Reviewed by Dr. Tiffany Knight Raymond, PhD, and Theron Raymond (seventh grader)
Liberty Magic brings wizard Jared Kopf to the stage. Jared opens his show with an extended prologue, reminding us “In the beginning, there was magic.” He elaborates to define that magic as “the magic of winds and clouds” and “the magic of birth and death.” Now, we know clouds are condensed water vapor, and we can create babies in test tubes. Scientific explanation has furthered the world but diminished the magic. Jared reawakens that sense of magic through reframing, reminding us that science and magic can coexist. Just because we know how clouds form shouldn’t make them less magical when we look up and gaze, spotting dragons in cloud formations.
Kopf’s framing of “in the beginning” sets the stage for history and memory as touchstones throughout the show. Kopf pays homage to his magic teacher, Bob White, who he brings to life through intonation and mimicking Bob’s chain-smoking of Marlboros, using the remains of one cigarette to light the next. And then back to Bob’s long-haired teacher, tracing the lineage back, showcasing how we are all generational by-products through both biology and environment. There is a historical weight to Jared’s show that he never rushes.
Kopf applies that same thoughtful deliberation to his magic. His first trick is the classic cup and ball trick or shell game. This sleight of hand is as old as time, and yet, like the clouds, it still inspires audience awe. Jared is a master at the slow build. He continues to raise the stakes with his cups and spheres (as he calls them). He intentionally slows down the trick, trying to get us to see it happen and even inviting the audience to ask him to slow it down.
Unlike most magic shows which bring a range of audience members onstage, Jared has the same two people onstage with him for the duration of the show. He still interacts with the broader audience, specifically within the context of his card tricks where audience members choose cards. He ends with a card trick that he explains, yet that explanation does not dilute or diminish the sense of wonder that those gathered at Liberty Magic get to collectively experience.
Jared Kopf at Liberty Magic.
Jared’s card tricks include the tarot. He includes a brief history of the tarot, an Italian card game that was adopted by the French before taking on an occult meaning. His own cards are French, and he shows each of the twenty-two pictorial cards of the Major Arcana. There’s a loving leisure in his introduction of each card. He introduces friends, not objects, and he pauses to share the etymology of certain terms or reflect on imagery.
The introduction of the tarot ladders into a tarot reading that evolves into a card trick. It’s an emotional journey that reminds us that while science can explain things, the suspension of disbelief helps us feel things.
Jared recasts our world in magical terms, reminding us we’re all wizards. We all possess the magical power to cast “evil spells” like “I hate you” and “Drink Coke” (there’s humor in his show as well) and “good spells” like “I’m sorry” and “I love you.” Words have power. In a world that can feel divisive, he reminds us of our power and how we can choose “good spells” to create a better world.
You can see Jared Kopf in We Phantom Figures through May 17, 2026, at Liberty Magic (811 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15222). While recommended for 18+, the show is appropriate for the 12+ who are permitted as 13-year-old co-reviewer Theron was enchanted by it. Liberty Magic also offers a Skeleton Key VIP experience to go backstage and connect with Jared after his show. Jared is generous with his time and willingness to answer questions and performs a few additional magic tricks, making it well worth the Skeleton Key experience. Purchase tickets online here.
Most people are familiar with the 1989 star-studded film, “Steel Magnolias”. Robert Harling’s dramatic tragicomedy began as a short story chronicling his sister’s catastrophic battle with Type 1 Diabetes. The short story quickly morphed into a full-length play opening Off-Broadway in 1987. The movie followed.
The main storyline is easy to follow. A group of female neighbors and friends frequently gather at Truvy’s (Tonilyn Jackson) home beauty parlor in Chinquapin, a small town in Louisiana. The women gather to gossip, chat, complain, share opinions, laugh, and support each other– when they’re not bickering. And, of course, sometimes they do get their hair done. Serious topics are interspersed with very funny one-liners. It never gets too serious for too long. Examples– “He’s so dumb he thinks Sherlock Holmes is a subdivision!’ And my personal favorite: “I don’t see plays because I can fall asleep at home for free.”
The show opens in the beauty shop (where all the action takes place) on the morning of Shelby’s (Sarah Puhala) wedding. Truvy recently hired a quiet, meek, young beautician, Annelle (Sydney Mannion). One by one, Annelle is introduced to the women’s circle of friends as they enter the shop to get beautified for the wedding. The widow of the deceased town mayor, Clairee (Barbara Harrold), Oiser (Cindy West), the town grouch, and Shelby’s mother, M’Lynn (Stephanie Ottey), all buzz with excitement about the wedding. The conversation centers on the wedding and Shelby’s plans to start a family. Shelby suffers an episode of diabetic hypoglycemia and loses consciousness. When she recovers, she shares the news that she and Jackson, her future husband, have decided to adopt, since her doctor discouraged her from getting pregnant. The extreme health risks caused by her diabetes make pregnancy a dangerous choice. She’s clearly devastated—her greatest desire is to bear her own children.
