Casting Complete For Pittsburgh Premiere Of TROUBLE IN MIND

A show that should have premiered on Broadway more than 50 years ago makes its Pittsburgh debut this February as Trouble in Mind runs at Pittsburgh Public Theater Feb. 5-23. The Public announced the full company of Trouble in Mind by legendary playwright Alice Childress, a cutting satire and backstage drama that finally premiered on Broadway to critical acclaim in 2021.

Pittsburgh Public Theater inaugural Resident Director Justin Emeka (Two Trains Running, Sweat, A Midsummer Night's Dream in Harlem) directs Trouble in Mind, and critics have described Emeka's Pittsburgh work as "must-see," "dreamy," and "compelling." More than 25,000 people in Pittsburgh have experienced Emeka's work at The Public, and he is eager to bring Trouble in Mind to audiences.

"This show, and its legacy, is about what happens to a dream when it is compromised to the point that it can no longer be recognized by the dreamer," Emeka said. "The characters are real people, not caricatures. They represent people who are still recognizable to the audience today."

Trouble in Mind is a play within a play as a troupe of actors stage a story about a lynching that brings conflict to the audience and into the rehearsal room. Lead actor Wiletta Mayer and director Al Manners argue over how to portray the show's main character, a sharecropper's wife, forcing Mayer to decide whether to accommodate the white director's stereotypical vision.

Shinnerrie D. Jackson plays Mayer in The Public's staging, opposite Joseph McGranaghan as Manners. Jackson, an actor and theater academic, was last seen at The Public in School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play in 2019, and can be seen in NBC's 30 Rock. McGranaghan returns to the O'Reilly Theater after his most recent appearance in The Importance of Being Earnest, and has appeared on screen in Mayor of Kingstown and American Rust.

Garbie Dukes (The Coffin Maker) returns to The Public as Sheldon Forrester, and Hope Anthony (A Christmas Story: The Play) returns as Millie Davis. Vandous Stripling II plays John Nevins, and audience-favorite Martin Giles (Murder on the Orient Express) plays Henry. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 2019 performer of the year Daniel Krell plays Bill O'Wray, and Emma Brown Baker makes her Pittsburgh Public Theater debut as Judy Sears. Anthony Marino plays Eddie Fenton.

Understudies include Cynthia Dallas for Wiletta Mayer and Pittsburgh Public Theater Core Company members Michael McBurney, Ryan M. Rattley, and Margot Allison.

"We have dreamed of bringing this show to our audiences for years, but we could not have dreamed of assembling such an incredible ensemble of legends and future legends to do so," Pittsburgh Public Theater Casting and Literary Director Brian Pope said. "They are the perfect company to embody the undeniable power and undeniable power and relevance of this masterpiece."

The Public also announced the creative team leading Trouble in Mind including Scenic Designer Jason Simms, Costume Designer KJ Gilmer, Lighting Designer Abigail Hoke-Brady, Sound Designer Tosin Olufolabi, and Wig Designer Tenell D. Dorsey. Tenley Pitonzo is the stage manager, assisted by Gabriella Walko.

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