JAN. 21 – FEB. 12, 2023
BY
HEIDI
SCHRECK
DIRECTED BY
MARC
MASTERSON
UP NEXT AT CITY THEATRE
MARCH 11 – APRIL 2, 2023
BY Expecting Latinx couple, Tania and Pablo,
have just purchased their first home next
KAREN to long-time D.C. residents (and Potomac
ZACARÍAS Horticultural Society award seekers),
Frank and Virginia. Cultures clash
DIRECTED BY when Tania’s plan for a “native garden”
disagrees with Frank’s perfectly pristine
MARC posies and a property line disagreement
MASTERSON turns into an all-out border dispute.
Karen Zacarias’s brilliant comedy exposes
well-intentioned neighbors’ notions on
race, class, morality, and privilege.
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FROM THE CO-ARTISTIC DIRECTORS
As we start the new year at City Theatre, we are thrilled to be one of the first
theaters in the country to craft an original staging of Heidi Schreck’s What the Constitution
Means to Me following its hit run in New York and National tour. This vital piece of theater
investigates one woman’s complex relationship to our country’s founding documents. It
interrogates the question of who we are as a country and if we can live out the ideals of
that document’s preamble for everyone who calls the United States home.
“We the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish
justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general
welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and
establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
Theater gathers us together in a modern-day town hall space. By following Heidi’s journey,
we can investigate our own relationships to that vision of this country and the women who
were and are instrumental in its journey. Earlier in January, we were able to celebrate one
of those women, co-presenting Cheryl L. West’s Fannie: The Music and Life of Fannie Lou
Hamer. The production took place at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center
in collaboration with DEMASKUS Theater Collective and national partners Kenny Leon’s
True Colors Theater and Actors Theatre of Louisville. It honored the legacy of Civil Rights
Icon Fannie Lou Hamer and we were proud to open the year with it.
In highlighting the very real-world ramifications of What the Constitution Means to Me, we
will be partnering with the ACLU of Pennsylvania and Planned Parenthood of Western
Pennsylvania to showcase their imperative support of women’s rights. We are joined in
this work by an amazing team of artists both familiar and new to City Theatre including
returning collaborator Tami Dixon (South Side Stories) stepping into the shoes of
playwright Heidi Schreck, and veteran Pittsburgh actor Ken Bolden, and welcoming two
new theater converts and expert debaters Lamees Subeir and Swati Mylarappa. Along with
Director and City Co-Artistic Director Marc Masterson, and an exciting design team
featuring Sasha Schwartz (Scenic), Greg Messmer (Lights), Tate Abdullah (Sound),
Richard Parsakian (Costumes), and Taylor Meszaros (Stage Manager), they bring Heidi’s
urgent story to life.
We thank you, our audiences, for joining us in these vital conversations and for your
continued support of new work and new voices in Pittsburgh.
Marc Masterson Clare Drobot Monteze Freeland
WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME 3
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
City Theatre is deeply grateful to the following community of volunteers
who support City Theatre’s mission, programming, and artists by donating their time,
wisdom, financial resources, and public advocacy. The work we do would not be possible
without their ongoing leadership and support.
PRESIDENT MEMBERS Marcia Morton
Caitlin Green † David Betts † Cori Parise
Steve Carpenter Barbara Rudiak, PhD †
VICE PRESIDENTS Judy Cheteyan Susan B. Smerd, PhD
Matthew J. Galando † Tomé Cousin Sandra Solomon
Tamara Tunie † Betty Cruz Deepak Wadhwani
Clare Drobot, ex-officio Bria Walker
TREASURER Holly Hatcher-Frazier † Nancy D. Washington, PhD
Alex Condron † Michelle McCreery, Esq †
James McNeel, ex-officio † Executive Committee Members
SECRETARY Delvina L. Morrow †
Kenneth A. Glick, MD †
In 2018, by resolution of the board of the directors, City Theatre created an Honorary Board to
recognize the extraordinary service of previous volunteers and leaders who have been
instrumental to the organization’s continued growth and success.
HONORARY BOARD MEMBERS
Carol R. Brown Thomas Hollander Dee Jay Oshry
Leonard Perfido
Tacy Byham, Ph.D. Clyde B. Jones, III David L. Porges
Jeffrey Solomon
Norbert J. Connors, Jr. Gerri Kay, in memoriam Iris Amper Walker
Roslyn Litman, in memoriam Marjorie Walker
Robert M. Frankel, in memoriam David E. Massaro
Ira H. Gordon, in memoriam
Edward H. Harrell Beth W. Newbold
WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME 5
Let’s see where
your imagination
takes you today.
The arts make us think, make us feel, and make us wonder. And
being able to support the City Theatre Company today makes us
proud.
pnc.com
©2022 The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. All rights reserved. PNC Bank, National Association. Member FDIC
CON PDF 0618-0106
MARC MASTERSON, JAMES McNEEL
CLARE DROBOT, and Managing Director
MONTEZE FREELAND
Co-Artistic Directors PRESENTS
WRITTEN BY
HEIDI SCHRECK
MARC MDIRAECSTETD BEYRSON+
CAST
Tami Dixon*
Ken Bolden*
Swati Mylarappa
Lamees Subeir
Catherine Gowl* and John Dolphin, understudies
Sasha Schwartz Richard Parsakian Greg Messmer
Scenic Designer Costume Designer Lighting Designer
Tate Abdullah Taylor Meszaros* Clare Drobot
Sound Designer Stage Manager Dramaturg
January 21 through February 12, 2023
Performed without an intermission. Run Time: Approx 90 minutes
* Member of Actors’ Equity Association
+ Member of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society
Original Broadway Production Produced by Diana DiMenna Aaron Glick Matt Ross Madeleine Foster Bersin
Myla Lerner/ Jon Bierman Jenna Segal/ Catherine Markowitz Jana Shea/ Maley-Stolbun-Sussman Rebecca
Gold/ Jose Antonio Vargas Level Forward Cornice Productions Lassen Wyse Balsam Nederlander
Productions/ Kate Lear What the Constitution Means to Me was commissioned by True Love Productions.
This production originated as part of Summerworks in June and July 2017, produced by Clubbed Thumb in
partnership with True Love Productions. West Coast premiere produced by Berkeley Repertory Theatre,
Berkeley, CA, Tony Taccone, Artistic Director/Susan Medak, Managing Director. Jim Nicola, Artistic Director,
Jeremys Blocker, Managing Director, 2018 Additional material by: Danny Wolohan
WHO'S WHO
Nevtehr uendperoeswtimearteof a
great performance.
We are proud to support City Theatre and the
mission of providing an artistic home of contemporary
plays and the ideas that engage and challenge
diverse audiences.
BCD-SYS-16740_city_theater_print_5x8_bw.indd 1 9/8/22 2:10 PM
CHARACTERS
CAST Tami Dixon
Heidi Ken Bolden
Legionnaire/Mike Swati Mylarappa
Debater Lamees Subeir
Debater Catherine Gowl, John Dolphin
Understudies
Setting: An American Legion Hall in a Small Rural Town
HEIDI SCHRECK (Playwright) is a writer and performer living in Brooklyn. Her
critically-acclaimed, award-winning play What the Constitution Means to Me played
an extended, sold-out run on Broadway in 2019, and was nominated for two Tony
Awards. It had subsequent sold-out runs at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C
as well as at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles, and will continue its national tour
when safe to do so. A filmed version of What the Constitution Means to Me, starring
Schreck, premiered this past October exclusively on Amazon Prime Video, and was
nominated for a Critics Choice Award, a PGA Award, and a DGA Award. What the
Constitution Means to Me was named Best of the Year by the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago
Tribune, Time Magazine, The Hollywood Reporter, The New Yorker and more; NPR named it one of the “50 Great
Pop Culture Moments” of 2019. Schreck’s other plays Grand Concourse, Creature, and There Are No More Big
Secrets have been produced all over the country and she has worked as a stage actor in NYC for almost 20 years.
