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| The cast of Birthday Candles (L to R): Deena Aziz, Gavin Lawrence, José Perez, Andrew William Smith, Saige Smith, Robin Walsh. |
Cast includes returning veterans with City Theatre
credits spanning decades—
perfect for this generation-traveling play.
City Theatre announces the fourth show of the 2024/2025 season, Birthday Candles by Noah Haidle
and directed by Marc Masterson. Masterson, who
retired as co-artistic director in June, after
returning to the organization after 20 years in 2018,
will direct his 51st City Theatre production in his
career (he most recently directed Andy Warhol
in Iran by Brent Askari in 2024).
Birthday Candles premiered on Broadway at the American
Airlines Theatre on April 10, 2022.
This hilarious and heartwarming 90-minute play follows
one woman’s life, one birthday at a
time.
"This beautiful play celebrates rituals and
connections on the page and on the stage. There are
decades of City Theatre experience in this talented
cast,” Masterson shared. “We can’t wait to
share our gift of Noah Haidle’s Birthday Candles with
everyone!”
The cast includes Deena Aziz (American Fast, 2023),
Gavin Lawrence (1997) José Perez
(Native Gardens, 2023), Saige Smith (POTUS..., 2024,
Clydes, 2023) Andrew William Smith
(The Royale), and Robin Walsh (Little Gem, Gompers).
The creative team includes returning
collaborators: scenic design by Sasha Jin Schwartz,
costume design by Damian E.
Dominguez, lighting design by Xuewei (Eva) Hu, sound
design by Darron L. West, intimacy
by Tomé Cousin, and production stage management by
Patti Kelly.
ABOUT BIRTHDAY CANDLES by Noah Haidle
Directed by Marc Masterson
Another year. Another cake. Another goldfish. An
inquisitive, hilarious and heartwarming play
(and Broadway hit), Birthday Candles examines one
woman’s life – one birthday at a time – and
asks where our place in the universe is and what would
you risk for the perfect gift? Join
Ernestine as she takes us through a century of
ordinarily extraordinary moments and dreams in
this work hailed as“epic and beautifully written” (NY
Daily News).
PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
March 8 – 30, 2025
• Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m.
• Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m. and/or 7:00 p.m.
• Thursdays and Fridays at 8:00 p.m.
• Saturdays at 1:00 p.m. and/or 5:30 p.m.
• Sundays at 2:00 p.m. or 7:00 p.m.
For a complete listing of show times, please visit
CityTheatreCompany.org or call 412-431-2489
(CITY).
OPENING NIGHT
Friday, March 14, at 8:00 p.m.
SPECIAL EVENTS AND ACCESSIBLE PERFORMANCES:
• RAD Pay-What-You-Want: #1: Saturday, March 8, 2025 @
5:30pm
• RAD Pay-What-You-Want #2: Sunday, March 9, 2025 @
7:00pm
• City Connects Night: Thursday, March 13, 2025
• Talkback #1: Sunday, March 16, 2025 after 2:00pm
performance
• Greenroom: Friday, March 21 after 8:00pm
performance
• RAD Pay-What-You-Want #3: Saturday, March 22, 2025 @
1:00pm
• ASL & Open Caption #1: Saturday, March 22, 2025 @ 5:30pm
• Audio Description: Sunday, March 23, 2025 @ 2:00pm
• Talkback #2: Sunday, March 23, 2025 after 2:00pm
performance
• Open Caption #2: Wednesday, March 26, 2025 @ 1:00pm
• Open Caption #3: Sunday, March 30, 2025 @ 2:00pm
BOX OFFICE INFORMATION:
412.431.CITY (2489) or CityTheatreCompany.org Tickets
start at $35
WHERE:
City Theatre Main Stage
1300 Bingham Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15203 (South
Side)
Port Authority bus routes: 48, 51, 54, 81, 83
PARKING:
Patron parking is available in the lot across from the
City Theatre entrance (1317 Bingham
Street) for $10, subject to availability.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
NOAH HAIDLE (Playwright) is an award-winning
playwright whose work has been seen on
six continents. For the 2017-2018 season, he was the
writer-in-residence at the National Theater
of Mannheim, Germany, a position first held by
Friedrich Schiller in 1785. A graduate of
Princeton and Juilliard, Noah lives with his perfect
wife Kelsey, their heaven-sent son Butch, a
dog, a bunny, and a blue lobster named Suzanne.
MARC MASTERSON (Director) returned to City Theatre in
2018 after serving in the same
capacity at Actors Theatre of Louisville and at South
Coast Repertory Theater in Costa Mesa, CA
before retiring in 2024. He previously served as City
Theatre’s artistic director from 1981 to
2000. In over three decades as an artistic leader, he
has produced the world premieres of some of
the most produced plays in the American Theatre, along
with innovative productions of the
classics. He has championed pioneering work in
community engagement, arts education, and
diverse voices for the American stage.
