Dennis is excited to make his acting debut with the Northeast Theatre Ensemble in their site specific and immersive production of An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde, playing the witty Lord Goring.  Directed by Dr. Krysta Dennis, the production runs three weekends, Thursdays through Sundays, from April 11-28. Thursday through Saturday performances take place at 7:30 pm; Sunday shows are at 3 pm. Performances are inside the historic Ten Broeck Mansion in Albany, built in the 1790s.

Guests will arrive for Sir Robert Chiltern's evening party, be handed champagne and then move from room to room as the play progresses.

Seating and tickets are limited due to the nature of the performance venue, so purchasing tickets in advance is required. Tickets can be purchased online here.

According to Oscar Wilde, "Sooner or later, we shall all have to pay for what we do." But, he adds,  "No one should be entirely judged by their past."

If a young man makes a mistake early on in his political career, should he be held accountable for it twenty years later? Wilde tackles this question with his trademark wit and style in "An Ideal Husband." NorthEast Theatre Ensemble will be bringing this delightful 1893 play to life in an immersive site-specific performance at Ten Broeck Mansion in Albany. This environmental production will take place in various spaces throughout the mansion, so come prepared to move around and enjoy cocktails, a party at the Chilterns' house, and tea with some formidable (even ruthless) women.

Ten Broeck Mansion is located at 9 Ten Broeck Place in Albany. Parking is available in the mansion's lot. The performance space is ADA accessible, but please notify us in advance so we can make sure you are properly accommodated.

Dennis is excited to announce that the short play DOG PARK OR SEXUAL PERVERSITY IN MAGNUSON has two upcoming productions in November. It will be produced by the Under Lights company at Claremont McKenna college in California on November 14th and 15th as part of a one-act festival and will also be produced by Elizabethtown College in New Jersey on November 20th and 21st. 

It recently was part of a student one-act festival at Philips Academy in Massachusetts.

DOG PARK is a play written in the style of David Mamet specifically for the Mamet Schmamet Festival at The Schmee theater in Seattle.  Set in Magnuson dog park, Jake the pug teams up with the older, wiser Duke, a great dane, to help Tiger, a young retriever, mate with Bambi, the poodle.  Riffing on Mamet’s dialogue, style and his famous plays American Buffalo and Sexual Perversity in Chicago, we see how dogs relate when humans aren’t watching. The play is published in Ten 10-Minute Plays Volume III, 2010 and can be read online here.

(Photo: Maddy, the dog who helped inspire the play.)

 

Dennis is proud to announce that beginning in the fall of 2014, he will be joining the faculty at the University of Pittsburgh as Assistant Professor in the Department of Theatre Arts.

His new role will include being Head of the MFA Pedagogy Performance program, teaching acting and other performance classes, as well as directing productions on the Pitt Stages main stage.  

He is scheduled to direct DOG IN THE MANGER by Lope de Vega for the 2014-2015 season.

AGAMEMNON at Pitt Stages (University of Pittsburgh) opened on Friday, February 14 and is enjoying a wonderful run. Performances are tonight until Sunday, February 23.  Click here for tickets.

The City Paper gave the production glowing reviews, saying, "At the same time beautiful and terrible (in the classic sense of "terror"), Agamemnon offers a welcome hot spot in a cold winter."

Read the full review here.

Dennis Schebetta is directing the Pitt Stages production of AGAMEMNON, opening tomorrow evening, Friday, February 14th! Previews begin on the 13th. 

Read about the production in the teaser article of the Pitt News here.

After ten years of the Trojan War, Agamemnon returns to his palace in Argos, only to find that Clytemnestra has not just been patiently waiting for him, but plotting and planning vengeance. Using the Ted Hughes translation, this modern production highlights a shattered and violent world, echoing current events. 

Following the Saturday evening performance on the 15th, there will be a special talkback with the director, cast & crew and distinguished veterans. 

For tickets, please click here.

Dennis has begun the preproduction process and auditions for the upcoming Pitt Stages at University of Pittsburgh main stage production of AGEMEMNON by Aeschylus, translated by Ted Hughes, which will begin performances February 13-23, 2014. Performances will be in the Henry Heymann Theatre.

For tickets, please click here.

Dennis is proud to announce that he'll be joining a few other playwrights to write a brand new play specifically for the No Name Players to celebrate the Mt. Lebanon Plen Air Festival in Mt. Lebanon, PA.  

"Plen air" translated from the French means "In the Open Air" and refers to the act of painting outdoors, a practice that came about in the 19th century when paints became available in tubes which allowed artists to leave the studio.  

The Plein Air Festival in Mt. Lebanon runs from September 30 to October 6, 2013. Artists come from all over the country to sit outside and paint aspects of the neighborhood, with beautiful results.

The No Name Players performance will be on Saturday October 5th at the Clearview Commons in Uptown Mt. Lebanon at 3:00 pm.  This is a free family-friendly event!

Click here for more information and directions.

