• The Pittsburgh New Works Festival began last weekend (when I was off frolicking in the Atlantic surf and splitting my lip in a robust game of tag with my grandchildren), so I missed the first night of staged readings, with one-act plays by Michael E. Wolfson (produced by Kuntu), Becky Ellis (Red Masquers) and Carol Mullen (Greensburg Civic Theatre).

• The second batch of readings this Sunday is Aleks Merilo's "Blur in the Rearview" (Caravan Theatre), Sloan MacRea's "Davy Crockett Hates America" (Phase 3 Productions) and Anna McGee's "The First Brood" (New Works Fest, since Pandora's Box dropped out). That's Sunday, 7 p.m., at Open Stage, 2835 Smallman St., Strip District.

• The Festival proper runs Sept. 4-28 at Open Stage, with three new fully staged one-act plays each Thurs.-Sun., six performances each week; info at 412-881-6888. We'll have a preview here next week.

• With what they're calling a Black & Gold Birthday Party, Sept. 5, 6-9 p.m. at the O'Reilly Theater, the Public Theater is launching its 34th season and celebrating the imminent publication by the University of Pittsburgh Press of "The Chief" by Rob Zellers and Gene Collier. The 112-page book will include photographs of Art Rooney Sr., his family, members of the Steelers and scenes from the play starring Tom Atkins, plus a forward by Art Rooney Jr.

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Those attending will receive a complimentary first edition signed by the authors. Also signing autographs will be several former Steelers and mascot Steely McBeam. The entire O'Reilly Theater will be decorated for the festivities, with music by Jimmy Sapienza's Five Guys Named Moe and a cake-cutting ceremony to celebrate Pittsburgh's 250th birthday, a tasting of Dreadnought Wines "Pittsburgh 250" and Pittsburgh-themed hors d'oeuvres. Sponsored by Giant Eagle; tickets are $50 ($25 for 26 and younger); call 412-316-1600.

• Better yet, Atkins and "The Chief" will be back on stage, Sept. 16-21. But there's been no announcement of long-frustrated plans to videotape the show for the entertainment of the far-flung Steelers nation.

• Another Pittsburgh tradition is now in its eighth year: "Off the Record," the annual spoof of Pittsburgh news and newsmakers sponsored by AFTRA and the Newspaper Guild (the unions representing TV and radio actors and the writers and artists at the Post-Gazette). This year sub-titled "When Robots Rule!," it leaps forward to Pittsburgh's 300th birthday, when we discover (surprise!) that not a lot has changed.

The date is Oct. 2 at the Byham Theater. Ken Rice again emcees, Mary Beth Buchanan shows she can take a joke by roasting us back and the cast will be full of local pros and a few brave PG staffers. I promise you'll have a lot more fun than watching the vice presidential debate, also scheduled for that night -- and anyway, you can tape that. As always, the beneficiary is the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. Tickets are already on sale at 412-456-6666 or www.pgharts.com.

• Artistic director Andrew Paul reports that the four productions that made up PICT's ambitious Synge Cycle had a total attendance of 6,247 and box office receipts of $149,017, which he says "proves once again how adventuresome Pittsburgh's serious theater audience is." It even beat the record of PICT's Beckett Fest.

• Looking ahead, an October date for the one-night concert by Elaine Stritch will be announced shortly. And PICT's annual fundraising gala will again be at LeMont, Nov. 6.

• "You can check the math," Andrew says, "but I'm fairly certain PICT had more Equity work weeks this season (a whopping 484) than the Public and City theaters combined. Hiring and re-hiring actors does have a splendid side-effect; David Whalen and his lovely wife Naomi have bought a house here, so he is officially a local Pittsburgh actor. That alone will save us considerably in housing next year."

The Post-Gazette's fall theater trip to Broadway, just announced last week, is set for Nov. 19-23. For full info go to the Theater Trips link at post-gazette.com/theater or call Gulliver's Travels, 412-441-3131.

• Back just two years after its first, seat-stuffing visit, when it could spare us only two weeks and did 99.95 percent business, "Wicked" ("the untold story of the witches of Oz") returns next week for five weeks. It's said to be selling out fast. But a PNC Broadway press release claims there are still good seats available for some weeknight performances and especially the special 1 p.m. matinee Sept. 4.

For this second visit, I was most interested in talking to the original author, novelist Gregory Maguire, whose dark and convoluted fictions I admire, even though they're hard to love. He has also noted how prescient "Wicked" turned out to be about the world order that has developed since it was written. That interview will appear Sunday.

• This weekend, City Theatre is offering "The Wonder Bread Years" for $30 and preview performances of the world premiere of Anthony Rapp's "Without You" for $20; call 412-431-CITY.

Paid admissions at city's pro theaters for the week ending Aug. 24: