Program D
September 17-20
Delayed Blitz
by Grant Mitchell of Greenwich, CT
Produced by Summer Company
In real time and under the pressure of a countdown clock, aging football legend Coach John Hunter sits for his first major interview in years with young nonfiction writer Jamie Smith. What begins as a profile interview quickly becomes a psychological showdown. Hunter is proud, brittle, paranoid, brilliant, and deeply damaged; Smith is ambitious, prepared, and more dangerous than she looks. In the end, Delayed Blitz is a tense, shifting power struggle between a fading titan and a hungry chronicler — a meditation on legacy, ego, and the stories people tell themselves to survive.
Grant Mitchell is a Connecticut-based playwright focused on interpersonal tension and institutional pressures. He focuses on plays that move fast, reveal character through conflict, and force audiences to question the systems they take for granted.
CAST/CREW
Ryan Graves (Director) (he/him) is excited to be making his directorial debut with The Summer Company. This is his first time ever with The New Works Festival. He is a graduate of Duquesne University. His productions with the Red Masquers include Antiphoulus of Syracuse/Epheses in Comedy of Errors, Clifford Anderson in Deathtrap, and Squidward in The SpongeBob Musical. He has also acted with the Summer Company as Oliver Larding in Theater of Blood, and most recently George Gibbs in Our Town. He hopes you enjoy his show, and that you leave with something to think about.
Ariana Frankenfield (Stage Manager) is thrilled to be making her New Works Debut with the Summer Company! Recent Credits include FROZEN KIDS (Stage Manager), RENT (ASM), ANNIE (ASM), and GREASE (Ensemble) with the MAIN STREET THEATRE COMPANY. She also acts alongside the DUQUESNE RED MASQUERS and serves as their Secretary and Communications co-chair. Additionally she served on City Theatre's 2026 Young Playwrights Literary Committee. Ariana is a junior at Duquesne University where she is pursuing Psychology and Theater Arts.
John Lane (Producer) is an Associate Professor and the Director of Theater Arts program for Duquesne University. He has directed over 125 productions for various companies around the Pittsburgh area including Pittsburgh Public Theater, Carlow University, Pittsburgh Opera Theater, Wilkinsburg Arts Theater, Medieval and Renaissance Players, Pittsburgh New Works Festival, Pittsburgh Playwrights Theater Company, Thank You, Felix Productions, and Future Tenants. He is a board member of the Gemini Children’s Theater and the Pittsburgh New Works Festival. Since joining Duquesne he has directed 12 world premiere productions including a new adaptation of The Beggar’s Opera and The Mother of Us All: An Evening with Gertrude Stein, Serenede, The Consorts, and Shuffle Ball Change … and Die!
Ovis Delton Mangum (Bob Hunter) is thrilled to be making his debut with The Summer Company. Ovis has appeared in Ensemble Actors Studio stage productions of Secret Hour as the Doctor and Mixed Marriage as Franco as well as local independent films and commercials.
Julia Love (Jamie Smith) is so happy to be making her New Works Debut! She is so grateful to The Summer Company for the opportunity to perform again after several years. Favorite past credits include Cosette (Les Miserables), Natalie (All Shook Up), and Nancy (Oliver!). During the day you can find her leading circle time as an elementary school special education teacher. Special thanks to Ovis, Ryan, Ariana, and the whole New Works team for a great experience. Here's to falling back in love with your passions!
Are You Okay?
by Geo Lawton of Coraopolis, PA
Produced by Red Masquers
DANNY arrives early to a CPR class. He provides the audience with context to understand why he and the other characters are there. Between meeting his fellow classmate and the instructor, DANNY shares his daughter’s story. Class begins and the unique relationship that the characters have with lifesaving techniques becomes apparent. As the students demonstrate the techniques they have learned, the mannequins are physically transformed into the individuals that they both care for. As class winds down, the trio discusses what the future may hold for them in an impromptu support group.
Geo Lawton is an emerging playwright based in Western Pennsylvania. A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, he found playwriting in his mid-thirties when he started writing scenes as a way to process his childhood trauma. Those scenes would later evolve into his first full-length play, Dying to See You. He draws inspiration from his experience as a father of a daughter with high medical and support needs, as well as his own experience being diagnosed as neurodivergent late in life. Ultimately, he views theatre as a tool for building empathy with others.