DEENA AZIZ (Alice / Madeline / Ernie) (she/her) is
based in Pittsburgh and Montreal and has
followed the work across Canada, in the US, and
internationally. Stage credits feature companies
like Alberta Theatre Projects, Canada’s National Arts
Centre, Pittsburgh Public Theater, City
Theatre, the Stratford Festival, and Canadian Stage.
Screen credits include a smattering of
episodic sci-fi, and a chorus of variously ethnic docs
and shrinks. Away from stage and camera,
Deena works as a dramaturge, coordinator, and
producer, and is an active champion for equity
and reform in the performing arts.
GAVIN LAWRENCE (Kenneth) A Howard University alumnus,
Mr. Lawrence has worked at
over 30 theatres across the country including
Steppenwolf, the Goodman, Arena Stage, Woolly
Mammoth, the Guthrie, Denver Center, Alabama
Shakespeare Festival, Cincinnati Playhouse in
the Park, Baltimore Centerstage, Penumbra, and Mixed
Blood. He is a member of the core acting
company at American Players Theatre where he is in his
tenth season. Recent directing credits
include August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and
The Brothers Size by Tarell Alvin
McCraney. Gavin is an AUDELCO Award winner for
Outstanding Lead Actor in Carlyle
Brown’s Pure Confidence seen at 59E59 Theatres.
#blacklivesmatter
JOSÉ PÉREZ IV (Billy/John) is an actor, playwright,
and Resident Fight & Intimacy Director
of Pittsburgh Public Theater. Recent acting credits:
The Hobbit (Pittsburgh Public Theater),
Himbos (New Hazlett Theater), Very Berry Dead (Big
Storm Performance Co.) Select fight/
intimacy
credits: The Hobbit, The Coffin Maker, Robin Hood (Pittsburgh Public Theater),
Dracula: A Feminist Revenge Fantasy (Actors Theatre of
Louisville), Mary Shelley’s
Frankenstein (Cleveland Playhouse). Select productions
of his plays: To Battle: a fight play
(Louisville Hivemind Artist Collective), Or Forever
Hold Your Peace (Kelly Strayhorn Theater).
BFA Drama NYU Tisch Experimental Theatre Wing, MFA
Performance Pedagogy University of
Pittsburgh. JosePerezIV.com
ANDREW WILLIAM SMITH (Matt/William) is honored to be
returning to City Theatre after
playing Max in The Royale. Other Pittsburgh Credits
include Quantum Theatre (actor in Far
Away, The Gun Show, The Hard Problem, The River, Love
and Information and Director for
Scenes from an Execution, by Howard Barker) and
Pittsburgh Public (Pride and Prejudice).
Regional work includes Seattle Rep, Actor’s Theatre of
Louisville, La Jolla Playhouse, Arena
Stage, Woolly Mammoth, Roundhouse Theatre. TV Credits
include: American Rust, GONE,
Law & Order, Criminal Intent. He is the
Co-Artistic Director of Project Y Theatre Company,
NYC, and an Associate Professor of Acting at the
Carnegie Mellon School of Drama. BA
Middlebury College. MFA Acting University of
California, San Diego / La Jolla Playhouse.
smithandrewwilliam.com
SAIGE SMITH (Joan/Alex/Beth) is thrilled to return to
City Theatre to work alongside such
incredible talent! Credits include: POTUS (Chris),
Clyde’s (Letitia) - City Theatre Company; The
Color Purple (Squeak), Sister Act (Tina/Ensemble),
Puffs (Leanne), Kinky Boots (Pat), A Musical
Christmas Carol (Fan/Alice/Belle) - Pittsburgh
CLO; Noises Off (Brooke) - Arrow Rock
Lyceum Theatre; A…My Name is Still Alice (Laura) -
Front Porch Theatricals; Skeleton Crew
(Shanita) - Barebones Productions; Hamlet (Ophelia) -
Quantum Theatre; Something to Live For
(Production Understudy), Steel Magnolias (Annelle), A
Midsummer Night’s Dream in Harlem
(Hermia), Murder on the Orient Express (Greta) -
Pittsburgh Public Theater.
ROBIN WALSH (Ernestine Ashworth) originated roles in
The Niceties and Gideon’s Knot for
the Contemporary American Theater Festival. She won a
Harry Schwalb Excellence in the Arts
Award, a Pittsburgh Foundation Creative Achievement
Award and was a Post-Gazette Performer
of the Year. Favorite roles include Flora in Indian
Ink, and the title roles in Hapgood and Hedda
Gabler.
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