THE BLUEST EYE Continues Through March 13 at Pittsburgh Playhouse

Point Park University's Conservatory Theatre Company continues its 2015-2016 season with THE BLUEST EYE, the heart wrenching story of a young girl named Pecola growing up in the 1940s who wishes to be anyone other than herself because of the difficulty and hardship she faces in her daily life.

Directed by Monica Payne, THE BLUEST EYE runs this weekend, Feb. 25-28, and March 10-13 in the Rauh Theatre at the Pittsburgh Playhouse, 222 Craft Ave. Performances will be at 8 p.m., Thursdays through Saturdays, and 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Adult tickets are $24, students and seniors are $10 and can be purchased by calling the Pittsburgh Playhouse box office at 412-392-8000 or visiting www.pittsburghplayhouse.com.

"THE BLUEST EYE is a serious examination of the destruction of a young girl by a system that is stacked against her," said Payne. "We want the audience to get inside Pecola's experience, to stand in her shoes. Although the story takes place in the 1940s, it is still incredibly relevant."

Based on the book by Toni Morrison, Lydia Diamond's THE BLUEST EYE follows the life of young Pecola, who thinks she is ugly and worthless. In post-Depression Lorain, Ohio, a sad life gives her no reason to believe otherwise, which is why the young African American girl longs for the pale skin and blue eyes of her doll.

The Conservatory Theatre Company production features scenic design by Stephanie Mayer-Staley, costumes by Cathleen Crocker-Perry, lighting by Cat Wilson, and sound by Steve Shapiro.

Director, Monica Payne, is a freelance director and the founder of Theatre Lumina, a company devoted to cross-cultural collaboration and international exchange. She recently directed the New York premiere of the award-winning Polish play, Trash Story, by Magda Fertacz, in what one critic called a "bracing new production." She also directed the U.S. premiere of the same play for the UCLA School of Theatre, Film and Television in Los Angeles. Recently, she assisted Georges Bigot (formerly of Theatre du Soleil) on a workshop production of Macbeth for Theatre Y in Chicago. She has worked on several shows at the Pittsburgh Playhouse, including Phedre by Racine and Hecuba and Huck Finn. Throughout her career as a director, she has assisted in the direction for a variety of other productions across the country. A former actress, Monica worked for many years in Chicago with various companies, including Steppenwolf Theatre Company, the Artistic Home, the Hypocrites, the Journeymen, and Famous Door, among others. She later graduated with an MFA in Directing from the UCLA School of Theatre, Film, and Television. She is the recipient of the James Pendleton Foundation Prize and a member of the 2008 Lincoln Center Director's Lab (NY), as well as the 2012 Director's Lab West in Los Angeles. Monica has taught at the college level for Point Park, UCLA, Carnegie Mellon, and served as the Head of Graduate Acting at Point Park. She has been a Meisner teacher for 16 years and has taught for the School at Steppenwolf, the Artistic Home, and the Audition Studio, as well as her own studio in Los Angeles. She has taught with Steppenwolf West in various intensive programs, including those in Monterey, Long Beach, and most recently, an international immersion in Toronto. Her students have gone on to work on Broadway, in regional theatre, television, and film.

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