The cast of “Steel Magnolias.” Photo Credit: Pittsburgh Performance Photography
Several months later, Shelby is ecstatic to announce to her friends and family that, against all medical advice, she is pregnant. M’Lynn is openly distraught over Shelby’s ill-advised pregnancy. Shelby is confident that her pregnancy will go well — and it does. Even after the baby’s premature birth, both she and her son thrive. Shelby is thrilled and exhilarated to be a mother. Unfortunately, her good health is short-lived. She begins to suffer from kidney failure. What follows is an impressive display of motherly love, courage, strength, and women’s steely resilience.
To the credit of Sean Michael Barrett (director), the entire cast plays their roles with authenticity and a consistently natural ease. He doesn’t take the easy road and portray the characters as stereotypical Southern women. He makes the characters both real and sympathetic. Their accents are never exaggerated and are easy to understand.
Tonilyn Jackson plays Truvy with genuine warmth. She’s a truly charismatic Southern Belle exuding grace and dignity. Truvy’s character needs to be strong enough to hold the play and its characters together. Jackson more than meets the challenge.
Sydney Mannion’s Annelle presents a sweet, naive vulnerability that endears her to the audience. Her expressive face perfectly mirrors her character’s every emotion. She appears almost angelic at times.
Sarah Puhala’s nuanced portrayal of Shelby enchants with her pure, sweet side. She’s a woman who is obsessed with pink, undeniably the most “girly” of all colors. Beneath that feminine softness lies a strong, courageous woman determined to make her own decisions.
Stephanie Ottey’s powerful final monologue is masterfully done. M’Lynn is trying to make sense of what happened to her daughter. Her heart-wrenching grief and confusion are beyond excruciating. Her dynamic delivery leaves not one dry eye in the theater. Truly a stunning performance. WOW! Unforgettable!
Cindy West gives us a crotchety, yet somehow lovable Oiser. She has some of the best laugh lines and delivers them all with perfect timing and tone. Her good heart shines through her irritable demeanor.
Barbara Harrold’s Clairee is the least quirky of the women. She brilliantly shows off her comedy chops in a very funny scene that momentarily lightens the mood of Ottey’s monologue.
Set designer Rob James creates a charming set reflecting the tone of the 1980s. Real beauty shop furniture, retro hair dryers, and a sink with real running water are among the many details that create the homey feeling of the set. Large white trellises festooned with big, colorful magnolias flank the set. The extraordinary, nostalgic set is gorgeous.
Stage 62 is best known for its big splashy musicals. It is lovely to see that the company is also proficient at producing high-quality dramatic comedy. Steel Magnolias is a splendidly done, flawless reminder that life is beautiful, fragile, and sometimes heartbreaking..
In Shelby’s words, “I’d rather have thirty minutes of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special.” This show delivers many more than thirty minutes of wonderful and is, in fact, very special! Marvelous! Don’t miss this one!
Intoxicants and live events have been intertwined since the days of Dionysus, so what better way to pay homage to such a tradition than to put on a show about wine? Add a dash of the supernatural, and you’ve got the makings of a tailgate in Gettysburg, or, more appropriately, The Haunted Theatre Company’s inaugural production of Wine and Spirits, written and directed by Michael McGovern, now running at Margaret Partee Performing Arts Center in Bellevue, PA.
An original show by Pittsburgh scribe, Michael McGovern, Wine and Spirits follows siblings Guy and Judy Chambers on their visit to the Chambers Mansion at the Chambers Winery, upon hearing the news of their uncle’s passing. While there, they encounter an assortment of relatives and some ghoulish guests. Chock-full of horror and humor, it’s a refreshing breath of originality in the scene’s community theatre circuit.
