By HANNAH WING-BONICA There is perhaps nothing more exciting than getting caught up in watching a crime thriller unfold, whether it’s on TV or on the stage. The 1952 stage play Dial M for Murder by Frederick Knott is one of… Read More ›
Arts and Ideas
Our thoughts on the state of the performing arts in Greater Pittsburgh and nationally.
Review: Prime Stage Theatre’s ‘Speak’ Speaks Volumes About Aftershocks of Sexual Assault
“Speak,” a new play about the intentional damage — physical and emotional — we are capable of inflicting on one another, and the healing powers of kindness and art.
The work, an adaptation by Tammy Ryan of Laurie Halse Anderson’s popular 1999 YA novel, was commissioned by Prime Stage Theatre, and made its debut on April 30 at the New Hazlett Theater.
Review: Disidentifying on Stage: ‘A Conversation’ in Progress with LaTrea Derome’
By Guilherme Meletti Yazbek Presented over two evenings as part of Kelly Strayhorn Theater’s Freshworks program, A Conversation, by multidisciplinary artist LaTrea Derome, unfolded as a modest yet affectively charged work-in-progress. The piece operated through a deliberately simple scenic device—one that placed personal narrative… Read More ›
What’s On Stage Pittsburgh: May 4th to the end of August, 2026
Here’s your guide to what’s happening on Pittsburgh area stages this week and through the end of August, from onStage Pittsburgh. Check back frequently as shows are being added regularly. Opening This Week Continuing Their Run Opening Next Week (May… Read More ›
Q&A With City Theatre’s ‘Hedwig’ Star, Treasure Treasure
“I’ve always been drawn to characters that take up a lot of space and refuse to leave the stage. I was born to play Hedwig.” — Treasure Treasure, who stars for City Theatre in a first-time revival of HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH.
The production at the Greer Cabaret, in partnership with the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, was visited by Hedwig creator and recent “Oh, Mary!” star John Cameron Mitchell during rehearsals, saying of the Broadway role “It’s going well. Easier than Hedwig!”
As she takes the stage this week as Hedwig, Treasure answers questions for onStage Pittsburgh.
Review: Technique, Timing, and Talent: Point Park University’s Conservatory of Performing Arts’ ‘Spring Dance Concert’
By JESSICA NEU There was perhaps no better way to celebrate International Dance Day than with the opening of Point Park University’s Conservatory of Performing Arts’ annual Spring Dance Concert. The crowd-pleasing tradition showcases the conservatory’s talented and irreverent performers. This year’s performance… Read More ›
Review: Feeding Desire: On ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ and the Logic of the Pact
By GUILHERME MELETTI YAZBEK Yesterday, as I made my way to downtown Pittsburgh on the bus, I found myself trying to recall what I remembered about the musical Little Shop of Horrors. Not much, as it turned out—just the insistently catchy… Read More ›
Review: Pittsburgh Opera’s Witty and Uproarious Production of Verdi’s ‘Falstaff’
By Hannah Wing-Bonica Clowns can be traced back to 2500 BCE in ancient Egypt, but these were not the “clowns” that we know of today. They were known for their sharp insights and humor. In Verdi’s Falstaff, some might see… Read More ›
Must-See Pittsburgh: onStage Call Board for April 29, 2026
onSTAGE PITTSBURGH WEEKLY CALL BOARD
Stephen Flaherty to receive the Richard Rodgers Award, presented at the Pittsburgh CLO 80th Anniversary Gala in June!
MORE MUST-SEE PITTSBURGH for April 29, 2026
With news about Actor Matt DeCaro, Pittsburgh Youth Symphony, John Noble’s Night of the Stars, New Horizon Theater’s ‘Motown Extreme,” Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre reading, and more.
Preview: Prime Stage Theatre Commissions Tammy Ryan to Give Voice to ‘Speak’
Prime Stage Theatre’s season of premieres continues this weekend with a commissioned work by playwright Tammy Ryan, who has adapted the National Book Award finalist “Speak” for the stage. The YA novel about consent, trauma, and healing has frequently been near the top of the ALA’s banned books list since its 1999 publication. “Some people are afraid to let teenagers, as Laurie would say, be exposed to the realities of the world,” Ryan said, quoting “Speak” novelist Laurie Halse Anderson.