CAST/CREW
Aubrey Posluszny (Director)(she/her) is thrilled to be representing the Duquesne Red Masquers for her second year with this festival. This is Aubrey’s first time directing for the New Works festival, and she's excited to be working with such a great cast. In last year's festival, she was the stage manager for "Bay of Fundy", and most recently she stage managed the Summer Company's production of "Our Town". When not aiding with tech, Aubrey loves to perform and choreograph.
Ashley Caldwell (Stage Manager) is a senior this year studying Public Relations and Theater Arts at Duquesne University. She is currently the Vice President of the Red Masquers, the social media chair, and the costume chair. With the Red Masquers, she has most recently appeared as Philoclea in Head Over Heels, then as Johanna in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Luciana in Shakespeare’s Comedy Of Errors, and first as Tina Denmark in Ruthless! She was also active in her high school theater program at Thomas Jefferson, playing Erma in Anything Goes (2022 revision) for which she was awarded Best Supporting Actress in the Gene Kelly Awards in 2023!
John Lane (Producer) is an Associate Professor and the Director of Theater Arts program for Duquesne University. He has directed over 125 productions for various companies around the Pittsburgh area including Pittsburgh Public Theater, Carlow University, Pittsburgh Opera Theater, Wilkinsburg Arts Theater, Medieval and Renaissance Players, Pittsburgh New Works Festival, Pittsburgh Playwrights Theater Company, Thank You, Felix Productions, and Future Tenants. He is a board member of the Gemini Children’s Theater and the Pittsburgh New Works Festival. Since joining Duquesne he has directed 12 world premiere productions including a new adaptation of The Beggar’s Opera and The Mother of Us All: An Evening with Gertrude Stein, Serenede, The Consorts, and Shuffle Ball Change … and Die!
Bob Hartley (Gary)
Aryan Verma (Danny)
Angela Vincent (Brenda)
Death Becomes a Writer
by J.B Heaps of New York, NY
produced by R-ACT Theatre Productions
A lost or stolen collection of shorts stories. A death bed promise. A literary scandal. Can it be explained? Maybe, not on this earthly plane.
J.B. Heaps was an Executive Producer at Showtime Sports where his programs about the sport of boxing won numerous awards including five National Sports Emmys. Now retired, he is happily ensconced in New York writing plays.
CAST/CREW
Larry Spinnenweber (Director)
Amy Joseph (Producer) is thrilled to join the production team for R-ACT Theatre’s 12th season with the Pittsburgh New Works Festival. Some of her favorite past roles include Alice in Wonderland (White Rabbit & Dormouse) The Book of Liz (Liz) and Love Letters (Melissa) all with R-ACT. Amy currently serves as the Board President for the Pittsburgh New Works Festival. By day, she works as a banker at NexTier Bank and lives in Monaca with her husband.
Tammy Van Evera (Stage Manager) is thrilled to once again be stage managing for R-ACT's contribution to The Pittsburgh New Works Festival. In her spare time she is the butler to her two cats Crowley and Scully.
David Gettemy (Professor Frederick Seymour Hoffman) is thrilled to have been chosen by R-ACT Theater Productions to perform in their upcoming rendition of Death Becomes a Writer. In recent years, David has performed for Beacon on the Hil Productions in Beauty and the Beast and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Also, for Beacon, David performed in original productions of Cabaret, a compilation of well-known songs and stand-up routines and Dreamland Diner, an original story of a waitress with dreams of a better life set to the music of several pop hits. This fall, David will be part of another original production called Bethlehem the Musical. David was also an extra in the upcoming Apple TV+ streaming series Parallax.
Daniel Schrauder (Patrick Mahoney) is thrilled and honored to work with the Pittsburgh New Works Festival and R-act for the first time. He is an actor, singer, writer, director and producer. His favorite credits include: Brian from Theatre Factory's production of "The Lyons", as well as his work with Dream Logic Productions on various short films and sketches. He splits his time between stage and film and will be featured in several feature films between this year and next, with his first major feature being shot next year, "Mental Love". He thanks his friends and family for the never ending support in his journey.
Seth Pittsburg (Interviewer) is excited to be a part of his first Pittsburgh New Works Festival. He is a 2026 graduate of the University of Pittsburgh with a B.A. in Theatre Arts. His roles there included Mr. Hale in Trifles, Mr. Webb in Our Town, and Terry in The Trees. Seth wishes luck to everyone in the festival and hopes you enjoy Death Becomes a Writer.