Author: VivantAdmin

By: Joseph Szalinski

Raid your older sibling’s stash and cue up Dark Side of the Moon, because we’re returning to the merry old land of Oz in The Rage of the Stage Players’ production of Dorothy in Oz, written and directed by James Michael Shoberg, now running at the Margaret Partee Performing Arts Center in Bellevue, PA.

Originally staged by The Rage of the Stage Players in 2009, followed by a revival in 2011, this production takes advantage of some wickedly awesome timing for its current run. Inspired by the classic MGM film, the books by L. Frank Baum, and the wealth of related media, Dorothy in Oz offers up a unique twist on a familiar favorite, minus the Munchkin you swear you saw swingin’ in the background. Littered with references you’d only catch on your third viewing, this play is best enjoyed by those who have visited the Emerald City regularly, but can be enjoyed by the whole family, and your little dog too!

Shoberg’s passion for the source material, and for the written word, manifests itself in the form of a solid script that enables this show to stand out. Clever dialogue, creative allusions, kooky characters, and heaps of humor help make this an engaging piece of theatre from start to finish. Story beats and plotlines are similar enough to the original film that audiences are easily able to immerse themselves in the world on stage, while also getting a new narrative to watch unfold. Tight and polished, this production flies by amidst a soundtrack of chuckles.

Assisting Shoberg in executing his vision is a great and powerful cast who is unafraid to commit to the insanity of the story. Chelsey Gooch is magnificent as Dottie, the mentally ill protagonist who’s forced to take more meds than Judy Garland. She is aided in her journey by Mrs. Goode/Glinda, played by the hilarious Carrie L. Shoberg, in addition to three stooges with amazing chemistry. Luke Frederick throws himself into his role as Skarekrow, not to be confused with Lord Infamous from Three 6 Mafia, an edgy musician who is the second most doped up strawman next to Michael Jackson. Rusty finds his heart thanks to Mike Psenick, who has an easier time with his iteration of the hatchet-wielding hero than Buddy Ebsen had with his. Bill Herring is enjoyably skeevy as Mr. Lyons, a dude who most certainly has some hairy palms, especially with how he works in the Winkies’ iconic chant.

Jen James exorcises the pearl from the liver with her performance as Dr. Green/Wicked Witch of the West Wing. A medical professional with a lot of sympathy, just not for her patients. A fascist in the west wing…huh…I think I’ve seen that somewhere before…Making up the Witch’s gaggle of miserable creatures are Jamez Draconis II, Anthony Babeaux, and Justin Havens as Swish, Twitch, and Grunt, respectively.

Matthew Grimm is terrific as The Great Oz/Dr. Ozlin, giving a powerful performance when communicating through a digital avatar. Completing the in-person cast is Lily V. Sixx as Ms. Gates and Linda Baker as Aunt Em. For long time fans of Rage of the Stage, Ryan Ott entertains as the voice on hospital intercom.

Equaled by the cast’s talent is the technical prowess of the crew. Wait until you see the end credits. Technical director, Dylan Baker, handles lighting design while sound design is handled by Anthony Logreco. Original music is composed by Andrew Lasswell, a smart move considering covering “Over the Rainbow” didn’t really turn out well for IZ. Rachel Roach wears more hats than Bartholomew Cubbins, serving as assistant director, board operator, scenic artist, set designer, and stage manager. Assistant stage manager, Diana Smith, shares hair/makeup/special effects duties with Chloe Mackay, Lily V. Sixx, and Brittany Spinelli. Other performers to moonlight behind the scenes are Jen James and Carrie Shoberg as set decorators, with the latter further blurring the line between cast and crew by overseeing props and costume design, complemented by Kaitlyn Alyce’s seamless job as seamstress. Elizabeth Marie Murphy, the sole member of the production’s run crew, does a formidable job of navigating the backstage chaos. James Michael Shoberg goes beyond his role of playwright/director by being involved with the show’s marketing alongside David L. Wooddell, producing the show with Carrie L . Shoberg, and working on the graphic design with Joseph Stammerjohn. Damien Worm has concocted awesome poster artwork and Skylar Walton has expertly crafted additional production artwork. Forrest Cook lends a trained eye to the show’s photography and videography. Dawn D. Anderson, Peter Anthony Vetrini, Stephanie Cook constitute the house managers, a dedicated group of Shoberg devotees who cycle in and out with each production.

