Pawk (Broadway's Hollywood Arms, Mamma Mia!, Seussical) tackles seven characters in the one-woman show at City Theatre's Main Stage on the South Side of Pittsburgh, PA. Lou Jacob directs. Performances continue to May 30.
Pawk received the 2003 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her critically acclaimed performance in Hollywood Arms. She is a three-time Drama Desk Award nominee. Other New York credits include Hairspray, Merrily We Roll Along, The Paris Letter and Crazy for You.
Butler, PA, native Pawk attended Allegheny College in Meadville, PA, and the College Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati.
She told Playbill.com on May 14, "When I was a kid, the only reasons you would come to Pittsburgh's Southside were to pick up your pierogies or to visit a serious dive bar. And while you can still do both here, this area has totally blossomed. It's become the trendy, hip place to be, with City Theatre smack in the middle. What I still love though about Pittsburgh is, wherever you are, whether it be Leary's fantastically greasy spoon or the more upscale 17th St. Cafe, people talk to you. They want to get to know you, and not in a solicitous way, but because they really are interested. I am continually amazed by the generosity of the people of Pittsburgh. And there's awesome food! I love Pittsburgh!"
Hewett's The Blonde, the Brunette and the Vengeful Redhead premiered at the Stables Theatre in Sydney, Australia in 2004. It has since played New Zealand, Canada, and across the U.S. Here's how City Theatre bills the play: "One performer, seven characters. Everyone has a story about the day that Rhonda, a desperate housewife, loses it at the mall. The unexpected revenge she finds is more than anyone bargained for. Michele Pawk transforms onstage into all seven characters as each new voice reveals more twists to this comic tour-de-force of love and vengeance."
The design team includes Tony Ferrieri (scenic), Robert C.T. Steele (costume), Andrew Ostrowski (lighting) and Jane Shaw (sound).
City Theatre is at 1300 Bingham Street on Pittsburgh's South Side. For information, call (412) 431-CITY (2489) or CityTheatreCompany.org.
