Q&A with Dale Lazarov, a Gay Puerto Rican Comic Book Writer and Poet

Dale Lazarov 3 Rivers Comic Con

A few months ago,  my friend Joe Wos told me about his friend, Dale, a comic creator also known as the Stan Lee of Gay. Of course, I was interested and it turns out that Dale is coming to Pittsburgh May 11-12 for 3 Rivers Comic Con, so we set up a  chat. Dale is […]

Q&A with Queer Owned Rickert & Beagle Books in Dormont

Rickert & Beagle Books

Your Name: Christy Pluto (nee Rickert) Your Age: 42 Your Pronouns: She/ Her Your Affiliation with Rickert & Beagle Owner How do you describe your identity? Queer, cis. Please tell us about your very first impression of Pittsburgh: My first impression of Pittsburgh was coming over one of the bridges at night, on my way […]

Q&A with the Sex Workers Outreach Project (SWOP) Pittsburgh Chapter About Stigmatization, Support, and Safety

Content Note: sexual violence, erasure, sex shaming, criminal justice Last month, I shared a link on my social media channels to an article that I mistakenly thought was lifting up the voices of Women of Color around sex trafficking. I was called out on the link by several people and realized that I had fallen […]

Q&A With Butler Native & Playwright Sarah Kosar About American Debut of ‘Mumburger’ at Carnegie Stage

Mumburger Pittsburgh

Tiffany in Mumburger is gay but it’s not something that is discussed as an issue in her relationship with her parents because it isn’t an issue. It’s a part of her but it’s not the thing that defines her in her life or her story in the play. The more we see LGBTQ people having […]

Q&A with Ali Hoefnagel About Gender Chaos, Queer Art, and Their Show ‘You Can Call Me Al’

Ali Hoefnagel

Next week, the Community Supported Art series presents You Can Call Me Al at the New Hazlett Theater on the Northside. I asked storytelling and artist Ali Hoefnagel to talk with us about their performance. You Can Call Me Al is a long-form story about growing up, getting gay, coming out, living with mental illness, and uncovering family […]

Q&A with Susan Stein, Playwright Offering Another Glimpse into the Holocaust Through the Diaries of Etty Hillesum

Etty The Play

Intersectionality is how to understand Etty Hillesum. She insists on not being defined by her circumstances (the Holocaust, yet unnamed), by her gender, by her religion, race, age, class, sexual orientation, political leanings. And yet she identifies herself as a woman, as a Jew, as a 28 year old middle class Dutch student. She is a truth seeker and digs deeply into her own self to work herself out. – See Etty the Play at Carnegie Stage February 7-10, 2019.

Q&A: Theater Artist Taylor Meszaros on Her Role As Stage Manager with City Theatre

 I tend to have two favorite aspects of stage management. The first is seeing a production through from start to finish. I love the process of making a play from first table read until closing day. Theatre evolves and is different each performance, and in that way it’s truly a living, breathing art. Every once in a while, a production comes along that just sticks with you. I’ve been fortunate enough to experience several of those shows at City Theatre.

The second favorite aspect is successfully calling difficult cues. I get a sense of small victory after I tackle a particularly challenging sequence, and I appreciate that it keeps my senses sharp.

Q&A: Rad Pereira Queers Prince Ferdinand in Pgh Public Production of The Tempest

Rad Pereira

How do you describe your identity? In a nutshell, I’d say I’m a brown queer genderfluid immigrant. My gender identity varies day by day. Style has been one of my most consistent modes of self-care because I can fully express myself through it, especially when I’m working in institutions where I’ve felt silenced.

Q&A: One Woman Play ‘Mrs. Shakespeare’ Explores Resiliency, Strength of Women Hidden in Shakespeare’s Writing

In mid-January, Carnegie Stage is hosting a tribute to Shakespeare on January 19 and 20, 2019. All About Will: Two One-Act Plays, including Friended by Shakespeare Written and Performed by Charles David Richards and Mrs Shakespeare, Will’s first & last love Written, compiled and performed by Yvonne Hudson. Tickets range from $5 to $15. We had a chance to […]

Q&A with Creator of ‘Good Luck With The Holidays’ Queer Resilience Zine

Queer Resiliency Zine Pittsburgh

I hope the message of our zine is that safety and joy come first, and that you absolutely deserve both as an LGBTQ person. It’s not always easy to see that when the message you’re getting from your family is that you aren’t allowed to participate in holidays and family unless you censor your queerness to make others comfortable.