Bellevue is blessed to have the Margaret Partee Performing Arts Center as part of the borough. It is a wonderful venue that has been home to scores of fantastic productions since its opening. Between being the homebase for The Pittsburgh Savoyards, as well as a hub for local art and culture, the space has become positioned as an indispensable element of the scene. The “North Boros” are experiencing a renaissance of sorts, and Bellevue is at the epicenter. One can only hope that the MPPAC gets to share in those spoils as well.

The Rage of the Stage Players have been terrorizing tiny towns for 24 seasons and don’t show any signs of slowing down. In an era plagued by a collective waning interest in doing anything, it’s refreshing to see a group of people so motivated to share stuff they love. Theatre is a multifaceted artform that allows for the tried and true to stay eternally relevant, or permits a bit of experimentation, and Rage is luckily of the latter. Their original shows, whether seriously disturbing or disturbingly funny, are tremendous feats of theatre that have entertained audiences around the world. Pittsburgh is incredibly fortunate to host them and their unusual body of work. Whatever they end up doing next will certainly be spectacular.

-JS

Dorothy in Oz continues its run August 7^th, 8^th, 9^th, 14^th, and 15^th at 8 pm, with a special 2 pm matinee performance followed by a talkback with the cast and the playwright on Sunday, August 10^th at the Margaret Partee Performing Arts Center in Bellevue, PA. Tickets can be found here. 

Ensemble Actors Studio’s “All Things Pittsburgh Play Festival n’at” takes a delightful, satirical, loving look at the idiosyncrasies that belong to the “Burgh” and its residents.

Parking chairs, Pittsburgh potties, sandwiches with French fries, rabid sports fans, pierogies running foot races, Hunts versus Heinz Ketchup, what we think of Ravens fans, Kennywood and chipped ham, are just some of the unique Pittsburgh oddities providing  the fodder for this clever parody.

The ten 10 minute original plays are all wildly entertaining, comedic, and distinctly different from each other. Works by several well known local playwrights including  Gayle Pazerski and Jaime Slavinsky are directed by Chris Clavelli and Cynthia Dallas among others. The actors are students of Ensemble Actors Studio.

“Seasonal Effective Disorder” by Brian Pope, directed by Jaime Slavinsky lampoons Pittsburgh’s unpredictable weather. Each season is represented by an actor who jockeys to control the greatest number of calendar days for their season. It’s a very entertaining comically presented  premise. Alauna Gipson is impressive as Winter. She has a confident, commanding stage presence and loads of charisma. A star in the making!

Tammy Ryan’s “The Cookie Table” directed by Justin Zeno, kids about the pressure to have a spectacular cookie table at every wedding. It’s a funny yet poignant piece.  Krista Graham (the future bride)  has great comedic timing. Her exceptional countenance and expressive eyes convey excitement about her upcoming nuptials. She glows from within, radiating love and contentment.

“Where Are All My Yinzers At?” by Kim El, (directed by Wali Jamal) is a hysterically funny look at a classroom in the future. The teacher (Andrew Lasswell) is doing his best to keep the dying Pittsburghese dialect and language alive by instructing his students on the finer points of both. He has the students perfect the distinctive accent by practicing phrases such as, “I took a shower with Bill Cower and he bought me flowers.” So funny! Lasswell is terrific in his role as he earnestly pursues this ludicrous goal. He has a great sense of comedy.

