Category: The Shaker

By Gina McKlveen

When Helen Clay Frick was a young girl living in Pittsburgh, her father, Henry Clay Frick, the famed (for better or for worse) industrialist who founded a local coke manufacturing company, H.C. Frick & Company, and chaired much of the region’s steel manufacturing business that eventually developed into the U.S. Steel conglomerate, asked Helen what she wanted as a gift to celebrate her becoming a debutante, to formally introduce herself into society, she requested that her father make a land donation to the City of Pittsburgh, which would eventually become a public park, better known today as Frick Park. Years later, long after her father passed away, Helen commissioned the building of an art museum next to this park where she kept her vast and personal art collection. This art museum is The Frick Art Museum at The Frick Pittsburgh.

Prior to founding her own art museum, Helen oversaw the establishment of Henry’s personal art collection, who bequeathed his Fifth Avenue mansion in New York City and numerous Renaissance artworks and other early 20th-century European masterpieces to the public, forming The Frick Collection. This year, The Frick Collection is closed while it undergoes its first comprehensive upgrade since the 1930s, allowing for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Henry and Helen’s art collections to conjoin for the first time ever under one roof at The Frick Art Museum in Pittsburgh from now until July 14, 2024.

The exhibit entitled, “Vermeer, Monet, Rembrandt: Forging the Frick Collections in Pittsburgh & New York,” is only on view for a limited time, but is a must-see, more than once if you can, because in the words of The Frick Pittsburgh’s Executive Director, Elizabeth E. Barker, “[I]t’s a project unlikely ever to be repeated.” Why? The Frick Collection’s Curator, Aimee Ng, explains, “During this exceptional period in The Frick Collection’s history—as we renovate the historic Frick house in Manhattan…[we have been able] to share our collection,” which is rarely done under normal conditions because these artworks are rarely, if ever, loaned to other museums.

Thus, fortuitous is the timing, as the title of the exhibit suggests, the exhibition showcases more than 60 works of art from the collections of both The Frick Collection (Henry’s art collection) and The Frick Pittsburgh (Helen’s art collection), including works by Monet, Degas, Whistler, and El Greco. Other paintings featured from the collections include: Rembrandt’s iconic 1658 Self-Portrait, Sassetta’s The Virgin of Humility Crowned by Two Angels, Ingres’s Comtesse d’Haussonville, Titian’s Man in a Red Cap, Frans Hals’s Portrait of a Man, Jean-François Millet’s Woman Sewing by Lamplight.

The piece that steals the show and the attention of its audience, is Johannes Vermeer’s Girl Interrupted at Her Music, which is one of only 36 known works by this artist. This was the first painting of Vermeer’s that Henry acquired during his lifetime. He later acquired two others, Officer and Laughing Girl and Mistress and Maid, owning a sizeable fraction, one-twelfth, of all the Vermeer’s in the world. In 1936, after Henry passed away and Helen took over his collection, The Frick Collection had an opportunity to purchase a fourth Vermeer, but Helen declined. She felt three would suffice.

During Henry’s lifetime, Vermeer’s Girl Interrupted at Her Music hung at the Frick family home in Pittsburgh, called Clayton, which is where Helen grew up with her mother and older brother, Childs, and which she eventually inherited and preserved along with the property at The Frick Pittsburgh. Girl Interrupted at Her Music returning to Pittsburgh is somewhat of a full-circle moment after being featured just last year in the Rijksmuseum’s sold-out landmark Vermeer retrospective in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

While the exhibition is as much about the world-class acclaim of the art, it is every bit as connected to the Frick family. An endearing part of the exhibition is a painting titled House and Piers by none other than Childs Frick, Henry’s son and Helen’s older brother, which like the Vermeer, hung in the halls at Clayton.

The exhibition is also more than the museum. The Frick Pittsburgh’s Director of Learning & Visitor Experience, Amanda Gillen, developed interactive programs that complement the art with curators’ conversations, concerts featuring French Impressionist and Dutch Baroque music with Pittsburgh’s Symphony Orchestra and Daphne Alderson, guided evening exhibition tours, a day-long symposium, and multiple full-day programs at Clayton, Carrie Blast Furnaces National Historic Landmark, and West Overton Village in Westmoreland County. According to Amanda Gillen, “Our art museum is her art museum. Helen spent her life caring for her family’s possessions and works of art as well as furnishing her father’s legacy. She was instrumental in a quiet background kind of way, but this exhibition is bringing Helen to the forefront.”

