City Theatre reimagines 2020-21 season
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Drive-in movies are universally known. Well, how about a drive-in stage play?
It’s one way Pittsburgh’s City Theatre is reimagining its 2020-21 season. The updated schedule includes a live drive-in experience as well as virtual content. Without this shift in planning, it would have been difficult, if not impossible, to have a season amid the the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the covid-19 pandemic.
City Theatre is starting its 46th season on Sept. 10 with a unique event: the Drive-In Community Arts Festival at Hazelwood Green, featuring artists curated by eight different arts organizations.
It will be followed by Manuel Cinema’s “Frankenstein” for an extended run. All programming will be performed live on stage while projected on an adjacent screen in a parking lot next to Mill 19 at Hazelwood Green, the former site of an LTV Coke Works.
The festival will mark the first in-person performance from City Theatre since mid-March, when government health mandates restricted indoor gatherings.
“One of our very first steps this spring was to develop an internal Safety Committee representing every aspect of the City Theatre operation. We sought out the advice and counsel of experts from the medical field,” said managing director James McNeel.
“The drive-in concept quickly became the most obvious and exciting path forward as it provides a low-risk environment for the performers and for our patrons, who will be safely inside their vehicles,” McNeel said. “It’s a real testament to our team that we have found a way to perform again while also following the incredibly important health guidelines necessary to defeat this pandemic.”
The Drive-In Arts Festival at Hazelwood Green includes 12 nights of Pittsburgh-based programming. A full schedule of events and tickets will be available on Aug. 17 for City Theatre subscribers and Aug. 24 for the general public.
“As construction continues at Hazelwood Green, we are pleased to be able to welcome visitors to the site and to host this unique festival experience,” said Hazelwood Green project director Todd Stern. “The vision for Hazelwood Green, and in particular the public Plaza, which will be completed in late fall 2020, is one that embraces collaboration with local artists and arts organizations.”
The festival will be followed by the original season opener, “Frankenstein” by Manuel Cinema on the drive-in stage, running through Oct. 18.
“The thrilling theatricality of Manuel Cinema’s ‘Frankenstein’ is a unique take on Mary Shelley’s classic, a perfect fit for a fall evening on the drive-in stage,” said City Theatre Artistic Director Marc Masterson.
“With a live score played against an original silent film using shadows and light to tell the tale, this is a ‘Frankenstein’ like no other. We can’t wait to share this family-friendly production with Pittsburgh.”
The season will continue with a world premiere holiday musical, “Claws Out,” an interactive holiday production created specifically for the digital stage.
City Theatre is hoping for a return to regular performances in early 2021. The organization said all decisions about programming will be based on the guidance of the CDC and state and local health departments.