Her screenwriting credits include I Love Dick, Billions, Nurse Jackie and shows in development with Amazon
Studios, Big Beach, Imagine Television and A24. As both an actor and writer she is the recipient of three Obie
Awards, a Drama Desk Award, and a Theatre World Award; as well as the Horton Foote Playwriting Award and the
Hull-Warriner Award from the Dramatists Guild. She was named one of Fast Company’s Most Creative People in
Business in 2019 and was featured on Variety’s 2019 Broadway Impact List. Schreck was awarded Smithsonian
Magazine’s 2019 American Ingenuity Award, for her work in the Performing Arts.
Student Debater Performances*
Lamees Subeir: Sat, Jan 21, 2023 - 5:30 PM; Wed, Jan 25, 2023 - 7:00 PM; Fri, Jan 27, 2023 - 8:00 PM;
Sun, Jan 29, 2023 - 2:00 PM; Wed, Feb 1, 2023 - 1:00 PM; Thu, Feb 2, 2023 - 11:00 AM; Sat, Feb 4, 2023 - 1:00
PM; Sun, Feb 5, 2023 - 2:00 PM; Wed, Feb 8, 2023 - 1:00 PM; Thu, Feb 9, 2023 - 8:00PM; Sat, Feb 11, 2023 -
5:30 PM
Swati Mylarappa: Sun, Jan 22, 2023 - 7:00 PM; Tue, Jan 24, 2023 - 7:00 PM; Thu, Jan 26, 2023 - 8:00 PM;
Sat, Jan 28, 2023 - 5:30 PM; Tue, Jan 31, 2023 - 7:00 PM; Wed, Feb 1, 2023 - 7:00 PM; Thu, Feb 2, 2023 - 8:00
PM; Fri, Feb 3, 2023 - 8:00 PM; Sat, Feb 4, 2023 - 5:30 PM; Tue, Feb 7, 2023 - 7:00 PM; Thu, Feb 9, 2023 -
11:00 AM; Fri, Feb 10, 2023 - 8:00 PM ; Sat, Feb 11, 2023 - 1:00 PM; Sun, Feb 12, 2023 - 2:00 PM
* subject to change
WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME 9
Developed over the course of fifteen years, What the
Constitution Means to Me is autobiographical work originally
performed by playwright Heidi Schreck. From her home in
New York, Heidi shared insight into the development process,
debating, and what it’s like to have someone play her.
What the Constitution Means to Me is a deeply personal story,
how has your relationship to the play evolved over time?
My relationship to the play is constantly changing. Sometimes I still
feel terrified that I am putting so much personal story out there, and
other times it feels like it’s not about me at all, that it’s become
something larger, and somehow separate from “me,” especially now
that other actors are performing it. What has been most interesting to
me though is the way it has profoundly changed my relationship with
my mother. We are much more honest with one another than we
were capable of being for the first 40 years of my life…. And my
relationship to my grandmother, even though she is gone, has also
changed dramatically. I feel more connected to her than I did before I
started making play, and even more so after I and then other people
began performing it. I have a deeper gratitude for all that she gave to
my mom and her siblings even as she was also failing them.
In the development process, how did you balance your role as a
performer with your role as the playwright?
There was a point when my brilliant director Oliver Butler and I
decided to make a rule that I could change language on my feet, in the
moment, but never stop while I was onstage to fix things with a pencil,
which is what I wanted to do! He also gave me this very explicit
permission to “do whatever I wanted” onstage…if I suddenly decided
I wanted the play to be about something else entirely, I could do that.
I never did of course (though I did get scared and just walk offstage
10 WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME
one night), but knowing I had that freedom made it possible for me to
get through the play without being paralyzed by fear and self-
judgment.
While you (of course) originated the role, several performers have
gone on to play the character of Heidi, what has that journey been
like to watch someone else inhabit your shoes?
Well, it’s weird! I mean I have been lucky to have very wonderful
actors play me, it’s a big fat juicy part so I think it attracts great
performers! And sometimes I can watch and just admire their artistry,
marvel at the new moments they’ve found, or the things they do that
I never would have thought of. But other times I feel like “Ach, I don’t
want to live through all this again, even vicariously.”
This play was written before the Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health
decision, has the script taken on any new meanings in post-Roe
America?
Yes and no. In a depressing way, the play seems just much more about
this moment than it did when I first started writing it 15 years ago. I
thought and hoped it would become less relevant and not more. Also,
15 years ago huge swaths of the country were, for all practical
purposes, already living with abortion bans and zero access to
reproductive care. The decision is devastating but the landscape for
women has been devastating for decades.
What are your hopes for the future of women's relationships to the
US Constitution?
I want the ERA to be included in the Constitution by the time my 2 1/2
year old daughters can read it.
WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME 11
WHO'S WHO
WHO'S WHO
TAMI DIXON (Heidi) is thrilled to be back at City Theatre after appearing here in
numerous shows including her one-woman play, South Side Stories. Ms. Dixon is a
recipient of the TCG/Fox Foundation Resident Actor Fellowship, The Frankel Award,
the Carol R. Brown Emerging Artist Award from The Heinz Endowments and The
Pittsburgh Foundation, and was named Performer of the Year by the Pittsburgh Post-
Gazette. Her favorite roles include Miss Julie in Miss Julie, Clarissa and John for
Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company, Blanche in A Streetcar Named Desire with
barebones productions, The Hothouse with PICT, and King Lear, The Task and El Paso
Blue with Quantum Theatre. Ms. Dixon is the Co-Director of Bricolage Production Company, devising and appear-
ing in projects like Project Amelia, The Forest of Everywhere, OJO, Midnight Radio, STRATA, Dutchman, and
Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom. Ms. Dixon received her BFA in Acting from Carnegie Mellon University.
KEN BOLDEN (Legionnare/Mike) Last worked at City Theatre many seasons
ago in Sacco & Vanzetti: A Vaudeville (Sacco) and in Our Country’s Good (Ralph
Clark). He's very happy to be back! During the time away, he has worked in nearly all
of the professional companies in the city, most recently at the Public Theatre in A
Raisin in the Sun (Karl Lindner) and at PICT in Endgame (Nagg). He can be seen in
Paramount’s “The Mayor of Kingstown“ (Orthodox Priest); NetFlix’s “The Chair“ (Prof.
Plum); and “Archive 81“ (Camera Store Owner) as well as the feature films “Judas
and the Black Messiah,“ “Marshall,“ “Little Evil,“ and “Sorority Row.“
SWATI MYLARAPPA (Debater) is a sophomore at Fox Chapel Area High
School. Swati is thrilled to be making her acting debut at City Theatre (doing some-
thing she enjoys-debating!). She loves to read, ice skate, and ski. She is involved in
Debate and Model UN. She would like to thank her parents, her younger brother
Abhinav, and everyone involved in the production.
LAMEES YASIR SUBEIR (Debater) is a senior at North Allegheny Senior High
School. An avid debater, she joined her school's debate team and is currently the
President. She is also involved in Key Club, Model United Nations, and many other
service/international relations organizations. Additionally, she is involved in many
student activism clubs such as NAForChange and Black Student Union. Lamees is
thrilled to be performing on stage and would like to thank the cast, crew, directors,
and everyone else involved with the production of What the Constitution Means to Me.
She would also like to thank her parents, her family, and lastly her favorite mentor
Mrs. Sharon Volpe.
WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME 13
WHO'S WHO
CATHERINE GOWL (Heidi Understudy) is an actor, puppeteer, and educator.
Pittsburgh credits include Mary Debenham in Murder on the Orient Express, and
Chrysothemis in Electra at PPT; Circe/Penelope in An Odyssey and Cordelia in King
Lear with Quantum; Anne in The Father with Kinetic; Bricolage’s Project Amelia; and
a stop at The Benedum with the national tour of War Horse. Other favorite regional
and NY credits include In the Eruptive Mode (Sabab Theatre at Arts Emerson and
international tour), Oh the Humanity and Other Exclamations (Flea), Hagoromo
(BAM), Private Lives (Riverside Theatre) and The Women (Old Globe). BA Harvard,
MFA Old Globe/USD.
