PICT's WAITING FOR GODOT Offers Many Welcome Returns to the Stage, Now thru 6/21

When Artistic & Executive Director Alan Stanford was planning the 2014 PICT season, Managing Director Stephanie Riso suggested the addition of the Beckett classic Waiting for Godot. She knew Alan had a special relationship with this particular work of Beckett, having portrayed Pozzo for the Gate Theatre Dublin's touring production for more than twenty years.

The Irish Times noted: "The Gate production is definitive, not just in Irish but in global terms...probably the closest we will ever get to the perfect official Godot." As part of this production, Alan performed throughout Europe, Asia, Australia and the U.S., and the performance at the Byham in Pittsburgh introduced him to the city which he has called home since 2009. The Gate's production was also immortalized in Beckett on Film, with the blessing of the very particular Beckett estate. Alan commented, "This play has left such an indelible mark on my life, and I am so pleased to inhabit Pozzo again, but with Martin Giles, James FitzGerald and Ken Bolden, it feels like a completely new adventure."

Martin Giles, who has performed and directed for PICT for more than 13 years, returns to the stage following a battle with throat cancer. Martin has been unable to work since last fall, when he directed A Skull in Connemara for PICT, and Parlour Song for Quantum - and had to bow out of playing one of his favorite roles, Dr. Watson opposite David Whalen's Sherlock Holmes for PICT. In April, the Pittsburgh theatre community came together to roast the popular actor and successfully raised funds to help replace his lost income. Martin expressed his delight in taking the stage for PICT: "Taking on the role of Estragon (aka Gogo), which is a role I've always wanted to play, makes this return even sweeter and more exciting." PICT staff, board and patrons are equally enthusiastic about his return to the stage in this iconic role.

Also returning to PICT is Aoife Spillane-Hinks, who directed Our Class for PICT in April 2013. Our Class earned an honorable mention for top play of 2013 by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and audience and cast members alike appreciated Aoife's approach to this challenging work. Aoife trained as a director on the Rough Magic/AIB SEEDS program. She holds a BA in Folklore and Mythology from Harvard University and an MA in Drama and Theatre Studies from NUI Galway. As an American-born Irish citizen, Aoife makes her home in Dublin and is the co-artistic director of Then This Theatre, and the co-curator and co-producer of the TEXT|messages Shakespeare project.

James FitzGerald recently played Dr. Bradman in PICT's production of Blithe Spirit. His performance as Vladimir (Didi) marks his 13th production for PICT. Other Pittsburgh appearances include City Theatre (Charles Ives, Take Me Home), Quantum Theater (End of the Affair, Mouth to Mouth), Pittsburgh Public Theater (1776, Royal Family, Born Yesterday, Midsummer Night's Dream, Our Town) Opera Theatre (Candide) and Pittsburgh Playhouse (Heads). James has performed sixteen seasons with Chicago Shakespeare Theater and numerous Chicago theatres, as well as off-Broadway productions, most notably Rose Rage directed by Edward Hall. He is also the recipient of two Joseph Jefferson Awards (Best Supporting Actor), a Jeff Citation (Best Actor), and an OE Award Nomination - Best Supporting Actor. James is one of two local actors selected as PICT's Featured Artist for 2014. This new initiative by PICT aspires to recognize the talents and versatility of local Pittsburgh theatre artists by presenting them in diverse works throughout the season.

Ken Bolden will play Lucky, the luckless companion of Pozzo. Ken returns to PICT, where he last played Major Alistair Ross in The Crucifer of Blood. Most recently, he filmed a scene with Russell Crowe in Fathers and Daughters, and he has a leading role in Lightheaded, a locally produced independent film set for the festival circuit in 2015. He participated in Bricolage's unique fundraiser B.U.S. this past April. You might recognize Ken from his PA Lottery commercials that have enjoyed substantial airtime this year.

