Category: Uncategorized

By Timothy Ruppert

At the Lillie Theatre this week, Pittsburghers have the opportunity to look almost a century into the city’s past—and this Treebeans production ensures that audience members will be surprised by what they find.

The year is 1934, and the merry excesses of the Jazz Age have given way to the soup-kitchen queues and boarded bank doors of the Great Depression. The place is a holding area in the federal courthouse, and the fish out of water is the immensely wealthy Andrew Mellon (Michael McBurney). As he waits to learn whether he will be indicted for tax evasion, Mellon meets a poor but high-spirited Italian immigrant, Mike (Naquin Pulliam), who has been detained for moonshine-making. With no knowledge of his cellmate’s power and prestige (even mispronouncing the financier’s name to rhyme with ‘matrimony’), Mike offers Mellon something the latter has seldom experienced: friendship. His feelings of aloneness diminish with Mike’s gregariousness, and Mellon reveals much about his past—including his long-suppressed romantic regrets.

A fictionalization of actual events, Andy Malone exemplifies the old idea from the Roman poet Horace that art should be dulce et utile, pleasing and educative alike. Frank Motz’s script presents history with heart, and Kaitlyn Wittig Menguc directs smartly and sensitively. Excellent as a matter of course, McBurney renders Mellon without hauteur, ensuring that we view with sympathy a figure of scarcely imaginable privilege. A fine performer in their own right, Pulliam negotiates nicely between the gauche and the grand to establish for Mike the unstudied charisma that ultimately sways the now-elderly Mellon to see both his past and his future in a new and better way. As the bailiff, Thom DeLair generates laughs with a delightfully hyperbolic yinzer accent. Teresa Martuccio’s costumes are wonderful, as is Ally Tayag Ricarte’s lighting design.

The evening’s coda, entitled Fannie Jones Monologue, recontextualizes facts about both Mellon and Mike through the device of an academic presentation, complete with images and text projected onto the Lillie Theatre’s upstage red-brick wall. Written by Patricia Lowry and performed by Menguc, this monologue provides an evidential account of Mellon’s life and times, featuring important details about “Hell-with-the-lid-off” Pittsburgh in its hyper-industrialized past. Martuccio, who stages this section of the show with Menguc, has an exceptional walk-on.

After the show, I remarked to my wife Heather that, despite having lived in this city for quite some time, I knew very little about Mellon beyond the fact that he possessed a Croesus-like fortune. One of the foremost charms of the companion pieces Andy Malone and Fannie Jones Monologue involves that very sense of discovery. I commend the cast and crew of this production for telling the story of an unlikely intersection of fates with such alacrity and care.

From first to last, Andy Malone proves as edifying as it is heartfelt. Moreover, the Lillie Theatre provides an ideal venue for this production (and is something of a time portal for me, as my first play was staged there twenty-six years ago). I recommend this show enthusiastically and promise that the theatergoers who get to see it will deem it sweet and instructive indeed.

—TR

“Andy Malone,” with “Fannie Jones Monologue,” runs at the Lillie Theatre, 1300 Bingham Street, Pittsburgh, 15203, through 16 August. For tickets, visit here.      

By Timothy Ruppert

As Robert Hockenberry asks in the “Director’s Note” for the Pittsburgh Savoyards’ world premiere of Sherlock Holmes and the Web of Deceit, “what can we do that isn’t a tired retread of what came before?” Perhaps this question may be addressed effectively with another: “What might take place when cold-blooded intellection clashes against a heartfelt mind?” Hockenberry’s adaptation, focusing principally on Arthur Conan Doyle’s short story “The Final Problem,” pits the celebrated Sherlock Holmes (Frederick Coleman) against the inimical Professor James Moriarty (Sean Lenhart) in a high-stakes battle that proves a delight from first to last.

Sherlock Holmes and the Web of Deceit brings together elements of several Doyle narratives to create a veritable Bayeux Tapestry of Sherlockian lore. Whether one knows the Holmes canon more or less precisely, this show offers terrifically fun access to the story of Holmes’s grand efforts against Moriarty and his network of dangerous miscreants. Familiar characters who appear in this play include The Sign of Four’s Mary Marstan (Amanda Leigh), the much-admired Irene Adler (Jocelyn Hillen) of “A Scandal in Bohemia,” and Holmes’s irrepressible landlady, Mrs. Hudson (Janette Schafer).

While several superbly choreographed fight scenes externalize the ongoing conflict between Holmes and Moriarty, some of the play’s finest moments involve quieter expressions of tension between Holmes and Moriarty—a raised eyebrow, a furtive glance, a sharpened vocal inflection. We see this especially towards the close of Act One when Holmes and Moriarty first directly confront one another at 221B Baker Street, after which the game is truly afoot.

Several factors contribute successfully to fashioning the symmetry between all-out fisticuffs and more subtle combat, including exceptional costuming (Morgan Hunter and Gracelynn Jack) and props (Andrea Lisiak and Lara Rogers). With some patience, the audience is treated to beautifully evocative set designs (Robert Hockenberry). Put together, these elements render the late-Victorian ambiance quite nicely, in no small part thanks to Rogers, Gretchen Beck (stage manager), and Amanda Orr (stagehand).