There are  many surprising and laughable moments in all of the plays. It is  nearly impossible to include all of them in this overview. Everyone involved in producing this wonderful night of comedy is to be commended. It is a truly pleasurable diversion away from today’s weighty matters.

There is some bad news and some good news. First, the bad news. This festival runs just one short weekend ending  August 3. The good news is, this is a continuing, ongoing  project. It will be back with a rash of all new plays humorously razzing Pittsburgh. This festival is a wonderful gift to Pittsburghers that keeps on giving.

The “All Things Pittsburgh Play Festival N’at” gives Pittsburghers a chance to laugh at the city and the people they love.

– LtTL

Learn more about the Ensemble Acting Studio right here.

by Gina McKlveen

Last year, a Walnut Street staple in Shadyside celebrated its 50th year in business. Standing arm in arm outside Maser Galleries, the Maser women, Brenda and her two daughters, Katie and Kristen, reminisced about what this business has meant to them since it first opened. 

The building where Maser Galleries is located, 5427 Walnut Street, was a former dry cleaner when Ronald Maser, affectionately known as “Lefty”—a Pittsburgh-area native, McKeesport High School graduate, former University of Pittsburgh student-athlete, and multi-talented visionary, turned the space into the thriving art business it has become. 

His wife Brenda explained, “Lefty hammered every board on that wall. Those barn wood walls, every nail was hammered in by him… There was nothing he couldn’t do.” But back then people thought Lefty was out of his mind to open another gallery along Walnut Street, which ironically, was right across the street from an Arts International gallery, his former employer. Doubting Lefty’s can-do attitude, naysayers thought Maser Galleries would be out of business within six months, incapable of withstanding the competition of a powerful chain like Arts International. However, not long after Maser Galleries arrived on Walnut Street, it was Arts International that closed its doors, not Lefty.

Brenda described what Maser Galleries was like on Walnut Street in the 1970s, “When we first opened, Walnut Street then was almost all, if not all, independent owners, many different types of shops, and a lot of hippies. We had lots of arts and crafts items, we had shelves and shelves of crafts and little metal sculptures, paintings on marble, paintings on fungi, we just had all different little things. And as the street evolved, we evolved. So as the more upscale shops came in, so did we. Also, the timing was so perfect because the 70s was a time when art was really exploding and graphics were just coming out like Normal Rockwell, Erte, Simbari, LeRoy Neiman. It was just an amazing time when these limited-edition graphics were available for the first time, and we were on the ground floor of that.”

The artworks of many of these mentioned artists are available for sale at Maser Galleries this weekend during the Annual Shadyside Sidewalk Sale, along with other Pittsburgh natives who’ve achieved reputable success with their art, like Burton Morris, Fritz Keck, and Linda Barnicott. 

Since the 50th anniversary celebration, Maser Galleries has shifted into retirement, announcing that it is closing its doors, and offering discounts on their entire collection. Stop by Shadyside this weekend, August 1st-August 3rd, for a special look at the fine art collected right here in Pittsburgh by one of the city’s finest families. Artworks for sale are of limited editions, so don’t swing and miss the opportunity to catch a unique piece of art to add or start your own collection. 

-GM

To experience Maser Galleries, visit: https://www.masergalleries.com/ or stop in at 5427 Walnut Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15232 and explore their ongoing retirement sale. 

 

Reviewed by Dr. Tiffany Knight Raymond, PhD

South Park Theatre’s current production brings us into the 21st century with Steven Dietz’s 2016 play, This Random World. The play opens with the reading of an obituary. This turns out to a draft version for the commanding and confidently spoken 30-something woman on stage, Beth (Katherine Ann Kerr). Beth’s thinly tolerant younger brother, Tim (Sam James Lander), is the recipient and keeper of this obituary – as well as an alternative option.