The script comes to life thanks to the efforts of the show’s cast. Eddie Kunz amusingly leads the charge as Guy Chambers, a playwright who just so happens to be the butt of many jokes. Writers are the worst. Completing him comedically is his satisfyingly sardonic sister, Judy Chambers, played by Trinity Griffin. The two have a fun dynamic that propels parts of the plot. Jordan Coury is a delight as Henry Chambers, the pretentious relative who makes a living reviewing wine. That might be my next step. His physicality and penchant for peculiar pronunciation are highlights of his scenes. Nicole Brady is a lot of fun as Piper Banks, an aspiring actress and a cousin to many of the others, although the latter doesn’t prevent Guy from becoming enamored with her. Mary Ann Chambers, the last member of the family, is given an electrified performance by Gina Preciado. Jon Poli joins her as Bramwell Tripp, a rather amorous hanger-on. Equally silly and sleazy, Poli is a great addition to the fold. Rounding out the cast are Tom Sarp and Mary Randolph as Rogers and Dolores, respectively. The servants of the estate, the duo provide a fair share of laughs, especially with their comic disfigurements.
Nicole Brady and Jordan Coury.
Of course, the technical elements of the show do some heavy lifting as well. Playing into a story included in the program, ghosts from the company’s past make their presence known by toying around with the lights and sound. Pamela Cashdollar is the one responsible for wrangling them, in addition to her duties as the show’s photographer. Otherwise, the behind-the-scenes contributions are helmed by an army of hardworking, flesh-and-blood individuals. Set designer Robert Hockenberry masterminded the detailed set. Audio is made possible by Dan Sterzinger who runs sound and Britt Pierce, who designed it. Similarly, Barbara Sawatis runs the lighting designed by Wendy L. Rea. Samantha Sanford executes special effects and makeup, while Shawn Karabinos handled the show’s graphic design work. None of this would even be possible without the expert guidance of the stage manager, Gretchen Beck.
Margaret Partee Performing Arts Center is a quaint venue in the heart of Bellevue, PA. Although on the smaller side, it hosts an impressive array of events and performances, most of which are plays by the Pittsburgh Savoyards. Along with The Rage of the Stage Players, The Haunted Theatre Company has established a residence in the space, wonderful news for the creative scene in the North Boros.
Despite the spooky history detailed in the programs, The Haunted Theatre Company is a new artistic outfit proposing to produce five seasons of entertaining shows. Headed by writer and director Michael McGovern, the group is set to realize that goal with a second production slated for the fall.
-JS
Wine and Spirits continues its run May 14th-16th at 8 pm and May 17th at 2 pm. at Margaret Partee Performing Arts Center in Bellevue, PA. For tickets and more information, click here.
Want a challenge? Stage William Shakespeare’s infrequently produced early comedy, Love’s Labour’s Lost, knowing fully well how few audience members will have any significant familiarity with the play beyond its alliterative title. Oh, and do so with paper puppets projected onto a screen. And throw in a singalong with the audience to close out the festivities. Interested?
Steel City Shakespeare Center accepts that challenge with verve and vision, proving that they are a theatre company meriting serious attention in the Pittsburgh arts community. Beautifully designed and superbly executed, their production of Love’s Labour’s Lost fashions a unique, not-to-be-missed theatrical experience.
The play itself begins with what seems an outrageously difficult task when King Ferdinand of Navarre (Aaron Crutchfield) charges three high-ranking courtiers—Berowne, Dumaine, and Longaville (the first two voiced by Bob Colbert, the third by Matthew Hartman)—to forego all physical gratification for the sake of scholarly pursuits: “Our court shall be a little academe,” boasts the sovereign, “Still and contemplative in living art” (1.1.13-14). This royal fiat—which includes an edict forbidding any woman within a mile of court—swiftly becomes a sticky wicket once the Princess of France (Anne Forrest) arrives with her entourage of ladies (Sarah Elizabeth as Maria and Ella Mizera as Rosaline and Katherine), sparking love and romance in place of arcane intellection. What follows is a mélange of elements that recur throughout Shakespearean comedy: the verbal fencing of eventual lovers so well beloved in Much Ado About Nothing; disguises and misidentifications such as we find in Twelfth Night and As You Like It; and a metatheatrical sequence that presages the work of Peter Quince and friends in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. We get a few important surprises, too, making Love’s Labour’s Lost a distinctive presence in the Shakespeare canon.
Shakespearean puppetry.
Álvaro Muñoz as the braggart Don Adriano de Armado and Joseph Vasquez as his page, Moth, complete a terrific cast of voice actors whose passion for their craft resonates throughout the evening. While Colbert, one of Pittsburgh’s best interpreters of Shakespeare, delivers an expectedly splendid performance (and he plays the accordion to boot), the actors prove to be impressive.