JOHN DOLPHIN (Legionnaire/Mike Understudy), originally from Buffalo,
is now a Pittsburgh based actor who is thrilled to be a part of this exciting project.
Locally he has been seen at The Pittsburgh New Works Festival, The Young
Playwrights Festival at City Theatre, Prime Stage Theatre, and The New Renaissance
Theatre. While in Buffalo he worked on the main stage at the Studio Arena Theatre
and as a teaching artist. In New York, John was seen in productions at the Off-Center
Theatre, The New Theatre and the American Folk Theatre. Thank you, City Theatre, for
this amazing opportunity.
MARC MASTERSON (Director/Co-Artistic Director) has been a leader
in the American Theatre for over 35 years with a demonstrated track record of
artistic accomplishment, civic engagement, and organizational development. He
previously served as Artistic Director of City Theatre for 20 years and helped to
build the organization and its current facilities on the South Side. In a
distinguished career he has commissioned and developed over 100 world
premieres including Pulitzer finalists, Broadway and Off-Broadway successes and
notable works in the American theatre canon including A Doll’s House, Part 2 by
Lucas Hnath, The Parisian Woman by Beau Willimon, Vietgone by Qui Nguyen, Mr. Wolf by Rajiv Joseph and
Office Hour by Julia Cho. More than 50% of the new plays he has produced were written by women. Previously,
he served as Artistic Director of South Coast Repertory in California where he conceived and launched two
major initiatives for diverse voices in the American theatre, the CrossRoads commissioning program and the
Dialogos bi-lingual site-specific project. He served for 11 years as artistic director of Actors Theatre of
Louisville where he produced more than 200 productions and the Humana Festival of New American Plays.
Plays directed at the Humana Festival include works by Charles Mee, Wendell Berry, Craig Wright, Eric Coble,
Adam Bock, Gina Gionfriddo, Melanie Marnich, and Rick Dresser. Recent directing credits include Shakespeare
in Love, All the Way, Going to a Place where you Already Are, Zealot, Death of a Salesman, Eurydice and
Elemeno Pea at SCR; Cry It Out at Dorset Theatre Festival; Hand to God at the Alliance Theatre; Byhalia,
Mississippi by Evan Linder at the Contemporary American Theatre Festival; As You Like It for the Houston
Shakespeare Festival; and The Kite Runner at Actors Theatre of Louisville and the Cleveland Play House. He
is thrilled to back home in Pittsburgh with many friends and some of the best audiences in the world.
WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME 15
WHO'S WHO
A round of applause for City Theatre.
And everyone in your audience.
Theater illuminates the human experience. It connects us to each
other, brings us closer, and reminds us of the incredible heights we’re
capable of reaching. So from all of us at Huntington, a big thank you
to City Theatre for reminding us how brightly we all can shine.
Member FDIC. ⬢®, Huntington® and ⬢ Huntington. Welcome.® are federally registered service marks of
Huntington Bancshares Incorporated. ©2022 Huntington Bancshares Incorporated.
WHO'S WHO
TAYLOR MESZAROS (Stage Manager) is delighted to be back at CTC for
her 11th season. She is based in Pittsburgh, spending her time as an AEA Stage
Manager and as a Standardized Patient for the University of Pittsburgh Medical
School. Her passion lies in sharing theatre within the Pittsburgh community and
regionally. Favorite credits include White Christmas, The Skin of Our Teeth, Hair!,
A Christmas Carol (Berkshire Theatre Group), Two Trains Running, Schoolgirls; Or,
the African Mean Girls Play (Pittsburgh Public Theatre), Paradise Blue, Downstairs,
Cambodian Rock Band, The Burdens, Where Did We Sit On the Bus?, Pipeline, The
Absolute Brightness…, Wild With Happy, Feeding the Dragon, Some Brighter Distance, Oblivion, Smart
Blonde, South Side Stories, and Sam Bendrix at the Bon Soir (City Theatre Company). Love to friends and
family for their unwavering support.
SASHA SCHWARTZ (Scenic Designer) (she/her) is a theater scenic design-
er and artist inspired by family and how spaces tell stories. Selected designs:
Heisenberg (Northern Stage Company), Young Playwrights Festival 2019 (City
Theatre Company), the dance floor, the hospital room, and the kitchen table (Kelly
Strayhorn Theater & Contemporary Arts Center NOLA), Off Peak (Hudson Stage
Company), Bruise & Thorn (Pipeline Theatre Company), How the Light Gets In, On
the Exhale, Agent 355 (Chautauqua Theater Company), Terminer (New Hazlett
Theater), Kentucky (Pittsburgh Playhouse), Men on Boats (Fordham University), The
Amateurs (Willamette University). Recognition: 2022 Theatre Communications Group Rising Leaders of Color
Cohort, 2019 USITT Young Designers and Technicians Forum, 2019 Lloyd Weninger Award for Stage Design.
She is an advocate for inclusivity and accessibility within theater teams and more representation of BIPOC
and queer voices in the arts industries. Education: BFA Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama.
sashaschwartzscenic.com
GREG MESSMER (Lighting Designer) is a freelance lighting designer and
theater artist born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA. Greg’s work has been seen
onstage with 12 Peers Theater, Front Porch Theatricals, South Park Theatre, Seton
Hill University, and City Theatre Company where he works full-time as Master
Electrician. Credits include: Live from the Edge with Universes at City Theatre,
Manual Cinema's Frankenstein and The Drive in Arts Festival for City Theatre's
Drive-In at Hazelwood Green, the world premiere of Quenten Crisp’s The Last Word,
City Theatre Company’s 2019 Young Playwrights Festival, and Fun Home with Front
Porch Theatricals. Event and installation work includes the EQT International Children’s Theater Festival (We
Built This City, w/ Polyglot Theatre [AUS]), Pittsburgh Three Rivers Arts Festival (“Tidal” by Shilo Shiv Suleman
[IND], “Umbrella Sky” by Sextafeira Productions [POR] w/ Pittsburgh Cultural Trust), and the Pittsburgh
JazzLive International Festival. Greg holds a BFA from Seton Hill University. For more information on upcoming
works and to view a full portfolio visit: GregMessmer.com.
WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME 17
WHO'S WHO
WHO'S WHO
RICHARD PARSAKIAN (Costume Designer) is the owner of the vintage
clothing store Eons Fashion Antique celebrating 36 years. His store has been a
costume resource for film, television, theater, dance, local artists and drag per-
formers. Eons is a safe space for the community to explore individuality, free of
judgement, a forum where politics and social justice are a daily topic of discus-
sion. Beyond a shopping experience, Eons acts as a catalyst for change. Costume
design work includes barebones productions (“Streetcar Named Desire“,
Motherf**ker With The Hat“, “Take Me Out“, “Glengarry Glen Ross“), Bricolage
Theater Company, Microscopic Opera, Pittsburgh Opera (“27“), Quantum Theatre (“Indian Ink“, “Closer“, “The
End of the Affair“, “Dog Face“ and “The Collected Works of Billy The Kid“) the latter two invited to Madrid’s
Festival de Otono. He has created art installations for the Three Rivers Arts Festivals, Pittsburgh First Night,
and his work “Lost Visions“ paid homage to over 400 artists that have been lost to AIDS. Event designs have
benefited the Mario Lemieux Cancer Foundation, Pittsburgh Dance Council, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Attack
Theatre, Pittsburgh Glass Center, Planned Parenthood of Western PA, The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Persad
Center, & Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force. His fashion events benefitied The Andy Warhol Museum, PBT, and
Pittsburgh Opera and he curates the annual Earth Day Ecolution fashion experience. He curated artists for
Pittsburgh Ballet Thetre’s Open Air Series and for Pittsburgh Pridefest. Honors include Pittsburgh AIDS Task
Force 2007 Kerry Stoner Award, Richard Parsakian Day in the City of Pittsburgh, Greater Pittsburgh Dignity &
Respect Champion. He serves on the boards of The Pittsburgh Dance Council, Planned Parenthood of Western
Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh LGBTQIA+ Commission, Pittsburgh Earth Day, and the Greater Pittsburgh Arts
Council. He is the creator of the historic 30’ x 60’ Pittsburgh Pride Flag which has made an appearance at
many LGBTQ and important political events for over 30 years. He holds a Bachelor of Architecture from
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and came to Pittsburgh from Upstate New York in 1971 as a VISTA volunteer
with the Pittsburgh Architect’s Workshop. Special thanks to Marc Masterson for asking me to be part of this
amazing creative team and the City Theatre family for this socially relevant work that speaks to the possibil-
ities of a better world. #ArtEqualsTruth.
