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New Works Festival To Explore Varied Themes This Weekend



The third week of Pittsburgh New Works Festival’s 36th season will present world premieres of three one-act plays this weekend, featuring themes of mother-daughter conflicts, marriage-saving endeavors, and the process of waiting. Performances are in the Genesius Theater at Duquesne University on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings at 7:30 pm, and on Saturday and Sunday at 2 pm.


This weekend’s offering, Program C, opens with Holy Smoke, by Brandy Victoria of Silver Spring, Md. What begins as a simple birthday visit quickly escalates into a battle of beliefs, as Maxine (Kayla Williams) tries to steer her daughter Jonquil (Montaja Simmons) toward marriage and faith, only to be met with Jonquil’s unapologetic refusal to conform to anyone’s expectations. Heather Ruppert directs for Pittsburgh New Works.

 



Next, Prime Stage Theatre presents The Great Anderton Snowfall Debacle of 2025, by Lisa Feriend of Singapore. Tiffany and Jessica need to get an autograph and photo of former professional English soccer player, Darren Anderton, in order to save Tiffany’s marriage – but it snowed, and they fear he might be dead. Scott Calhoon and Assistant Director Linda Haston direct Cythia Dallas, Kristina Malinak, and Bryan Karpinski. 

 

The program ends with Waiting to Film Waiting for Godot, by Mathew Green of Champaign, Ill. Two veteran actors wait on a set for filming to begin. They are eventually joined by a young woman, also waiting. As they wait, they converse about life, art, and the birds circling overhead. Produced by Stray Cat Theatre and directed by Barbara Burgess-Lefebvre, the play stars Steven Gallagher, Todd Ballenger, Kiera Vinson, Lauren Sykes, and Frederick Coleman.

The Festival will proceed through one final weekend:

Program D, Sept. 17 - 20

Delayed Blitz, by Grant Mitchell of Greenwich, Conn., produced by The Summer Company

Are You Okay? by Geo Lawton of Coraopolis, Pa., produced by the Red Masquers

 Death Becomes a Writer by J.B. Heaps of New York, N.Y., produced by R-ACT Theatre Productions

The plays were selected from more than 200 submitted earlier this year. In an anonymous selection process, readers with expertise in theater evaluated each play, and the companies chose the 12 to be produced from among the highest scorers. Plays were received from across the U.S., and from seven different countries, including Canada, Israel, Mexico, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and the United Kingdom.

Tickets are now on sale. Tickets to each Program are $17 in advance, $20 at the door, and just $15 for students—reflecting the Festival’s mission to make theater accessible to diverse audiences. More information and ticket sales are available at www.pittsburghnewworks.org.

 

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