Author Archives
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New Hazlett Launches ForgeWorks, Names First Artistic Director
FORGING AHEAD: NEW HAZLETT THEATER REBRANDS FOR THE FUTURE
The New Hazlett Theater has appointed Melissa Cardello-Linton as the first Artistic Director in its 20-year history, in conjunction with the unveiling of ForgeWorks, “designed to partner with established producers, cultural institutions, and creative teams developing ambitious new projects.” A year in the planning, the programming of ForgeWorks will be announced in September.
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‘SUFFS’ Tony-Nominated Director Leigh Silverman
A CHAT WITH “SUFFS” TONY-NOMINATED DIRECTOR LEIGH SILVERMAN
The graduate of Carnegie Mellon’s BFA Directing and MFA Playwriting programs, and an intern for Pittsburgh CLO in 1994 — “We did The Music Man with Gary Sandy, and just a variety of really amazing musicals that we mounted in seven days,” she recalled — is known for the dozens of new works she has directed on and off Broadway.
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Preview: Six Things to Know About ‘Suffs’ in Pittsburgh
Six things to know about the “Suffs” National Tour, presented by Pittsburgh CLO as the Benedum Center July 21-26, 2026.
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Review: There’s Magic in the Air for ‘The Tempest,’ Karla Boos’ Quantum Swan Song
“THE TEMPEST” DELIVERS QUANTUM MAGIC TO CARRIE FURNACES
An event delayed, and delayed, and delayed again serves to build anticipation, so it was with an exhale of relief and exhilaration that Quantum Theatre was able to realize Karla Boos’ magical vision for The Tempest at Carrie Blast Furnaces.
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Preview: Stage 62 Returns to Welcoming Downtown Venue With ‘Company’
Carnegie-based community theater Stage 62 is returning to the Greer Cabaret for the second straight summer, opening the musical Company this week. The initial move from their home at the Andrew Carnegie Free Library & Musical Hall happened both by necessity and by kismet, said Haley Hiller, Stage 62’s president, who credits the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust for putting out the welcome mat.
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Review: Don’t Hesitate to Dive Into Searing, Sensual ‘Danny and the Deep Blue Sea’
ELECTRIFYING “DANNY AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA”
As Roberta and Danny, Shannon Donovan and Michael Patrick Trimm provide enough sustained, electrifying performances and raw passion provide enough energy to light the Cathedral of Learning, from basement to tower and back, where the John Patrick Shanley drama is currently in residence.
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Kinetic’s Rarely Done ‘Henry Johnson’ Boasts David Butler’s Return to Pittsburgh Stage
The story of how the third production of David Mamet’s “Henry Johnson” landed at Carnegie Stage, and along with it, David Butler’s return to a hometown stage, follows the on- and off-ramps along the figurative map: All roads lead back to Pittsburgh. Andrew Paul’s Kinetic Theatre is bringing the play to the stage July 9-26, 2026, with Butler, Cotter Smith, David Whalen and John Steffenauer.
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Here’s to New Beginnings: With ‘Mean Girls,’ the Curtain Comes Down on Pittsburgh CLO Summers
“Mean Girls” Marks the Beginning of the End after 80 years of Pittsburgh CLO Summer Seasons
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A Conversation with Michael Patrick Trimm
“If this works, if [other independent projects] start to work, to us, it’s about proof of concept, that this can be part of the landscape.” — Michael Patrick Trimm
Pittsburghers know Michael Patrick Trimm as an onstage performer, so when he reached out to say he had joined the parade of local theater artists entering the producing ranks, accompanied by a model format and a mission statement, I was eager to chat. Here’s a chunk of our conversation.
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Comfort Food: RealTime Arts’ Equitable Dinners Create Pathways to Conversations
REALTIME ARTS’ EQUITABLE DINNERS ARE DESIGNED TO MAKE IT “COMFORTABLE TO TALK TO EACH OTHER AGAIN.”
Originated in Atlanta, Equitable Dinners attracted the attention of RealTime Arts’ cofounders Molly Rice, Artistic Director/Lead Playwright, and Rusty Thelin, Artistic/Executive Director, whose Pittsburgh-based “community-fueled theater” is focused on “connecting human beings through unique theatrical experiences … united by the stories we’re telling together.”
