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The 2017 Festival Plays

THE DESIRED

By Lana Meyer
Directed by Spencer Whale

Closed Reading

Set in a Chicago brothel in 1911, The Desired is a colorful portrait of a group of women fighting for love and their own slice of the Windy City. Now in its second year, the Young Playwrights Festival Alumni Reading offers a private developmental opportunity to a playwright produced in City’s nationally recognized contest. This year we are excited to feature the work of Lana Meyer, a two-time YPF Winner for her plays Roost (2012) and A Cradle of Beliefs (2011).

CITIZENS MARKET

By Cori Thomas
Directed by Reginald L. Douglas

Thursday, June 1 at 7 PM
Saturday, June 3 at 2 PM
Rehearsal Hall, Charles Morris Building

A good New York City supermarket has everything its neighborhood needs, including a charming cast of characters behind the counter. Citizens Market, the latest from City Theatre favorite Cori Thomas (When January Feels Like Summer), follows a hopeful group of immigrants as they form an unlikely family, working together to master the ups and downs of language, love, and staying afloat in the city that never sleeps. Full of laughter and life, this world premiere celebrates an ever-shifting and eclectic America.

See the World Premiere production in the 2017-18 City Theatre Season.

I GET RESTLESS

By Caroline V. McGraw
Directed by Anya Martin

Friday, June 2 at 7 PM
Rehearsal Hall, Charles Morris Building

Hazel has just lost ten years of her life. One moment they were there and the next she’s waking up in a hospital room newly married to a man she doesn’t know. In this sharp, quirky, exploration of love and memory, she tries to fit the pieces of her old life back together only to discover that the brain’s elasticity has its limits.

THE CONSEQUENCES

Music & Lyrics by Nathan Leigh & Kyle Jarrow
Book by Kyle Jarrow
Directed by Tracy Brigden

Saturday, June 3 at 8 PM
Lester Hamburg Studio

A love story in twelve songs, The Consequences follows the rock’n’roll romance of Jeremy and Ellie. Ten years after they last saw each other, a song reconnects them. Jeremy’s a software engineer about to get married and Ellie’s still in a band looking for her big break. Has fate inextricably linked these two or can free will play a part in finding the perfect partner? Join us for a reimagined excerpt from this one of a kind musical by Kyle Jarrow (Whisper House w/ Duncan Sheik, The Spongebob Musical) and Nathan Leigh (A Life in Transit) directed by Tracy Brigden.

THE WHITE CHIP

By Sean Daniels
Directed by Sheryl Kaller

Sunday, June 4 at 1 PM
Rehearsal Hall, Charles Morris Building

Sean is on top of the world: he’s married, has good friends, and is steps away from his dream job running one of the hottest theaters in the country. He also happens to be an alcoholic spinning out of control. The White Chip follows his life from first sip to first love, critical hit to critical care, all the way to rock bottom where he carves an unusual path to sobriety. This highly entertaining autobiographical tale from Sean Daniels (director of The Lion), is a wry and wild theatrical journey to recovery.

See the full production of The White Chip in the 2017-18 City Theatre Season.

QUESTIONING COLOR

Interviews: Saturday, June 3; 12-6.

How often do you think about your skin color? In what ways does skin color shape experience? In preparation for a new work about identity, playwright Tami Dixon (South Side Stories) will engage in one on one conversations with patrons during Momentum 17 to ask candid questions and explore how people come to perceive racial identity and experience whiteness.

This is a special chance to be part of the artistic process. Interested attendees can sign up in City Theatre’s Gordon Lounge on Thursday from 6 PM – 7 PM and Friday between 5 PM -6:30 PM.

CITY CONNECTS

MOMENTUM

City Theatre will extend its City Connects Partnership with the YWCA Greater Pittsburgh, continuing the theater’s mission of supporting community partners. At all Momentum 17 events, City will collect donations of toiletries to benefit the YWCA’s anti-violence programs.


Violence against women, in its many forms, has no demographic boundaries.  It is known to all age groups, all races, all religions, and all socioeconomic backgrounds.  A woman is battered every 15 seconds in the United States, and 700,000 women are raped every year.  (Source: YWCA USA Week Without Violence.)

Throughout the year YWCA Greater Pittsburgh creates emergency kits for trafficking and domestic violence shelters/organizations in the SW PA region.  These kits contain new personal hygiene and toiletry items, sorted and stored in individual Ziploc bags, for safe and easy distribution to women and children at residential facilities and shelters. Items of greatest need include new/unused travel size toiletries, including soap, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, lotion, tissues, toothbrushes, combs, deodorant, etc.

HISTORY OF MOMENTUM

Launched in 2003 by Artistic Director Tracy Brigden, Momentum is at the heart of City’s mission to lead the new play development conversation on both a national and local level. Since its inception, the program has provided developmental support to more than fifty writers including Adam Rapp, Steven Dietz, Daniel Beatty, Anna Ziegler, Keith Bunin, Michelle Lowe, Keith Reddin, Michael Hollinger, Sharon Washington, and many more. View full history >

TICKETS

Momentum 17 events are free and open to the public. To guarantee seating at readings, please RSVP online using the ticket link above. All seating is first come-first served.

In lieu of ticket cost, please consider bringing a donation of toiletries to benefit the YWCA’s anti-violence programs.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

CITIZENS MARKET

Thursday, June 1 at 7
Lester Hamburg Studio

Happy Hour/Meet & Greet

With Urbanist Pittsburgh
Friday, June 2; 5-7 PM
Gordon Lounge & Courtyard

I Get Restless

Friday, June 2 at 7 PM
Lester Hamburg Studio

Questioning Color: Interviews

Saturday, June 3; 12-6 PM
Location TBD

Citizens Market

Saturday, June 3 at 2 PM
Lester Hamburg Studio

Consequences

Saturday, June 3 at 8 PM
Rehearsal Hall, Charles Morris Building

The White Chip

Sunday, June 4 at 1 PM
Rehearsal Hall, Charles Morris Building

THE ENSEMBLE

IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER

Robin Abramson

Ito Aghayere

Julianne Avolio

Maggie Carr

Siovhan Christensen

Martin Gilles

Brett Goodnack

Kimberly Parker Green

Brendan Griffin

Daina Michelle Griffith

Luke Halferty

Shaun Cameron Hall

Lawrence Karl

Daniel Krell

Chris Laitta

Alex Manalo

Sheila McKenna

Alfredo Narcisco

Moira Quigley

Ethan Saks

Brett Sullivan Santry

Quinn Patrick Shannon

Sarah Silk

David Toole