By SHARON EBERSON At a time when federal funding for the arts is so precarious, I thought I’d tell you a little bit about my past few weeks of attending theater. By the numbers, starting on January 14 through Sunday,… Read More ›
Arts and Ideas
Our thoughts on the state of the performing arts in Greater Pittsburgh and nationally.
Quantum scores a coup with ‘The Return of Benjamin Lay’
By BOB HOOVER Quantum Theatre is staging more than just a play, but a theatrical coup. Securing The Return of Benjamin Lay and its actor, Mark Povinelli, Quantum brings this play from its London premiere in 2023 to the Braddock Public Library, now under impressive… Read More ›
Attack Theatre Presents ‘Sessions’ – Dance and Live Music with Rachael Sage and Dave Eggar
Attack Theatre continues its 2024-25 Season of Fire with Sessions on February 8 at the Attack Theatre studio featuring NYC-based, Billboard-charting, alt-pop artist and multi-instrumentalist Rachael Sage and world-renowned Grammy® Award-winning cellist Dave Eggar. Sessions blurs the lines between coffee house concerts and theatrical dance performances, transforming… Read More ›
‘Life of Pi’: A Visually Stunning Story of Imagination and Survival
By JESSICA NEU A digitized body of calm water titled “Life of Pi” transformed the traditional curtain at the Benedum Center into a pool of tranquility. The bold blues of the water and the soothing ebb and flow of the… Read More ›
‘My Sister’s Lipstick’- Anna King Skeels on Queer Theory, Judy Garland and Playwriting
Lindsay Anne Herring is currently a Critical Insight fellow at Pittsburgh Public Theater, in partnership with American Theatre magazine. By LINDSAY ANNE HERRING During their first year at Point Park University, playwright Anna King Skeels read more than 150 plays, hoping to… Read More ›
Pittsburgh’s David Whalen Joins Dihlon McManne in ‘Years to the Day’ a Play About Friendship, Politics, and the Passage of Time at Carnegie Stage
Irish Riviera Productions and The Beverly Hills Playhouse present the Pittsburgh premiere of Years to the Day, written and directed by Allen Barton, opening February 6th. First presented in 2013 during the height of the Obama years, Years to the Day was named one of… Read More ›
Christopher Rivas’ ‘The Real James Bond…Was Dominican’ Offers a Prolific, Powerful, and Important Commentary on Appropriation in the United States
BY JESSICA NEU Sometimes a theatrical performance comes along that is more than a show. The words, songs, or actions penetrate your brain and speak to your soul. A core memory is created. City Theatre‘s presentation of the DNAWORKS production of The Real James… Read More ›
Award-Winning Theatrical Spectacle ‘Life of Pi’ Roars Into Pittsburgh
By SHARON EBERSON Three puppeteers morphing into one regal, fearsome Bengal tiger in Life of Pi requires harmonious teamwork, not unlike a band that has found its groove. The musical comparison had not occurred to the head of the tiger in the… Read More ›
Prime Stage’s “Look Forward: The Ruby Bridges Story” is an Important Reminder of a Courageous Little Girl
BY JESSICA NEU About halfway into Prime Stage Theater’s production of Look Forward: The Ruby Bridges Story, NAACP Rep & Narrator (DeVaughn Robinson) asks the audience to raise their hand if they were alive in 1960. Roughly a third of the audience raised… Read More ›
Cuba’s Malpaso Dance Company Takes a Snow-Laden Pittsburgh to Steamy Havana
By JESSICA NEU Cuba’s “most sought-after dance company,” the Malpaso Dance Company, returned to the Byham Theater on January 15th, marking their first show in Pittsburgh in almost four years. Established in 2012, Malpaso celebrates Cuban culture, heritage, and artistry. The… Read More ›