Director Cat Aceto deserves special notice for her designs and puppeteering. Along with Skylar Rella and Jenna Simmons, Aceto treats us to a striking display of shadow-theatre storytelling. The puppets are wonderfully constructed and varied, combining human forms with the heads of assorted animals—deer, rabbits, giraffes, owls, and many beyond—to render a theriocephalic spectacle that puts us in mind of folkloric magic generally and of Nick Bottom’s adventures among the fairies specifically. Together with the cast’s keen performances, the puppetry truly elevates this production to a remarkable level of achievement.
Not surprisingly, Steel City Shakespeare Center scores a very palpable hit with their current showing of Love’s Labour’s Lost. The company takes artistic risks with alacrity, in part because the talent and imagination of this troupe’s members ensure success. To paraphrase Moth (5.1.35), this production offers a great feast of theatrical languages—voice acting, puppetry, music-making—certain to delight newcomers to the Bard as surely as it will please connoisseurs.
-TR
Steel City Shakespeare Center’s production of “Love’s Labour’s Lost” continues 15 and 16 May, 7.00 PM, at the Tracey D. Turner Studio, Northmont United Presbyterian Church, 8169 Perry Highway, Pittsburgh, PA 15237. For information and tickets, please visit here.
Reviewed by Dr. Tiffany Knight Raymond, PhD, and Theron Raymond (7th grade)
Pittsburgh Musical Theater brings Dear Evan Hansen to the stage. It’s about teen suicide, specifically the suicide of a teenager named Connor Murphy (Joshua Clark). The dark subject matter is not characteristically musical-like, and since most of the songs are solos, Lucas Fedele’s choreography becomes more of an afterthought.
Connor snags a letter Evan (Anthony Marino Jr.) has written to himself out of the high school computer lab printer. It’s an assignment from Evan’s therapist. When Connor’s body is found, the note is on his person. Since it’s addressed to “Dear Evan Hansen” and signed “me,” Connor is presumed to be the author.
Tucker Topel’s set design is spare. A large frame at a canted angle arches over the stage, and other posts extend upward to anchor it. These towering elements are lit in varying colors to signify different characters and moods. They’re often overlaid with projections from visual media designer Scott Andrew. While striking, they don’t have as much visual impact as they could because of the frames’ narrowness.
Evan is a milquetoast and doesn’t speak the truth when he learns about Connor’s passing and the note from Connor’s parents. In his effort to provide comfort, Evan slides into assuming the role of Connor’s best friend, despite the fact that they barely knew each other. Evan’s long-term obsession with Connor’s younger sister, Zoe (Erin Cain), significantly complicates his motives to nurture his relationship with the Murphys.
Anthony Marino Jr. as Evan Hansen. Photo Credit: Matt Polk
Connor struggled with substance abuse and was both feared and disliked. Ironically, it is only through Evan that Connor comes to life – and becomes likable. But the same is true for Evan. Evan goes from weird outcast to popular by association. Connor’s death creates a viral moment that people want to associate with. The play explores the lengths one goes to in order to extend a moment and keep something significant when the world is constantly moving on. In a world of social media-driven attention spans, new tragedies and events continually draw us in other directions.
Director Tim Seib has Marino lean into a disarmingly quiet presence that brings both Connor and Evan to life through storytelling. Their fictional friendship reflects a heart-achingly real wish for connection. Evan’s only friends are his “family friend” Jared (Max Milligan) and another socially awkward classmate, Alana (Maya Fullard). Both Fullard and Milligan create memorable supporting characters without overplaying their roles. Fullard continually talks over Marino to corner her own piece of Connor’s memory, reminding his parents she was one of his “best acquaintances,” and you can see the wheels spinning as she wants to parlay the moment into a college application essay.
Evan loves trees; nature provides a companionship and comfort he can’t find with humans. It’s not accidental that the fictional friendship takes place at an abandoned apple orchard that Connor used to visit with his family. Apples are symbols of temptation, and Evan succumbs to the temptation to keep elaborating on this fictional friendship to draw closer to the Murphy family. They’re upper-middle-class and embrace Evan. This contrasts with Evan’s hard-working single mom, who’s rarely home as she struggles to make ends meet as a nurse’s aide while also completing her education. Her absence in Evan’s life is understandable, but it’s one more dimension of his loneliness that is countered by the affirmation and attention the Murphys give him.
You know this house of cards must eventually collapse, and that anticipation heightens as Evan is caught in a swirl of his own lies that is at odds with the genuine affection he has for the Murphys and his attraction to Zoe. While Steven Levenson’s book elides climactic confrontation, the staging dynamically compensates. The musical opens with the two moms in a duet, singing about “making this up as I go.” It’s not just a line about parenting but about life, and Dear Evan Hansen inspires deeper discussions about how we each make it up as we go. Those choices can never be perfect, but thanks to Dear Evan Hansen, they do inspire reflection.
