittsburgh Public Theater Presents

The 17th Annual Shakespeare Monologue & Scene Contest

More than 1,100 students will perform on the O’Reilly Theater stage.

Pittsburgh Public Theater is proud to present its 17th Annual Shakespeare Monologue & Scene Contest, open to area students in grades 4 – 12. The competition’s preliminary rounds take place on the O’Reilly Theater stage Feb. 4 – 11, 2011. (8:30 am to 6 pm daily). During this time registered contestants will perform monologues and/or scenes they’ve chosen from the works of William Shakespeare. Teams of judges will evaluate each performance and those selected will progress to the Showcase of Finalists, which takes place on Monday, February 14 beginning at 7 pm. At the end of the Showcase, winners in several categories will be chosen. Grades 8 – 12 compete in the Upper Division and grades 4 – 7 compete in the Lower Division.

Audiences are welcome, free of charge, at both the preliminary and final rounds. This year the students will perform on the set of Camelot, which runs at The Public until February 20. The Shakespeare Monologue & Scene Contest is programmed through The Public’s Education Department, led by Rob Zellers. Pittsburgh Public Theater’s youth education and outreach programs are generously supported by BNY Mellon Foundation of Southwestern Pennsylvania. Additional funding is provided by Highmark, Dominion, Federated, and The Grable Foundation.

Led by Producing Artistic Director Ted Pappas, the O’Reilly Theater is Pittsburgh Public Theater’s home in the heart of Downtown’s Cultural District. Call 412.316.1600 or visit ppt.org for more information.