The Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre is always trying to cultivate Black playwrights because there are so few of them.
“We have a treasure trove of Black playwrights in Pittsburgh and I’m trying to help develop more African-American playwrights,” said Mark Clayton Southers, Playwrights Theatre founder and producing artistic director.
Now in its 12th season, the theater will offer theatergoers a smorgasbord of tastes from all walks of life.
It kicks off on Oct. 4 with the world-premiere of the one-man play, “Book of Ezra,” which was written and will be performed by spoken word artist and national slam poet, Leslie “Ezra” Smith. “Book of Ezra” is about the coming-of-age and consciousness growing up as a Black man in America. The production, which will run through Oct. 25, will be directed by Southers.
In December audiences will be treated to a double helping of holiday fare with “Ubuntu Holiday,” a full-length version of a one-act play that was performed as a part of the 2013 Theatre Festival in Black and White. Written by Kim El and directed by Mils James, “Ubuntu Holiday” is set at a Kwanzaa celebration that is disrupted by a distrustful Christian guest. Rancor and controversy threaten to disrupt the otherwise festive atmosphere. However, in the end, joy and good feelings of the season win out.
Running in repertory along with “Ubuntu Holiday,” will be Ray Werner’s “Christmas Star,” directed by Monteze Freeland. Also a product of the 2013 Theatre Festival in Black and White, Werner offers up the story of an Iraq war veteran father and a bewildered mother gathering for Christmas Eve celebration. Patriotism, post-traumatic stress disorder and the meaning of family all jockey for attention in this thought-provoking play.
“Both plays will be run on the same set on different nights,” said Southers.
In 2015, the year will start off with the First Annual Pittsburgh Playwrights One Act Play Festival.
Formerly known as the Theatre Festival in Black and White, the One Act Play Festival is open to all Pittsburgh playwrights. Its mission is to shine a light on Pittsburgh’s diverse communities by soliciting plays from an array of playwrights from various cultural backgrounds. The only requirement is that the playwright has lived in the Pittsburgh area for at least two years at some point.
“Pittsburgh’s geography is rapidly changing and I didn’t want to exclude people of other ethnicities who wrote one-act plays,” Southers said. “We want to be more inclusive. Pittsburgh has always had a Black and White problem whether it is police brutality; racism or whatever and I’ve been trying to find ways to bridge the gap.
“I wanted to address the differences in theater. Theater is very segregated, but by choice,” Southers continued. “We attempted to balance that and make more opportunities for Blacks and Whites as well, but during that time I’ve met Chinese, Latino and other nationalities that write plays. We know how it feels to be excluded and we don’t want to do that. We want to make it broader and have more opportunities for everyone.”
Scripts selected will receive a fully staged production during the festival. The festival will conclude with an awards ceremony where Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre will recognize the talent during the festival. The deadline for scripts is Nov. 1.
Southers’ mentor and former New Horizon Theater Artistic Director, Ernest McCarty, will present “Dinah” from March 20-April 12. “Dinah” tells the story of legendary Blues singer Dinah Washington. The production, written and directed by McCarty, includes riveting musical numbers and biographical vignettes as it provides powerful insight into the tragic and often controversial life of the 1950s “Queen of the Blues.”
“Ernest is a great artist and mentor of mine. He’s a renaissance man and he’s given me numerous opportunities at New Horizon Theater. He’s a gem,” Southers said.
For the month of May, the Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre returns to its roots with the production of August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize winning masterpiece, “Fences.”
Set in the 1950s, “Fences” evokes the early rumblings of the Civil Rights Movement. The main character, Troy Maxson, a middle-aged resident of Pittsburgh’s Hill District, is unable to shed the legacy of his failure as a young baseball player. The play follows Troy’s struggle. Southers has directed seven out of 10 August Wilson’s plays and he has even produced “Fences” before, but never directed it. He is looking forward to sinking his teeth into the production that was supposed to take place at the August Wilson Center for African American Culture when Southers was employed there but never came to fruition.
“I’m excited about directing it. My goal is for people to see it in a different way. A lot of the stuff we do, we try to involve community actors as much as possible. We add characters who are talked about but not seen. That kind of stuff works well in our theater. I’m doing it that way for the audience and it tells the story and it doesn’t take away from the story. We always do well with August Wilson plays,” Southers said.
The Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre is a 99-seat theater located at 937 Liberty Ave., across the street from the August Wilson Center. With the help of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust and a home equity loan, Southers was able to acquire the third floor of the building in 2011. The Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre was founded in 2003 and is committed to developing and showcasing the works of local playwrights.
In an effort to cultivate more Black playwrights, Southers held a three-week playwriting course for Hill District residents, which were sponsored by District Magistrate Judge Oscar Petite.
Southers plans on holding another playwriting class soon.
“We’re going to keep producing great work and we’re going to try to stay on our feet and stay strong. It’s tough,” he said.
(For more information or to purchase tickets to the 2014/2015 Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre season, visit www.pghplaywrights.com.)
Follow @NewPghCourier on Twitter https://twitter.com/NewPghCourier
Like us at https://www.facebook.com/pages/New-Pittsburgh-Courier/143866755628836?ref=hl
Download our mobile app at https://www.appshopper.com/news/new-pittsburgh-courier
About Post Author
