New Hazlett Theater Announces 10th Season of Community Supported Art

New Hazlett Theater Announces 10th Season of Community Supported Art

(Pittsburgh, PA) June 2, 2022— The New Hazlett Theater is thrilled to announce its 10th Season of Community Supported Art (CSA), boasting five premiere performances from Pittsburgh-based artists. Running from October 2022 to April 2023, The New Hazlett CSA Season offers a broad range of performances, including several original plays, a hip-hop performance, a multidisciplinary concert, and a movement-based work.

This year’s CSA Artists represent the many dedicated, multi-faceted theater artists that have kept this industry alive over the past two years,” says Director of Programming Kristin Helfrich. “They are creators and authors, but they are also educators, box office managers, directors. This season is dedicated to these artists who are committed to the live stage. These are their stories.”

Jasmine Roth in a photoshoot with Renee Rosensteel for the New Hazlett’s Season 10 art, directed by Tye Clarke.

2022/2023 Season Lineup: 

Somewhere Strange
A musical exploration by Vida Chai
October 13–14, 2022

Perdita
A play about high school, love, and Shakespeare by Nathan Wagner
December 1–2, 2022

IGNITE
A live hip hop experience by Ys1 (Yusef Shelton Da First)
February 16–17, 2023

Painting Lessons
A play with movement by Jasmine Roth
March 23–24, 2023

Morning Reckoning
An 8th-grade fangirl adventure by Kelly Trumbull
April 20–21, 2023

“Watching Brittney Chantele’s A Fire on Venus CSA performance really inspired me by showing me how far you could take the performance of an album,” says CSA Season 10’s first artist, Vida Chai. “I’ve been performing in Pittsburgh and beyond for 10 years and have been longing for the space and resources to fully realize a theatrical performance for a long time.”

Each year the CSA Performance Series supports five emerging Pittsburgh artists as they develop a new work for the New Hazlett stage. The artists selected for the 2022/23 season range from an eclectic musician to an up-and-coming hip-hop sensation to several groundbreaking playwrights. The unpredictability of the past two years inspired some artists to get even more creative than before. CSA Season 10 at the New Hazlett is honored to showcase some of the diamonds formed under the pressures of the pandemic.

“After having several Zoom readings of this play over the course of the pandemic, I believe it is at a place where it needs an audience,” says CSA Season 10 artist Kelly Trumbull. “It is my hope that this isn’t the finished product and the CSA experience will help this piece continue to grow.”

Past CSA contributors include recording artist Brittany Chantele, choreographer Kaylin Horgan, and director/playwright NaTasha Thompson. The New Hazlett Theater’s CSA program provides opportunities for diverse voices to shape the future of theater in Pittsburgh while connecting audiences with fresh productions that challenge their perceptions about what live theater can be.

Early bird season subscriptions are available for purchase on the New Hazlett website. Subscribe before September 1st and receive a free drink ticket for each show! *Must be 21 or older

All shows in CSA Season 10 will be live, onstage at the New Hazlett Theater.  Prior to attending, please see the most updated health and safety guidelines. Accessible seating and assistive listening devices are available for all productions. Please email Phoebe Orr with any questions.

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Meet the Artists

Vida Chai is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist committed to brutally honest storytelling. Vida’s influences range from Joni Mitchell to Esperanza Spalding, blending acoustic-folk and neosoul to challenge and inspire listeners. They use their voice to speak difficult truths and help create more understanding and space for queer people.

Nathan Wagner is a Pittsburgh-based theatre artist and long-time lover of stories. He holds a BFA in Theatre from Youngstown State University and writes “weird stuff that is funny or important, or both” with the end goal of fostering empathy, promoting change, and challenging people to think outside the box.

Ys1 (Yusef Shelton Da First) is a Homewood born-and-bred hip-hop artist and a true family man. From humble beginnings without parental guidance, Yusef overcame his circumstances, and transformed his pain into purpose. Yusef found identity in his faith and raps to ignite purpose in the hearts of young Black men, giving them the tools to be authentic.

Jasmine Roth is a generative director-choreographer investigating power, agency, deconstruction, and healing. Jasmine is currently a John Wells Directing Fellow at Carnegie Mellon University where she recently directed workshop productions of Vice Wheels and 차’nt. Her upcoming projects include Dance Nation and an Artist in Residency at the Sable Project. www.jasminenicoleroth.com

Kelly Trumbull is a Pittsburgh-based multi-disciplinary theater artist. Currently, she is a Teaching Artist with the Theatre Arts Department of the University of Pittsburgh, as well as a faculty member at Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Music. Kelly is a proud member of AEA and SAG/AFTRA. www.kellytrumbull.com