PITTSBURGH PUBLIC THEATER
ANNOUNCES THE 2021-22 SEASON
ALL ABOARD
in Celebration of a Return to the O’Reilly Theater this October!
June 24, 2021 • Pittsburgh, PA — Pittsburgh Public Theater is proud to announce the organization’s 47th season — ALL ABOARD! — kicking off this October online and in person. The Public recently completed the Classics N’at online benefit reading series, the second iteration of the organization’s Public PlayTime series. After welcoming thousands of new audiences throughout the course of the past 15 months, The Public has set its sights on a triumphant return to live performance, and a season poised to be one of the most memorable yet.
“We are thrilled to be able to announce our return to live performance. It has been a comfort and an inspiration to connect with audiences virtually over the course of these many months, and while I look forward to continuing that new tradition, there is nothing like live theater. I cannot wait to sit and share a great story and a good laugh with our Public audiences again,” said Pittsburgh Public Theater Artistic Director Marya Sea Kaminski. “This season we will gather a company of outrageously talented artists to transport us across time and around the world with a collection of extraordinary plays. After a year of so much distance, this season gives us so many good reasons to come back together.”
“Our gratitude to the subscribers, donors, and countless supporters who have lifted us up during this time is immeasurable. We can’t wait to reopen the doors of The O’Reilly and welcome back the community this fall,” shared Pittsburgh Public Theater Managing Director Lou Castelli. “We invite our friends and fans to grow back with us and hop on board for a real theatrical adventure.”
The 2021-2022 season will usher in the first production digitally followed by four shows performed live. Pittsburgh Public Theater is committed to stewarding the public’s trust and organizational resources responsibly. The reopening of the O’Reilly Theater will be in accordance with CDC and County guidelines, and in collaboration with The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust and union partners.
Pittsburgh Public Theater 2021-2022 Season
SLOW FOOD
By Wendy MacLeod
Directed by Marya Sea Kaminski
October 5 – 17, 2021
A COMEDY FOR ANYONE WHO’S EVER BEEN “HANGRY”
Peter and Maureen are famished after a stressful day of travel and are ready to celebrate their appetizer with as much fanfare as their wedding anniversary itself. Somehow, they get both more and less than they bargained for when they walk into a charming Greek restaurant craving freshly baked spanakopita and are met by a highly neurotic waiter, Stephen. While not on the menu, Stephen's territorial tendencies and penchant for oversharing make up the perfect recipe for a scrumptious comedy we guarantee will leave you rolling on your couch laughing. This digital film spectacular will be shot on-site in a local Pittsburgh restaurant!
THE CHIEF • ALL-NEW PRODUCTION
By Rob Zellers & Gene Collier
Directed by Kyle Haden
October 20 – November 7, 2021
HERE WE GO!
Pittsburgh Public Theater returns to The O’Reilly stage for the first time since 2020 in a homecoming truly fit for a city of champions. Go behind the steel curtain with Pittsburgh Steelers founder Art Rooney in this all-new production of The Public’s favorite classic by renowned playwright Rob Zellers and award-winning columnist Gene Collier. The Chief will immerse audiences in the Rooney realm, from his humble beginnings up against the ropes of local boxing rings to the peaks and valleys inevitable in the pursuit of that first Super Bowl ring. Theater lovers, football fans, and history buffs will all rejoice in this inspirational story of the man, the myth, and the legend — THE CHIEF.
HOW THE HELL DID I GET HERE?
Book and Songs by Lesley Nicol & Mark Mueller
Directed by Luke Kernaghan
January 26 – February 13, 2022
AN UPROARIOUS FEEL-GOOD MUSICAL!
You may know and love her as cherished cook Mrs. Patmore from the worldwide phenomenon Downton Abbey but now, instead of an extravagant meal, award-winning actor Lesley Nicol is serving up a delicious one-woman musical about her remarkable life. In her own words, photos, and songs, Lesley reveals how she overcame personal demons, found love, and achieved hard-won success on stage and screen. Pittsburgh Public Theater is delighted to launch the North American tour of HOW THE HELL DID I GET HERE? which is certain to have you tapping your toes to Lesley’s storied journey in the theater long after the curtain comes down.
AGATHA CHRISTIE’S MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS
Adapted by Ken Ludwig
Directed by Marya Sea Kaminski
April 13 – May 1, 2022
YOUR FIRST-CLASS TICKET TO TRANSCONTINENTAL THRILLS
From your vantage point in the audience, can you spot the culprit? If not, you are in great hands with Detective Hercule Poirot on board and on the case when a suspicious businessman unexpectedly turns up dead in his cabin. A freak snowstorm may have stopped the train in its tracks, but nothing will impede Poirot's pursuit of the truth. The motley crew of passengers aboard the luxurious locomotive run the gamut from service staff to Russian royalty who all become suspects in the absence of any conclusive evidence. When it comes to crafting a suspenseful story packed with thrills and chills, it's no mystery whodunit. Agatha Christie is the architect of literature's best-selling and most loved detective novels, and celebrated playwright Ken Ludwig twists her timeless plot with his signature comic flair.
AUGUST WILSON’S TWO TRAINS RUNNING
Directed by Justin Emeka
Presented by Highmark
June 1 – 19, 2022
FULL STEAM AHEAD FOR AUGUST IN JUNE
In 1969, as the civil rights movement ignites across America, Memphis faces a battle of his own in Pittsburgh where the city wants to raze his Hill District restaurant for an urban renewal project. As the world faces rapid change, Memphis and his regular customers fight to keep a sense of order and dignity as they each take a leap of faith. Some of them bet on love, or luck, or justice. And some of them only trust the mystical advice of 349-year-old Aunt Ester in this wise, funny, and achingly beautiful play that’s brimming with local history and legendary language.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Pittsburgh Public Theater will welcome The Second City back to the O’Reilly Theater to ring in abundant joy and laughter for this year’s holiday season with It’s a Wild, Wacky, Wonderful Life in December. This production will bring The Public together in partnership with the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. Tickets will be on sale at a later date.
In continuation of The Public’s commitment to new work distinguished by the Classics N’at Series, this year’s featured playwright will be Pittsburgh’s Mark Clayton Southers who is joining The Public for a developmental commission of his work, The Coffin Maker. It is an extraordinary play written as Mr. Southers works to complete his own cycle inspired by August Wilson’s Century Cycle.
Individual tickets for the 2021-2022 season will be on sale this fall. Subscription holders will be contacted in August with further information about their respective subscription series. Visit PPT.ORG/AllAboard for more information. Patrons interested in group reservations of 10+ this season should email GroupSales@PPT.org. The Public is grateful for the ongoing support of the subscribers, donors, foundations, and countless supporters who have helped keep the organization connected through the COVID-19 pandemic.
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The mission of Pittsburgh Public Theater is to provide artistically diverse theatrical experiences of the highest quality. Pittsburgh Public Theater also strives to serve, challenge, stimulate and entertain while operating in a fiscally responsible manner. The Public shares its resources with the community through education and outreach initiatives intended for a wide range of people with the goal of expanding and diversifying the audience while enriching the community.