Category: Culture
Q&A: Actor Shamika Cotton on the ‘Female Gaze’ of Her African-Carribbean Feminist Spy Character, Marianne Angelle
“I think the thing that resonates with me the most about Marianne is her willingness to jump in the fight for “freedom, justice, humanity” in spite of the inherent sacrifice that comes with that. Such bravery. A human bravery, which comes with a nagging fear which can only be dealt with by finding allies that can help you along the way.”
Q&A with City Theatre: #PayWhatYourWant and Radical Hospitality in the Arts
Affordability has been a frequent factor for many of my arts and cultural decisions over the years. As a disabled social worker, my income only stretches so far and has historically been constrained by my profession. My first trip to City Theatre was as an invited guest of a dear friend in 2003 and I […]
Editorial Cartoonist Rob Rogers Latest Strips Erased From Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
In another bitter blow to journalism in Western Pennsylvania, the Post-Gazette’s new editorial team (based in Toledo, Ohio) are refusing to publish the latest editorial cartoons created by Pittsburgh based Rob Rogers. You can probably guess the content? Rob Rogers is the award-winning editorial cartoonist for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. His cartoons have been vexing and […]
Q&A with Singer-Writer Jill Sobule Live in Pittsburgh This Weekend Only
Your Name: Jill Sobule Your Pronouns: her/She How do you describe your identity? Jeepers, I kind of don’t think about that as much. I guess “bi”, “fluid”, “queer”? They all could work We last ‘spoke’ via Q&A in 2013 when you came to town with the Julia & Jill Show. So I’ll skip the usual […]
Q&A with Stephin Merritt of the Magnetic Fields
When I read that the Magnetic Fields were coming to Pittsburgh for a two-show performance of their latest album ‘50 Song Memoir‘ – I threw caution to the wind and requested an interview with Stephin Merritt. He can obviously have his pick of all the mainstream media in the region; I was hoping that his […]
Q&A: ‘Nomad Motel’ Playwright Carla Ching on Creating Responsible, Thoughtful, and Human Art
A new play is debuting at the City Theatre this month, Nomad Motel written by Carla Ching. This show also marks the debut of a ‘pay what you want’ option at City Theatre during select performances. Details at the end of this post. May 12 – June 3, 2018 In the not-so-sunny side of California, Alix […]
Byhalia, Mississippi via Carnegie Stage: A Review
Our experiences with off the WALL productions at the Carnegie Stage never fail to leave me moved, thoughtful, and a bit perplexed. The current production of Byhalia, Mississippi did not fail me in the regard. The play, written by Evan Linder, is making its Pittsburgh debut this month. Act now to see this because it is heading […]
PICT Staging of ‘Jane Eyre’ Fires the Imagination for a Victorian Classic
You should go see Jane Eyre at PICT Pittsburgh’s Classical Theater, running now through April 28, 2018 in Oakland. We were there for opening night. Let me back up. I read the novel several times, along with others in the Bronte canon. I liked this novel, but I didn’t love it. I also didn’t love sister […]
Rent: A Review in Pittsburgh
22 years after Rent arrived on Broadway, I finally saw the musical last night at Heinz Hall. As powerful as the show is, I can’t help but grieve that I’m seeing it as a classic rather than in its raw early days when everything was timely. Not that the story isn’t relevant today, but I’m […]
Conversation with Dan Gilman about Zoning Code, the Art of Drag in Pittsburgh
It is important … to see details and a deeper understanding of an issue, not just an easy sentence of a larger philosophy. ~ Dan Gilman Over the past few weeks, you may have noticed some headlines and social media content rallying the community around the theme that ‘Drag is Illegal in Pittsburgh,’ an inflammatory […]