It says something about human nature and the state of the world that howls of laughter accompanied outrage piled upon outrage in “Ulster American,” the savagely funny play at barebones productions Braddock Black Box Theater and featuring the terrific trio of David Whalen, Simon Bradbury and Christine Weber.
Call Board for October 8, 2026:
With news about: Kathryn Spitz Cohan joins Arcade Comedy Theater, Little Lake’s Play in a Day at Canon Theatre, PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh in 2026, and this weekend: Mandy Gonzalez with the PSO Pops, PICT’s “Refugee Rhapsody,” and barebones’ “Ulster American.”
“These three, it’s like a powder keg going off.” — Patrick Jordan
Starring David Whalen, Simon Bradbury and Christine Weber, a and directed by Patrick Jordan, the dark comedy “ULSTER AMERICAN” is at barebones productions’ Braddock Black Box Theater October 9-25, 2026. A collision of Hollywood, theater and The Troubles, “It’s provocative, profane, unapologetically abrasive, and very, very funny.”
What happens among four teens in the 2019 play by Alexis Scheer, “My Dear Dead Drug Lord,” is the stuff of pubescent histrionics, paranormal activity, and parental nightmares. It would be hysterical if some of it wasn’t so feasible, teetering on the edge of funny shenanigans and deeply discomfiting actions. The barebones production, now playing in Braddock, is a twisty, trippy exploration into the lives of four young women who are determined to go dark, as a path into the light.
The cast of “Our Dear Dead Drug Lord,” the “ferocious, darkly funny” coming-of-age play opening this weekend at barebones productions, answer questions about their first professional production, women working with women in theater, and more. The Alexis Scheer drama at the Braddock Black Box theater, June 12-June 28, 2026 is set in a treehouse, where a quartet of teens tries to summon the ghost of Pablo Escobar.
By MINGSI MA Playwright Ann Baker‘s Infinite Life depicts a group of five women and a man on a wellness retreat at a fasting facility. They sunbathe on lawn chairs, with only a parking lot behind a bakery in their line… Read More ›
Chronic pain has invaded the bodies of every character in “Infinite Life,” a constant companion as they lounge in the sun, ruminating on their paths to a fasting clinic, sipping water, hungering for peace, conjuring distractions and supporting each other in their separate journeys. In a quietly compelling 110 minutes, the Annie Baker play now at barebones productions in Braddock, does not tick off any boxes of expectations; rather, it lives and breathes in a singular realm of slow-burn storytelling.
In rehearsal these days, an abundance of riches faces back at Patrick Jordan as he directs some of the leading ladies of the Pittsburgh stage — Tami Dixon, Sheila McKenna, Karla Payne, Helena Ruoti, and Cary Anne Spear — in “Infinite Life.” The Annie Baker play, opening Friday, March 6, 2026, at barebones productions’ Braddock black box, focuses on a group of mature women in physical pain. They share their stories, and their longings, while lounging on the patio of a Northern California fasting clinic.
In the year that was, the future of three companies takes center stage, Saige Smith hits a series of high notes, “The Shark Is Broken” goes swimmingly for barebones, Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company delivers August Wilson triple play, Karla Boos announces Quantum exit, Arts Landing is readied for its closeup, and much, much more.
Here’s a glimpse of some of the live theater of the Pittsburgh holiday season, and the 2025 Holiday Market that has moved into the Pittsburgh Cultural District.