Lander captures Tim’s melancholia as a somewhat directionless late 20-something. Director Richard Weld Bryant thoughtfully balances the sibling energy. Lander counters Kerr’s older sister high energy, and at one point, he utters, “I’m not sad…I’m composting.” Elizabeth Jane Glyptis shines as Tim’s ex-girlfriend, Claire, who was confident she “would outgrow” him. For both of them, the realities of being on the cusp of 30 are at odds with who they thought they would be by then.

The idea of alternate options is at the heart of the play, which is about the ways lives intersect. The audience’s fun and suspense is typically derived from knowing something ahead of the characters and waiting for them to discover the common bond. Dietz gives this a decidedly modern twist. In his Random World, some characters never discover the intersectionality that would bond them, and they remain strangers.

However, director Richard Weld Bryant ensures it’s intriguing, not frustrating. The fact we know and they never do actually enriches the play. It invites “what if” and musing upon one’s own historical interactions with apparent strangers – ones that felt significant and linger with you in unexplained ways, even years later. We live in a world that’s more connected than ever, which heightens the potency of these undiscovered intersectionalities. They suggest that despite our hyper-connected world, we aren’t as connected as we think. We don’t know everything, and there’s a magic in that unknowing.

Dietz continues to surprise. He puts pressure on the traditional mother figure. We are introduced to Scottie (Lynne Martin-Huber) via her children, Beth and Tim. They lament her inability to travel and pair mention of her with her aid, Bernadette (Apryl Lynne Peroney). One immediately conjures a sympathetic view of a feeble, wheelchair-bound old lady in a nursing home.

Martin-Huber brings power to the geriatric. Martin-Huber not only dismantles that vision, but actively hides her traveling gnome status from her kids. She is the renegade, rebellious teen trying to “protect” her family – and herself – from their excessive worry, which she decides is both unnecessary and intrusive. The extent to which her kids have her wrong, and misdirect us as the audience, suggests our overreliance on societal norms. In fact, the vision of Scottie that Beth and Tim describe feels much more “normal” than the actual Scottie we meet, which is destabilizing and uncomfortable given societal expectations of doting mothers.

Relationships are at the play’s core, and extend to Bernadette’s sister, Rhonda (Adrien-Sophia Ann Curry), who works in a funeral home. Curry brings a delightfully memorable quirkiness to Rhonda in their balance of anxiety and adept acceptance of everything from ghost sightings at the funeral home to an unexpected trip abroad.

The first play I saw and reviewed at South Park Theatre was Neil Simon’s 1976, California Suite, on May 8, 2018. Simon created his own Random World by tracing 4 sets of guests in the same hotel room. The third scene starred Brian Edward (also the founder of ‘Burgh Vivant) who absolutely stole the show in his tux as arm candy beard to an aging actress. It seems fitting This Random World is the first play I’ve reviewed since Brian’s untimely passing – at the same theatre where I first saw him perform so memorably and before we’d even met. This Random World is about the intersectionalities that mark all of our lives and makes me grateful for those degrees of separation that brought me into Brian’s orbit. The world and stage is dimmer without Brian’s presence, but for those who knew him, or were lucky enough to experience his craft and wit, it’s a far brighter place. We honor you and miss you Brian.

-TKR, Ph.D.

South Park Theatre’s production of This Random World runs through August 9, 2025 at South Park Theatre, South Park Township, PA, 15129. Purchase tickets online here.

By Michael Buzzelli

Everyone in Chekhov’s “Seagull” is stuck in a miasma of unrequited love, swirling around in their own emotions, drowning in them.

Medvedendko (Evan Vines), the low paid teacher, loves Masha (Maxine Coltin). Masha loves Constantine (Phoebe Lloyd), a frustrated playwright. Constantine loves Nina (Julia Rocha), an actress. Nina loves Trigorin (Brett Mack), a famous author. Constantine’s mother, Arkadina (Lisa Velten Smith) is in love with Trigorin.