However, unlike Helen’s response to acquiring an additional Vermeer, visiting this exhibition just three times will not suffice, it is one to see over and over and over again. Once more, “Vermeer, Monet, Rembrandt: Forging the Frick Collections in Pittsburgh & New York,” is on display at The Frick Pittsburgh from now until July 14, 2024. For more information and to secure tickets to the exhibition and its other programs, visit https://www.thefrickpittsburgh.org/.

-GM

By Gina McKlveen

The old adage, “It takes a village to raise a child,” is similarly apropos for starting a local public arts program. Public Art Bridgeville was something like the brainchild of Guy and Elizabeth “Bitsy” Bellaver. The husband-and-wife team were originally from the Greater Pittsburgh area, hailing from Mt. Lebanon and Upper St. Clair, respectively, then moved to the mid-west to chart their illustrious careers in the arts and business worlds.

Prior to the COIVD-19 outbreak, Guy and Bitsy returned to Allegheny County, settling in the Borough of Bridgeville. Shortly thereafter, at the height of the pandemic, Guy, who is a nationally recognized sculptor and artist in his own right, asked, “Who was hurting the most?” His answer, “The arts.”

From there, Guy said he and Bitsy began to brainstorm, “Was there anything we could do to help the arts? Well, we could have shows where we could pay artists to come here [to Bridgeville]. Then, let’s see if the government in Bridgeville wants to support that [and] see if we can get public donors to support that.”

Bitsy likened the idea to the iconic line, “Hey kids, let’s put on a show,” featured in Judy Garland and Mikey Rooney films such as “Babes in Arms,” “Babes on Broadway,” and “Strike up the Band.” So, she suggested, “Hey, let’s put on a sculpture show! We can do that!”

Assembling Sculptures

At the time, Guy and Bitsy also connected with the Bridgeville Borough Manager, Joe Kauer, who was exploring other public arts options through commissioning a mural on a deteriorating bridge as a means to bring the arts into this community. After various conversations and collaborations throughout 2020 and 2021, Public Art Bridgeville was eventually born.

Virginia “BJ” Bott Schneider is the current President of Public Art Bridgeville, and similarly was instrumental in the development of the organization, including establishing its board members, Bert Chery, Justine Cimarolli, Pat DeBlasio, Annette Kirkpatrick, and Kayla Lawrence, each of whom regularly support the presence of public art around the Borough.

Bridgeville Borough contributed to the establishment of Public Art Bridgeville and the Bellavers’ vision. The Borough agreed to help put in concreate pads [where the sculptures would be installed] and allowed us to use portions of their parking lot to put the sculptures,” noted Guy.”

To this day, Borough employees play a critical role in the efforts behind Public Art Bridgeville. Bitsy described one particular instance where a Maryland-based artist was arriving to the area after a show to pick up his multi-part sculpture “made from railroad ties that were shellacked and carved” and Borough employees had carefully “lined up, exactly, in equal distance, top to bottom” with the meticulousness of a seasoned museum professional. Another instance Bitsy recalled when Borough employees went above and beyond to help assemble one of the sculptures was a 20-foot tall sculpture, titled “Red Dancer,” by Pittsburgh-born, internationally recognized sculptor, Gary Kulak, which is currently seated outside the Bridgeville Public Library.

“The Borough has done really a terrific job of just getting it clean, putting in some things like some trees and bushes, working with the building owners. It’s still a work in progress, but it’s just so vastly improved even in the few years since we’ve been here,” Bitsy said.

Building Bridges

Public Art Bridgeville also established a committee to help make some of these placement decisions, to figure out how many pieces will be exhibited and where. Guy is a key voice on this committee, knowing both the aesthetics of sculpture as well as the organizational aspects from previous experience working with Public Districts in Illinois.

“The first year we had six pieces. Once we had those six pieces around town, there was a general consensus that we need more,” Bitsy commented.

So in between the first year of exhibiting sculptures around Bridgeville and the second year, Bitsy spent months developing an artist database from the network of sculptors Guy had crossed paths with and beyond. “I tried to expand the exhibition by contacting more artists, hundreds of artists. I looked for every single sculpture exhibition I could find in the United States of America,” she said. Bitsy also reached out to places Guy had exhibited his own work in Colorado, North Carolina, South Dakota, Illinois and even universities like Appalachian State University, and local colleges where Guy’s sculptures are also displayed or exhibited namely, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Clarion, Washington & Jefferson, and Saint Vincent College.

“When you develop that database over time, whether it’s outdoor artists or indoor artists, but the bulk of them are sculptors and you just know then you have a huge database,” Bitsy acknowledged. Compared to the first year when they essentially “tapped people on the shoulder” to ask for pieces, the second year, approximately “60-70 pieces, or more were submitted,” she stated.