TATE ABDULLAH (Sound Designer) is currently pursuing an MFA in Sound
Design at Carnegie Mellon. This is their first design at City Theatre and they are
happy to be a part of the team! Tate comes from Roswell, Ga and graduated from
Columbus State University in Columbus, Ga. They are very excited for this show
and to continue working with City Theatre. They are thankful for the wonderful
opportunity and hope you enjoy the show!
WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME 19
Author photo: Danielle Tait Author photo: Kate Sweeney
WHO'S WHO Author photo: Grep Hoax Author photo: Makita Wilbur Author photo: Amanda Demme
2 02 2 /2 3
WHO'S WHO
CLARE DROBOT (Dramaturg/Co-Artistic Director) currently serves as
one of the Co-Artistic Directors of City Theatre along with Monteze Freeland and
Marc Masterson. She joined the staff at City in 2015 as the Director of New Play
Development moving to Associate Artistic Director in March 2020. A dramaturg,
playwright, and producer Clare has worked in various capacities at Premiere
Stages at Kean University, Laura Stanczyk Casting, Williamstown Theatre Festival,
The McCarter Theatre, The BE Company, Play Penn, and New Dramatists. Her work
as a writer has been seen in Ars Nova’s ANT FEST and the New Hazlett Theatre’s
CSA Series among others. She serves on the boards of the National New Play Network and Brew House
Association and is a graduate of Leadership Pittsburgh (Class XXXVIII). She holds a BA in Creative Writing and
a BFA in Music Composition from Carnegie Mellon University and is a member of LMDA.
JAMES McNEEL (Managing Director) joined City Theatre as its Managing
Director in January 2015 and has overseen the organization through a period of
extraordinary change and transformation, while becoming a trusted and recognized
leader in the arts management field both locally and nationally. He came to
Pittsburgh after four seasons in the same role at the Contemporary American Theater
Festival in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, where he was integral in the development
and production of 20 new plays (including 10 world premieres and four commis-
sions). Previously, he served as Literature Specialist at the National Endowment for
the Arts, focusing on grants to nonprofit presses, magazines, and literary organizations, as well as awards to
individual poets, writers, and literary translators. While at the NEA he also worked on the development of such
national initiatives as Operation Homecoming, Shakespeare in American Communities, Poetry Out Loud, and the
National Book Festival. In 2005, James moved to New York City where he was General Manager and project con-
sultant for the arts management firm, The Center for Creative Resources. At the Center, he worked with numerous
individual artists and arts organization in all facets of institutional development and was a team leader in the
feasibility study, opening, and first year management and operation of The Times Center, owned by The New York
Times Company and designed by Renzo Piano. In addition, he was Director of Development and Marketing at the
historic Cherry Lane Theatre, located in Greenwich Village. James holds a B.A. degree from Shepherd University
and studied Arts Management in the Master of Arts program at American University. He currently serves on the
boards and/or committees of the South Side Chamber of Commerce; National New Play Network (finance); Greater
Pittsburgh Arts Council (advocacy); and the League of Resident Theaters (LORT), the largest association of its
kind in the country. He chairs a consortium of over 25 different venues and organizations, organized by GPAC,
that has met monthly in response to Covid-19.
WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME 21
WHO'S WHO
WHO'S WHO
MONTEZE FREELAND (Co-Artistic Director) is a multidisciplinary artist
and one of the three co-artistic directors of City Theatre Company. A graduate of
Point Park University, Mr. Freeland has made a career as an actor, director, play-
wright, teaching artist and producer. Select directing credits include Clyde’s, The
Garbologists, Santaland Diaries, and Claws Out: A Holiday Drag Musical (City
Theatre), In the Heat of the Night, Miss Julie, Clarissa and John, Fences and King
Hedley II (Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company), I Know Why the Caged Bird
Sings (Prime Stage) and readings of Trouble in Mind and Mark Clayton Souther’s
The Coffin Maker (Pittsburgh Public Theatre). Select acting credits include roles in Paradise Blue and Wild
With Happy (City Theatre) Audrey II in Little Shop of Horrors, A Few Good Men, Sweat and Hamlet (Pittsburgh
Public), King Lear (Quantum), Dreamgirls (PMT), A Christmas Story (Bricolage), Aida and South Pacific (CLO)
East Texas Hot Links and The Piano Lesson (Pittsburgh Playwrights). In 2017 he was named the Post Gazette’s
Performer of the Year and City Paper’s 2021 Person of the Year in Theatre.
City Theatre celebrates and sincerely
thanks JANET SARBAUGH, long-time
Pittsburgh arts and culture advocate and
champion, on her recent retirement (after
40 years!) as Vice President of Creativity,
at The Heinz Endowments. Thank you,
Janet, for an extraordinary career with
immeasurable impact on City Theatre
and our artists, audiences, and staff.
WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME 23
ADCOKNNOORWRLEECDOGGENMITEINOTNS
SPECIAL THANKS
Michael Cortes, American Legion Oratory Commander PA
Sydney Etheridge
Tony Ferrieri
James Woody Hogan, American Legion Department Head
Michelle Iglesias
Marissa Kolarosky
Commander Bill McNut, Butler American Legion post
Justin Romano
Heidi Schreck and Molly Paige
Sharon Volpe, Teacher
Scott K. Noxon (opening night sponsor)
Penn Brewery – 12-year sponsor
Wigle Whiskey – 10-year sponsor
City Theatre receives state arts funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on
the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National
Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
The Allegheny Regional Asset District, a county agency created to support and finance
regional assets, including libraries, parks, cultural groups, sports, and civic facilities, and
to distribute tax relief to the 128 municipalities of Allegheny County.
Actors marked with * and the Stage Manager in this production are members of Actors’ Equity
Association, the union of professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States
The scenic, costume, lighting, and sound designers in LORT Theatres are represented
by the United Scenic Artists, Local USA-829 of the IATSE.
The Director is a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, Inc.,
an independent national labor union.
City Theatre is a constituent of Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for the American
theatre. City Theatre operates under an agreement between the League of Resident Theatres and Actors’ Equity
Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
24 WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME
DONOR RECOGNITION
Each season, we go on a journey. You take a chance on plays you’ve never
seen before, often by playwrights you might not know. Our pledge to you is that we scour the country for
the very best work possible—plays that speak truthfully, passionately, and urgently (and, of course,
entertainingly) about the here and now. New plays are risky, but they’re filled with the excitement of the
unknown, too. City Theatre is deeply grateful to our community for helping to sustain our theatre year
after year. Donors acknowledged here made gifts between July 1, 2021 - December 18, 2022. Every
effort has been made to accurately record and acknowledge all donors. If your name is listed incorrectly,
please contact Dianne Duursma at 412.431.4400 ext. 278 or dduursma@citytheatrecompany.
