PICT Finalizes Cast for Second Annual UNCOMMON PLEAS

A storm is brewing in Pittsburgh as PICT Classic Theatre sets the stage for its second annual UnCommon Pleas. The event will place two of Shakespeare's most well-known characters, Prospero and Caliban of The Tempest, on trial in front of a panel of federal and state court judges.

Former Governor Tom Corbett and Highmark Health's Dan Onorato will play the iconic figures, pleading their innocence and the other's guilt, while Helen Hanna Casey, CEO and President of Howard Hanna Real Estate Services, will appear as Ariel to cast her spell on the judges and audience.

This legal theatrical event is co-sponsored by the Arts and Law Committee and the Young Lawyers Division and Homer S. Brown Division of the Allegheny County Bar Association. Part of the proceeds will also benefit the Allegheny County Bar Foundation as well as PICT Classic Theatre's educational programs.

This entertaining evening is open to the public, but has limited seating. The Court of UnCommon Pleas will convene at the Duquesne Club on March 19 at 6:00 p.m., featuring a three-course meal followed by the legal argument.

The event is co-chaired by PICT Classic Theatre's board president Charles H. Moellenberg, Jr. (Jones Day) and his wife Karen Moellenberg, also an attorney, as well as Thomas G. Donahue (Dinsmore) and Hayley Haldeman (Jones Day). About the event, Charles Moellenberg predicts, "We anticipate another hilarious evening of jousting and jest, with a feisty cast, lively judges and spirited advocates."

PICT Artistic & Executive Director Alan Stanford has devised a script for the evening and will direct the noteworthy cast of community leaders. According to Stanford, "PICT is producing The Tempest in October of this year as part of its 'Saints and Sinners' season, so it is the perfect time to build anticipation for this play that embodies the best of these themes. All of these characters commit some somewhat devious acts, but it is the intention behind their actions that may be construed as noble. It will be fun to watch these arguments play out and discover what the judges and audience jurors decide as their fate."

TO ORDER TICKETS:

PICT is taking orders by phone at 412-561-6000 and online at picttheatre.org. Tickets are $250 per person, or $175 per person or $300 per couple for members of the Arts & the Law Committee, Homer S. Brown Division and Young Lawyers Division of the Allegheny County Bar Association. As part of a strengthened partnership with the ACBA this year, 5 percent of each ticket purchased by a member of the Allegheny County Bar Association will be donated to the Allegheny County Bar Foundation.

TO BECOME A SPONSOR:

There is plenty of time to be a sponsor, and sponsorship does have its privileges. Sponsorship options, ranging from $750 to $5,000, come with a host of benefits, including the opportunity to become involved in the proceedings. Call PICT Classic Theatre or visit picttheatre.org for details.