As always, the Pittsburgh Savoyards ensemble captures the Victorian spirit in both its comedic and more somber aspects, eliciting laughs and gasps with impressive collaborative aplomb. Despite looking younger than the traditional Holmes portrayer, Coleman strikes an at-times breathtaking pose on a tightrope between high cognition and deep humaneness. As Moriarty, Lenhart chills the blood with a calm and patient psychopathy—wholly urbane and utterly without conscience. Other standouts from the opening-night cast include Todd Foose as the tirelessly faithful Dr. John Watson, Tamara Marlise Manzetti as the menacing Sabine Moran, and Hillen as the ever-mysterious Adler.  Add a major shoutout to Emma Schmigel as Wiggins, the scene-stealing Baker Street Irregular.

Intricately allusive and charmingly novel, Sherlock Holmes and the Web of Deceit weaves a new web for old spiders. With a double cast of keenly talented performers divided into a “Gilbert” and a “Sullivan” cast performing in alternation, I recommend seeing this show twice. Audiences should note that, while the Holmes material is reimagined with loyalty to the source, this play does not make mention of Holmes’s more troubling habits and is a family-friendly and wholesome production (albeit with the use of fake firearms). Hurry, while the game is still afoot!

—TR

Sherlock Holmes and the Web of Deceit runs through July 26, 2026, in the heart of Bellevue at the Margaret Partee Performing Arts Center, 523 Lincoln Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15202. For tickets and more information, please click here.

 

 

 

By Lonnie the Theater Lady

“Talley’s Folly” opens with Jewish immigrant Matt Friedman (Rob Hockenberry) breaking the fourth wall to tell the audience that the length of the play is ninety-seven minutes. Why? Because that is the exact amount of time it takes to properly tell the story of how he meets and falls in love with the conservative Protestant, Sally Talley (Rebekah Hukill).

The two unlikely sweethearts met the previous year on the Fourth of July. They haven’t seen each other since. However, Matt has faithfully written Sally a letter every day of the past year. Sally replied only once and offered Matt absolutely no romantic encouragement. Her lack of interest does not deter Matt, who surprises Sally by showing up at her home uninvited. He informed her in a letter that he planned to spend the Fourth of July with her. Nonetheless, she was shocked to see him. They spend the evening in the privacy of Sally’s family’s weather-worn, rustic boathouse (cleverly constructed by Sabrina Hykes-Davis, set designer). Their conversation starts uncomfortably with some verbal sparring. They discuss the complications their religious and cultural differences create. Eventually, their conversation gets deeper as they delve into each other’s past experiences. They both reveal personal secrets, leading to a better understanding of each other. They need to overcome societal prejudices and their own painful pasts if these two vulnerable, tender people can ever reach a level of acceptance and love for each other.

Enough cannot be said about the brilliant performances of both actors. Neither missed a beat nor fumbled even one line. It is a remarkable task for a one-act play, abundant with complex dialogue. They both portray their flawed, yet sympathetic characters with consistent honesty.

Hockenberry authentically embodies an emotionally traumatized man seeking a loving relationship to fulfill him and bring him a measure of happiness. His understanding and respect for Matt’s complexity evoke support from the audience.

Hukill’s Sally is an equally damaged character. Hukill stunningly manifests Sally’s fears, often expressing them as aloofness and anger. Hukill’s transformation to a softer, sweeter Sally highlights her fragile humanity.

Melissa Hill Grande (director) maximizes the talents of both actors in this intricately written dramedy.

Fun fact: (1980) Pulitzer Prize Drama winner “Talley’s Folly” is the second play in Lanford Wilson’s “The Talley Trilogy.” All three plays are about the wealthy Talley family.

This powerful production captivates with its compelling themes, nuanced performances, and a most welcome beacon of hope.

“Talley’s Folly” runs through May 31 at South Park Theatre, 1801 Brownsville Road South Park, PA 15129.  For tickets or additional information, click here ://sites.google.com/a/southparktheatre.com/south-park-theatre/

 

 

 

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’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.

By Lonnie the Theater Lady

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.

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!

LtTL

For tickets and more information, click here.

 

By: Joseph Szalinski

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.

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 14^th-16^th at 8 pm and May 17^th at 2 pm. at Margaret Partee Performing Arts Center in Bellevue, PA. For tickets and more information, click here. 

By Timothy Ruppert

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.

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.

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.

By Timothy Ruppert

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.

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.

—TR

“Little Shop of Horrors” runs through 3 May at the PNC Theatre, Pittsburgh Playhouse, 350 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15222. For more information, please visit https://playhouse.pointpark.edu/shows-events/conservatory-theatre/Little-Shop-of-Horrors/.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Joseph Szalinski

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!

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 17^th-April 19^th at West View Hubworks in West View, PA.