CITY THEATRE CIRCLE NEW PLAY CIRCLE Irving and Aaronel deRoy Gruber
($15,000+) ($3,000-$4,999) Foundation
Chela Sanchez & Kyle Haden
Anonymous Russell & Kathy Ayres Rhoda & David Hartmann
Arthur J. & Betty F. Diskin Family Leslie & K. Scott Baker Linda & Brian Heery
Cultural Endowment Fund Tacy M. Byham, PhD Joseph Koscinski
Tonja & Alex Condron Dianne & Steve Carpenter Dr. Erin Lopata
Norbert J. Connors, Jr. & Holly Hatcher Frazier & Lea Ann & Patrick Lope
Janet Rogala Evan Frazier Mary C. McCormick
Charisse Lille Matthew J. Galando Pam & Ken McCrory
Marcia Morton Jean Anne Hattler, PhD Karen & Richard Miller
Kemp Powers Dr. Richard Kasdan Susan & James Morris
Hayes & Patricia Stover Michelle McCreery, Esq. Laurie Moser & Stewart Barmen
James McNeel Eileen & John Olmsted
PLAYWRIGHTS CIRCLE Dee Jay Oshry & Bart Rack Stuart Olmsted &
($10,000 - $14,999) K. Oliver Rea Sharon Achilles
John C. Schlotterer Mark T. Phillis
Carol R. Brown Susan & Peter Smerd The Thomas J. Phillis Family
The Burke Family Tamara Tunie Richard Pietroski & Susan Stuart
Judy & Michael Cheteyan Catherine & Deepak Wadhwani Mark R. Power
Educational and Charitable Lauren & Daniel Resnick
Foundation CENTER STAGE Mindy & Zal Sanjana
Brian Jeffrey Gross ($1,000-$2,999) Richard Scheines &
Barbara A. Rudiak, PhD Martha Harty
Frederick W. Steinberg Bahar Bazmi Campbell & Dr. & Mrs. Gary Schurman
Walter Limbach Family Fund Dean Campbell Kristi Rogers &
The Estate of Robert E. Williams Dr. Andrew R. Blair Jody R. Schurman
Annette Calgaro & Linda & Richard Shaw
DIRECTORS CIRCLE Terrence Lewis Myrna & Lee Silverman
($5,000-$9,999) Nancy & Stanley Cieslak M. Ellen Tarpey & John Battaglia
Family Foundation Francis M. Vitale
Dr. Kerry Bron & Edwin and Kathryn Clarke Janet & Chuck Vukotich
Mr. Robert C. Levin Family Foundation Bruce & Barbara Wiegand
Cooper-Siegel Family Foundation Tome' Cousin Arlene Carbone-Wiley &
Catherine & Kenneth A. Glick, MD Jamini Vincent Davies Clayton Wiley, MD
David Lesko Dianne & Ron Duursma Patrick Winkler & Beth Newbold
Ann Black Masterson Tony & Annetter Ferrieri Woffington Pittsburgh Theaters
The Scott K. Noxon Foundation Mark Flaherty & Fund
Celine & Paul O’Neill Mary McKinney Flaherty
Sandra & Jeffrey Solomon Joseph & Kathleen Fox
Nancy D. Washington, PhD Sharon & James Goldberg
David Zeve
WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME 25
DONOR RECOGNITION
SPOTLIGHT ($250-$999) Thomas Ferguson & Susan Ryan Dr. Larry Leahy &
Richard Ferro John Van de Grift
Donors who wish to remain Paula & Bob Fey Ellie & Shelly Levine
Anonymous (4) Laryn & Moses Finder Elsa Limbach
Judith Adelson Mark & Holly Fleischer Katherine & H. Lewis Lobdell
J.R. Ambrose & Eliza Swann Anne & Bob Follette Dr. Erin M. Lopata
The Estate of Sarah & Peter Friedman Janet Lunde
Jane Callomon Arkus Andrea Geraghty Louise & Michael Malakoff
Ronna & C. Daniel Askin Ryan Geraghty Beth Marcello
Tom & Erin Baker William & Margaret Ghrist Caitlin Green & Drew Martorella
Elizabeth Barker Keren Gilboa & Jeremy Holzer Linda Mauro
Nancy & Sean Barrett Michael & Cathy Ginsberg Ann M. McHoes &
Raymond & Harriet Baum Paul Gitnik Bob Kleinmann
Edwin H. Beachler, III Shirley H. Golden Jamie McMahon
N. Beaumont Beard Barbara Broff Goldman John McSorley, MD
Vivan & Bill Benter Candice Gonzalez Nancy W. Merenstein
Daniel Berger & Jake Goodman & Sean Shepherd Christina & David Michelmore
Sandra El-Hachem Elaine Gross Barbara Miller
Joyce Berman & Richard Spine Joyce Candi Grove Betty Minnotte
James & Mary Pat Bernauer Janice Harrison Sophia Monsour
Robin J. Bernstein George Lowenstein & Shannon Musgrave
Bernadette Bishop-Pirollo Donna Harsch Janice Myers-Newbury
Paul E. Block Jean Anne Hattler, PhD Gail K. Neustadt
Kevin Brewer & Nancy Heastings Beth Newbold
Jose Antonio Licon Dr. & Mrs. Fred P. Heidenreich Terry O’Reilly
Lynette Brooks Sandra LaPietra & Dr. William Otto
Jan F. Bruno Alan Helgerman Deval Paranjpe
Laurie & Frank Bruns Mary Ann Hobson Cori & Dax Parise
Stephanie Bucklew Donna Hoffman & Richard Dum Richard Parsakian
Thomas J. Burgunder Thomas H. Hollander John Patzer & Mary DuQinn
Debra L. Caplan Janis & Jonas Johnson Jennifer Pesci-Kelly &
Lynne & Alan Colker Mary Ellen Johnson Richard Kelly
Estelle Comay & Bruce Rabin Dr. Barbara Johnstone Diane Pickle
Betty Cruz Jane & Bud Kahn Stephen G. Robinson
Charles Culbertson & Susan & Greg Kaminski Sally & Ned Ruffin
Nancy Simpronio Dolores Kara Kimberly Sachse &
Barbara DeRiso & Don Newman S&J Karas Fund Joseph Grimes
Ruth Deutsch Donna Hansen & Ralph Kemp Debra & Donald Salvin
Adrienne K. Dickos Arthur J. Kerr, Jr. Marty Santalucia
John A. Dymun Brian Kerr Karen L. Scansaroli
Dolly & Curt Ellenberg Elinor Nathanson & Peter Kogan Karen & George Schnakenberg
Melissa Evans & Roberta & David Konefal-Shaer Sue & Walter Schneider
Nick Sfakianakis Patriia Schroder
Mary & Henry Ewalt
26 WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME
DONOR RECOGNITION
Gerald Shoemaker Rosemarie Berman Paula Dworek
Mary & Thomas Smolinski Ron Bianchetti Tricia & Brian Eccher
Henry Snyder Pamela Bolkovac Ami & Nurit Elis
James & Mary Lou Southwood Susan Bonello Marlene H. Ellis
Helen Spalaris Kelly Boyer Rachael Ellis
Thomas & Deborah Stackrow Sharon Brady Frederique & Adam Ennis
Mary Stanutz Bear Brandegee & Paul Epstein & Rita Ray
Mona & EJ Strassburger Dr. Nir Kossovsky Emily Ernst
Gene L. Svrcek David Brockway Susan & William Evans
Irene & David Tabish Linda S. Brown Stephanie & Fred Fall
Jane & Ron Thompson Michael & Sakina Brunk Marian Finegold
Tom & Judy Thompson Erica Brusselars Stephanie Flom
Drs. Donna & Michael Tranovich Gail & John Buchanan Katherine Flood, MD
Iris Amper Walker & Alice May Burger Nancy Frankel-Zacchero
Leslie Dukehart Allison Cahill Michael Friedrich
Bria Walker-Rhoze & Tim Rhoze Patricia Calabro Suzanne & Edward Galando
Ken Werner & Lynn Swanson Yvonne Campos Dr. John & Therese Gallagher
Judith & Willard White Lauren Carlini Colleen Geyer
George & Patty Williams Paula Casasent Kathryn L. Gigler
Stephen M. Wolfe Woody & Joanne Chetlin Et Gillespie
Thomas Wyse & Robert Neft Jill Russell Carol & Robert Gomola
Dr. Vicky A. Clark Candice A. Gonzalez
FRONT ROW Susan & William Cohen Gabriella Gonzalez
($100-$249) Colleen & Michael Colarusso Pamela Grabowski
Elizabeth Cooper Arnie & Kathie Green
Donors who wish to remain Gabrielle Corson Barbara & David Greenberg
Anonymous (6) Dr. Charles Cullen Arlene & Alfred Grubbs
Sharon & Robert Abraham Joyce Culbya Norton Gusky
Dulcie Sylvia Affleck Anthony DeCaria Jo Ann Haller