Meanwhile, Masha’s mother, Polina (Gwendolyn Kelso) loves the local doctor,  Yevgeny Sergeyevich Dorn (Daniel Krell). 

All of these lovelorn characters meet and interact a country estate owned by Sorin (Ken Bolden), Arkadina’s brother.

It may sound soapy to modern ears, but this adaptation of “The Seagull,” simply retitled, “Seagull” transcends the melodrama and full drama with vodka-soaked wit.

Arkadina (Lisa Velten Smith) berates her daughter Constantine (Phoebe Lloyd) for histrionics. Velten Smith is amazing as the narcissistic, aging actress, who believes she can still play the part of an ingénue. Arkadina traps herself in a relationship with Trigorin, even though she knows he doesn’t love her back, and Velten Smith carries all the sadness and rage inside, ready to burst with roiling emotions. It’s a powerful performance.

Lloyd is able to match Velten Smith in a no-holds-barred verbal smackdown. It’s a mother/daughter battle of epic proportions. Lloyd is a strong Constantine who is riddled with self-doubt and suicidal tendencies.

Side Note: Pennsylvania provides a free and confidential support line for people in distress at 988. It is operated 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Rocha gets some fine moments on the stage, literally and figuratively, when she is the solo star of a play-within-a-play, reciting poetry on a long-dead earth in the far future.

Mack hands in a terrific performance as Trigorin.

Despite the fact that their are ten characters fighting for stage time, each cast member gets the spotlight. Bolden’s Sorin drops delightful bon mots as he rails against death. Krell, playing Sorin’s doctor, seems to have no use for his patient. Nor is he interested in the woman who pursues him. For a character with little to no emotion, Krell fills him with depth.

Smart, tailored costumes by Damian E. Dominguez adorn all of the actors, Velten Smith’s gowns are especially stunning.

The pastoral setting, an octagonal pergola with flowing diaphanous drapes overlooking the lake on the Shadyside Campus of Chatham University, is filled with bucolic beauty.

Anton Chekhov admits that there’s not much dramatic action, but the playwright saw “The Seagull” as a comedy, a dark, subversive comedy with tragic consequences. This adaptation has some witty, wry moments excellently parlayed by the superb cast.

Director Joanie Schultz filters the story through a queer lens, and it works brilliantly. The language is simple, but elegant.

In a world that continues to stifle LGBTQ+ voices, “Seagull” stands triumphant. Another reminder that all art is political and Quantum doesn’t back down to the rising tide of intolerance.

-MB

“The Seagull” runs from  July 25-August 17, 2025, alongside Anne Putnam Mallinson ’61 Memorial Pond, on the campus of Chatham University.  For tickets and additional information, click here.

 

 

Reviewed by Dr. Tiffany Knight Raymond, PhD and Theron Raymond (7th grader)

When Frozen was released in 2013, Theron was a toddler. Like so many families, the siren song of “Let it Go” became a mainstay earworm in our home. Disney subsequently swept this instant cinematic sensation to the stage as a musical in 2017.

The musical opens with a Greek chorus of dancers who introduce the royal family. Ryan J. Moller’s exquisite costume design enrobes the ensemble in mosses and plants that unite the dancers as creatures of the forest and foreshadow the role of the elements in this world. Robbie Roby’s expert choreography harmonizes nature and makes it flow.

While young Elsa (Laurel S. Denk) may be the future queen of Arendelle, young Anna (Hallie Camacho) instantly steals the stage with her delightful and precocious demeanor. Camacho elicits easy laughter from the audience as she deftly navigates her parents, shooing them out of her bedroom so she can beg Elsa to create snow. The two girls bring vocal power to “A Little Bit of You.” Elsa crafts Olaf out of their shared song vision, which includes Anna’s request that the snowman have a “big bouncy butt.” Kyle Kemph brings everyone’s favorite hug-loving snowman to life. Olaf is attached to Kemph who makes it easy to forget there’s a human behind the life-sized plush Olaf (a puppet triumph by Scott Molampy).