“The second year, we expanded over to Dewey Avenue.” Guy said. “We were two years into the pandemic, most artists weren’t sure when they would get a sale, so they were glad to have us talking to them. As an artist you want to create. So, you create, but you can’t show. It’s in that stagnation where you need an incentive to create and you realize there’s a lot of incentives to be at these shows, but also to create something new.”

Now, every year Bridgeville looks forward to the addition of new sculptures arriving to its sidewalks and parks and the artists who exhibit their works here are exposed to new audiences and opportunities.

“When we started out, I went looking for who else is doing one of these. From Ohio and northeast, I did not find one single community doing one of these. There is not another one in Pennsylvania like it. We are the only show like this,” Bitsy continued, “We wanted this idea of using public art as a way to attract people to a community. This is one of the interesting things about Bridgeville: ‘From Bridge to Bridge’ is its motto, and [Public Art Bridgeville is now] literally from bridge to bridge.”

“Crossing Paths”

This year, Public Art Bridgeville’s third-annual outdoor sculpture exhibition includes ten pieces, including seven new sculptures. One of those must-see sculptures is located just outside La Bella Bean along Washington Avenue by the famous artist and Johnson & Johnson family member, Seward Johnson titled “Crossing Paths,” depicting two elegantly dressed ladies sitting on a park bench in Johnson’s recognizable trompe-l’oeil painted bronze style.

 

Bitsy aptly remarked that this sculpture is “very Pittsburgh,” in the sense that the women depicted in “Crossing Paths” remind her of the women of her mother’s generation. Growing up in Upper St. Clair, she remembers her mother getting dressed up to go to the grocery store, or run errands, something that was expected of the 1950s generation, but completely unheard of in today’s day and age.

Public Art Bridgeville has showcased previous works by Johnson, including “The Whittler,” “Waiting to Cross,” “Hell, Time to Go Fishing,” “Best Seller,” and “Inner World, Outer World.”

This year, in addition to “Crossing Paths,” Public Art Bridgeville has also selected Johnson’s sculpture of a mailman, titled “Special Delivery,” which in both aesthetics and name is reminiscent of Mr. McFeely of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. Once again, another sculpture that is classically connected to the Greater Pittsburgh area.

Other artists currently on display with Public Art Bridgeville’s 2024 outdoor exhibition include, Peter Calaboyias, David Boyajian, Gary Kulak, Dan Droz, Bob Doster, and of course, Guy Bellaver. An indoor exhibition of various artworks by artists from Pittsburgh’s Society of Sculptors is also on display inside Bridgeville’s Public Library until May 17th.

-GM

by Dr. Tiffany Knight Raymond, PhD

The second production in Little Lake Theatre Company’s 76^th season is “Wait Until Dark” – the 2013 Jeffrey Hatcher adaptation of Frederick Knott’s 1966 play. Knott’s original play was also adapted as a 1967 film starring Audrey Hepburn, which earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.

This suspenseful thriller traces a coordinated home invasion against a blind woman named Susan Hendrix (Kerry McGrath). The criminals seek to regain a drug-filled doll that, unbeknownst to him, was slipped into her husband Sam’s briefcase for safe transit. Much like her cinematic predecessor, McGrath also serves up an award-worthy performance under the capable, guiding hand of director Sunny Disney Fitchett. Fitchett is a local legend, particularly in the hallowed barn of Little Lake where she served as artistic director for 23 years.

McGrath is utterly convincing as a blind woman, and Fitchett provides flawless direction. When descending the couple of stairs into her garden-level apartment, McGrath unfailingly reaches out, anxiously grasping for physical contact with the railing. As Susan, she never makes direct eye contact, looking towards others as they speak, but never at them. Reading faces and eyes instinctually helps decode communication, so it’s a testimony to both Fitchett and McGrath that she never deviates to a direct gaze.

Any flaws belong to Hatcher’s adaptation. At one point, Susan opens a closet door, and a heavy item is temporarily hanging on the back of the door. Susan notes her “other senses work overtime” since she became blind 18 months prior, so it seems unlikely she wouldn’t haven’t noticed a substantive weight difference when swinging open the door.

Vivian McGregor plays Gloria, an upstairs neighbor girl and helper to Susan. The Hendrix apartment clearly provides refuge from what we discern is a troubled home life. Gloria comes and goes at will, and Susan and Gloria emulate a feisty mother/daughter relationship. McGregor captures the seesawing emotional valence of adolescence. Gloria yearns to be older, whining “I’m not a kid,” yet also stamps around and throws silverware on the floor, demonstrating she’s more child than adult. Costume designer Sarah Boice visually reinforces Gloria’s childhood status with a long plaid-printed dress underlaid with a white, Peter Pan collared shirt, solidly anchoring Gloria in the dim trappings of childhood.

