The 2017-18 City Theatre season includes two world premieres and a family-friendly production with homegrown roots: PigPen Theatre Company’s original fable, “The Old Man and The Old Moon: A New Musical Folktale.”
PigPen Theatre began with seven freshmen — Alex Falberg, Arya Shahi, Ben Ferguson, Curtis Gillen, Dan Weschler, Matt Nuernberger and Ryan Melia — at Carnegie Mellon University in 2007. The company was the first group to win the NYC Fringe Festival’s top honor for a play two years in a row (2010 and 2011).
“ ‘The Old Man and The Old Moon’ is my favorite kind of play, combining storytelling, music, puppets, acting, movement — basically the kitchen sink — into a gorgeous and mesmerizing night at the theater,” said Tracy Brigden, City Theatre’s artistic director.
City’s 43rd season of presenting new plays also includes three by women, beginning on Sept. 23 with Halley Feiffer’s marquee-challenged “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Gynecologic Oncology Unit at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center of New York City.”
“The season embraces all that City Theatre stands for: diverse, entertaining and powerful stories, told by masterful artists in a highly theatrical way,” Ms. Brigden said. “All that said, I love each play equally!”
Two of the plays, “Citizens Market” and “The White Chip,” will have staged readings in June at Momentum Festival ’17, City Theatre’s annual presentation of new works in different stages of development.
THE 2017-18 CITY THEATRE SEASON
Sept. 23-Oct. 15: “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Gynecologic Oncology Unit at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center of New York City” by Halley Feiffer. Called “irresistible” by The New York Times during its off-Broadway run, the play has struggling stand-up Karla and super nerd Don meeting after their mothers are assigned to the same room in the cancer center.
Nov. 11-Dec. 3: “The Old Man and The Old Moon” by PigPen Theatre Co. The family-friendly adventure (ages 10 and older) told with artistry and puppetry answers the question: Who keeps the moon shining bright?
Jan. 20-Feb. 18, 2018: “The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey” by James Lecesne (writer of the Oscar-winning short “Trevor”). Leonard is a 14-year-old intent on living life out loud while marooned in a sleepy Jersey shore town. When he suddenly vanishes, a hard-boiled detective takes the case, unraveling the mystery with the help of a colorful band of locals.
March 3-25, 2018: “Citizens Market” by Cori Thomas is a world premiere from the writer of “When January Feels Like Summer.” The play follows a hopeful group of immigrants as they form an unlikely family, working together at a New York City supermarket.
April 7-May 6, 2018: “The White Chip” by Sean Daniels (director of “The Lion”). Sean is on top of the world: He’s married, has good friends and is steps away from his dream job, running one of the hottest theaters in the country. He also happens to be an alcoholic spinning out of control. “The White Chip” follows his life from first sip to rock bottom, where he carves an unusual path to sobriety.
May 12-June 3, 2018: “Nomad Motel” by Carla Ching (“Fear the Walking Dead”; Netflix’s “I Love Dick”). The world is a coming-of-age tale about making something out of nothing on the not-so-sunny side of California, where two savvy teens must learn to scrape by without giving up their dreams.
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June 1-14, 2017: Momentum Festival ’17: New Plays at Different Stages, will include staged readings of “Citizens Market” and “The White Chip” as part of the play development process. Momentum ’17 is free and open to the public.
Schedule of free public readings:
“Citizens Market” directed by Reginald L. Douglas, 7 p.m. June 1 and 2 p.m. June 3.
“I Get Restless” by Caroline V. McGraw, directed by Anya Martin, 7 p.m. June 2.
“The Consequences” with music and lyrics by Nathan Leigh and Kyle Jarrow (“Whisper House” with Duncan Sheik, “The SpongeBob Musical”), book by Kyle Jarrow, directed by Tracy Brigden, 8 p.m. June 3.
“The White Chip” directed by Sheryl Kaller, 1 p.m. June 4.
Also at Momentum, “Questioning Color: Conversations About Race,” noon-6 p.m. June 3. In preparation for a new work about identity, playwright Tami Dixon (“South Side Stories”) will engage in one-on-one conversations with patrons to explore how people come to perceive racial identity and experience whiteness.
Season Special: Sept. 7-17, 2017: “Late Night Catechism” by Maripat Donovan, featuring Kimberly Richards. The limited-run engagement marks the return of the original show that first brought Sister to the South Side.
Season subscription packages range from $171-$276. Single tickets go on sale Aug. 14. More at www.citytheatrecompany.org or 412-431-CITY.
Sharon Eberson: seberson@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1960. Twitter: @SEberson_pg.
First Published: May 10, 2017, 4:00 a.m.