King Agnarr (Kai Sachon) demands Elsa wear gloves and mandates the sisters isolate after Elsa’s ice magic almost kills Anna. Sachon goes from caring father to controlling force as he commands Elsa to “conceal it, don’t feel it” in order to try to manage her magic. This phrase remains her guiding mantra, even after the untimely demise of her parents. It’s a potent reminder of the power parents have over their children and to be selective with our words to ensure those that linger with our kids are the ones we would choose.

The adult Elsa’s (Cate Hayman) transformation from restrained to unchained in “Let It Go” is visually amplified by her wardrobe. As Hayman beautifully belts out and “feels” the song, Moller has her costume transform from a stiff dress to a flowing, diaphanous gown.

The show exchanges bulky sets for high-resolution video-designed imagery. Director Michael Heitzman orchestrates the video design to perfectly synchronize with the dialogue and events on stage. As adult Anna (Daisy Wright) and Kristoff (Matthew Hydzik) dash whitherward through the snow in his sleigh, escaping wolves, Bryce Cutler’s exquisite video design raises the stakes. Cutler has snow blowing, and the sleigh’s path through the forest cuts from side to side.

Hydzik is irresistible as Kristoff, especially when he clamors into his sleigh and leans back to sing “Reindeer(s) Are Better Than People.” As the song ends, he gives an affectionate “boop” on the nose to Sven the reindeer. If not better, reindeer(s) are certainly less emotionally complicated than people. Kristoff voices Sven’s point of view in the song, making the reindeer an anthropomorphic vessel.

Ultimately, King Agnarr is wrong. It is feeling, not concealing, that triumphs. As AI relationships flourish and politics threaten to divide us, Frozen’s message to lean into love is perhaps more relevant than ever.

-TKR, Ph. D. & TR

Disney’s “Frozen” runs until July 27 at the Benedum Center, 237 Seventh Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. For tickets and additional information, click here.

By Michael Buzzelli

When a series of bad reviews pummel a group of narcissistic actors, they decide to champion a cause to garner good publicity in “The Prom.”

After an internet search, they find Emma Nolan (KB Bradley), who wants to take her girlfriend to the high school prom. The local PTA, headed by the homophobic Mrs. Greene (Nikki Young), rallies the parents together to cancel the prom. Her classmates blame Emma for the cancellation of the prom.

That’s when Dee Dee Allen (Jess Whittington), Barry Glickman (Dixie Surewood), Trent Oliver (Chad Elder), Angie Dickinson (Tonilynn Jackson), with their agent Sheldon Sapperstein (Randy Dicks) in tow, invade the small Indiana town to “help” Emma.

The unwanted attention is freaking out Emma and her secret girlfriend, cheerleader Alyssa Greene (Alawna Mallory), daughter to the town’s biggest bigot.

Meanwhile, Dee Dee strikes up a fast friendship with the high school principal, Tom Hawkins (Steve Bruno).

The actors continue to meddle with disastrous results, however, each of the actors finding newfound empathy and compassion along the way.

Director Nik Nemec fills this version of “The Prom” with Zazz with a capital Z! His cast is tremendous, and he squeezes every ounce of humor out of every performer.

Bradley’s Emma was a joy, playing the role with unvarnished sincerity.

Whittington sparkles as Dee Dee Allen in every scene. She plays the character as bigger than Broadway and it works. She’s better than Meryl Streep in the movie version (Whittington can sing).

Surewood’s Barry Glickman steals every scene, even amongst a repertoire of scenery chewers. He’s big, bold and audacious, the quintessential Glickman. Its also a rare treat to see Dixie Surewood in boy drag.

Elder crushes his songs, especially the divinely-inspired, but deeply comical, “Love the Neighbor,” where he scolds a group of teens for their biblical hypocrisy in the most joyful way.