Jenny Ewing Allen Nick & Judy DeGregorio Joel Harris & Nancy Hoffman
Joel D. Ambrose Suzanne DeWalt Lou & Roger Hasket
Linda Argote & Dennis Epple Bethany DiLucente Tracy Hawkins
Wendy Arons & Michael Perdriel Prof. Sharon Dilworth & Mary Jo & Michael Hennessy
Lindsay Austin Dr. David Baker Janine Hensler
Lydia Balogh Ave Maria Dlubak Judith & David Herzog
Ulrike & Guy Battestilli Steven Doerfler Alice & Martin Hickey
Alison Beam John & LouAnne Dolphin Rebecca Himberger
Dr. Marya Bednerik Thomas W. Douglas Velma & Stuart Hirsch
Dolly Bellhouse Jeanne & Robert Drennan Robert Hoehl
George Bentel Adam Drobot
Richard Berg
WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME 27
DONOR RECOGNITION
Bonnie Isacke, PhD & J. Kevin & Kristen McMahon David Sogg & Lisa Parker
Robert Isacke, Jr. Anne & Thomas Medsger Marcia & Mel Solomon
Dr. Deborah Landen & Tracy & Karen Merrick Elizabeth & Jonathan Spatz
Dr. Carl Johnson Robert & Christine Misback Harmony Sullivan &
Peter & Leslie Kaplan Barb & Jim Moyer Justin Cummings
Patricia Ward Kelly Torey Naylor & Richard Beuke Irene Surmik
Louise Ketchum & Eve Goodman Julia Nesbitt Peter & Daralynne Swartwout
James Kincaid & Jeff Neubauer & Kitty Vagley Nancy & Gary Tuckfelt
Nita Motts Kincaid Andrew David Ostrowski GiGi Tunie
Alex Kintz Konegger Shelly Pagac Dorothy L. Washington
Stefi Kirschner & Gil Schneider Amy & Anthony Pardo Elizabeth & James Webster
Laurie Klatscher & Greg Lehane Ronnie Parker & Melissa Saul Barbara & Harry Wenkert
John Kocur Richard Pattis & Ellen Olshanksy Judge R. Stanton Wettick, Jr. &
Lauren Kornick Louise & John Pavia Nancy Hazlett
Carolyn & Randy Krakoff Brian Peiritsch Peggy Whitehurst
Betty & Bob Kripp Cynthia Pennington & Mary Widom
Maureen Kroll Christopher Donohue Marta & Phillip Wilkin
Rick & Ann Landesberg Rodney Permigiani & Harton Wolf
Susan & David Laurent Nancy Pulsifer Jane Yanosick
Peter & Sylvia Leo Cynthia B. Picone Sister Rita M. Yeasted
Prof. Hazel Carr Leroy Rita & Daniel Poljak Gregory Youman
Patti Lindsey Jeffrey L. Pollock, Esq. Lindsay & Jennifer Zaltman
Kristen Link & Andrew Mulkerin Marilyn & David Posner Nancy Zionts
Prof. Diane Litman & Emily Price & Ryan O’Donnell
Dr. Mark Kahrs Lynn & Joseph Ribar FRIENDS
David & Cheryl Longstreet Harriette & Ronald Roadman (UP TO $99)
Annie Loub Deborah J. Robinson
Mary Ann & John Lovasz Judith Roscow GRATITUDE is front and center
Margaret MacCall Gerald Rosenfeld for City Theatre and every
Eric MacDonald Cynthia Ross-Katz donation makes an impact.
Nanci Maguire Merryl & Marc Samuels We apologize for moving the
Andrea & Glenn Mahone Devashish Saxena “Friends” level of donations to
Virginia Mance Lisa Scales the website only. With the rising
Jason & Beverly Manne Dianne & Louis Scansaroli cost of paper and printing, it is
Carolyn Mariano C. Scheftic prudent and fiscally-responsible
Demetria & Brien Marsh Robert Schurko to make this change. Thank you
Aretha E. Marshall Rose Scilla for understanding. If you have
Dane Marshall Janet & Martin Seltman any questions, please contact
William Mason Kari Shaffer Director of Development, Dianne
Linda A. Mates Maureen Shannon Duursma, by email at
David D. Maxwell Scott & Kerry Shiller dduursma@citytheatrecompany.
Kathleen McCann Cotter Smith org or by telephone at
Mark A. McDonald Ruth Snyder 412.431.4400 ext. 278.
Gale McGloin Dr. Thelma Snyder
28 WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME
DONOR RECOGNITION
What the Constitution Means to Me Community Partners:
ACLU of Pennsylvania Founded in 1920, the American Civil Liberties Union
(ACLU) is the nation's foremost guardian of liberty. We are a nonprofit, non-
partisan organization dedicated to defending and protecting our individual
rights and personal freedoms. For more information and ways to get
involved please visit: https://www.aclupa.org/
Planned Parenthood of Western Pennsylvania (PPWP) has
provided essential sexual and reproductive health care for more
than 91 years. Our mission is to provide high-quality, affordable
health care services, comprehensive sex education, and
strategic advocacy throughout the seven health centers in our
service area. In fiscal year 2021, PPWP provided over 11,000
medical and behavioral health visits to community members across the region.
Season Partner – Literacy Pittsburgh offers free educational programs for
adults and families in Allegheny County and Beaver County. Each year, we
help nearly 5,000 people in the Greater Pittsburgh area improve their
reading, writing, math, English language, digital literacy, and workplace
skills. Adult literacy classes and tutoring move students from learning to
earning and help them succeed as workers, parents, and neighbors.
Contant info: [email protected]
City Theatre’s Vision, Mission, Core Values
Mission:
To provide an artistic home for the development and production of
contemporary plays that engage and challenge a diverse audience.
Vision:
To be the finest mid-sized theater in America.
Core Values:
Community | Collaboration | Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Accessibility | Creativity
WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME 29
DONOR RECOGNITION
CORPORATE MATCHING GIFTS
Please check with your company’s personnel department to find out if your employer offers a matching gift program.
If your donation and City Theatre (Arts and Culture) meet your company’s guidelines, the company cuts a
check to City Theatre for the same amount as the your donation (and sometimes even two, three, or four times
that amount!).
The following is a sample list of corporations with an employer matching gifts program. Those in bold
currently support City Theatre.
American Eagle Outfitters Eaton Corporation Johnson & Johnson
American Express ExxonMobil JP Morgan
Apple Federated Department MBIA
Applied Test Systems Stores McKesson Corporation
Avon Ford Foundation Merck
Axiall Corporation GAP Corporation Microsoft
BNY Mellon General Electric (GE) PepsiCo
Boeing GlaxoSmithKline Pfizer, Inc.
BP (British Petroleum) Google Pittsburgh Valve & Fitting
Bristol-Myers Squibb Hewlett-Packard (HP) PNC
Car Max Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield PPG Industries, Inc.
Chevron H.J. Heinz Company Soros Fund Management
Citizens Financial Group The Home Depot Starbucks
Coca-Cola Houghton-Mifflin State Farm
Delta IBM Corporation Verizon
Disney John Hancock Mutual Life Waste Management
Dominion Foundation Insurance Company
WAYS TO GIVE:
Online:
Visit CityTheatreCompany.org/donate to make a tax-deductible contribution anytime.
