GREENSBURG, Pa (PTTP) – Women’s History Month is ending soon, but the Pitt-Greensburg Theatre Company is still celebrating with their spring 2023 production of “Talking With…”.
This 80-minute show is comprised of eleven different monologues performed by four different actors. “Talking With…” is a unique production because “there really isn’t much of a through line besides just all of these monologues are about women characters,” says the production’s director and Pitt-Greensburg associate professor Christina Allaback.
Jane Martin, an award-winning playwright and pseudonym, wrote the original monologues back in 1982. However, Allaback says their crew looked to reimagine how these stories were told. “The script calls for a blank stage. But we have a stagecraft class that needs to learn to build a set.” Allaback circled through a few different designs before landing on one that just seemed right. “It’s almost like [the women] are being interviewed by the audience. Let’s make a talk show set,” Allaback said.
The stage design wasn’t the only thing Allaback looked to do differently during this production. The rehearsal process started at the end of January for the four actors Brianna Bicker, Megan Coleman, Sydney McLaughlin, and Madison Vogel, and they only met once a week. It allowed the actors some flexibility and the time to dig deep into each monologue. Allaback says it made the crew bonding process longer but ultimately benefitted the show.
Catch the last few performances of “Talking With…” on March 31 at 7:30 pm, April 1 at 7:30 pm, and April 2 at 2:30 pm, all in the Ferguson Theater at Pitt-Greensburg. Tickets are $5 cash at the door.