A Letter from the Editor

To our beloved readers,

As most of you know, Pittsburgh in the Round has been working over two years to bring you the most comprehensive coverage of the local theater community. In that time, we have operated solely on a volunteer basis to bring you coverage of the theater scene we are so passionate about. In an attempt to create a more sustainable entity that can provide more for our readers and the theater community as well as keep up with its fast growth, we have become an official fiscally sponsored project of New Sun Rising! Among the many doors this opens, we may now accept tax deductible donations that will help us grow and better serve our community. If you or your organization are interested in donating to our cause, check out our donation page here.

With this announcement, we decided to launch our first annual Summer Preview which should keep you entertained until the leaves start to turn. There is a lot happening this summer and we don’t want you to miss a thing! We would love to hear from our readers and follow along with your Summer theater adventures so keep in touch with us on our Facebook, Twitter, and now Instagram using the hashtag #SummerwithPITR.

Happy Summer,

Mara E. Nadolski
Editor in Chief, Pittsburgh in the Round

Looking for some quality entertainment this summer beyond frequenting your neighborhood swimming pool? Luckily this season is full of opportunities to catch some local theater and we have put this guide together to make sure you don’t miss a thing! Every year, Pittsburgh’s theatre community gets bigger and bigger, with companies pushing the limits from ASD friendly performances to classic story adaptations. And this year is no different. If you’re curious about what this summer has to offer, then we’ve got you covered! Let’s start off with the Top 5 shows we’re looking forward to most this summer.

#5 -Venus in Fur at the Pittsburgh Public Theater. Producing Artistic Director Ted Pappas says “New plays with exciting actors and edgy themes are a big part of what we love to produce at The Public. Venus in Fur is one of the best.” A play within a play adaptation of the 1870 novel Venus in Furs, David Ives introduces us to director/writer Thomas in the throes of attempting to find an actress to play Wanda von Dunayev in his play of the same name. Eventually an actress named Vanda shows up to audition in her best dominatrix get-up and “the erotic seduction of power takes center stage and the rules of domination are forever reversed.” according to PPT’s website. Just make sure you’ve got a babysitter for the night; you aren’t going to want your kids to see this! Venus in Fur plays at the Pittsburgh Public Theater with previews starting June 2nd.

Andreas O’Rourke as Dracula bound in chains. Photo by Joseph Stammerjohn and Eyes to the Sky Films.

#4 – Rage of the Stage Players’ latest adaptation, Bloody Hell A play inspired by characters in Bram Stoker’s “Dracula”. Adapted by artistic director James Michael Shoberg. Rage of the Stage is known for their dark reimaginations of classic stories and Bloody Hell makes no exceptions. Shoberg says “Bloody Hell is the final installment of my “Old London Series” of plays based on Victorian novels set in a dystopian future (following Hooked and Oliver Twisted). Though it was inspired by characters from  “Dracula,” the story has many surprises and twists and turns which will make it an entirely new experience for our audiences. Bloody Hell features a large cast of some of Pittsburgh’s most talented character actors, and they couldn’t be more excited to originate such unique roles in this world premiere play. It’s also been my great pleasure to direct this gifted and enthusiastic ensemble. They certainly do my writing justice. I definitely believe this dark, edgy Rage of the Stage Players’ production is a live summer event that’s not to be missed!”  Bloody Hell plays at the McKeesport Little Theater starting June 24th.

#3 – The Hound of Baskervilles from Kinetic Theatre Based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s 1902 novel of the same name, we follow the infamous Sherlock Holmes as he solves a mystery with murder, a family curse, and a dog! “The script for the show is by the British comedy troupe Peepolykus (people like us, get it?). Fans of John Cleese, Michael Palin, and Monty Python’s Flying Circus will recognize the mad, deadly serious, and uniquely British hilarity that ensues when three fearless actors re-tell a favorite story: improvising props, costumes, and scenery and playing all the roles themselves. Our stellar cast consists of local favorite David Whalen as Holmes, reigning Post-Gazette Performer of the Year James FitzGerald as Watson, and Connor McCanlus as the Baskervilles. This will be a real summertime romp – fun for the whole family!” says Artistic Director Andrew Paul. The Hound of Baskervilles plays at Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre starting July 21st.