Sound designer Laura Thurman opens the play with eerie, ethereal instrumentals and fierce violins that immediately conjure the shower scene in Hitchcock’s Psycho and signify a world set wrong. This sound cue is actualized when two criminals sequentially break into the Hendrix apartment.

The first one, Carlino (Jim Kiley), immediately establishes himself as a sloppy criminal; he’s not even wearing gloves. His examination of the apartment blends the strategic (hiding a knife) with the base (helping himself to leftovers in the fridge). Costume designer Sarah Boice visually supports his disheveled lack of attention to detail as one hem of his button-down shirt is perpetually untucked.

When Carlino calls out he’s a cop to the second entrant, Roat (Patrick Daniel) immediately calls his bluff because Carlino didn’t pull a gun. It’s a nuance that brings to mind the saying you can’t con a con man.

Roat’s more discerning nature is evidenced by his gun statement and glove wearing and establishes him as the de facto leader. He also lacks self-awareness as he unironically asserts, “I cannot operate in an atmosphere of mistrust” after Carlino fails to disclose the brass knuckles he’s carrying.

However, the two men collaborate and think they can con Susan, seeing her blindness as a weakness to exploit. With the recent rise in popularity of psychological thrillers, this revival of “Wait Until Dark” is timely. But just when we think we have it figured out, the ground shifts yet again, plunging us all into darkness.

“Wait Until Dark” runs through May 26, 2024 at Little Lake Theatre Company in Canonsburg, PA.

by Joseph Szalinski

We’ve all overslept at some point in our lives. Some of us have been late to work or class, others have found themselves staring at the Statue of Liberty with talking apes. Stories about getting a little extra shuteye have existed since people stayed awake long enough to write them down. The most famous fictional sleepyhead is Sleeping Beauty, a cursed princess who hibernates until her true love kisses her. Retold countless times, most notably by Disney, this adaptation, the closer of The Pittsburgh Savoyard’s 86^th season, is written and directed by Andy Hickly, and now running at the Margaret Partee Performing Arts Center in Bellevue, PA.

The King (Michael Menendez) and Queen (Priyanka) have just had a baby girl, who they name Rose. She is cursed by the Wicked Fairy (Ell Connally Thomas) because her parents picked The Good Fairy (Kelsey Walls) to be her fairy godmother instead. Rose grows up normally, meeting and becoming friends with Princeling (Stephen Wilson) at one point but still focused on finding her true love. Unfortunately, the Wicked Fairy slyly pricks Rose’s finger with a spindle and sends her into a century-long sleep.

Rose (Rebecca Radeshak) and Princeling (Stephen Wilson) are tremendous leads. Their blends of charm and humor captive and humanize their respective characters; they transcend the fairy tale tropes and create more nuanced iterations. Scenes are tackled with a refreshing energy and enthusiasm.

The Wicked Fairy (Ell Connally Thomas) and the Good Fairy (Kelsey Walls) maintain an entertaining dynamic throughout the show, in addition to being great separately. Aside from her portrayal of the Good Fairy, Kelsey Walls also serves as the show’s dance choreographer, showing off her talents by masterminding the exceptionally enjoyable dance scene. It’s in her physicality that Ell Connally Thomas really shines as the Wicked Fairy, demonstrating her prowess in a combative scene near the end. Perhaps her biggest and most honest accolade comes courtesy of one the small children who peppered the audience, “She’s scary!”

Michael Menendez and Priyanka Sinha are delightful as the King and Queen. They do a fantastic job of showing how power and wealth cannot spare people from the paranoias and desperation of parenthood. From hastily banning spindles to volunteering to take the “Rip Van Winkle Powernap” along with their daughter, seeing how they existed solely for her was touching. Watching them evolve from overly protective parents into ones with a loosened grip is both funny and sentimental.

Don Gudenburr, Phil Hayes, and Samwise Riley do double duty as guards and suitors, with their performances as the latter being their more exceptional work. Combining comedic chops with spirited physicality, especially in regard to Riley’s dance moves, these three are a hoot anytime they’re onstage.

