Pittsburgh has a rich history of great theater, and one of the standouts is on the South Side.

Tonight OnQ, contributor Mara McFalls visits the City Theatre, a hot venue where the diversity and community are always in the spotlight.

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Hi, this is Mara, and tonight we are at the City Theatre on the south side for a night out in Pittsburgh that you couldn't find anywhere else but here.

I think they liked it.

I think they liked it.

And what is the City Theatre?

It is probably Pittsburgh's most perfect place to see world class productions of top notch plays by some of our country's best writers in incredibly intimate and engaging atmospheres.

How would you differentiate it from the ones in the cultural district like the Byham?

Well, first of all, most of the shows that come into the cultural district, aside from the shows at the Pittsburgh Public, are tours from usually New York.

We create all the shows here at City Theatre for the Pittsburgh audience.

Most of our plays are brand new.

They either are.

It's either the first time they're ever being produced, theyre world premiere productions, or perhaps it's the second time.

And because we have a smaller venue, we have two smaller venues.

We are really able to be a little more risk taking in our choices.

Does your location here on the South side help define the City Theatre?

I think I think it probably helps define it, although I think the City Theatre helps define the South side to a certain extent.

You know, the South Side is a very diverse neighborhood.

You've got kids with, you know, piercings on every part of their body and tattoos who are maybe at school or just out of school.

And then you've got, you know, Polish ladies who are steel worker widows who have been here for 50 years.

So it's incredibly diverse.

And City Theatres programing is incredibly diverse, and thus our audience is incredibly diverse.

So I think we're just really simpatico.

The City Theatre is more than just a place to come and see a play.

Right.

Tonight we're having an event.

We're hosting Shepherd Wellness Community for their annual benefit.

We really try to be good community partners, and this is certainly a worthy organization.

And we are.

We gave them the house tonight.

We gave them free tickets to Hedwig so that they could use it as a benefit.

Shepherd Wellness Community operates the only AIDS community center in western Pennsylvania, and we provide services for people living with HIV and also those affected family, friends and loved ones.

We're thankful for City Theatre's sponsorship of the event and all they've done to make it a success.

All of the proceeds benefit the programs of Shepherd wellness and enhance the lives of people with HIV.

I really think of it as a town hall for the community.

Every Friday night is a cocktail party before the show.

We have a lecture series on Sunday afternoons after the show.

There's many different avenues that you can come to City Theatre.

Why don't you also tell us a little bit about what we're going to see tonight?

I am so excited about this production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch.

It's a unique combination of a rock musical with almost a one man show, in that Hedwig is really our entree to this world of this crazy band that's playing on the road.

It was a big hit Off-Broadway in New York, and it was also a movie.

We are creating a brand new production for Pittsburgh.

As a matter of fact, the New York references in the play have been replaced with Pittsburgh references that we all toiled over to find just the right locale.

We wanted to cite or the turn of phrase of the Pittsburgh joke Like for an example?

For example, at one point he says that he's down in the strip district.

I was just wrapping up a late night engagement in the Strip District.

I was lingering outside Enrico Biscotti looking for Stop Ale.

And Anthony Rapp, who is an amazing performer.

He's a bit of a Broadway star.

He was in the original cast of Rent.

He's been in a lot of movies.

He is starring as Hedwig.

I stepped inside, naturally, was taking it all my own.

And so the play brought you here to Pittsburgh.

And what's it been like working for Pittsburgh theater?

- For City Theatres been.

It's just a wonderful home for creativity and collaboration, and it's really comfortable and really easygoing.

And I mean, there's some theaters sometimes they get really corporate and really kind of, I don't know, sort of button down.

And and this is not that at all, which I prefer.

Certainly.

And Tracy's just I mean, she's just such a great person and has real courage and vision and, and it seems like the city is responding to her, which is wonderful and so I am thrilled to be here.

We also have a fantastic band that we did a giant local audition.

And as you know, Pittsburgh is a wonderful local music scene.

So we got the cream of the crop of the local musicians, and they've made this Angry Inch Band that is so tight and so right on it.

I know that you can't put them in one box.

What's the spectrum of plays that you can expect to see here?

I'm trying to find a meal.

I'm trying to find something that's funny, something that's serious, something that's challenging and thought provoking.

Something that's musical, something that's set now.

Something that's set a go so that when you leave the end of the season, like you leave the end of a good meal, you feel really satisfied.

For somebody who hasn't yet been to a play at the City Theatre, what would you say to them to convince them to come down and try it out?

I think that I would challenge their notion of what attending the theater is.

I would just ask that they try once, because that's what I've heard over and over again.

That is so satisfying.

I've heard so many people say I've never been to a play before, and I like it better than movies now, and that's really what I'm here for.

So for all of you who want a little bit more of an edgy and engaging night, come down to the City Theatre on Pittsburgh's South Side.

Hedwig and the Angry Inch continues at the City Theatre through June 15th.

And there's more information about Hedwig and City Theatre on our website, wqed.org just click OnQ.