CATEGORY: MAIN EVENT

Performance Location: New Hazlett Center for Performing Arts
6 Allegheny Square E., Pittsburgh, PA 15212

Performance times are at 7:30 on Fridays and Saturdays, and at 2:30 on Sundays

Witness for the Prosecution

by Agatha Christie
Directed by Ponny Conomos Jahn

BUY TICKETS

- WQED: Voice of the Arts - Wayne Brinda – Prime Stage Theater

Be one of the jurors and experience the shocking testimony and impassioned outbursts from witnesses as a young man and his attorney fight to escape a final verdict

May 3 – 12, 2024

Ticket Prices
- Adult: $39
- Artist: $24
- Student: $19

Prime Stage Theatre is committed to providing an environment that is inclusive and welcoming to all patrons. Please identify any special seating needs to our Box Office staff when reserving your tickets in advance on-line or by calling Prime Stage Public Performance Box Office at the New Hazlett 412.320.4610

Performances times: Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 and Sundays at 2:30

Sensory-inclusive Performance: Saturday May 11th at 2:30

Audio Description, Signed Interpreted and Live Caption: Sunday May 12th at 2:30

SPECIAL POST-SHOW DISCUSSION - May 4th

Marie Benedict is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Mitford Affair, Her Hidden Genius, The Mystery of Mrs. Christie, The Only Woman in the Room, Lady Clementine, Carnegie's Maid, The Other Einstein, and with Victoria Christopher Murray, the Good Morning America Book Club pick The Personal Librarian and the Target Book of the Year The First Ladies. All have been translated into multiple languages, and many have been selected for the Barnes & Noble Book Club, Target Book Club, Costco Book Club, Indie Next List, and LibraryReads List. A graduate of Boston College and the Boston University School of Law who also writes as Heather Terrell, she lives in Pittsburgh with her family.

Witness to the Prosecution Cast

Christian Benton portraying Leonard Vole
Christian is excited to make his theatrical Pittsburgh debut in Prosecution! Hailing from Pittsburgh, Christian has trained at the London Academy of Music & Dramatic Arts, where he performed in Shakespeare’s Richard II, Cymbeline, as well as Lope de Vega’s Punishment without Revenge. He thanks his family and friends for their support.

John Feightner portraying Dr. Wyatt
John is a comedian and improvisor usually seen out and about at Arcade Comedy Theater, most notably as a member of The Knights of the Arcade (named Pittsburgh's Best Comedy Troupe by both City Paper and Pittsburgh Magazine). At Prime Stage, you might recognize him from past productions of Arsenic and Old Lace (Teddy), Twelfth Night (Orsino), Perks of Being a Wallflower (Mr. Anderson), and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Utterson). Other recent credits include The Play That Goes Wrong for Riverfront Theater, Everybody for 12 Peers Theater, Ubu Roi for Throughline Theatre, and Love and Information for Quantum Theatre.

Matt Henderson portraying Carter and Thomas Clegg
Matt returns to Prime Stage after appearances in The Boxcar Children, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Arsenic and Old Lace, Einstein, A Stage Portrait, and Twelfth Night. He has worked with many theatre companies throughout the Pittsburgh area. Quantum Theatre: 10 for 21; Arcade Comedy Theater: The Thanksgiving Play. City Theatre: The Young Playwrights Festival. PICT: The Old Curiosity Shop, Romeo & Juliet, The Lion in Winter. 12 Peers Theater: Mr. Burns, a post-electric play, Thom Pain (based on nothing), Colorado. Bricolage: Speech & Debate, Midnight Radio - Mad Science Lab, Underwater Voyage, Animated Holidaze. No Name Players: Fixing King John. Off the Wall: boom. Cup-A-Jo Productions: Unhinged, Hospitality Suite. Pittsburgh Shakespeare in the Parks: A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The New Renaissance Theatre Company: The Merry Wives of Windsor, The Tempest. Up next, he can be seen in ELSEWHERE Theatre Company's production of Angels in America - Part I: Millennium Approaches in June.

Carina Iannarelli portraying Greta
Carina is excited to be making her Prime Stage debut and looking forward to tackling her first Agatha Christie mystery as an actor. Carina has worked in and for many theater companies in the Pittsburgh area including: Pittsburgh Public Theater, South Park Theater, Little Lake Theater, Old Schoolhouse Players, Split Stage, The Summer Company and more. Last year she was part of the award winning production of The Gods of Comedy as Thalia that was also directed by Ponny Conomos Jahn and played opposite her favorite actor Johnny Terreri (Mr. Mayhew). Up next she is keeping the British accent while starring as Mary Poppins at Old Schoolhouse Players this July.

Stefan Ligenfelter portraying Sir Wilfrid
Stefan is happy to be back at Prime Stage Theatre, last seen in their 2017 US premiere production of All Quiet On The Western Front. Favorite recent roles include Caldwell B. Cladwell in Urinetown (Split Stage Productions), Prospero in The Tempest (Hobnob Theatre Company) (Broadway World Regional Nomination), Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls in Concert (Butler Symphony/Butler Musical Theatre Guild), John D’Agata The Lifespan of A Fact (Butler Little Theatre). Thanks to Sarah, 2 dogs, and 4 cats for their love and snuggles.

