What’s even more surprising is that both playwrights had their work produced last weekend as Pittsburgh’s prestigious New Works Festival opened.
...David Dietz of Ingram [was one] of 160 playwrights who entered their one-act plays in this year’s New Works Festival competition.
Just 12 of the 160 plays were chosen to be produced by various theater companies at the Lester Hamburg Theater on Pittsburgh’s South Side.
Entries for the 11th annual festival came from as far as Canada, California, Michigan, Montana and Maryland.
Theater professionals and college professors initially read the submitted plays.
Those that received high marks were then give to directors to review.
The directors finally selected the one-act plays that they thought would be suitable for staging and those which met the guidelines for length, characters and other criteria.
...This competition was a “first” for Dietz of Prospect Avenue, who said he was rejected as an actor before by the New Works Festival.
This was his first attempt at competing as a playwright.
...Dietz will have to wait until the end of September, after all 12 plays have been seen by audiences, before they will know if either of their plays is nominated for awards.
...Ingram resident David Dietz chooses to create a fantasy world rather than an awareness of reality in his play.
He said his goal is to “entertain” audiences rather than relay a profound statement.
“There are too many playwrights who are out to make a statement,” said Dietz.
He invites the audience to escape into a future world where he investigates “sexual identity” through the “Bureau of Fertility and Reproduction.”
In his comedy, where male and female roles are reversed, women are the dominant gender and enlist the services of male “breeders” in order to reproduce.
The result is a very witty dialogue between the colorful characters he creates.
...Dietz has also had other plays, sketches, short fiction and articles published and produced elsewhere. [He] will continue to pursue his writing seriously with a new, full-length comedy.
...The McKeesport Little Theater produced “Breeder’s Cup,” with director Pat Kording.
...The New Works Festival continues through Sunday, Sept. 30, at the Lester Hamburg Studio on Pittsburgh’s South Side.