Kathryn Morosky (who also made the program), Lindsay Surmacz, Elisa Stuver also juggle multiple roles. While they are fantastic comedic foil during the dance, they are also terrifically terrifying as the Wicked Fairy’s guards. Morosky and Surmacz stand their ground in their other role as Briar Hedge, the nearly impenetrable barrier between the castle and the outside world. However, Stuver stands out as an impassioned peasant who’s not willing to surrender her spindles and such to the authorities, as she attempts to evade capture by running around the stage.

This show excels technically, with direction overseen by Robert Hockenberry (who’s also production manager) and Matt Lisiak. Elise Brown does a phenomenal job helping bring everything to life with light and sound. Leah Klocko does marvelous work with the costuming while Andy Hickly expertly handles production design and fight choreography.

Margaret Partee Performing Arts Center is a splendid venue that enriches the community it calls home. While not the largest space, it does promote an intimacy that provides productions with an extra punch. Nestled in the burgeoning suburb of Bellevue, this theatre is guaranteed to not only continue to keep bringing quality productions to the area but help spearhead an increased interest in the arts as the town grows.

“Sleeping Beauty” continues its run on Friday, May 10^th with a show at 7:30 pm and Saturday, May 11^th with shows at 2:30 pm and 7:30 pm at the Margaret Partee Performing Arts Center in Bellevue, PA.

 

A. Nonny Moss

When Amir (Ramzi Khalaf) is frozen with cowardice at an inopportune time, he plummets down a shame spiral causing repercussions that follow him from Afghanistan, America and back again in “The Kite Runner.”

Amir recounts his childhood growing up in Kabul in the 70s. He spends his days on his family estate with Hassan (Shahzeb Zahid Hussain) playing, reading and flying kites.

In a conceit of the show, Amir relives these moments. The actor inserts his adult self into his childhood. Yes, Khalaf acts like a child in some of the scenes, but his work is so extraordinary that he’s able to really sell it.

Our protagonist explains his rocky relationship with his father or baba, who is simply called Baba (Haythem Noor).  Amir wants to be a writer, and Baba doesn’t think highly of the profession.

Later in the story, we meet Amir’s wife, Soraya (Awesta Zarif) and his father-in-law, General Taheri (James Rana).  The general doesn’t think fondly of writers, either.

“The Kite Runner” does have a kite contest at the center of the play, but its not really about kites. If you think you’re getting a light-hearted story about kites, i.e. Charlie Brown fighting with a neighborhood tree, you will be in for a rough time.

When Hassan chases the kite once its free of its string, he runs into Assef (played on opening night by Kevin Stevens). Amir follows, but hides in the shadows when he spots Assef and his fellow bullies. The moment changes Amir and Hassan’s friendship forever more.  His cowardice on that fateful day becomes the crux of the story.

In 2003, Khaled Hosseini’s book “The Kite Runner” was on the New York Times Bestseller’s list. The book became a movie in 2008. In 2009, Matthew Spangler wrote an adaptation for the theater.

If you’re wondering, “Is it still relevant today?” The answer is a resounding yes!

The entire cast is terrific.

Khalaf is marvelous as Amir.  He’s able to swiftly move from adult to child throughout the show.

Hussain’s Hassan is glorious. He is charismatic and charming. The actor shows up as another character, too, but we are steering clear of spoilers here.

Noor is imposing, threatening, but in the final act, he softens. It may seem like Baba is a stereotype, until he isn’t.

Rana’s Taheri is equally imposing, but his character is even slower to change than Baba.

Zarif has a few great moments when she reveals Soraya’s own secret shame, but both Rana and Zarif come into the story in the second act. They make great use of their limited stage time.

Stevens’ Assef is menacing. He shows up in a handful of scenes, but he terrorizes Amir in almost every moment. His character is a racist bully that uses his political beliefs to forward his own dark agenda.

From the moment the Tabla Artist (Salar Nader) comes out and sits down,  the audience is drawn in. The play clocks in roughly around two hours and thirty minutes, but you won’t feel it. It is moving, engaging, and emotional.  Spangler’s adaptation flows nicely, speeding forward with direction by Giles Croft.

While “The Kite Runner” can be bleak, it’s filled with small joyful moments. The show reminds us that even in the darkest corners there is light. A small smile can be the beginning of more smiles to come.

“The Kite Runner” is a powerful story that will bring laughter and tears, especially tears, but it ends on a cathartic line about those hints of smiles to come: “When the spring comes, it melts the snow one flake at a time.”

– A.N. M.

