NEIGHBORLY by Chisa Hutchinson To Have Reading At City Theatre
The Pittsburgh reading features a commissioned work from City Theatre's Kemp Powers Commission Fund for Black Playwrights.
City Theatre will present an in-process reading of Neighborly: a play on two stoops by Chisa Hutchinson. The play was initiated through the theatre's Kemp Powers Commission Fund for Black Playwrights.
In this untraditional buddy comedy, a teenage Harlem transplant and a middle-aged gruff Yinzer form an unlikely friendship in present-day Pittsburgh's Mexican War Streets; but when the community that brings them together threatens to tear them apart, these two next door neighbors must confront generations of divisiveness in the city they call home.
The play was developed through a residency for Hutchinson over the summer of 2024 that included engaging with numerous partners and community members in Pittsburgh. “So after a sweet, days-long whirlwind tour of town which included archival research and museums and meetings with leaders and artists and a pilgrimage to August Wilson's house and visits to various other historic sites, it was literally just seeing some random bearded guy take out his trash on a drive that sparked the idea for this play,” said Playwright Chisa Hutchinson. “Pittsburgh is legit one of the most unassuming and least pretentious places I've been in, and I hope I did it justice in this play.”
This reading welcomes back Monteze Freeland as director and the cast will include Randy Kovitz and Bria Walker-Rhoze. It will take place on May 15th at 7:00pm in the Vernell Audrey Watson Lillie Theatre on City Theatre's campus.
“I am overjoyed to return to City Theatre in such a meaningful way, helping breathe life into a new work,” said Freeland. “Chisa Hutchinson is one of the boldest and most distinctive voices in American theatre today. Having been part of the initial commission of Neighborly, and now having the opportunity to help give voice to this locally inspired piece where Pittsburgh itself is the muse, is a true gift.”
The Kemp Powers Fund commission is made possible through the generous support of award-winning playwright and screenwriter Kemp Powers (One Night in Miami) and offers commissions and development support to mid or early-career Black playwrights. The Neighborly workshop is supported through Arts, Equity, & Education Fund which amplifies change and elevates underrepresented voices in the arts and education ecosystems.
PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Friday, May 15, 2026 at 7:00pm
For more information, please visit CityTheatreCompany.org or call 412-431-2489 (CITY). BOX OFFICE INFORMATION: 412.431.CITY (2489) or CityTheatreCompany.org
WHERE/VENUE: City Theatre Lillie Theatre 1300 Bingham Street Pittsburgh, PA 15203 South Side
ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Chisa Hutchinson (Playwright) (B.A. Vassar College; M.F.A NYU - TSoA) has presented her plays, which include She Like Girls, Somebody's Daughter, Surely Goodness & Mercy, Whitelisted and Dead & Breathing at such venues as Alley Theater, Atlantic Theater Company, Contemporary American Theater Festival, the National Black Theatre, Second Stage, and Arch 468 in London. Her radio drama, Proof of Love, can be found on Audible (with a boss rating). She's been a New Dramatist, a Dramatists Guild Fellow, a Lark Fellow, a Humanitas Fellow, a NeoFuturist, and a staff writer for the Blue Man Group. Chisa has also won a GLAAD Award, a Lilly Award, two New York Innovative Theatre Awards, a Helen Merrill Award, and the Lanford Wilson Award for her work in theater. Lately, she's been venturing into film and television. She's been staffed on two television series—Three Women (Starz) and Tell Me Lies (Hulu)—and is just getting back to work on her pan-African heist film with SuperSpecial as well as her biopic for Gosnell Duncan, the paraplegic, Grenadian immigrant who invented the modern silicone dildo. Her first original feature, THE SUBJECT, in which a white documentarian deals with the moral fallout from exploiting the death of a black teen, is available on various VOD platforms after a successful film festival circuit during which it won over 30 prizes. To learn more, visit www.chisahutchinson.com.
Monteze Freeland (Director) is a dynamic force in American theater, bringing over 30 years of creative experience to his role as Artistic Director of Alumni Theater Company. A true multi-hyphenate, Monteze is an actor, director, writer, producer, instructor, mentor, arts advocate, and activist all wrapped into one vibrant and passionate theater maker. A proud graduate of Point Park University (2009) and a product of the historic Arena Players Inc., Monteze has built a career defined by joyful rigor, artistic excellence, and a deep belief in the power of education. He champions arts pedagogy as a vital launchpad for success across any field. He leads with heart, humor, and hustle. Beloved across Pittsburgh's theater scene, Monteze has held major artistic leadership roles, including Artistic Producer at Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company, Director of Education at Quantum Theatre, and Co-Artistic Director at City Theatre Company, where he directed six productions and produced over 30 performances, readings, and events. Highlights from his tenure include the critically acclaimed regional premieres of Fat Ham, Clyde's, and King James. Directing credits include Akeelah and the Bee, The Coffin Maker, Miss Julie, Clarissa and John, Hairspray, Shrek, Hero: The Boy from Troy, and I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, in addition to numerous concerts and staged readings. His work has been seen on the stages of the famed Edinburgh International Festival in Scotland, the International Black Theatre Festival, Arkansas' TheatreSquared, the Colorado New Play Festival, and the historic Cleveland Play House. His accolades include the 2009 Pittsburgh Playhouse Jr. Award; 2017 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Performer of the Year; 2021 City Paper's Pittsburgh People of the Year: Theater; the 2024 Arena Players Inc. Artistic Achievement Award; and a 2025 City of Pittsburgh Proclamation recognizing his artistic and social impact.
ABOUT CITY THEATRE:
Founded in 1975, City Theatre is in its 51st season as Pittsburgh's home for bold new plays. Located in the historic South Side on its four-building cultural campus, the company produces a season of regional and world premieres; its renowned Young Playwrights Festival, now in its 26th year; a season-long reading series of new works in progress; and the annual Momentum Festival. City Theatre's mission is to provide an artistic home for the development and production of contemporary plays that engage and challenge a diverse audience. Its vision is to be the best mid-sized theater in America. Organizational core values are: Community; Collaboration; Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Accessibility; and Creativity. With an annual average operating budget of over $3.3M, City Theatre is the largest performing arts organization not located in Pittsburgh's downtown Cultural District and is a constituent and core member of the League of Resident Theaters (LORT), Theatre Communications Group (TCG), and the National New Play Network (NNPN). Clare Drobot serves as Artistic Director alongside Managing Director James McNeel. The current full-time staff numbers 23 with over 125 additional part-time, artist, and contractor staff employed each season. City Theatre is governed by a board of 21 community volunteers (Barbara Rudiak, board president). Major support for the 2025-2026 season is provided by the Allegheny Regional Asset District, Hillman Family Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, the Arthur J. and Betty F. Diskin Cultural Endowment Fund of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, and major donors supporting City Theatre's ‘Next Act' 50th Anniversary Campaign.
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