Program B

September 3 - 6

First Five Minutes

by Dale Hess and Katelyn Donnelly both of Pittsburgh PA

Produced by Iron Horse Theatre Company

Two men spend one last night packing up an apartment that used to be a home. Benjamin is still in love. Sebastian, if he's being honest, and tonight he finally is, never quite was.

As they sort through ten years of shared life, the objects in the boxes keep pulling them back: the hopeful early days in Seattle, a Saturday afternoon in San Francisco where something started to slip, the comfortable distance of Austin, and the quiet resignation in NYC. By the time the movers arrive, they've figured out what belongs to who and say goodbye in the only way two people like them know how. Honestly, and with a lot of love.

Dale Hess is a 37 year old former theatre kid, hospitality professional, and current corporate workplace guy who is making his co-writing debut with this play. He has renewed his passion for writing over the last year and is working on his debut novel--mostly sober. After a few more bottles of wine, who knows what project might be next?
Katelyn Donnelly is a 28 year old lighting designer turned leasing agent who is making her co-writing debut with this project. In the past year, she has taken up writing as a passion project, drawing inspiration from every day moments, especially ones that culminate in the decision to tandem write a play over a bottle of wine at Solera.

CAST/CREW

Amanda Orr (Director) is delighted to be making her directorial debut with Iron Horse Theater Company. Recent/Favorite credits include Rent (Ensemble) with Iron Horse Theater Company, How to Survive A Housefire (Allison) with R-ACT, and Hartburn Hotel (Princess Prettyfoot) with R-ACT. She also recently stage managed Gruesome Playground Injuries for R-ACT and Pierre and Marie for Iron Horse Theater and also works at the Pittsburgh Renaissance Faire.  By day she has a corporate job as an Executive Assistant. She wants the thank her friends, family, and two cats for all their love and support.

Catherine Hayashi (Co-Director and Stage Manager) is grateful to have the opportunity to be a part of NWF again. She can be found both on and offstage around Pittsburgh's community theaters. Catherine teaches drama for middle and high school at Gemini Children's Theatre as well as at her home theater, Iron Horse Theatre where she currently serves as Artistic Director.

Blake Dowd (Benjamin) is proud to make his debut at the pittsburgh new works festival. His favorite theater credits include Into The Woods (Baker), The White Rose (Hans Scholl), Clown Bar (Dusty), Big Fish (Will Bloom). He is a recent graduate from Pennwest California in Mathematics.

Joshua Reed (Sebastian) Originally from Norfolk, VA. Previous credits include “Black and Blue” (ADA Connors), The 39 Steps (Clown #4), Abduction (ensemble), Corsicana (Christoper), That’s Not How I Remember It (Yann 2, Thug 3), staged readings for Subpar and Idle Academia, and Performance Collaborative’s The Importance of Being Earnest (Canon Chasuble). He starred as Krapp (Krapp’s Last Tape) in last year’s Pittsburgh Fringe Festival. He has previously appeared in the film Call Sign Romeo (Zach). Thanks to family and friends. You’ve made every minute matter.

Undiscovered Country

by Dana Leslie Goldstein of Brooklyn, NY

Produced by Community Theatre Players of Ben Avon

They’re an unlikely pair, but Elizabeth and Teddy have been happily married for decades. After Teddy’s passing, Elizabeth struggles to find a way to go on without him, but maybe she doesn’t have to.

Dana Leslie Goldstein is a playwright, lyricist and librettist who has won the New England New Play Competition, Harold and Mimi Steinberg Playwriting Prize, Different Voices New Play Award, ACTF New Play Award and numerous development grants. A librettist and lyricist in the BMI Musical Theater Workshop, Dana is currently under commission to write book and lyrics for a new musical for National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene and KEAKA Productions. Her play GO DOWN, MOSES will premiere in NY in May, 2026 at ART/NY. Dana’s work has been seen at Symphony Space, Manhattan Theatre Club, Cherry Lane, Culture Project, Women’s Project, The York, Theatre80, New Dramatists, ART/NY, Vineyard Playhouse, Brave New World, The Road (L.A.), PRT (FL), ETC (Chattanooga), American Stage (FL), Left Edge (CA), on Ellis and Liberty Islands, at the U.N. and elsewhere across the U.S., as well as in Canada, Australia, the UK and Singapore. Dana’s plays are published by Next Stage Press, Smith & Kraus, Applause Books, Sordelet Ink and Palmetto Press. For more information, please visit www.danalesliegoldstein.com Agent: Michael Moore, Michael@MichaelMooreAgency.com