“The Kite Runner” runs from May 7 to May 12 at the Benedum Center, 237 Seventh Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222.  For more information, click here. 

by Lonnie the Theater Lady

John Smith (Justin Mohr) is a taxi driver in London in the 1980’s. He keeps a very rigid schedule, meticulously documented in a pocket notebook. That is the only way he can keep track of when he needs to be with each of his two unsuspecting wives, Mary and Barbara. He’s able to keep up with his deception until he suffers an unfortunate head injury, while trying to rescue a woman being assaulted by two thugs. That injury sends him to the hospital and forces him to get off schedule and miss being with his wives at the promised times. He becomes somewhat of a public hero due to his intervention on behalf of the woman in distress. His picture ends up being on the front page of the newspaper and he’s in danger of being exposed as the bigamist that he is. That’s when the mayhem/hilarity begins.

The opening scene takes place on the cleverly designed set of John’s, side by side marital apartments, which allows simultaneous events to be viewed (Set designer, Robert Hockenberry). Both Mary (Kauleen Cloutier) and Barbara (Misty Challingsworth) are on the telephone calling their local police departments, out of concern that their (mutual) husband, John, hasn’t come home at his expected time. The police get involved and that’s when this British farce (Playwright Ray Cooney) proves itself to be top notch. It has it all, and then some–slamming doors, multiple puns and most notably an absurd plot that becomes increasingly more preposterous. Mistaken identities are a must in any good farce—-these include a nun, drag queen, farmer, and daily maid, among others. John is desperate to keep his wives from learning about each other. His unwitting friend Stanley (Noah Kendall) gets roped into helping John conceal his secret, through a series of ludicrous fabrications and ridiculous lies.

It’s difficult to “steal the show” when all of the actors (without exception) are delivering hysterically funny lines with spot on timing. However, the interaction between the co-conspirators Justin Mohr and Noah Kendall is comedy gold. As Mohr becomes increasingly more desperate to avoid detection, Kendall needs to come up with more and more lies to protect his friend. Together they are absolutely hilarious. Their facial expressions and emotional responses to each other become increasingly funny. Both are great physical comedians and they get to use their physicality to its full advantage.

Kauleen Cloutier, Mary, is in the midst of a near mental breakdown trying to deal with the wacky gas lighting she’s being exposed to. Her total lack of abandon in playing her role is beyond comical. Brilliant.

Misty Challingsworth equally confused by the events unfolding, is sympathetic (and very funny) in her confusion.

Bobby Franklin (Josh Berkey) provides comic relief (although none is needed in this madcap romp) He’s Barbara’s flaming, yet adorable upstairs neighbor. His gestures and flouncing add to the zany bedlam.

Jeff Johnston (Troughton) and Bob Rack (Porterhouse) are police officers with two very different personalities. Rak is wonderful as the empathetic, kind, open minded officer, who reveals an unlikely secret of his own. Johnston plays his more pragmatic role with a somewhat hard-nosed charm, despite the extremely confusing circumstances. He takes full advantage of the comedic writing in the delivery of his lines.

Gavin Calgero directs this hilarious “tour de farce” with great attention to the importance of timing. It’s fast paced and filled with well delivered laugh lines.

This uproarious basket of raucous pandemonium is guaranteed to leave everyone laughing. I can’t remember the last time I laughed this hard and this long! I hope you have the opportunity to enjoy some belly laughs with this talented group of hysterically funny actors!

Runs at South Park Theatre through May 18.

 

 

 

 

by Claire DeMarco

Leonard Vole (Christian Benton) is on trial for the murder of Emily French, an older woman who was infatuated with Vole. French had no children. When Vole, a natural charmer was named beneficiary in her will, the circumstantial evidence pointed to Vole as the perpetrator.

Spoiler Warning:

Vole’s wife Romaine (Jenny Malarkey) agrees to testify but surprisingly not in his defense but as a witness for the prosecution. A strange turn of events! Her reasoning is to provide damning evidence against her husband that the illustrious barrister, Sir Wilfrid Robarts (Stefan Lingenfelter) can easily refute. In her mind discrediting her testimony helps Vole.

Janet Mackenzie (Erica Fox Zabusky) is the late Emily French’s companion. Her testimony points the finger at Vole.

Recently found inflammatory letters about Romaine’s background provided by an unnamed cockney woman twist the case yet again.

Does Romaine’s testimony help or hurt Vole? Is Vole innocent or guilty?

Note: If you are familiar with Agatha Christie and her work, you can always count on a twist ending. In this case there are several.

Benton captured the essence of a shallow, seemingly silly individual one would find hard to conceive as a deadly killer. His laid-back approach (even as he chews on food as the barristers question him), reinforces his naïve persona. Benton’s innocent posture changes as the mask comes off and his true nature is exposed.

