Mark Clayton Southers has works by Leslie Ansley hanging in his home, so when the original designer of the poster for “Fences” had to drop out, he turned to an artist whose work he knew. At first he had some qualms about the age of one of the characters when he saw Ms. Ansley’s wood-and-acrylic creation, but then the Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company’s artistic director had an epiphany: leave the art to the artist.

His company had done the 10-play cycle of August Wilson’s plays in its first 10 years, took a year off, and with “Fences” May 9-30, it begins the cycle anew. It also is the beginning of commissioning a different local artist to create a poster for each play. “My only requirement will be that he or she reads or sees the play,” said Mr. Southers, who will be concentrating on directing “Fences” for the first time. He produced the previous PPTC production, with Eileen Morris at the helm. Ms. Ansley’s work includes has murals for nonprofit organizations, schools, businesses and communities in Pittsburgh, including “All in a Day,” at Murray and Forward avenues, Squirrel Hill.

-- Sharon Eberson

First Published: April 27, 2015, 3:20 p.m.