Scan here:
Grab your Smartphone and take a picture of the following code –
you’ll be taken right to our donation page for credit card payment.
By Mail:
Mail a check or money order, payable to “City Theatre,” to:
City Theatre, Attn: Development
1300 Bingham Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15203
By Phone:
(or for donations of stock or estate gifts)
Call Dianne Duursma, Director of Development, at (412) 431-4400 x278
30 WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME
DONOR RECOGNITION
CORPORATE, FOUNDATION, AND GOVERNMENT SUPPORT
City Theatre extends its sincere gratitude to the following businesses, foundations and public agencies for
their leadership support. Gifts acknowledged here were made between July 1, 2021 - December 18, 2022.
STEEL ($100,000 +) PLATINUM ($20,000-$49,999) SILVER ($2,500-$9,999)
Allegheny Regional Asset District Anonymous Bob Carter Companies, LLC
The Byham Family Charitable The Buhl Foundation - Fabled Table Catering
Trust Frick Educational Fund Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield
The Heinz Endowments The Jack Buncher Foundation Human Habits
The Hillman Foundation FlySpace Productions Landesberg Design
National Endowment for the Arts The Huntington National Bank Penn Brewery
(American Rescue Plan) K&L Gates LLP Pittsburgh Community
The Richard King Mellon National Endowment for the Arts Broadcasting
Foundation (Grants for Arts Projects) W. I. Patterson Charitable
The Shubert Foundation Pennsylvania Department of Foundation
U.S. Small Business Education Wigle Whiskey
Administration James M. and Lucy K. BRONZE (UP TO $2,499)
(SVOG Program) Schoonmaker Foundation 1 Hood Media
DIAMOND ($50,000-$99,999) UPMC/UPMC Health Plan Actors Equity Foundation
The Benter Foundation Hilda M. Willis Foundation AmazonSmile Foundation
The Philip Chosky Charitable and GOLD ($10,000-$19,999) Americans For The Arts
Educational Foundation The Anne L. & George H. Clapp Carmella’s Plates and
DDI Charitable and Educational Pints Restaurant
The Grable Foundation Trust DiGi Photo Booths
PA Department of Community The Fine Foundation Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council
and Economics Giant Eagle Corporate Foundation (GPAC)
The Pittsburgh Foundation National New Play Network LaPalapa Restaurant
R3A Architecture Opportunity Fund LeMont Restaurant
The Donald and Sylvia Robinson Pennslyvania Council on the Arts Levine Furniture
Family Foundation PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. McGee Maruca & Associates, P.C.
The Tides Foundation Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
(Venturous Theatre Fund) Pennsylvania Council on the Arts
(American Rescue Plan)
Queequeg Foundation Trust
Streets on Carson Restaurant
WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME 31
DONOR RECOGNITION
’IN HONOR OF’ GIFTS IN HONOR OF ’IN MEMORY OF’ GIFTS
MATTHEW GALANDO,
Honor someone you love. Honor CITY THEATRE BOARD MEMBER Memorial tributes honor special
someone who loves theater. Given By friends and family members.
Suzanne & Edward Galando
IN HONOR OF TACY M. BYHAM IN MEMORY OF
Given By IN HONOR OF THOMAS J. PHILLIS
Helen Spalaris CAITLIN GREEN Given By
Given By The Thomas J. Phillis Family
IN HONOR OF Paul Epstein & Rita Ray
DIANNE DUURSMA, CFRE, IN MEMORY OF
CITY THEATRE DIRECTOR OF IIN HONOR OF JOANN SCHLOTTERER
DEVELOPMENT – CELEBRATING MICHELLE MCCREERY, ESQ., A SWEET LADY WHO ADORED
HER 16TH SEASON CITY THEATRE BOARD MEMBER THE THEATRE
Given By Given By Given By
Jamini Vincent Davies Louise Herrle & Godfrey Molyneux Kathy Marks
Jeffrey Pollock
Kerry and Scott Shiller IN HONOR OF IN MEMORY OF
Iris Amper Walker and JANET WALSH, DR. SAMUEL A. YOUSEM
Les Dukhart A LIFELONG LOVER OF THEATRE A DEAR FRIEND WHO ENJOYED
Given By AND LOVED CITY THEATRE
IN HONOR OF Erin Walsh Given By
THE STAFF OF CITY THEATRE Elisa Recht Marlin
Given By IN HONOR OF TONY FERRIERI
Cathy and Kenneth A. Glick, MD Given by
Carol R. Brown
CITY THEATRE’S MASSARO FAMILY PLAZA
In 2021, City Theatre honored Pittsburgh’s
Massaro Family by naming the public space
located in front of the new Philip Chosky
Production Center after the family’s late
patriarch and matriarch: Joseph, Jr. and Carol.
City Theatre and the Massaro Family have a The Massaro family in The Joseph & Carol Massaro
long-history, going back to 1990 when the Memorial Plaza. Photo credit: Kristi Jan Hoover
family’s construction company served as general
contractor for the renovation of our then new
home on the South Side. Later, the Massaro
Corporation served in the same capacity for the
conversion of the old Walter Long Manufacturing
Company property into our 6,000 square foot
production center, which opened in 2020.
Joseph and Carol had four children (including
David Massaro, who served as City Theatre’s board president from 2013-2015) and 15 grandchildren and
great-grandchildren.
City Theatre is proud to showcase this long-standing partnership with The Joseph & Carol Massaro
Memorial Plaza at 1315 Bingham Street and we are deeply grateful for the family’s many years of support.
32 WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME
DONOR RECOGNITION
FUNDER SPOTLIGHT:
THE DONALD & SYLVIA ROBINSON FAMILY FOUNDATION
Donald Robinson (1925 - 2017)
Sylvia Robinson (1929 - 2018)
The lives and legacy of Donald and Sylvia Robinson continue on through their namesake foundation, The
Donald & Sylvia Robinson Family Foundation. Now led by their children and grandchildren, the Foundation
has recently made a significant multi-year grant to City Theatre, making it the lead funder behind the
organization’s education programming: the Young Playwrights Contest and Young Playwrights Festival.
Married for 69 years, Sylvia and Donald shared a life-long interest in the arts, with Sylvia even appearing
on stage in the City Theatre New Works Festival and Jewish Community productions, and the foundation
supports a wide range of organizations in Pittsburgh as well as Israel.
Over the next five years, City Theatre will continue to expand and grow its reach and impact in the lives of
middle and high school students throughout Western Pennsylvania due to this extraordinary gift of support.
Later this spring, we look forward to a permanent recognition of The Donald and Sylvia Robinson Family
Foundation as we re-name our Main Stage theatre stairwell in Sylvia’s honor.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT
City Theatre would like to acknowledge that our buildings reside in Dionde:gâ, the Seneca
language name for the Pittsburgh region. We work and create art on the unceded, ancestral
lands of many Indigenous peoples including the Seneca Nation, members of the
Haudenosaunee (hoe-dee-no-SHOW-nee) Confederacy (also referred to by the French as the
Iroquois Confederacy). The Confederacy was comprised of the Mohawks, Oneidas,
Onondagas, Cayugas, and Senecas and formed to unite the five nations and create a
peaceful means of decision making. The Seneca’s jurisdiction over the area also saw the
region as home to the Lenape (also referred to as the Delaware), the Shawnee, and others.
As recently as the 1960s, one-third of the Seneca’s tribal lands were taken by the U.S.
government to create the Kinzua Dam northeast of the city.
The region’s history also stretches back further to the prehistoric cultures the Adena people,
who were followed by the Hopewell, then the Monongahela and Osage.
City Theatre also recognizes its participation in and benefit from the systemic exclusion of
Black, Latinx, Asian, Middle Eastern and all People of Color. We specifically recognize and
acknowledge the treatment of the enslaved Africans and their descendants in the
Pittsburgh community. We honor them by committing to creating an anti-racist space for
the creation and enjoyment of theater.
We are mindful that our work here is possible because the land and lives of people native to
this place were stolen. Generation upon generation (past, present, and future) of indigenous
people here and all over the world are respectful stewards of the earth and its resources.