Malarkey changes Romaine like a chameleon, adapting her stiff carriage and haughty conversation (with German accent) as the supportive wife to the meek spouse not so sure of her husband’s innocence.

Lingenfelter is marvelous as the barrister defending Vole. His physical movements, facial expressions and double takes are spot on. He is more relaxed than his compatriots (no tie, collar half turned up) as he prances about the stage, thinking, conjecturing about the case.

David Nackman portrays Mr. Myers as a no-nonsense prosecutor fully determined that Vole is guilty. He is shrew and focused.

Johnny Terreri as Mr. Mayhew is serious and officious as the note-taking solicitor. He is the willing sounding board to the more emotional Robarts. He is steady and thrives in the background.

Fox Zabusky as Mackenzie inserts herself into every conversation during the trial. She won’t be denied telling her side of the story (with asides). There is a modicum of humor in her delivery even when her words are directed at Vole.

Carina Iannarelli is flighty but endearing as the barristers’ secretary (with a great East End accent).

A star for all of the cast members. Prime Stage deserves an A+ for this Agatha Christie psychological mystery thriller!

Wonderful set design by Johnmichael Bohach.

Shout out to Dialect Coach Lisa Bansavage for coaching a group of American actors to successfully capture and maintain accents ranging from German to various British dialects throughout the performance.

Great direction by Ponny Conomos Jahn.

“Witness for the Prosecution” was written by Agatha Christie.

-CED

“Witness for the Prosecution” is a production of Prime Stage Theatre. Performances run from May 3 – 12 at the New Hazlett Center for Performing Arts.

 

 

by Joseph Szalinski

Conflict is an essential element of life. As much as we try to avoid it, it attracts us. When it’s in inadequate abundance in our own lives, or we must escape our own misfortune through someone else’s, we seek it in story. Especially ones performed onstage. No show better satirizes conflict than “God of Carnage”, the Tony-Award winning play written by Yasmina Reza, translated by Christopher Hampton, and helmed this time around by Brandon Farneth, who is directing it for The Theatre Factory at the Trafford Performing Arts Center in Trafford, PA.

Translated from French in 2008 and put on Broadway the following year, this acclaimed black comedy was later adapted into a 2011 film by the infamous Roman Polanski. A humorous meditation on bark being worse than bite—well, Henry’s bite after Benjamin whacks him in the face with a stick and knocks out two teeth. At least Henry knows what to ask for, for Christmas. This show examines a host of heavy themes in a very playfully deranged way. As someone who’s worked in various levels of education, I can honestly say that parents can often get more carried away than their own children.

Mike Byrne wonderfully embodies Alan Raleigh, a lawyer and the father of the assailant, Benjamin. While he initially comes across as someone who seems to absolutely subscribe to justice and order, later, he’s casually resigned to the fact that Benjamin’s savage ways cannot be curbed. He makes amusing work of his revolving allegiance, mostly siding with his wife, Annette (Rebekah Hukill), but siding with Michael (Jim Froehlich) when issues of manhood arise.

Veronica Novak comes to life thanks to Jennifer Fitzgerald. Her effortless switch from congenial host to vicious defender of Henry is awesome. Steadfast in her position, the passion in her championing civility is absolutely palpable.

Jim Froehlich delivers an amazing performance as the endearingly pathetic Michael Novak. Presented as a civil gentleman, softened by marriage and fatherhood, he secretly harbors an inner “neanderthal” that is gradually revealed throughout the discussion. His desperate attempts to seem macho by smoking cigars and drinking liquor are just as funny as his mounting outrage toward his ill mother and her constant phone calls.

Rebekah Hukill does a marvelous job as Annette Raleigh, Benjamin’s mother and the second surprisingly bleak adult in that family. She’s phenomenally loyal when it’s parents vs. parents, but the moment men and women are pitted against each other or Alan just keeps getting calls, all bets are off. She starts to make one wonder who Benjamin really takes after. Rebekah operates with great comedic ease both verbally and physically.

It’s not just the performances that dazzle, this show excels technically as well. The outfits provided by the cast perfectly suit the characters and flesh out their personalities. Set, masterminded by Frankie Shoup, is a thoughtfully designed living area that deals with spatial limitations in a way that made the available space seem boundless. The lighting (Bill Jacka) and sound (Matt Mlynarski) are executed perfectly, the latter especially with the various phone calls. There’s a rather gross technical achievement a little way into the show that’s disgustingly well done. Prop-wise, everything is realistic and purposeful. Nothing seems unnecessary or out of place. Like the outfits, props help the characters take shape more, even subtly, or, at the very least, provide some entertainment.

