Pittsburg Community Theatre Will Bring Black Box to Town

Black Box Theatre comes to Pittsburg! In a new venture, Pittsburg Community Theatre will present full length shows in an intimate setting: local hot-spot Steeltown Coffee and Tea. What is Black box theatre? Simply, an intimate performance space, in this case in Steeltown Coffee & Tea, with plain black walls (curtains) on a level floor. This is an ideal format for PCT to provide additional performance opportunities for both the actors and patrons to enjoy. Adrian Badger, Steeltown proprietor, is "excited to be part of PCTs new Black Box Theatre project and as an avid PCT supporter, Steeltown looks forward to hosting creative and unique productions at the coffeehouse."

PCT at Steeltown's inaugural season is called "The Year of the Hound." Two productions are planned, a murder mystery comedy "The Real Inspector Hound," and the 3-man British comedy "The Hound of the Baskervilles."

"The Real Inspector Hound," directed by Gregory Brown, will run March 20-29, 2020. This Tom Stoppard farce pokes fun at theatre critics and the conventions of murder mystery fare, such as "The Mousetrap" by Agatha Chrisitie. Stoppard's comedy blurs the line between reality and the world of the stage, as the two critics are, literally, drawn into the action onstage in a serious of hilarious occurrences. Auditions are fast approaching (Jan 28 & 29, 2020); visit PCT's website PCTCA.org for more information.

Sherlock Holmes meets Airplane! is the best way to describe this riotous 3-man comedy "Hound of the Baskervilles," under the direction of Alice Lustre. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's most celebrated detective series gets a gloriously funny makeover in this hilarious adaptation. The show is packed full of verbal and visual ingenuity, with all characters played by the 3 male actors.

Tickets are now on sale for both shows. Ticket prices are $15 per person when purchased in advance, or $20 at the door. If you have already purchased a season subscription for PCT's main stage production, or for the upcoming 2020-2021 season, you can receive a special PCT at Steeltown package price of $26 for both shows. Call the California Theatre box office at 925-427-1611 or go online to purchase individual tickets (www.PittsburgCaliforniaTheatre.com). Limited seating, so get your tickets in advance.

Steeltown Coffee and Tea is located at 695 Railroad Ave., Pittsburg.
For more information, call 925-439-PLAY (7529).

Photo credit: Dianna Schepers