-TRK, Ph.D. & TR
Pittsburgh Musical Theater’s production of Dear Evan Hansen runs through May 24, 2026, at the Gargaro Theatre, 327 S. Main Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15220. Purchase tickets online here.
If Point Park University alerts Seymour Krelborn to the frost advisory currently in effect for Pittsburgh, let’s hope he doesn’t put Audrey II out on Forbes Avenue overnight—we would miss a terrific new production of Alan Menken and Howard Ashman’s hilarious musical, Little Shop of Horrors.
Admittedly, the diffident but loveable florist Seymour (Braden Max Stroppel) has good reason to wish the otherworldly plant Audrey II (Bianca Dixon) out of his life. A bloom with vampiric tendencies and a taste for human beings, Audrey II happens into Seymour’s hands after a solar eclipse takes place. Seymour names the plant for his secret love, Audrey (Mariana Sarmento), who works with him at a nearly bankrupt Skid Row flower shop owned by the often-irascible Mr. Mushnik (Konstantin Kipshidze). When Mushnik allows Seymour to display the plant in the street-side window, the shop’s fortunes take an instant turn for the better—seemingly. Soon enough, though, Audrey II’s sinister thirsts compel Seymour to seek out sustenance for her, leading him to plan the murder of Audrey’s sadistic dentist-boyfriend, Dr. Orin Scrivello (Logan Johnson). After Orin dies of a nitrous oxide overdose, Seymour gives his remains to Audrey II, initiating a terrible sequence of events that intensifies the chaos at Mushnik’s shop even as it betters the profits beyond what anyone could have imagined.
Seymour (Braden Max Stroppel) meets Audrey II.
Like Cats or Sweeney Todd, Little Shop of Horrors is an eccentric masterpiece that asks a lot of its performers and technical staff. The cast and crew of this Point Park offering have the vision and commitment to make it succeed. As Seymour, Stroppel commands the stage without ever losing the thread of his character’s charming forlornness as it evolves from “Grow For Me” to “Suddenly Seymour” and beyond. Sarmento sings goldenly, most notably in her gorgeous rendition of “Somewhere That’s Green.” Kipshidze anchors the triumvirate of principals with a fine sense of world-weariness tempered with a quiet compassion and an inclination to hope against hope. Johnson delights as Orin, finding the essential vein of humor in his sometimes polite but always cruel character. Chiffon (Kat Bruce), Crystal (Mia Laverne), and
Ronette (Kendal Williams) comprises a savvy, skeptical chorus whose lovely voices and enthusiastic performances endow this production with a graceful cohesion. Dixon ensures that Audrey II plays as funny as she is menacing—no mean achievement for a character in which 1930s horror cinema meets 1960s Motown brilliance. And, of course, Luka DePasquale, Madyn Harris, and Jo Welch do excellent work with Stella Frazer’s strikingly designed puppets. The production staff, under Michael Campayno’s sure-handed direction, deserves recognition, with the work of dance captain Jayla McDonald, choreographer Latrea Rembert, and sound designer Zach Moore particularly notable. Add in a splendid orchestra conducted by Camille Villalpando Rolla, and the formula for an outstanding evening is complete.
As this new spring brings old temperatures back to the region, remember to bring in your plants—unless you find Audrey II among them. If you do, please have her go to the Pittsburgh Playhouse right away. She has songs to sing and murders to commit for Point Park’s exceptional interpretation of Little Shop of Horrors.
Diets have been all the rage throughout history. Germany had a Diet of Worms, Gandhi ate nothing, and lions in Rome ate Christians. Greece has been a hotbed of health fads, serving as one of the progenitors of the “Mediterranean Diet,” but before they touted the benefits of fish and fruit, they enjoyed the “Aegean Diet,” children’s pot pie. It’s because of this feast of champions, and maybe some additional sacrifice, that they can emerge victoriously in the Trojan War, which is discussed in Steel City Shakespeare Center’s production of Agamemnon, directed by Alexandra Hellinger and Lauren Scheller-Wolf, now running at West View Hubworks in West View, PA.