CAST/CREW

Jim Critchfield (Director) is a proud member of the board of directors for the Pittsburgh New Works Festival and has directed and/or produced a one-act for the PNWF since 2010. James is happy to return to direct this beautiful piece by Dana Leslie Goldstein for The Community Theater Players of Ben Avon.
James has two degrees from Point Park University (Acting & Theater Education) and has spent over 45 years performing, directing, producing, and teaching across Western Pennsylvania.
His favorite directing credits include: Thornton Wilder's OUR TOWN for Actors Civic Theater; THE FANTASTICKS by Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt  for The Theater Factory; and THE DRESSER by Ronald Harwood for Little Lake Theater.
Jim is a soloist/section leader for the Mt. Lebanon United Lutheran Church.

Libby Larsen (Co-Producer/Stage Manager) is delighted to take part in PNWF for the second year. For fifteen years, Libby has been in local theatre as a stage manager, actor, and occasionally a director. She studies acting at Ensemble Actors Studio in McKees Rocks and also at Arcade Comedy Club downtown, learning and performing improv. Favorite Pittsburgh comedy clubs include class shows at Arcade, and improv jams at Glitterbox and Brillobox.
She has enjoyed working with everyone involved in the show, with special thanks to her daughter Jessica, and Jim. When she is not working with other theatre players/friends, she plays the role of a professor of sociology and conflict resolution at PennWest-California. Enjoy the show!

Katy Wayne (Elizabeth) is delighted to perform in the 2026 Pittsburgh New Works Festival. She has enjoyed many years of involvement onstage and behind the scenes with a variety of local theatre companies. Favorite roles from recent years include: Donna in Mama Mia with Butler’s Musical Theatre Guild, Adelaide in Guys and Dolls with Butler County Symphony Orchestra and Musical Theatre Guild, A Mother’s Cabaret and 24-hr Theater Project with hobnob theatre Co., and with the Butler Little Theatre, Aoife in Outside Mullingar, Clara in Hay Fever, and Melissa in Love Letters. She is grateful for the opportunity to collaborate on this production with new and long time friends. She sends special thanks to her husband, Mike, and her daughter, Rachel, for their ongoing encouragement and support.

Ron Gmys (Teddy) is a Pittsburgh-area actor, director, technical director, and producer. A 1992 graduate of Seton Hill University with a B.A. in Theater Performance, Ron has collaborated with numerous Western Pennsylvania theater companies, including South Park Theater, Apple Hill Playhouse, Comtra Theater, Little Lake Theater, Heritage Players, and McKeesport Little Theater. He returned to the Pittsburgh New Works Festival in 2024 after a 26-year hiatus, portraying Conner in Lemons, Water, Sugar, and starred as Charles in At the Tone during the 2025 festival. Ron served as Technical Director at Thomas Jefferson High School for 24 years. He also co-founded Grand Dream Productions with his wife, Stacy Bartlebaugh-Gmys, producing six local shows.

Ruth is Dead

by Donnie Buckingham of Swissvale, PA

Produced by The Heritage Players

Ruth is dead; murdered. Years later, her husband Jamie sits down for an interview with a true-crime documentarian about Ruth's death. But Jamie has never done an interview like this, and real-life is messier than it seems on the slick shows of the streaming age.

Donnie Buckingham has never had a play performed professionally. He did write two plays that were performed by his high school theater club. He was also the president of Please Clap Improv Club at Elon University, but that was the opposite of playwright when you think about it.

CAST/CREW

Colleen Hammond (Director)

Nicole Zalak (Producer) received her B.A. in Theatre from IUP. She is the Artistic Director of the Heritage Players and has been working with the company for over twenty years. Some past directing credits include: The Crucible; Little Women (the Musical); To Kill a Mockingbird; The Great Gatsby; A Midsummer Night's Dream; Radium Girls; and award-winning productions of Oedipus, but Better and Fade with the Pittsburgh New Works Festival. Past intimacy choreography credits include:  A Doll's House; The Prom; and Little Shop of Horrors. Nicole has also worked in theatre as an actor, dialect coach, costume designer, fight choreographer, as well as many other production positions. Outside of theatre, Nicole works as a Youth Services Assistant at the Bethel Park Library, and as a freelance photographer.

Ethan Butler (Jamie)

Olga Brindar (Interviewer)