Jackson channels Bob Fosse with “Zazz,” a number she performs with Bradley. It pops.

Every actor in the show has their moment to shine, including some of the background characters. The cast is so committed.

Chelsea Fredrickson’s jazzy choreography is exuberant.

Frendt Projections provides magnificent projection design. It leveled up Jeff Way’s set in amazing ways. Everything was bright and beautiful, even the rundown motel and local Apples and Bees.

It’s the queerest, most joyful show, bursting at the seams with faith, hope and love. Trent Oliver would, most likely, quote Corinthians 13:13, “the greatest of these is love.”

“The Prom” is a triumph for Stage 62, the director, cast and crew.

-MB

“The Prom” runs until July 27 at the Greer Cabaret Theater, 655 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. For tickets and additional information, click here. 

By: Joseph Szalinski

Summertime typically finds Bronx Field littered with dogs, softball teams, unbalanced cyclists, kids playing release, and the ivy-choked ruins of a playground you spent your childhood at that hauntingly loom over the outfield from its garden of decay. Every so often, one might find suburban space cadets, carnivals with two-headed goats, and, strangest of all, thespians. Steel City Shakespeare Center brings the funniest thing seen in Bronx since your friend hurt themselves while sledding, with their production of The Comedy of Errors, directed by Bob Colbert and Alexandra Hellinger.

Everyone makes mistakes. I have made thousands. For instance, I considered writing this article with intentional typos and various technical flaws. Ultimately, I decided against it. Every mistake you might catch is unintended. Speaking of, screwing up is at the heart of the Bard’s classic gut-buster. The error-prone characters “accidentally” their way through instances of demonic possession, mistaken identity, romance, and violence. Complementing the chaos are wordplay, slapstick, and a handful of musical numbers.

Tasked with interpreting the script’s insanity and multiple roles is a qualified cast that sings, dances, and tumbles their way through the story. Leading the charge is director Bob Colbert. When not cranking out sick tunes on his accordion, he delights as his characters, having lots of fun with Dr. Pinch, particularly. Alexandra Hellinger and Allie Burns both do amazing jobs as separated siblings Antipholus of Syracuse/Antipholus of Ephesus and Dromio of Syracuse/Dromio of Ephesus, respectively. Combining dynamic physicality and terrific delivery, this duo is incredibly entertaining, especially with their scuffles, orchestrated by fight captain Lauren Scheller-Wolf and fight and intimacy choreographer Ella Mizera.

Jillian Thomas wonderfully juggles her Rolodex of characters, leaning into their respective absurdity with absolute commitment, clad in crazy costumes or otherwise. Catherine Hayashi showcases her skills as Adriana and the Courtesan, utilizing her voice to differentiate between her roles. Clara Lord and Mina Aksak round out the cast as merchants and officers, interjecting humorous lines and indulging in the play’s pervasive silliness.

Despite being outside, this production effectively incorporates numerous clever technical choices, most notably in its costuming. Production designer Hannah Ruth Moss and design assistant Siena Forschein dress the cast and the set impeccably. Puppets, designed by Cat Aceto, help make the pentameter more palatable, hilariously enacting passages earlier on. Props are simple yet effective, eliciting laughs and advancing the plot.

Theatre is a beautiful thing, and it is even lovelier when soundtracked by birdsong and lit by a bashful sun. Teeming with greenery and ample room for staging plays, Bronx Field is a wonderful space for Shakespeare in the Park. It is refreshing to see a small-town staple being used to bring art and culture to the community. While the Steel City Shakespeare Center utilizes various venues for its productions and other shows, it would be great to see more live entertainment at Bronx Field.

Driven, talented, and unlike anyone else, the Steel City Shakespeare Center again demonstrates its resilience, having weathered seasons for over a decade. Their talented casts and crews, in concert with a marvelous selection of shows, make them a must-see for any Pittsburgh-based theatre nerd. Paired with The West View Hub on Perry Highway, SCSC helps foster a community that is so vital to community theatre.

