Bards from the 'Burgh 2024
On July 8 through 11th, PICT presented four wonderful plays by four local playwrights, directed by four Pittsburgh veteran directors, and performed by 25 local actors at The Lillie Theatre at City Theatre. The series reached over 300 people delighting audiences every night while giving the playwrights a chance to hear their plays read by professional actors. PICT plans to make Bards from The Burgh a yearly event that provides our local playwrights with a pathway from the page to the stage.
We are seeking corporate or individual sponsors to help us take these plays to the next level by providing them with a week-long, fully funded development workshop process with the director, playwright and cast so they can refine their work to ready these plays for full production. We are committed to producing one of these plays each year in our season. This fall, the first show of our 2024/ 2025 Season is Andy Warhol's Tomato by McKeesport born Vince Melocchi, which was chosen from last year's Bards from the Burgh. Don't miss the third annual Bards from the Burgh coming in 2025!2-21lk
What Do I Wear? 2500 Years of Fashion in Theatre
Directed By Elizabeth Elias Huffman
PICT’s What do I Wear? 2500 Years of Fashion in Theatre” was held on April 7th at The Studio, Carnegie Library and Music Hall, Carnegie and again on April 13th at the YMCA, Monongahela. Both evenings were a smashing success! Offering delicious buffets, excellent acting, and beautiful period costumes; guests enjoyed a theatrical journey through time featuring sixteen actors performing excerpts, songs, and dances from plays spanning from Greek times up to the 21st century. PICT gratefully thanks our gala committee of volunteers who worked tirelessly to make these events a success.
North of Forbes
BY TAMMY RYAN
Directed By Tomé Cousin
CAST: *Wali Jamal Abdullah, Clark Eileen Atkinson, *Karen Baum,*Darren Eliker, *Randy Kovitz, *Juan Rivera LeBron, *Brenden Peifer, Kelsey Robinson,*Helena Ruoti, *Michael Patrick Trimm
* Haitian Cultural Consultant, Accent Coach: Getro Bernabe
* Originally commissioned by Pittsburgh Public Theatre
* Actors appearing courtesy of Actor’s Equity Association
A contemporary murder mystery, North of Forbes updates Agatha Christie’s first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, relocating the action to the wealthy, “north of Forbes” section of Pittsburgh, PA. Emily Cavendish-Inglethorpe is planning a fundraiser for Haitian relief, a cause close to the matriarch’s heart.
Later, after the event, someone in the house is mysteriously poisoned in the middle of the night. Everyone is a suspect as Hercule Poirot, a Haitian private investigator inspired by Christie’s iconic character, navigates family conflicts amidst currents of race and class in a suspenseful and witty retelling of a classic thriller.
Andy Warhol’s Tomato
BY VINCE MELOCCHI
Directed By Elizabeth Elias Huffman
CAST: *Chris Clavelli, Matt Henderson
It’s 1946 in Pittsburgh. A rebellious art student at Carnegie Tech, 18 year old Andy Warhol, finds himself unexpectedly in the basement of a working class bar owned by Mario “Bones” Bonino, a second generation Italian American from McKeesport. Over the course of the summer, Andy and Bones form an unlikely friendship that surprises them both.
Enjoying critically acclaimed productions in Los Angeles and Chicago, this tender and beautiful play examines the war between the urban-LGBTQ lifestyle and Pittsburgh’s blue collar sensibilities, reminding us that division can be bridged by our fundamental need to create. As Bones says in the play: “There is beauty in the mundane.”
Hotter than Egypt
BY YUSSEF EL GUINDI
Directed By J. Cody Spellman
CAST: Karim Chebli, Maher Sameer Obiora Hoque, *Amy Landis, *Callee Miles, *Cotter Smith
A middle-aged American couple visiting Egypt on a business/vacation, are hoping to connect with Egyptian culture via the young Egyptian couple whom they hired as their tour guides. However, they get more than they bargained for, as long dormant issues surface between them that threaten to fracture their marriage.
This witty dramedy, set in the heat of Cairo, pits loyalty against attraction as both couples struggle to stay committed to their partners. Recently named Critics Favorite at Denver Theatre Center.
