| Dear Theatre Patrons,
Producing the work of August Wilson is a heavy task that requires a lot to pull it all together. We want to offer you, our supporters, the very best theatrical experience possible. It was my desire to open on Mr. Wilson’s birthday but the elements threw us a curveball and the weekend evenings proved to be much too cool, and ultimately we ended up having to replace a cast member. We will now have our Opening Night on Friday May 11th @ 7pm. And we welcome Rico Parker to our cast. PPTCO audiences will remember him from our 2012 production of The Gammage Project and 2010’s VALU-MART, as well as the PG 2013 Top Ten production Blue/Orange from Phoenix Theatre (the company Andrew Paul and I started). We apologize for any inconvenience that this may cause. We hope that you will continue to support our efforts and I hope to see you in the yard. Best, Mark Clayton Southers Patrons with performance dates prior to May 11th may switch to any remaining performance date, or receive a full refund, by contacting us. Please refer to the performance calendar here for available dates. |
King Hedley II
By August Wilson
Directed by Mark Clayton Southers, Monteze Freeland, and
Dennis Robinson Jr.
On location, outdoors at the August Wilson House, 1727 Bedford Avenue
April 27th May 11th – June 3rd, 2018
Produced in collaboration with the August Wilson House.
“A tense and moving depiction of lives caught in a quicksand of desperation and violence.” – Sharon Eberson, Post-Gazette
“Break-out, awesome performances….This show has power, a loving power that ties you to itself.” – Jason Clearfield, Pittsburgh in the Round
Peddling stolen refrigerators in the feeble hope of making enough money to open a video store, King Hedley, a man whose self-worth is built on self-delusion, is scraping in the dirt of an urban backyard trying to plant seeds where nothing will grow. Getting, spending, killing and dying in a world where getting is hard and killing is commonplace are threads woven into this 1980’s installment in the author’s renowned cycle of plays about the black experience in America. Drawing on characters established in Seven Guitars, King Hedley II shows the shadows of the past reaching into the present as King seeks retribution for a lie perpetrated by his mother regarding the identity of his father. (Samuel French)
Important change: All evening performances will now begin at 7 PM, not 8.
Reviews: Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh in the Round
Previews: Post-Gazette, City Paper
Listen to our radio ad with Etta Cox:
With:
13th Theatre Festival in Black and White
Summer 2018
Cheryl El-Walker, Festival Coordinator
Our signature one-act theatre festival returns for its thirteenth year with another selection of entertaining short plays.
More details coming soon!
Help Us Grow
Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company is committed to developing and showcasing the works of local playwrights; from accomplished masters like August Wilson and George S. Kaufman to promising new talents.
Our productions are also supported by:
*Appears courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association