 -JS

Steel City Shakespeare Center continues its run of The Comedy of Errors Friday, July 18^th at Bruno Sammartino Park in Ross Township and July 19^th-20^th at Bronx Field in West View.  For tickets or additional information, click here. 

by Claire DeMarco

What could be better than a Victorian mystery!

The Pittsburgh Savoyards open their 88^th season with this adaptation of Wilkie Collins’ classic favorite.

There is enough deception, mistaken identify and suspense to satisfy mystery lovers everywhere.

Walter Hartwright (Jaron Carlson) meets a woman in white late at night who obviously needs help but rejects it from Hartwright when it is offered.  She appears sporadically throughout the play to various characters.

Artist Hartwright is hired by Frederick Fairlie (Phillip Hayes) to educate Marian Halcombe (Carly Chotiner) and Laura Fairlie (Nicole Brady), Frederick’s niece.

After a short period of time at the Fairlie’s, Hartwright falls for Laura and she for him.  However, Laura is engaged to Sir Percival Glyde (Todd Foose).  Hartwright sadly leaves his employment, heading for parts unknown and Laura reluctantly accepts her fate.

Note:  This novel was written in the Victorian era where women did not have the freedom concerning marriage nor their financial independence.

Glyde and Laura marry but before they do, the woman in white appears again, indicating that she has a secret concerning Glyde.

After the marriage the seemingly placid Glyde becomes a dominating bully intent on securing Laura’s money.

Enter Count and Countess Fosco (Elliott O’Brien and Kathryn Morosky).  Under the guise of supporting Laura, it soon becomes apparent that they are aligned with Glyde.  They aid in his control of his wife’s finances.

Another leg to this mystery is introduced.  It’s thought that Jane Catherick (Tamara Marlise Manzetti) knows the secret behind Glyde.  One thing that we do know is her disdain for her daughter Anne Catherick (Kira Varela).

Note:  Throughout the play pre-recorded voice-overs by some of the characters relay narratives from their perspective.  All the different narratives appear disjointed, but they all blend together successfully at the end.

How is the mystery resolved?  How do all the pieces finally fit together?

And who is the woman in white?  Do we find out if there are any secrets about Glyde?

You’ll just have to see the play to find out!

Note:  Act One pre-recordings were hard to hear but in Act Two and Three, the audio was magnified.

Chotiner is outstanding as the supportive sister.  With a flawless English accent, she radiates strength for a woman in that time period, determined to speak her mind at the risk of censure.

Quiet but determined describes Carlson as the lovestruck art instructor.

Chotiner along with Carlson work well together as the two characters out for justice for Laura against the evil doings of Glyde and Count Fosco.

Portraying his character initially as a sweet talker and seemingly tranquil, Foose dramatically transforms into an angry, belligerent, evil man.

As Marian’s half-sister, Brady develops her character from a quiet, subordinate woman to one who finally rises to the occasion and speaks her mind.

Smooth talking O’Brien entices as Laura’s supporter.  When the mask is removed, he exposes his real persona through facial expressions and angry discourse.

Hayes delights as the always complaining Uncle who is exhausted without doing anything.

Tamara Marlise Manzetti’s performance as Jane Catherick scores as the epitome of a sharp, mean and utterly horrible human being.

First published in 1860, “The Woman in White” by Wilkie Collins is considered a classic.  It was cleverly adapted and directed for this production by Robert Hockenberry.

It’s always amazing how much detail and thoughtfulness the Pittsburgh Savoyards put into their sets considering the limited space at the Margaret Partee Performing Arts Center.  Bravo!

-CED

“The Woman in White” runs from July 11th to July 26th at the Margaret Partee Performing Arts Center, Carnegie Stage, 523 Lincoln Avenue, Bellevue, PA. 15202.  For tickets and additional information, click here.