Saturday, April 6th saw the world premiere of Dennis' new ten-minute play HIPSTERS IN LOVE at the New Hazlett Theatre, produced by Bricolage Production Company.  The play about two hipsters visiting a bar in the suburbs of Pittsburgh to recapture the memories of their first  love was inspired by the bus ride Dennis took for B.U.S. 8 on the Friday night before.  It was written in the short span of an evening specifically for four incredibly talented local actors (Sharon Brady, Paul Guggenheimer, Jason McCune, Adrienne Wehr).  Dennis was thrilled and honored to be part of this fundraising event for Bricolage for a second ride and hopes he will join the B.U.S. another time in the future.

Take a look at Jason Cohn's video of the craziness of the event.
"Inspired by a 90-minute city bus ride, a crew of more than 40 writers, directors, and actors have just 24 hours to write, direct, and memorize six new 10-minute plays. The last stop on the journey is an unforgettable performance at The New Hazlett Theater. This is a documentary of the process leading up to the performance, produced entirely in the same 24 hours. An incredible line-up of artists risk their creative necks to support Pittsburgh's Bricolage Production Company and their 2013 season."

Dennis is excited to be joining B.U.S. 8 this coming Friday and Saturday, April 5th and 6th.  B.U.S. (otherwise known as the Bricolage Urban Sprawl) is the most epic fundraiser in town, putting playwrights on a 90 minute bus ride through Pittsburgh and giving them less than 12 hours to write a play.  That play is handed off to directors and actors who rehearse all day and present the plays that night.

This year B.U.S. 8 is bigger and better--the performance has been moved to the New Hazlett Theater and they've got more tiered pricing for artists, students and others. More information on the artists and how to get tickets below!


B.U.S 8 - Tickets on sale now!

Friday & Saturday, April 5 & 6, 2013

B.U.S is back and it's bigger, bolder, and better than ever! It's the only fundraiser of its kind in Pittsburgh, and this year we are pulling out all the stops!

An incredible line-up of local artists risk their creative necks to support Bricolage’s 2013 season. Inspired by a 90-minute city bus ride, a crew of more than 40 writers, directors, and actors have just 24 hours to write, direct, and memorize six new 10-minute plays. The last stop on the journey is an unforgettable performance at The New Hazlett Theater. Join us for food, libations, performances, music, and a silent auction in Bricolage’s typical raucous style.  Come aboard, take a seat, and watch as the story unfolds. It’s going to be an amazing ride.

Early ticket buyers will have the best seats, so don't wait!  

BUY TICKETS HERE

Host Committee Co-Chairs: David Bush and Tim McVay.

B.U.S. Fares

$150: Double Decker B.U.S (all events Friday + Saturday)*

$75: Party B.U.S. (Saturday VIP reception + performance + post-show party)

$40: Mini B.U.S. (Saturday performance + post-show party)

*$25 of the Double Decker ticket is tax-deductible 

B.U.S. Schedule

Friday, April 5 @Bricolage

7-9 pm: VIP Reception + Actor Parade

Saturday, April 6 @The New Hazlett Theater

6:30-8 pm: VIP Pre-Show Reception

8-10 pm: Performance

10-midnight: Post-Show Party

 For up-to-the-minute news from Bricolage, follow us on Facebook and Twitter. 

Playwrights: Tameka Cage-Conley, Vanessa German, Chris Potocki, Peter Roth, Dennis Schebetta, Rosemarie Wilson

Directors: Linda Haston, Matt M. Morrow, Risher Reddick, Tammy Ryan, Mark Staley, Marci Woodruff

Actors: Elena Alexandratos, Bevin Baker, Cheryl Bates, Crystal Bates, Ben Blazer, Weston Blakesley, Sharon Brady, Cassie Brehmer, Kim Ellis, Jack Erdie, Paul Guggenheimer, Matt Henderson, Cindy Jackson, Wali Jamal, Cameron Knight, Jason McCune, Barney McKenna, Kristy Nolen, Sally Randa, Parag Shanti, Ezra Smith, Ricardo Villa-Roger, Cheryl El Walker, Adrienne Wehr

Dennis is proud to be included in the recent publication "Monologues from The Last Frontier Theatre Conference; The Best of the 2009-2012 Monologue Workshop, published by Focus Publishing and edited/compiled by Dawson Moore and Laura Gardner.

From the description: "The book contains 64 monologues designed specifically for use in the audition process. These monologues were derived from the Last Frontier Theatre Conference, one of the longest running theater conferences of its kind, held every year in Valdez, Alaska from 2009 to 2012."

The book can be purchased here.

Dennis was invited to the Last Frontier Theatre Conference last year to direct a reading of his play W@STE.  While there, he was fortunate enough to see his monologue from GREEN-EYED MONSTER workshopped and performed not just by one amazing actresses, but two!  

If you are an actor on the prowl for a perfect monologue, this is a great resource.  Pick one up soon as you can!