Shows like “God of Carnage” are good not just for the artform, but also for the many theatres/companies that put them on. Here is a very unique show but one that is also very relatable. Including productions like this shake up the monotony that can be community theatre. Audiences who aren’t typically exposed to certain things can then begin to discover the power of drama. It also gives performers and crew members opportunities to show off their talents in unusual ways. And there is a great deal of talent from The Theatre Factory at the Trafford Performing Arts Center.

 “God of Carnage” continues its run May 2^nd-4^th at the Trafford Performing Arts Center in Trafford, PA

by Joseph Szalinski

Wouldn’t it be nice if everyone could just get along for the holidays? If harmony could be sustained regardless of circumstance or the like? While that’s desirable in the real world, it’s thankfully the opposite of what we get in Jon Robin Baitz’s Pulitzer-Prize winning drama, “Other Desert Cities”, which is being performed at Butler Little Theatre by director Katie Moore.

Originally titled “Love & Mercy”, like the Brian Wilson song of the same name, “Other Desert Cities” follows the Wyeth family, a gaggle of veritable heroes and villains. In addition to Lyman (Tom Smithyman) who used to be an actor, Trip (Sam Thinnes) is a television producer, Brooke is an author, and Polly and Silda wrote movies together. The oldest child Henry, a militant Beach Boys fan beset by mental illness, becomes complicit in the shady dealings of a cult, and eventually meets a watery end, much like Dennis Wilson, the drummer of the aforementioned pop-surf band.

Laura Crago brings a bruised brilliance to the role of Brooke Wyeth. A former California girl who relocated to the east coast to become a writer, Brooke returns home to sort some things out before her second book hits the shelves. Unfortunately, her memoir is poised to disrupt the good vibrations in the house, so she must figure out the best way to keep the peace while still ensuring she gets to speak her truth. Navigating such emotional turbulent material allows Crago to demonstrate the range of her abilities.

Tom Smithyman commands the stage as Lyman Wyeth, an actor-turned-politician who loves hosting family during the holidays. Not only a powerful physical presence, his voice booms in his respective scenes, carrying the crux of the character in its decibels. Although a bit more reserved than the other characters, Lyman still does get to indulge in dynamic moments, and Smithyman does a phenomenal job at honoring said indulgences, as well as metering his emotions otherwise.

Silda, Polly’s sister, is delightfully brought to life by Alison Carey. From her uproarious introduction to her more sentimental moments throughout the rest of the story, Carey’s performance establishes the nuance of a character that many others wouldn’t be able to realize. Her twisted humor helps make the arguing more palatable. Carey’s ability to balance being a casualty of the 60’s, to trusted authority figure, is a testament to her strengths as a performer.

Sam Thinnes is terrific as Trip, the youngest in the trio of siblings. Thinnes musters a mounting frustration that occasionally explodes in fits of vulgar profundity and threats to make an escape to the tropics. He charms when he’s being diplomatic and amuses when his aims are a little more self-centered.

Rounding out the cast is Terri Schultz as Polly Wyeth, the reformed matriarch. Once a rebellious screenwriter who embraced the counterculture, she ended up doing a 180 and becoming someone she used to stand against. Schultz is able to expertly convey the desperation Polly is plagued by to maintain a life of sense and order.

In addition to a talented cast, this production boasts a really gorgeous set. A culmination of effort from Duane Peters, Glen Bittner, Dennis Casey, Danyle Verzinskie, and Steve Kalina, the cozy desert dwelling functions as both location and character, as it transforms the stage. Extended “blackouts” are no issue at all, as sunlight is simulated creeping through the living room windows, creating a mesmerizing sight. Honestly, one should show up early just to sit in the seats and stare at the set. Forget intermission, surrender to Stendhal Syndrome!

Beyond the set, this production has plenty of opportunity to showcase a good deal of technical prowess. Another notable facet of this show is some of the props, particularly some “party favors” later on in the story. The music is also really enjoyable. Being set in 2002, the show features beloved throwbacks for those born in the 90’s or just a little earlier.

BLT has curated quite an unusual season so far and this show is no exception. For being a smaller theatre in a relatively smaller city/town, the decision to stage such a powerful show is a very admirable move. Theatre is meant to inspire and provoke, at least partly. It’s an indispensable medium/tool for figuring out the human experience and that can’t be done without producing shows that may make people uncomfortable here and there. Butler is slowly becoming recognized for being a hub for culture and artistry, and BLT is doing its part like it has been for so many years.

“Other Desert Cities” continues its run April 30^th-May 4^th at Butler Little Theatre in Butler, PA.