The first part of the Oresteia Trilogy by Aeschylus (the Daddy of Sadness)—Aggro Pokemon. No. Itchy Nimrod. No. Achey Samsung. No. Agamemnon. Yes—Agamemnon is a story about the titular king’s homecoming after a decade of fighting. While he’s anticipating a warm welcome, his wife Clytemnestra, of all people, is plotting his murder so she can get with her lover, Aegisthus. If the king gets a side piece, why shouldn’t she? Her new boo has a bone or two to pick with ol’ Aggy, which results in history’s most awful bath time. Taft’s got nothin’ on him!
Promotional poster.
The amazing actors are the backbone of this production, with most doing double duty in their roles, playing a major character and a member of the chorus. Bob Colbert is tremendous as everyone’s favorite Grecian knife block, Agamemnon. His booming voice and physicality make him seem larger than life. Sarah Elizabeth captivated as the conniving Clytemnestra, complemented by the vengeful Aegisthus, played expertly by Álvaro Muñoz. Colleen Nammond’s tremendous turn as Cassandra is foretold the moment she takes the stage. Trevor Buda has his eyes on the prize as the Watchman as well as the Chorus Leader, while Felicia Perez proclaims her prowess as the Herald. Anna Bopp, Soren Mills, and Joseph Vasquez round out the cast as impassioned players in the chorus.
Technical elements are sparse. Nearly nonexistent. Lighting is left to the ceiling bulbs. Sound is dictated by the venue’s acoustics. The handful of props and costumes merely decorate the world brought to life by the cast’s efforts. Intimate and raw, this 90-minute theatrical experience demonstrates the power of live performance.
Steel City Shakespeare Center is a terrific company that has been putting on stellar shows for several years. This is but the first production in an exciting season, and every play of theirs further proves that they are a staple of the scene. From age-old classics to more contemporary titles, SCSC has created quite a legacy for itself, inspiring and helping future generations of thespians hone their talent.
West View Hubworks is a neat performance space. Although a bit different from a typical theatre, it can still host feats of imagination and triumphs of art. Part of a larger organization that does so much to foster a better world, West View is lucky to be the home to a place where all kinds of folks can be dazzled by the talent and tenacity of people who love what they do.
-JS
Agamemnon continues its run April 17th-April 19th at West View Hubworks in West View, PA.
“Imagine instead of posting your life on your social media, imagine you are a member of a community where you can print your photographs, and once a week, you come to an event where you can share those with other people. You can share the work you’ve made, which gives you time to really understand and learn what your work is. And you don’t have to come and say ‘I made this photograph with a Nikon this and that, with this lens, and F8 at 125’—all of that can fade away because the work is what matters now. The work is what matters, not how you made it. I want to see the work become what’s important.”
For Robert Ketcham, imagining a place to practice photography that focuses on seeing the photograph just as much as seeing the photographer, has been a work in progress. However, when Ketcham first entered the building located in downtown Braddock, he captured a vision of what this place could be.
Artist Robert Ketcham
“The building kind of chose me,” Ketcham said. “I was working for Gregg Kander, [who] was in the middle of the Ohringer building, and he bought another property up the street that everyone just knew of, which had been Woolworth’s. That’s as far back as anybody went. It took me a lot of digging to figure out that Andrew Carnegie, himself, in 1891, bought that piece of property where the building at 818 Braddock Ave, it’s called the Braddock Arts and Media building now, where Braddock Photo Works will be housed, was bought to move the Carnegie Cooperative Store.”
Braddock Photo Works
He described looking at the back of the first floor, which has a 15-foot ceiling, and he thought, “I could do a dark room here. This could be something related to photography, and this is in 2019 that I’m starting to have these ideas.”
He imagined it much like the former Pittsburgh Filmmakers, where people could use a traditional dark room or computers, including any editing software for digital photography.
“It was always not far from my mind that this would be a great photo center,” Ketcham stated. “I want to make sure that this space has what every photographer or aspiring photographer or retired photographer or anybody with even a casual interest in photography would want to visit and learn more about what we do.”
Eventually, Ketcham decided he needed to start a nonprofit focused on photography education. In naming the new nonprofit, Ketcham resolved on Braddock Photo Works. He had considered using “Cooperative” to tie into the building’s historical lineage. Still, he intentionally chose “Works” as a homage to Edgar Thomson Steel Works and the US Steel Mills of Pittsburgh, especially in Braddock.
“Works is a place where work is done, where things are made…It told the story in the name, which is what I wanted.”
Ketcham was just as intentional about selecting Braddock as the location for his photography nonprofit. As Ketcham describes it, when he first came to Pittsburgh in 2002, he asked to see the steel mills and was told that there weren’t any, except in Braddock, but he shouldn’t go there. “That’s all I needed to hear,” Ketcham reflected, “I was here [in Braddock] with a camera immediately and have been photographing Braddock ever since.”