Two young actors will share the role of Boy in this production. Both garnered PICT's attention for their winning performances in the Public Theatre's Shakespearean Monologue and Scene Contest. Elliot Pullen (left) was a finalist in 2012, earned an honorable mention in 2013, and this year, he won the lower division scene contest. His acting credits include the role of Wally Webb in Our Town (Pittsburgh Public Theater) and Charlie Bucket in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Little Lake Theatre), as well as various productions of Pittsburgh Youth Shakespeare Troupe Falstaff's Fellows and Pittsburgh Shakespeare in the Park Young Company Ensemble. Shay Freund (right) recently won best monologue in the lower division of the Shakespearean Monologue and Scene Contest for his portrayal of Flute (as Thisbe) in A Midsummer Night's Dream. Shay will be in the sixth grade in the fall and attends the Gideon Study Center.

Alan Stanford is providing both scenic and costume design, with assistance from props master Johnmichael Bohach and assistant costume designer Lindsay Tejan. The first show on June 4th is a student matinee, and new this year, PICT has introduced a 2pm Wednesday matinee to accommodate retires and people with alternate work schedules; Wednesday, June 18 at 2pm is the mid-week matinee for Waiting for Godot.

PICT Classic Theatre (formerly known as Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre) is one of a handful of theatres in the U.S. still producing large cast, classical plays, preserving and promoting an important body of creative work. Operating on a budget of $1.2 million dollars, the company employs between 90-100 theatre artists, production technicians and artisans each year that participate in the production and presentation of classical theatre and the works of classical and contemporary Irish playwrights. The organization believes classic theatre is relevant to modern life, bringing context and meaning to people's lives, and is committed to a civic role through its education and outreach programs for seniors and young people, as well as enhancing the accessibility of its programming to reach diverse audiences. PICT Classic Theatre is a Small Professional Theatre (SPT) affiliated with Actors' Equity Association, a constituent member of Theatre Communications Group (TCG) and proud member of the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council. PICT Classic Theatre performs in The Charity Randall and Henry Heymann Theatres inside the Stephen Foster Memorial, 4301 Forbes Avenue, Oakland between the months of April through December.

PICT THEATRE'S 2014 SEASON:

Blithe Spirit by Noel Coward
Directed by Alan Stanford
The Charity Randall Theatre
May 1 - May 17, 2014

NEW THIS YEAR: WEDNESDAY 2PM MATINEE- May 14, 2014

(10 a.m. Student Matinee on Tuesday, May 13)
(2 p.m. matinee on Saturday, May 17 includes an American Sign Language interpretation.)

Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett
Directed by Aoife Spillane-Hinks
The Charity Randall Theatre
June 4 - June 21, 2014

NEW THIS YEAR: WEDNESDAY 2PM MATINEE- June 18, 2014

(10 a.m. Student Matinee on Wednesday, June 4)
(2 p.m. matinee on Saturday, June 21 includes an American Sign Language interpretation.)

Woman and Scarecrow by Marina Carr
Directed by Alan Stanford
The Henry Heymann Theatre
July 10 - August 2, 2014

NEW THIS YEAR: WEDNESDAY 2PM MATINEE- July 30, 2014

(2 p.m. matinee on Saturday, August 2 includes an American Sign Language interpretation.)

Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme by Frank McGuinness
Directed by Matt Torney
The Charity Randall Theatre
September 4 - September 20, 2014

NEW THIS YEAR: WEDNESDAY 2PM MATINEE- September 17, 2014

(10 a.m. Student Matinee on Tuesday, September 16)
(2 p.m. matinee on Saturday, September 20 includes an American Sign Language interpretation.)

Macbeth by William Shakespeare
Directed by Alan Stanford
The Charity Randall Theatre October 8 - 25, 2014

NEW THIS YEAR: WEDNESDAY 2PM MATINEE- October 22, 2014

(10 a.m. student matinees on Tuesday, October 8 and Tuesday, October 21) (2 p.m. matinee on Saturday, October 25 includes an American Sign Language interpretation.)

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
(Adapted for the stage by Hugh Leonard)
Directed by Alan Stanford
The Charity Randall Theatre
December 3-20, 2014

NEW THIS YEAR: WEDNESDAY 2PM MATINEE- December 17, 2014

(10 a.m. student matinees on Tuesday, December 3 and Tuesday, December 16) (2 p.m. matinee on Saturday, December 20 includes an American Sign Language interpretation.)

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$288-$188*

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(Limited "grab bag" seating at $25; not available at all shows)

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