Pittsburgh playwrights produce new works for online performance

Five Pittsburgh-area playwrights have written 10-minute plays responding to the current state of the world.

A one-night-only digital reading of the resulting works, entitled “Homegrown Stories,” is planned for 7:30 p.m. Aug. 6 as part of City of Asylum’s The Show Must Go On(line) Series.

The initiative is a collaboration of Point Park University’s Pittsburgh Playhouse and City Theatre Company.

“Collectively, City Theatre Artistic Director Marc Masterson and Associate Producer Monteze Freeland, (Managing Director Drew Martorella, Artistic Director Steven Breese) and myself selected five playwrights who are part of the Point Park and Pittsburgh theater communities,” said Clare Drobot, City Theater associate artistic director. “It was really important to include writers with different voices and styles — and we’re so thrilled to have a diverse group of artists, all of whom have called Pittsburgh home at one point in time.”

Cast members, directors and designers also have ties to the city.

“One of my favorite parts about the project is that the plays were written with a digital medium in mind and directly in response to everything from covid to Zoom life to the national call for social justice reform,” she said.

The featured plays include:

• “I Wanna Say,” by Ngozi Anyanwu, directed by Raecine Singletary and featuring Hope Anthony and Melessie Clark

• “When Things Get Bad, At Least We Have Each Other,” by Matt Pelfrey, directed by Kyle Haden and featuring Hazel LeRoy, Caroline Nicolian and Quinn Patrick Shannon

• “Helicopters,” by Tammy Ryan, directed by Rachel Stevens and featuring Daina Griffith, Daniel Krell and Zoey Myers

• “Under,” by Mark Clayton Southers, directed by Kyle Haden and featuring Richard McBride and Caroline Nicolian

• “In the Macro,” by Marcus Stevens, directed by Rachel Stevens and featuring Hope Anthony, Melessie Clark and Quinn Patrick Shannon.

Many of the performers are members of Actors Equity.

“This moment is curated specifically to boast the varied talents of alumni, staff and current students far and wide who have made City and Point Park an artistic home,” said Freeland, also a Point Park alumnus. “I believe now is the time to uplift artists who have taken the bold leap to create in the face of chaos and uncertainty.”

The Aug. 6 viewing is free, but registration is required.

Details: alphabetcity.org, playhouse.pointpark.edu or citytheatrecompany.org