This year, Braddock Photo Works has already engaged with the community in meaningful ways. From an introductory community gathering at Public House in February of this year to the first of many photo walks around Braddock, taking place just this past October, what happens inside the building is equally important to Ketcham as what happens to the community outside it.
“Our first event as Braddock Photo Works was recently a partnership with the American Society of Media Photographers, Pittsburgh branch, to do a photo walk in Braddock, and the response was overwhelming. We had a great group of photographers who were very enthusiastic about photography, but by the time they left, they were enthusiastic about Braddock.
“It was just so gratifying to watch as everyone just went off, they would see something, and they would go off to make a photograph that they wanted. And that’s exactly what I wanted to see. I wanted to see people immersed in photography, then come together with people they didn’t know, never met, to discuss things, introduce themselves, and talk about their work and their goals in photography. Over the course of 5-6 hours, that’s what happened.”
Ketcham’s own photography, which he primarily exhibits in black and white, also documents the changing landscape of Braddock and now seeks to share it with and contribute to the community he knows and honors so well.
“I had a camera firmly in my hand since I was 15 years old,” Ketcham continued, “My photography began in the dark room. I got tired of paying someone else to develop my film, so I took the photography classes. When I had a study hall, I would get a pass to go to the darkroom. After school, as long as I could stay, I would work in the dark room.
“There’s almost nowhere to go that you can use a dark room…where you can go and complete the process. While you’re developing the film, you’re learning to interpret your vision. What you have tried to make in the camera into a negative, and ultimately into a print…I want everybody to have the full experience of what making a photograph can be.
“Photography has been around for a long time. And a lot of the technique and process have come and gone. But a lot of those alternative, old processes like tin type, platinum printing…and all of these absolutely gorgeous and magnificent ways to make a print exist… For any of these processes, I want to be able to offer the education and facilities where they can be done.
“The educational component of [Braddock] Photo Works would also include the basics, looking at photographs. There are all kinds of different ways to, even people who are not photographers could take advantage of something like that—seeing, learning to see again. Part of the ultimate goal from doing classes with kids, local kids, summer programs, [is] you get to keep the camera we got you. Those are the things I look forward to seeing.”
In our modern society, teaching people to see again has become increasingly important, given the shortened attention spans caused by social media scrolling and the various risks posed by an onslaught of AI-generated images. Ketcham is rightfully concerned about how AI will affect the future of photography.
“From a generative standpoint, it’s a genie that you can’t put back in the bottle. It’s cheap, it’s the lazy way out as opposed to sending a photographer to use their brain and imagination and skills and talent, to make a photograph… I don’t want AI to doctor my photo. The idea is to get it right in the camera so that you don’t have to do that. And that goes all the way back to film: you’re spending less time in the darkroom trying to correct a print. Get it right in the camera, you don’t have to worry about it.”
For Braddock Photo Works’ role in a mainstream AI-dominated world, Ketcham stated, “All I want to do, in my own little piece of the world, is provide an alternative. Ketcham went on to quote one of his favorite quotes from Alfred Stieglitz, an early pioneer in the movement to make photography seen as art. The quote, “Photography is not just about capturing what’s in front of you; it’s about capturing what’s inside of you as well,” reflects much more about the process of making a photograph, and for Ketcham, “That’s something that I can’t imagine AI will ever do.”
Having stood in the place where Braddock Photo Works will eventually be filed with seasoned and budding photographers, I can say with confidence this space is much needed for the arts in Pittsburgh. Its interior mirrors the collaborative hub of any great artistic community, and Braddock is all the better for it. The exterior, adorned with colored lights and mural art painted by internationally recognized artists, is a beacon for the future of Braddock.
My conversation with Ketcham covered more subjects than this article can convey, including the current risks to investigative journalists, the return of Polaroid cameras among Gen Z, Ketcham’s personal pet peeve, his Henry Project, and much more. For the complete conversation, take a listen below. To stay updated on Braddock Photo Works, follow along on Instagram @braddock_photo_works. Any questions on how to get involved, please get in touch with Robert Ketcham directly through his website: https://rjketchamphotography.com/contact/
Tucked between greenery and hanging from the glass windows of The Frick Pittsburgh Greenhouse, Atticus Adams’ abstract sculptures are like cocoons waiting to birth something magical. “The Catching Sunbeams From The Porch Swing of Wisteria Castle” exhibition featuring Adams’ work is on display through October 26th.
