PITTSBURGH: City Theatre has announced its full 2015-16 season, the theatre’s 41st. Six plays will be featured on the season’s bill, including five Pittsburgh premieres and one world premiere. (Half of its season’s offerings were previously announced.)
“The six plays represent the best new work from these terrific contemporary storytellers, who have a keen pulse on the world around us,” said Tracy Brigden, City Theatre’s artistic director, in a statement. “They are captivating stories with gripping human moments, impassioned debate, and intriguing suspense—along with lots of humor and joy as well. ”
The season will kick off with Conor McPherson’s The Night Alive (Oct. 10–Nov. 1), to be directed by Brigden. The play follows a man in Dublin who’s down on his luck but tries to take care of an abused woman. City Theatre previously produced McPherson’s The Seafarer.
Next will be Sunset Baby (Nov. 7–Dec. 13) by Dominique Morisseau, directed by Jade King Caroll. The play follows Nina, whose father wants to reconcile with her, but her life of hustling on the streets has made it hard to trust people.
The first play of the New Year will be the world premiere of Keith Reddin’s Some Brighter Distance (Jan. 23–Feb. 14, 2016), directed by Brigden. The new play from Reddin—previously represented at City Theatre with productions of Human Error and The Missionary Position—is about “Operation Paperclip,” the program by which the U.S. recruited German scientists after World War II to help win the space race during the Cold War.
In time for Easter will be the special presentation of Sister’s Easter Catechism: Will My Bunny Go to Heaven? (Feb. 17–March 20, 2016) by Maripat Donovan. The play features Kimberly Richards as the beloved nun, answering such questions as the subtitle query, and, “Why isn’t Easter the same day every year like Christmas?”
Next, two writers meet during a retreat and form an instant May-December romance in Laura Eason’s Sex With Strangers (March 12–April 3, 2016). Jenn Thompson directs.
Then Russia and the U.S. duke it out during the U.S. Open tennis semifinals in The Last Match (April 9–May 15, 2016) by Anna Ziegler, directed by Brigden.
Closing out the season will be the national tour of The Lion (May 14–June 5, 2016), an autobiographical play written and performed by Benjamin Scheuer and directed by Sean Daniels. The play with music details one man’s journey from boyhood to manhood.
