University of Pittsburgh. Dept. of Theatre Arts.

"Steel/City" was conceived and written by University of Pittsburgh Department of Theatre Arts professors Gil Elvgren and Attilio Favorini in the mid 1970s as part of the city's (and nation's) Bicentennial activities planned for 1976. Working from a concept of documentary theater with strong social relevance to the community, "Steel/City's" script was entirely composed of words actually spoken by real individuals. None of the dialog was created by the authors. In addition to extensive research on the history of Pittsburgh, its magnates and distant past, the authors also utilized oral history interviews conducted with retired steel workers and their families at the time the play was being composed. Their reminiscences were used to provide the dialog for Act III of the play, which takes place at a pensioners' picnic. "Steel/City" was produced by the University of Pittsburgh Department of Theatre Arts in the spring and summer of 1976. It toured the region, and also was performed at the Smithsonian Institution's American Folklife Festival. In keeping with the authors' goal of relevance to the community, the audience was given the opportunity to discuss the play and the issues that it raised in several discussion sessions. These ranged from informal discussion groups held immediately after the performances, to more structured "town meetings" with a panel of local authorities on hand.