Pittsburgh, PA – City Theatre Artistic Director Tracy Brigden has announced the first three plays of the 2015-2016 season, scheduled to kick-off October 10, 2015. City’s 41st season will feature six exciting new works as well as one special event. New and returning subscribers can receive over 25% off regular prices and the first opportunity to purchase. “Our loyal subscribers continue to be the lifeblood of our organization,” commented Brigden. “They allow us to program boldly and bravely and they truly embrace the exciting journey of a full season of new plays. The three plays we are announcing today represent the best work of these terrific contemporary storytellers who have a keen pulse on the world around us. They are immediate, important, smart and very entertaining.”
The three regular season plays, all Pittsburgh premieres, are The Night Alive by Conor McPherson, Sunset Baby by Dominique Morisseau, and Sex With Strangers by Laura Eason. The remaining shows for next season will be announced in April. New and renewal subscriptions are currently on sale through the City Theatre box office.
THE NIGHT ALIVE by Conor McPherson
Tommy has made a mess of things: he’s living low in Dublin, just getting by on odd jobs, and doing his best to avoid his wife and kids. But when he rescues a mysterious woman, an escape out of the squalor is possible—if only they can shake their checkered pasts. This award-winning play from the author of The Seafarer (City 2008-09) ripples with humor and heart and wrestles with the complicated task of being human.
SUNSET BABY by Dominique Morisseau
For Nina, it’s easy to be hard. She’s a smart and sexy hustler who has rejected everything her parents fought for in the black liberation movement. When her estranged father wants to reconcile—but then tries to run a hustle of his own—negotiating her past and present becomes a revolutionary act. From one of the most exciting young voices in the American theatre, this dynamic new play about fathers and daughters sears with wit and wisdom and the brutal politics of freedom.
SEX WITH STRANGERS by Laura Eason
When 40(ish) Olivia, a talented but unrecognized novelist, gets snowbound at a writers’ retreat with 20-something Ethan, superstar sexcapade blogger and king of the Twitterverse, the chemistry is hot and the sex electric. But if each desires what the other has, and online and offline personas meet, how strong is the connection? This sensuous and provocative comedy about fame, cyber identity, and big ambitions asks: what would you do, and who would you become, to get what you want?
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR TRACY BRIGDEN ON THE PLAYS:
“I am thrilled to bring these powerful new plays to Pittsburgh next year. All are captivating stories with gripping human moments—but also with lots of laughs as well. Choosing a season is one of the most important duties of an Artistic Director; it’s a responsibility I take seriously, but also with tremendous joy. I cannot wait to share them with our patrons.
“We had such success with Conor McPherson’s The Seafarer a few seasons ago, so I jumped at the opportunity to program The Night Alive and kick-off our 41st season with it on our Main Stage. It’s a lyrical and riveting portrayal of a few down-and-out Dubliners. It has all that wonderful Irish sensibility—lots of laughs, startling events, and a dash of angst all bundled up in a gripping story with a lot of heart.
“We’ll be converting the Hamburg Studio into a gritty Brooklyn apartment with Sunset Baby—an edgy, sexy, absorbing drama from one of the most prolific and powerful emerging voices writing today. With Sunset Baby, she has created a character that is tough, smart, and on a mission to get her life in order, but the past just won’t let her escape. I’ve been tracking Dominique’s career for a while now and I cannot wait to produce her here at City. We’re in for a real treat—her plays pack a punch.
“And finally, we’re announcing Sex with Strangers. Despite its provocative title, the play is really a smart and funny take on human connection in the modern world. Laura Eason has given us a story about the art of writing with a unique and genuine voice in an era when it’s hard to be heard above all the noise of society and technology. Our audiences are really going to enjoy this sexy romp through the digital age.”
ALSO ANNOUNCING: A LIMITED ENGAGEMENT AND SPECIAL PRESENTATION:
SISTER’S EASTER CATECHISM: WILL MY BUNNY GO TO HEAVEN?
by Maripat Donovan, featuring Kimberly Richards
The next installment of this wildly popular series makes its Pittsburgh DEBUT and invites you to celebrate the Easter Season with Sister as she answers the time-worn questions of the season like “Why isn’t Easter the same day every year like Christmas?” and “Will My Bunny Go To Heaven?” Part pageant, and wHOLY hysterical, this latest of the sinfully funny Late Nite Catechism event unearths the origins of Easter… bunnies, eggs, bonnets, baskets, and, of course, those yummy Peeps. Classroom participation is a must, so don’t forget to wear your Easter bonnet and join Sister for this seasonal treat!
TICKET INFORMATION:
Season subscriptions are available beginning February 28, 2015. Customers who subscribe by March 22 have the chance to win a $500 Amazon gift card. All subscribers save 25% or more.
Three Ways to Purchase:
On-site: City Theatre Box Office, 1300 Bingham Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15203
By phone: 412.431.CITY (2489)
Mail-in order form: Available at CityTheatreCompany.org
Season Subscription Packages:
$162 (Tuesday 7:00pm; Wednesday 1:00pm or 7:00pm; Thursday 8:00pm)
$252 (Friday 8:00pm; Saturday 5:30pm)
$189 (Saturday 9:00pm; Sunday 2:00pm and 7:00pm)
Flex packages—choose your own schedule!:
$216 (six Basic Flex vouchers, good for Tuesday through Thursday performances)
$276 (six Premium Flex vouchers, good for any performance, any day)
Single tickets for season plays range from $36 to $56 and go on sale September 8, 2015.
City Event (Sister’s Easter Catechism: Will My Bunny Go to Heaven?) pre-sale for subscribers begins February 28, with $40 discounted tickets. Discounted group tickets will be available for sale starting April 1. Regular sales begin June 1, with $45 tickets.
City Theatre is now in its 40th anniversary season which has three productions remaining: Elemeno Pea by Molly Smith Metzler (now playing), Oblivion by Carly Mensch (March 21 – April 26), and Midsummer by David Greig & Gordon McIntyre (May 9 – 31). Its annual gala and silent auction is May 18 at the Heinz Club. Located on Pittsburgh’s historic South Side, City Theatre specializes in new plays, commissioning, and producing work by playwrights such as Daniel Beaty, Jessica Dickey, Christopher Durang, Michael Hollinger, Willy Holtzman, Tarell McCraney, and Madeleine George. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Tracy Brigden, Managing Director James McNeel, and a 40-member Board of Directors, City Theatre’s mission is to provide an artistic home for the development and production of contemporary plays of substance and ideas that engage and challenge a diverse audience. CityTheatreCompany.org