Neither Here nor Elsewhere
BY TIMOTHY RUPPERT
Directed By Melissa Hill Grande
Cast: *Theo Allyn, *Linda Haston, *Ryan Patrick Kearney, *Alex Manalo, *Julia Silverman
Accent coach: Lisa Bansavage
In 1953, at the Sainte-Lucie convent-hospital in Chamonix, France, Sister Marie-Hélène Rivet is assigned to save the life of Vivienne Privernay, a severely ill woman.
Marie-Hélène clashes with both Sister Élise, who distrusts her half-French, half-Laotian colleague, and her own heart, as her relationship with Vivienne carries her back to wartime London and to Christian Locke, a man whom the two women knew long ago and who will very soon re-enter their lives.
The play weaves between France in 1953 and London in the early 1940s as Marie-Hélène struggles to come to terms with her fondness for Vivienne, her passion for the Englishman, Christian Locke, and her sense of loneliness and homelessness.
Meet me at the Casbah
On July 11, 2023 PICT held a delightful fundraising event at the Casbah Restaurant sponsored by The Big Burrito Group. The evening kicked off with honoring our longtime supporter Dina Fulmer and in between courses we had mini Shakespeare mashups with some of our beloved actors playfully disrupting the festivities. Here is a fun little video of the event.
Special Donor Event: High Tea & Staged Reading of Charles III by Mike Bartlett
May 6, 2023 from 2 pm | WQED Studio Theatre
In honor of the coronation of King Charles III on Saturday, May 6, 2023
The PICT Classic Theatre will present a very special donor event:
High Tea & Staged Reading of the hit play Charles III by Mike Bartlett
featuring a brilliant cast of Pittsburgh actors & directed by Elizabeth Elias Huffman
We are very excited to have superb pianist Joseph Baylock playing during our really delicious high tea, and we wanted to share our wonderful cast for our staged reading of Charles III by Mike Bartlett with you, many of whom are PICT & Pittsburgh's favorite actors!
Cotter Smith as Charles III
with
*Wali Jamal Abdullah, Zoe Abuyuan, *James Fitzgerald, *Debra Gordon, Todd Griffin , *Ryan Patrick Kennedy*Randy Kovitz, *Brenden Peifer, *Julia Silverman, *Saige Smith, Noah J Welter
For reservations or more info contact us at: info@picttheatre.org
Discover, Connect, and Shine: PICT Classic Theatre's Artistic Meet & Greet with Elizabeth Elias Huffman!
A Heartfelt Thank You to Our Attendees and Celebrating this Successful Event
The Meet & Greet with Elizabeth Elias Huffman
We, at PICT Classic Theatre, would like to express our deepest gratitude to everyone who attended the "Discover, Connect, and Shine: PICT Classic Theatre's Artistic Meet & Greet with Elizabeth Elias Huffman!" event. Held at the WQED studio theatre on Monday, April 10, it was an extraordinary evening filled with camaraderie, inspiration, and artistic exchange.
The presence of so many talented individuals from the Pittsburgh theatrical community made the evening truly special. Your participation and enthusiasm contributed immensely to the success of the event, fostering valuable connections and sparking creative conversations.
Our new Artistic Director, Elizabeth Elias Huffman, was delighted to meet and engage with the incredible talent that thrives within our vibrant city. This event has undoubtedly strengthened our community and reinforced our shared commitment to the arts in Pittsburgh.
Once again, thank you for attending and making the evening a memorable and enriching experience. We look forward to hosting more such events in the future, and we hope to see you there, continuing to discover, connect, and shine together.
Warm regards,
The PICT Classic Theatre Team
About the Event:
The PICT Classic Theatre & the new Artistic Director, Elizabeth Elias Huffman, invites the entire Pittsburgh theatrical community to a meet and greet on Monday April 10 from 7-9 at the WQED studio theatre! Eliza wants to get to know the extraordinary talent living right here in the Burgh!
Actors: Bring your favorite 1 minute monologue and join her in a fun monologue slam! If you don’t have one ready, then introduce yourself and tell her what dream role you long to play!
Directors or Designers: Share with her the dream play that really floats your boat!
Playwrights or Devisors: Let her know what is cooking on your theatrical stove!
Stage Managers: She definitely wants to meet you!!