Jenny Malarkey portraying Romaine Vole
Jenny is thrilled to be back with Prime Stage where many years ago she performed in another Agatha Christie classic, The Mousetrap. A Pittsburgh native, she has worked with many companies such as: The Pittsburgh Public Theater, Saint Vincent Summer Theater, Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre, Bricolage Co., Little Lake Theatre, Pittsburgh Musical Theatre, New Horizons, and Kinetic Theatre. When not on stage, Jenny works as the Education Manager at The Pittsburgh Public Theater where she loves sharing her passion for the theater arts with students across the city. Thank you to the cast and crew for such a wonderful experience. Enjoy the show!

David Nackman portraying Myers
David has been seen at Prime Stage most recently in the staged reading of R.U.R. Other PST credits include Perseverance, Frankenstein, The White Rose, and the one-person play Karloff. Other local stage appearances include If/Then at Riverfront Theatre Company, Oliver! at Mon River Arts, and Mamma Mia! and A Christmas Carol at The Theatre Factory. Other recent work: Claudius in an audio production of Hamlet (Food for Groundlings/Play On Words), multiple characters in a new fantasy podcast series The Fate of Korr, and a very bad guy in the upcoming horror film House of Tears. Highlights from his pre-Pittsburgh era include the first national tour of Neil Simon’s Biloxi Blues, a stint on Broadway in Simon’s Broadway Bound (with Joan Rivers), an indie film with Judith Malina, and 20 years as a director and ensemble member with NYC’s off-off-Broadway Castillo Theatre.

Evan Oslund portraying Warden / Plainclothes Policeman
Evan is the Director of Theatre and Adjunct Professor of Theatre at Bethany College (WV). M.A. Educational Theatre, New York University; B.A. Theatre (Acting), Bethany College (WV). This is his second time working with PST, with the first being as the stage manager for Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott in January. Select acting credits: Mamma Mia! (Bill Austin), The Diary of Anne Frank (Albert Dussel), Harvey (Dr. Sanderson), Radium Girls (Edward Markley/Dr. Von Sochocky), Assassins (Lee Harvey Oswald/Balladeer). Big thanks to the cast, crew, Ponny, Elysse, Wayne, Connie, and his parents, Roland and Janet. Pet a cat today.

Nickolas Page portraying Detective Inspector Hearne
Nick is thrilled to be joining Prime Stage again for Witness! He's a big big fan of murder mysteries. Last time he worked with Prime Stage he was portraying civil rights activist E.D. Nixon in Rosa Parks. Some of his favorite roles include Fenris Ulf (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe), Muddy Waters (Blues is the Roots), and John (The Whipping Man). Nick is also vegan and an avid anime enjoyer. He is certain most of you won't be able to guess the conclusion to this mystery! Instagram: nick.page_

Sarah Puhala portraying The Girl
Sarah is excited to be performing with Prime Stage once again, having been previously seen with the company as Emma in Mockingbird. Some favorite stage credits have been The Glass Menagerie (Laura), The Fantasticks (Lusia) and A Midsummer Night's Dream (Hermia) to name just a few! She also gets to wear her director/teacher hats, most recently with Gemini Theater Company as a resident teaching artist. A graduate of Point Park University, completing the four-year Conservatory of Performing Arts program (COPA) with a B.A. in theater arts and currently pursuing her M.A. with a focus in Drama Therapy, she has appeared on the Pittsburgh Playhouse stage, with Pittsburgh Savoyards, Pittsburgh New Works Festival as well as other venues and films throughout the region. More info at www.sarahpuhala.wordpress.com Break a leg cast and crew!

John Reilly portraying Justice Wainwright
John is pleased to be returning to Prime Stage. (Previously: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and The Elephant Man). He is a retired college professor (currently working part-time as a legal proofreader and as a standardized patient) and has appeared in many productions with western PA theaters besides Prime Stage including Quantum, Three Rivers Shakespeare, Kinetic, PICT, Little Lake, Pittsburgh New Works, and South Park. His home base is Wheeling WV, where he has been active at Towngate Theater since 1982

Johnny Terreri portraying Mayhew
Johnny is thrilled to return to Prime Stage alongside this incredible cast. Prime Stage audiences may recognize him from last year's production of Perseverance. Other favorite roles include the Lecturer in Reefer Madness, Hysterium in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and Algernon in The Importance of Being Earnest. This time last year he was playing Ralph in South Park Theatre’s production of The Gods of Comedy where he met Carina Iannarelli, who he adores. Aboocado!

Jake Moon portraying the Clerk and Usher
Jake, the young actor from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is excited to be returning to Prime Stage and the New Hazlett! He has worked in various short films and theatrical productions throughout the Pittsburgh region. Among his favorite roles, is the role of Anthony in Lauren Gunderson’s I and You, and Martin Luther King, Jr. in Sue Greenberg’s Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott. He remains grateful to be included in the arts community and for the opportunities given to him thus far. He is determined to continue improving and being the best he can be. Instagram: @TheJakeMoon

Erica Fox Zabusky portraying Janet Mackenzie
Erica is a versatile performing artist, educator, and entertainment industry professional with a breadth of experience including over 10 years studying and working in Europe. While pursuing graduate studies in voice at the Mozarteum, she sang with the Salzburg Cathedral Choir, then moved to Hamburg (Germany), where she performed in CATS and Into the Woods before starting a career in arts administration that brought her back stateside. Erica eventually returned to performing with favorite roles including Dotty (Noises Off), Grandma Kurnitz (Lost in Yonkers), Solange (Follies), and Mrs. Wilkinson (Billy Elliott). Pittsburgh credits include City Theatre, Pittsburgh Playhouse, Pittsburgh New Works Festival and Pittsburgh Opera chorus. Erica is excited to be making her Prime Stage debut and would like to thank Ponny for the opportunity to work with this exceptional cast and creative team.