City Theatre Announces 2013-2014 Season

City Theatre announces all six plays lined up for its compelling 2013-2014 season, including a madcap family reunion; a sonic journey about symphony and sports; a soul-stirring drama that daringly reimagines an American icon; a provocative New York hit about what it means to hear and listen; a high-intensity drama that follows a moxie fighter pilot; and a kinetic, new play about relationships and fate.

"We open our 2013-2014 season with Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike by Christopher Durang, a hilarious sendup of Chekhovian themes," says Tracy Brigden, City Theatre's Artistic Director. "This wacky comedy about a family reunion gone awry marks the return of one of my all-time favorite comic writers to City Theatre. Next up is Charles Ives Take Me Home, a new play by Jessica Dickey, author and performer of The Amish Project. This gorgeous, music-filled work follows a father whose career as a musician clashes with his daughter's passion for sports. From there, we launch into The Mountaintop, a bold, fictionalized portrayal of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s last night before his assassination. Playwright Katori Hall brings out the man behind one of America's most significant icons-a true feat. Next, we'll produce Tribes by Nina Raine. Boasting sold-out, extended runs in New York and London, this provocative play incorporates spoken language, sign language, and surtitles to fully immerse the audience in the worlds of both deaf and hearing characters. Then Grounded, a gripping, new drama by George Brant; this recent Smith Prize winner is an intense one-woman show filled with powerful storytelling about the dualities of war and family. We close with Hope and Gravity, a riveting play that tells the story of ten characters whose lives are interconnected by a series of strange occurrences. In the tradition of films like Magnolia and Love Actually, this jigsaw puzzle of a play unfolds in a unique and spellbinding way that leaves you on the edge of your seat until the final moment."

CITY THEATRE 2013-2014 MAIN SEASON

VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE
A fresh Broadway comedy by Christopher Durang
Directed by Tracy Brigden
October 12 - November 3, 2013 (Mainstage)

Vanya and his sister Sonia tolerate the mediocrity of their middle-aged lives in Bucks County, PA, until their movie-star sister Masha returns for a visit that shakes things up. With her boy-toy Spike in tow, Masha incites a madcap family reunion complete with all the comic genius that only Christopher Durang (Mrs. Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas Binge) can deliver.

CHARLES IVES TAKE ME HOME
A music-filled journey by Jessica Dickey
Directed by Matt M. Morrow
November 9 - December 15, 2013 (Hamburg Studio)

A father's love of music and a daughter's passion for basketball are at odds in this new play about competition, commitment, and craft. Jessica Dickey (The Amish Project) enlists modernist composer Charles Ives to guide a violinist to an understanding of what it means to be a father-and a fan.

THE MOUNTAINTOP
A soul-stirring drama by Katori Hall
January 18 - February 9, 2014 (Mainstage)

Flash back to April 3, 1968, Memphis, Tennessee. Enter room 306 of the Lorraine Motel, where DR. Martin Luther King, Jr. spent the last night of his life. In this daring reimagining of history, a visit from an enigmatic young maid unveils the humanity and vulnerability of America's larger-than-life icon.

TRIBES
A provocative New York hit by Nina Raine
Directed by Stuart Carden
Co-produced with Philadelphia Theatre Company
March 8-30, 2014 (Mainstage)

Verbal jabs fly in this stirring new play about Billy, a deaf twenty-something who is adept at lipreading the brash discourse of his hearing family. It's tough to get a word in edgewise around the dinner table, but when Billy falls for Sylvia, a woman who's losing her hearing, everyone is forced to learn a lesson about listening.

GROUNDED
A high-intensity drama by George Brant
March 29 - May 4, 2014 (Hamburg Studio)

This powerful one-woman show follows a gutsy fighter pilot whose unexpected pregnancy puts her career on hold. When she gets back in the game, flying has a whole new meaning: operating remote-controlled drones in Afghanistan from an air-conditioned trailer near Las Vegas. Hunting terrorists by day and being a wife and mother by night, the pilot's struggle to navigate her dual identities is her toughest mission yet.

HOPE AND GRAVITY
A kinetic new play by Michael Hollinger
Directed by Tracy Brigden
May 3-25, 2014 (Mainstage)

Lives overlap and elevators stop on random floors as ten characters are compellingly revealed in this nonlinear comedy about fate. From a backyard squabble to an unlikely hotel hookup, chance encounters and rocky relationships unfold through nine stories and one momentous leap of faith.

CITY EVENTS
City Theatre's annual series of limited engagement special presentations

2 PIANOS 4 HANDS
By Ted Dykstra and Richard Greenblatt
November 30 - December 22, 2013 (Mainstage)

A melodic adventure for the whole family
For anyone who ever dreamed big-and then didn't quite make it, this is the riotous story of Ted and Richard, childhood friends who spent years chasing the same goal: concert pianist stardom. Two actors, two pianos, and dozens of characters grace the stage in this hilarious portrayal of pushy parents, eccentric teachers, and the triumphs and tortures of being extraordinarily good (or failed?) musicians.

SOUTH SIDE STORIES
Written and performed by Tami Dixon
January 8-26, 2014 (Hamburg Studio)

Back by popular demand for a limited time!
Embedded in the concrete of South Side's city steps are testimonials of teenage mischief, steel mill toil, and townie haunts. This is a neighborhood where parking chairs mark territory and "paradise" is one turn off of 26th Street. Join us for the return of this audience favorite.

TICKETS

Season tickets and flex subscriptions for main season productions are now available by calling 412.431.CITY (2489). Online subscription sales begin May 15.

Season tickets:
$157.50 (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday performances)
$247.50 (Friday and Saturday 5:30pm performances)
$180.00 (Sunday and Saturday 9:00pm performances)

Flex packages:
$210.00 (six Basic Flex Vouchers, good for Tuesday through Thursday performances)
$270.00 (six Premium Flex Vouchers, good for any performance)

Single tickets:
$35-$55 with discounts available for persons under 30, seniors 62 and older, and groups of 10 or more.
City Events single tickets go on sale May 15. Main season single tickets go on sale September 3.

City Theatre's 39th season begins this fall. Located on Pittsburgh's historic South Side, City Theatre specializes in new plays, commissioning and producing work by playwrights including Adam Rapp, Jeffrey Hatcher, Theresa Rebeck, and Christopher Durang. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Tracy Brigden, Managing Director Mark R. Power, and a 45-member Board of Directors, City Theatre's mission is to provide an artistic home for the development and production of contemporary plays of substance and ideas that engage and challenge a diverse audience. CityTheatreCompany.org

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