The First Reads Festival is a marathon of readings of full plays written by our playwrights and selected to be a part of The PG Evolution a development process.  Scenes from these plays have been featured throughout the Volumes. Prior to this table read all the plays were a part of Required Reading and now we are presenting them to be heard for the first time in full.  

Actors from our casting pool have been cast and will sit around a table and read the plays for the benefit of the playwright.  The audience will be invited to observe this  process  and be an active participant by filling out The PG Evolution Play Analysis Questionnaire to help the playwright continue to develop their work

1:00 pm The Rule Book Can't Apply by Christopher Buchanan

Fouls are committed … nefarious boys, teen angst and personal drama threaten to unravel the fabric of this closely knit group of young women.  Will they rebound for the win or foul out for good?

Featuring: Aja Singletary, Alexandra Bonesho, Josette Murray, Manning Jordan, Marie Elena’ O’Brien, Mischa Goodman, Peyton Edwards

3:00 pm The Giant Hoax- a family musical by Kit Goldstein Grant

Step right up and see the story of Emily, a young scallywag who lands in 1869 and enters a world of imagination, filled with such dubious characters as P. T. Barnum, a shady showman named "Stub," and a petrified prehistoric giant - wearing a top hat.

Featuring: Andrew Glaszek, Anthony Aloise, Claire Shiell, Jackson Perrin, Jayson Kerr, John Prestianni, Karen Elliot, Kirsten Hopkins, Kyle Minshew, Nick Locilento, Priyanka Krisnan

5:00 pm Let There Be Love by Mrinalini Kamath

Please RSVP below to let us know you are attending:

TO HELP SUPPORT THIS AND OTHER PGE PROGRAMS, WE REQUEST A MINIMUM SUGGESTED DONATION OF $10.

SNACKS AND BEVERAGES WILL BE PROVIDED.

The First Reads Festival is a marathon of readings of full plays written by our playwrights and selected to be a part of The PG Evolution a development process.  Scenes from these plays have been featured throughout the Volumes. Prior to this table read all the plays were a part of Required Reading and now we are presenting them to be heard for the first time in full.  

Actors from our casting pool have been cast and will sit around a table and read the plays for the benefit of the playwright.  The audience will be invited to observe this  process  and be an active participant by filling out The PG Evolution Play Analysis Questionnaire to help the playwright continue to develop their work. 

2:00 pm

Boxthorn by Jim Cairl

Featuring: Alex Castro, Bryn Packard, Marie Elena’ O’Brien, Paul Pakler

Would you...  Would you do it over...Would you do it over if... Would you do it over if you had the chance to do it over?

3:30 pm

Guru by Jessica Luck

Featuring: Ashley Jackson, Cait Johnston, Christine Redhead, Cotton Wright, 

If Meg spends 8 weeks with Kendra, and Kendra is 20 points from passing, how many Youtube videos will Lindsee have to post in order to lose 3 pounds? The formulas that you may need to answer some questions are found at the end of the examination. 

5:30 pm

Why Us? by Brad Makarowski

Featuring: Alexandra Bonesho, David Michael Kirby, Don Castro, John Raccioppo, John Robert Tillotson, Sharlene Hartman, 

It may not be the first time someone fell in love, but it may be the first time Frank and Izzy fell in love.  And god only knows if the things that pop into their lives are a miracle, dumb luck or something they may forget.

7:30 pm

Members of the Choir by Evan Edwards

Featuring: Andrew Glaszek, Anthony Aloise, Brian Childers, Charlie Wilson,  David A. Gill,  Hakim Canter McMillian, Jayson Kerr, Jonas Cohen, Nick Ortiz, Roy Flores

You're invited to a surprise party! Where: Tyler's apartment When: New Year's Eve Dress Code: A thick skin and a sense of humor  No need for gifts. That's been taken care of...

TO HELP SUPPORT THIS AND OTHER PGE PROGRAMS, WE REQUEST A MINIMUM SUGGESTED DONATION OF $10.

SNACKS AND BEVERAGES WILL BE PROVIDED.

Please RSVP below to let us know you are attending:

The First Reads Festival is a marathon of readings of full plays written by our playwrights and selected to be a part of The PG Evolution a development process.  Scenes from these plays have been featured throughout the Volumes. Prior to this table read all the plays were a part of Required Reading and now we are presenting them to be heard for the first time in full.  

Actors from our casting pool have been cast and will sit around a table and read the plays for the benefit of the playwright.  The audience will be invited to observe this  process  and be an active participant by filling out The PG Evolution Play Analysis Questionnaire to help the playwright continue to develop their work. 

11:00 am- The Gaming Project

by Wendy Herlich

Featured Actors:  Bryn Packard, Christopher Buchanan, Fenton Li, Jackson Perrin, John Roque, Nancy Nagrant, Nina Covelesky, Siho Elsmore,Tim Torre, Ysabel Jasa

An American mother desperate to connect with her son meets a Chinese gamer struggling to vanquish her demons. It's only a video game. But who is playing?

2:00 pm  Irregulars

by David Gill

Featured Actors: Evan Edwards, Joan Wool Rubinstein, Joe Ford, Hakim McMillan, Kim Reinle, Marie Elena' O'Brien, Todd Butera

ir·reg·u·lar: 1.  not even or balanced in shape or arrangement.*
 (*see also the Horne-Piccolo  Family of Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn)

4:30pm- Pittsburghese

by Paul Pakler

Featured Actors: Diane Quinn, Paul Pakler, Marie Elena' O'Brien, Thea Brooks

Amy, who's this nice lady, hires this actor guy, Matt, to give her lessons to help her talk good at her daughter's fancy wedding. And it's funny and sad and yinz'll cry like whenever the Steelers finally got one for the thumb.     So, yeah, see it, n'at.

6:00 pm  Home to the Sea

by Jonathan Calindas

Featured Actors: Alex Castro, David Michael Kirby, David Meyers, John Racioppo, Rhonda Dodd, Roy Flores, Tamara Torres

Mark is teaching a computer to think. Margaret is living with dementia. Ellie is just trying to make sense of it all.  A meditation. 

8:30 pm  Cell Memory Theory

by Mike Lesser

Featured Actors: Ashley "Ajax" Jackson, Heidi Armbruster, Jeaniene Green, Sue Berch

Ann is a survivor. But will the transplanted cells that saved her ultimately destroy her second chance at life? 

To help support this and other PGE programs, we request a minimum suggested donation of $10.

Snacks and beverages will be provided.

Please RSVP below to let us know you are attending: