Demaskus’ ‘Black Mary’ Part of Post Theatrical Festival (Mon., 5/10/21)

There’s no better subject for theater by mail than Mary Fields, a.k.a. ‘Black Mary.’ A former slave, she delivered mail in the Wild West undaunted by snow, hail, or bad guys. (photo circa 1895)

BLACK MARY. Post Theatrical. Demaskus Theater Collective. Mail and online. Through June 19.

The pandemic has put a severe crimp in the stock and trade of theater companies—live performances. Many companies have been delivering plays via streaming. Pittsburgh theater company RealTime Interventions has gone another “route” in delivering its Post Theatrical assemblage of plays, to a method that was first established in 1775—the U.S. Postal Service. RealTime is the lead pony in an express of ten theater companies from around the country, including RealTime itself and Demaskus Theater Collective here in Pittsburgh. The overall project is billed as “A festival of works that use the post as a theatrical medium.” Some of the mail-delivered theatrical materials are enhanced through tie-ins to digital audio, video, and photographic content. Post Theatrical began in February and continues through June.

Demaskus Theater Collective is up first with its production of Black Mary. The theatrical experience revolves around the first African-American female U.S. Star Route mail carrier, Mary Fields. Working a route in Montana, she was deemed “one of the freest souls ever to draw a breath, or a .38.” The audience-actors relationship will be conducted through the mail, text messages, and a culminating event for Juneteenth (Saturday, June 19). Tickets for the festival range from Pay-What-You-Can to $75. (R.H.)

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