Through this acknowledgement, I invite you to join me in paying respect to the elders both
past and present.
We encourage you to visit the Council of Three Rivers American Indian Center to learn more
and support their work: http://www.cotraic.org/
WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME 33
WHY GIVE
Julianne Avolio performs in An Untitled New Play by Justin Timberlake, created by Matt Schatz, which
enjoyed its world premiere at City Theatre in a co-production with Pittsburgh CLO in 2021. This production,
twice-delayed due to the pandemic, was a culmination of four years of development in partnership
between two local legacy arts organizations which resulted in rave reviews and a national audience.
For 47 years, City Theatre has remained one of the most beloved,
impactful, and dynamic cultural organizations in Pittsburgh. From its nationally-
recognized programming of contemporary plays to its work in the schools and
community, City Theatre continues to reinvent itself. The largest performing arts
organization located outside of the Cultural District, City Theatre is notable for
both the excellence of its artists and art as well as an audience and donor base
inspired by thoughtful and thought-provoking new work.
So why give?
New plays exist without the safety net of tradition. New plays are risky by their
nature, but essential for a vibrant, diverse, and ever-evolving art-form. During
these challenging times, your support helps ensure City Theatre’s recovery from
the pandemic AND is a critical investment in preserving the future of the theater
field and its artists.
34 WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME
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ANBIONVAIRTADTIONF TDOIRPEACRTTIOCIRPASTE
By walking through our doors, we invite you to join our community.
You are welcome here.
Part of our mission is to challenge and engage a diverse audience.
Feel free to laugh. To cry. To react honestly.
This is live theater. Our artists are living and breathing right in front of you —
They need your reactions, not your distractions.
Bring your full self, but please ensure your actions do not harm other audience
members.
Please be an audience member that joins with others, that has compassion for the
experiences of others.
We’re in the same space. At the same time. This Is community.
2020 taught us that community is a privilege.
2020 also reinforced that we need to do better. Historically, theater has a culture
of exclusivity.
Part of our anti-racism work at City Theatre is to break down barriers that limit
access to art.
We ask you to join us in this imperative work.
We invite you to get to know our core values and to read our organizational code
of conduct.
We want to hold ourselves accountable. If you have a negative experience in our
space, we want to know. There are multiple ways to call us in. You can:
• Speak to a house manager
• Or any employee present with a City Theatre name tag
• Email the staff EDIA committee at [email protected]
We’re here. We’re listening. Let’s build a better community together.
36 WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME
VISIT CITY
SEASON SUBSCRIPTIONS ELECTRONIC DEVICES
Enhance your City Theatre experience and Please turn off all electronic devices. Ringing
take advantage of discounted ticket prices by or vibrating cell phones, pagers, and watches
becoming a subscriber. Choose 3 and flex disrupt the performance and interfere with
options are available to best fit your interests the theatre’s sound equipment. No
and schedule. To subscribe, visit the Box Office, photography or video recording permitted
call 412.431.2489, or order online at during the performance.
CityTheatreCompany.org.
City Theatre is committed to providing
GROUP SALES an environment that is inclusive and
Save when you bring friends! Groups of 10 or welcoming to all patrons. Please identify
more are eligible for significant discounts. In any special seating needs to our Box
addition, we are happy to help you plan your Office staff when reserving your tickets in
event or party. For more information, contact advance by calling 412.431.CITY (2489).
Audrey at 412.431.4400 x227.
Wheelchair accessible seating is
RUSH TICKETS available in both the Mainstage and
Persons under 30 years of age may reserve $20 Hamburg Studio Theatres.
advance tickets, excluding Friday 8pm and
Saturday 5:30pm performances. For these excluded Selected performances of each pro-
show times, $20 student tickets may be pur- duction feature open captioning, audio
chased at the Box Office beginning two hours description, and pre-show introductory
prior to show time. Seniors age 62 and older may workshops for those who are hearing
also take advantage of rush tickets, $24 each. All impaired, blind, or have low vision. In
discounted/rush tickets are subject to availability. addition, select productions will
include an American Sign Language
TICKET VALUES Interpreted performance. Performance
Tickets prices vary by date and demand. In dates are available online or by
addition, pay-what-you-want performances are contacting the Box Office.
offered for each production. Call the box office
for dates. Assistive listening devices are
available. Please see the House
PARKING Manager for details.
City Theatre provides safe, convenient parking
for $10 via lot access at 1317 Bingham St, Programs are available in both Braille
across from the theatre entrance. Parking is and large print. Please see the House
subject to availability. On-street parking meters Manager for details.
are monitored until midnight on Friday and
Saturday. Visit www.pittsburghparking.com for
more information.
LATE SEATING POLICY
Our theatres are very intimate. Out of respect for
both the actors and audience, late arrivals will be
seated only at the discretion of house manage-
ment. Consider arriving early to enjoy a beverage
in the Gordon Lounge or to visit South Side’s many
eclectic shops and restaurants.
WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME 37
CITY THEATRE STAFF
ARTISTIC Maddie Kocur House Manager
Marc Masterson Co-Artistic Directors Emma Morganstein House Manager
Clare Drobot Burke Rhodes House Manager
Monteze Freeland Noah Welter House Manager
Katie Trupiano Director of Education & Dustin Medvid Facilities & Parking Manager
Accessibility PRODUCTION
Mary Feliz Education Intern
Colton Vazquez Education Intern Rachel D’Amboise Production Manager
Molly Twigg Education Intern Patti Kelly Resident Production
Erin McAuley Teaching Artist Stage Manager
Brooke Echnat Teaching Artist John Brucker Technical Director
Ace Lowry Teaching Artist Sam Karas Associate Technical Director
Melannie Taylor Teaching Artist Emma Cummings Shop Foreman
Claire Sabatine Teaching Artist Sydney Dobbs Carpenter
Britt Dorazio Teaching Artist Alexx Jacobs Properties Manager
Cassidy Adkins Teaching Artist Leah Blackwood Lead Scenic Artist
Brenden Peifer Teaching Artist Madison Michalko Costume Shop Manager
Robb Lewis Scott Teaching Artist Mars Delamater Costume Shop Assistant
Emily Stofan Teaching Artist Jaime Ericson Costume Shop Assistant
Rita Dorsch Teaching Artist Brad Peterson Sound & Media Engineer
Monica Stephenson Teaching Artist Greg Messmer Master Electrician &
Light Board Programmer
ADMINISTRATIVE
Taylor Meszaros Production Stage Manager
James McNeel Managing Director FOR THIS PRODUCTION
Jason Clark Operations and Taylor Meszaros Stage Manager
Revenue Manager
Lauren Connolly Production Assistant
Sara Green Williams Director of Finance Assistant Costume Designer
Dianne Duursma, CFRE Director of Development Jaime Ericson Electrician
Institutional Giving Manager Nicole White
Beth Geatches Mars Delamater Prop Assistant
Nikki Battestilli Marketing Director Aaron Tarnow Electrician
Jasmine Roth Assistant Director
Joel Ambrose Director of Ticketing &
Patron Services
Audrey Fennell Ticketing Manager Anna Szymanski Stage Management Intern
Rachael Ellis Box Office Associate & CONSULTANTS
Company Manager
Tasha Matthews Box Office Associate Landesberg Design Graphic Design
Libby Nicolay Box Office Associate
Amara Walls Box Office Associate Clayton Slater Design Program Design
Makaila Moulden Patron Services Manager
Nell Blackford House Manager Human Habits Website Development &
Amelia Heastings House Manager
Hazy Jordan House Manager Video
Kristi Jan Hoover Photographer
Fatima Bunafoor Talent & Equity Director
Diaz Inclusion Consulting EDIA Consultants
“2020 People of the Year (Theater)” – City Paper
38 WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME
FIERCE ADVOCATE
Always fighting for our clients’ best interests − in the
courtroom or around the negotiating table.
412.471.9000
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