Classic dramas envisioned through new eyes and unfamiliar works that tell unheard or unusual stories will be the focus of Demaskus Theater Collective.

The newly created, Pittsburgh-based cooperative of a dozen theater artists from Pittsburgh, Los Angeles and New York will launch its inaugural two-play season from March 12 to 15 with a production of Wine in the Wilderness by Alice Childress in the Pierce Studio of the Trust Education Center, Downtown.

A second production, You Wouldn't Expectby Marilynn Barner Anselmi, will follow Sept. 17 to 20.

We are thrilled to be adding work and new stories to an already robust Pittsburgh theater scene, says Demaskus founder and CEO Shaunda Miles, who will direct the first production. Our goal is to tell a classic tale in new ways and from different perspectives and give voice to marginalized communities.

The collective's name embodies the idea of revealing the truths that lie beneath the mask, Miles says.

Many of the plays will feature stories about women and people of color but will resonate with a far wider community, Miles says.

Wine in the Wilderness takes place during the Harlem race riots in New York City and explores the perceptions of black people toward one another.

It's a great play. But it hasn't been done in Pittsburgh since the '70s, Miles says. It deals with one community's vision of itself and de-masks perceptions the black community may have (about) itself.

You Wouldn't Expect is based on true events surrounding the North Carolina eugenics program, which sterilized more than 7,000 women in that state between 1929 and 1976. It's an intense drama about the relationship between two women forced to work with each other in a divided South.

During the run of each production, one performance will be prefaced by an optional dinner, during which a speaker and conversation will provide context for the issues in the play.

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Demaskus Theater Collective looks to tell unusual stories