Pitt Rep's 2006-07 "Global Crossings" Season Continues With A Toothache & A Plague & A Dog

PITTSBURGH—Osvaldo Dragún's A Toothache & A Plague & A Dog comprises three hilariously controversial one-act plays that look at the ruthless dynamics of social inclusion and exclusion through the lens of comedy. Appropriate for all ages and featuring puppetry, this production, directed by Melanie Dreyer, will run Nov. 8-19 in Studio Theatre, in the basement of the Cathedral of Learning, 4200 Fifth Ave., Oakland.

All three performances deal with the dehumanization of society, says Dreyer. In the first play, a street vendor without health insurance can't work because of a painful tooth abscess, which leads to unimaginable consequences. In the second, one of the characters causes an epidemic of bubonic plague in South Africa by distributing canned rat meat to the local populations. The third play illustrates what happens to a man who can't find employment and, as a consequence, must accept a job as a guard dog.

Pitt Rep's production of Dragún's classic will employ puppets designed by teaching artist-in-residence Tavia LaFollette, that the designer says "are as raw and exposed as possible, built from the rubbish of our disposable society."

General admission tickets are $19 and $15 for senior citizens, Pitt and UPMC faculty and staff, and members of the Pitt Alumni Association. Student tickets are $10 for any show and Student Semester Passes are available for $34 for five admissions. For tickets or more information, call 412-624-PLAY (7529) or visit www.play.pitt.edu.

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11/07/06/scl