#2 – The Birds at 12 Peers An adaptation of the 1963 classic Alfred Hitchcock movie of the same name, based on the Daphne du Maurier’s short story, The Birds by Conor McPherson is a story of survival, paranoia, and well, birds. Directed by artistic director Vince Ventura, he’s “proud to present the Pittsburgh premiere of this tense, disturbing, thriller.  With an amazing technical team, and a new location for 12 Peers Theater, in the Studio Theatre at the Cathedral of Learning,” Ventura promises not to disappoint, “Conor McPherson is one of our generation’s best playwright, and most of his major works have been loved by audiences in Pittsburgh.” The Birds plays at the Studio Theatre in the basement of the Cathedral of Learning starting August 4th.

#1 – WordPlay at Bricolage Storytelling is one of the oldest, simplest forms of theater, so why wouldn’t WordPlay be the thing we’re looking forward to most this summer? Hosted by Alan Olifson, whom you might also know for hosting Pittsburgh’s Moth StorySLAM. “The August WordPlay comes at an exciting time for the show as we start exploring new creative partnerships with some of the best writing and musical fixtures in the city. So our eleventh(!) show promises to be one of our best.” says Alan. Bricolage is still accepting story submissions for their August show and their November show! And anyone can submit a story, you don’t even have to be an actor! Even our writer Isaac has told a story for WordPlay! WordPlay goes down August 26th and 27th at Bricolage!

If musicals are your cup of tea, check out Drake’s special on the musicals he’s most excited about here.

Would you rather see a variety of plays all at once? Then you might want to see what’s in store for the upcoming Theater Festival in Black and White at Pittsburgh Playwrights or the next 10 Minute Play Festival at City of Asylum.

Need more insight on what else is in store for us this summer? How about some season previews?

• Throughline Theatre Company
  
• Opera Theater of Pittsburgh’s SummerFest
  
• Quantum Theatre
• off the WALL

Or maybe an Artist Spotlight of City Theatre’s artistic director Tracy Brigden is more your speed. She’s finishing her 15th season with City!

We also checked in with Little Lake Theatre to see what they’re up to since their major administrative changes!

Did you miss Mother Lode back in January at off the WALL? Well, you’re in luck. They’re doing another round from June 2nd to June 4th and here’s Megan’s review from the previous production!

Did you miss out on any of our reviews in May? You’re in luck, here’s a list of what we published in the Merry Month of May.

• The Rake’s Progress at the Pittsburgh Opera

• Tru at the Pittsburgh Public Theater

• Spring Awakening by PARK Productions

• The Musical of Musicals at off the WALL productions

• Two Tales of Terror from PICT Classic Theatre

• Welcome to Here at Bricolage

• Cock by Kinetic Theatre

• The Giver from Prime Stage

• Assassins at Stage 62

• The Lion at City Theatre

• The 39 Steps at the CLO Cabaret

• Don Giovanni by Undercroft Opera

• The Spitfire Grill from Front Porch Theatricals

How about our coverage of the Fringe Festival? And don’t forget about the group of locals taking Dani Girl to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival!

Another big thank you goes out to our readers and supporters. Without you this wouldn’t be possible! Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and now Instagram! Keep track of all the fun using the hashtag #SummerwithPITR

Categories: Feature

Tags: Alumni Theater Company, Assassins, Bloody Hell, Bricolage, City Theatre, Cock, Don Giovanni, Front Porch Theatricals, Little Lake Theatre, New Sun Rising, off the WALL, Opera Theater of Pittsburgh SummerFest, Pittsburgh CLO, Quantum Theatre, Spring Awakening, Stage 62, SummerWithPITR, The 39 Steps, The Birds, The Giver, The Hound of Baskervilles, The Lion, The Musical of Musicals, The Rake's Progress, The Spitfire Grill, The Summer Company, Throughline Theatre, Top 5, Tracy Brigden, Tru, Two Tales of Terror, Venus in Fur, Welcome to Here, WordPlay