Adams’ art captured the attention of the Frick Museums & Gardens after he shared his dream of exhibiting his artwork in a greenhouse atmosphere with the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council. The CEO of GPAC, Patrick Fisher, put Adams in touch with the Frick Museums & Gardens. “Atticus visited the Frick, and we visited his studio and [we] were utterly charmed by him and his work,” says Dawn R. Brean, Chief Curator & Director of Collections. “Atticus’ ethereal and nostalgic sculptures now hang from the windows and ceilings of our greenhouse and add a whimsical touch to the vibrant, flora-filled oasis. We love that our historic site continues to be a source of inspiration for artists working today.” Brean adds.
For his sculptures, Adams uses a variety of natural and industrial materials, including crystals, mesh, wire, and metals such as aluminum, copper, and steel. Describing his work, Atticus says, “I come from a tradition of using simple, easily available materials for creative expression. I like to think of my work as Neo-Appalachian folk art.”
Adams was raised in West Virginia, and much of his childhood there remains a part of the work he produces today as a Pittsburgh-based artist. He explores themes of childhood wonder and nostalgia through his choice of materials and artistic process, which are reminiscent of his childhood memories, such as spending hours on his grandmother’s porch swing, building forts out of quilt blankets, or watching a wisteria vine spill over the edges of a window sill in his grandmother’s home. Walking through the Frick Pittsburgh Greenhouse, you feel as though you’re stepping into your grandmother’s garden again, full of surprising trinkets and knick-knacks.
For this particular display, Adams’ art is primarily associated with the Frick family. Brean explains, “Atticus created a site-specific sculpture that was inspired by our history, collections, and founder, Helen Clay Frick. Before creating the sculpture, Atticus and I reviewed Helen’s collections and spent time in her room to give him a sense of what she liked as a child. From that, he created a pink mesh sculpture featuring a bird’s nest inside of it, with the different sections of the nest representing the members of the Frick family.”
For Adams, representation through sculpture is tied to memory, places, and the meaning of home. Much like Helen Clay Frick, who also had an affinity for her childhood home, Adams’ message is this: “Though grander houses existed, Clayton was home. This piece seeks to honor that sentiment—home not as grandeur, but as the quiet keeper of one’s deepest affections.”
If you’re feeling homesick for a place or person, catch some sunbeams at The Frick Pittsburgh Greenhouse and enjoy Adams’ airy, artistic sculptures amidst the array of plants.
GM
The Frick Pittsburgh Greenhouse is open Tuesday through Sunday, from 10:15 AM to 3:00 PM. Learn more about the artist by visiting: atticusadams.com
Pittsburgh Musical Theater (PMT), literally and figuratively, made an announcement from on high as it declared its 25/26 season with a stunning preview concert at the West End Overlook.
Ben Sheedy, joined by Brecken Newton Farrell, Elexa Lindsay Hanner, Kamilah Lay, Dylan Pal and an phalanx of student singer, actors and dancers announced upcoming season by singing songs from their featured shows. The shows include “Annie,” “Dear Evan Hansen,” “Disney’s Newsies,” “Evil Dead the Musical,” Beetlejuice JR.,” and “A Lyrical Christmas Carol.”
The cast of the “Broadway at the Overlook” show.
The “Broadway at the Overlook” show had some memorable moments. The students acted out a scene from “Newsies” before launching into a song. Their exaggerated New York accents were hilarious, especially listening to them mangle the word “oyster,” a bit from the original Disney movie, “Newsies.”
Farrell’s “For Forever” from “Dear Evan Hansen” was remarkable. It was a big swing and he knocked it out of the park.
Hanner was spectacular singing a solo from “Beetlejuice, Jr.,” a shortened kid-friendly version of the Movie-to-Broadway-Musical.
The pièce de résistance came when the entire assemble gyrated to “Do the Necronomicon,” the silliest song from the silliest of musicals, “Evil Dead – the Musical.”
The show ended with a bright and buoyant rendition of “Tomorrow” from “Annie.”
‘Broadway at the Overlook’ is a free CitiParks event with a family-friendly, community atmosphere. Attendees are encouraged to arrive early and pack a picnic for an evening full of live music with the city skyline as the backdrop as professional performers alongside PMT Conservatory students bring the magic of Broadway to life.
Its not a fun-free evening, but a fun, free evening. Make sure you dress appropriately, Friday’s show was extremely chilly for the end of August, even in Pittsburgh.
-MB
“Broadway at the Overlook” runs the rest of the weekend at the West End Overlook. You can learn more about the concert and PMT’s upcoming season by please clicking here.
