It’s not too late for theater-lovers to catch the last program of the Pittsburgh New Works Festival’s 36th season. From Sept. 17-20, three one-act plays are set to premiere at the Genesius Theater at Duquesne University, one of which comes from local Coraopolis playwright Geo Lawton.
This week’s program starts with “Delayed Blitz” by Grant Mitchell, which sets the stage in an interview between an old football legend and a young nonfiction writer. The Connecticut-based writer’s play ruminates on “legacy, ego, and the stories people tell themselves to survive.”
The festival continues with Lawton’s “Are You Okay?” — a play that transforms a CPR lesson into an impromptu support group for the main character. Lawton’s work centers on the experience of lifesaving, as CPR mannequins transform into the characters’ loved ones.
Finishing up the run is New York City playwright J.B. Heaps’ “Death Becomes a Writer,” which involves a funeral parlor, an unusual request and a literary scandal. Heaps’ scandal can perhaps be explained, but “not on this earthly plane.”
Shows will be held at 7:30 p.m. from Thursday through Saturday, with 2 p.m. showings on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are $17 in advance and $20 at the door, with student pricing at $15.