PICT Classic Theatre to Open 2015 Season with FOR THE TREE TO DROP, 2/19-28

It's a new year, and PICT Classic Theatre opens its nineteenth season out of the gate with a world-premiere, For the Tree to Drop, written by celebrated local actress Lissa Brennan. Part of PICT's brand-new Downtown Series, it is no coincidence that this compelling piece will run February 19 - 28, during Black History Month, at the Peirce Studio inside The Trust Arts Education Center at 805 Liberty Avenue.

"The hope is that the audience will experience the triumph of the human spirit in a time of year where it is pertinent to recognize this unfortunate period in American history," explains Stanford, PICT's Artistic & Executive Director. "Although more hidden, the ownership of people by people still occurs today; and then, as it is now, it is powerful to be reminded that ownership of the body does not extend to ownership of the soul."

The playwright, Lissa Brennan, appeared recently at PICT as Mrs. Bradford in Blithe Spirit and has also worked with numerous other theatre companies in the city including her own Dog & Pony Show Theatricals, whose show Grist from the Mill opens next week.

"For the Tree to Drop was originally meant to be an adaptation of Antigone, but it turned into its own play, with the central themes of Antigone," explains Brennan, and those who are familiar with Sophocles' famous Greek tragedy will be quick to notice the correlation. According to Brennan, "The hardest thing for me while writing this play was the fact that I love and am protective of these characters, but I am not always able to protect them."

About the particular struggle of a young slave girl in the Antebellum Old South, For the Tree to Drop is thematically rich and incredibly meaningful. For Brennan, "The play is about power- that no matter how much power one human being has over another, they still do not have power over that person's will... Though it may have different meanings for those in the audience."

A world premiere, For the Tree to Drop has only been previously seen as part of a workshop, directed by Alan Stanford, that was part of Bricolage's "In the Raw" series in 2013. Classically-inspired, this piece, performed without an intermission, will kick-off PICT's 2015 Season of Saints and Sinners as well as the new Downtown Series. "We are glad to offer our fans the chance to visit with us year-round," said Alan Stanford, "and after the incredible successes of 2014, we are poised to try something new."

Among the "incredible successes" was Macbeth, which broke records as the most-attended production in PICT's eighteen-year history. PICT also received critical acclaim for Waiting for Godot, which was the runner-up for Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's "Play of the Year," and over a dozen artists were mentioned in Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's "Performer of the Year" for their participation in PICT's 2014 Season.

Leaving a rewarding season behind, PICT jumps right into the 2015 season at a new Downtown venue, which is actually not the only new move in PICT's future. Beginning in February, PICT Classic Theatre will move its administrative offices from Dormont to the South Side. The new office space, which is closer to the Mainstage Series and Downtown Series venues, also offers ample space for rehearsals and team meetings.

"We begin our 2015 Season with pride in our achievements and the anticipation that the family of PICT- including actors, authors and audience- will continue to grow," says Stanford, "We invite you to join with us in 'A Place of Saints and Sinners' for our largest season yet."

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