'Burgh Vivant

by Timothy Ruppert

Albert C. Labriola, a wonderful scholar from whom I took three courses in Shakespeare at Duquesne University some years ago, seldom spoke the Bard’s surname without including “the beloved” as a prefatory honorific. While many of us share my late professor’s affection for this poet and his work, Shakespeare, from the very first, proved a divisive figure. Consider that Robert Greene, an Elizabethan playwright and pamphleteer, called the young Shakespeare “an upstart Crow, beautified with our feathers,” thus indicting him as an overreacher, dilettante, and plagiarist all in one fell swoop. The image of Shakespeare as a narcissistic pilferer gives Wayne Kirkpatrick, Karey Kirkpatrick, and John O’Farrell’s outstanding musical comedy, Something Rotten!, now playing at Paragon Theatre, its central question: How do you solve a problem like Will Shakespeare (Andy Georgiev), the most beloved villain in London?

For Nick Bottom (Josh Plowman) and his younger brother Nigel (Alex Kerr), the answer may be to invent the modern-day musical—or so goes the advice of Thomas Nostradamus (Mark Spondike), a clairvoyant who looks into the future without wearing his glasses. Tormented by a nervous patron (Liam Kilbourn) and a nervy Puritan (Tom Smithyman) yet resolved to make a better life for his wife, Bea (Bethany Tonarelli), and their unborn child, Nick gambles that his only chance to best the Bard is through a song-and-dance spectacular unlike anything a Tudor audience—or any audience, really—has seen before. The resulting play-within-a-play is among the most hilarious twelve minutes in contemporary theatre, a metatheatrical anti-extravaganza that hovers between parody and pastiche as it interweaves English Renaissance drama with Broadway and the West End.

A show of such complexity asks a lot of the company that undertakes its production, and Paragon Theatre meets the challenge with wit and energy. Thoughtfully directed and impressively choreographed by Deborah Metzger, this production of Something Rotten! is witty, vivacious, and cheerful. Plowman plays Nick flawlessly, and his scenes with Kerr and Tonarelli are heartfully crafted. Georgiev endows Shakespeare with the shallow charisma of the Machiavellian strategist. Smithyman and Spondike excel as Brother Jeremiah and Nostradamus, respectively. Sam Cox is memorably terrific as Portia, the Puritan preacher’s longsuffering daughter, and Nigel’s love interest. Jay Evans (Shylock) and Liam Kilbourn (Lord Clapham and Judge) contribute meaningfully, and the Bottoms’ acting troupe, featuring Benjamin Mowrer, John Kiewall, Jack Mangold, Logan Mlecko, and Landon Schmidt, work very nicely together. Dance captain Amy Yatta deserves applause for her achievements here, as the seventeen talented performers comprising the ensemble, tap ensemble, and Puritan contingent are truly exceptional throughout. Congratulations to Alison Marschke and Chris Yakicic for their imaginative costuming, as well as to Amy Peters (stage manager), Scott Metzger (sound), Harry Bolette (lights), and Adam Bolette (music).

To thine own self be true, then, and please see the beloved Something Rotten! at Paragon Theatre today!

—TR

“Something Rotten!” runs at Paragon Theatre, now located at 1321 State Avenue in Coraopolis, PA 15108, through August 8, 2026. Tickets may be purchased here.

 

 

 

 

 

By Michael Buzzelli

When Alice Paul (Maya Keleher) became dissatisfied with the way Carrie Chapman Catt (Marya Grandy) was running (NAWSA), the National American Women’s Suffrage Association, she decided to start a bolder, more rebellious organization to finally win voting rights for American women in Shaina Taub’s “Suffs.”

Alice gets her friend from college, Lucy (Gwynne Wood), to join her organization,  the National Women’s Party. Soon, others rallied behind her, including  Inez Millholland (Monica Tulia Ramirez) and Ruza Wenclawska (Joyce Meimei Zheng). The party organized a march on Washington, with Ida B Wells on horseback marching down Pennsylvania Avenue.

Issues of race complicated the march. In a parallel story, Mary Church Terrell (Trisha Jeffrey), one of the first African-American women to earn a college degree,  founding member of the National Association of Colored Women, and a charter member of the NAACP, squabbled with Ida B. Wells (Danyel Fulton), a Black journalist and another founder of the NAACP.

Alice continued to squabble with Catt and her closest confidante, Mary Molly” Hay (Tami Dahbura). Molly was Catt’s “longtime companion.” Wink, wink, nudge, nudge.

Note: It’s suffragists, not suffragettes. Suffragettes was considered a slur devised by the newspapers to minimize the women’s efforts.

Taub’s story is a history lesson set to music. It starts like a high school assembly. It’s all “Gee Whiz! We’re gonna teach a lesson with song,” but evolves into something so much grittier and real.

All the roles in the show were played by women, including, Brandi Porter, who played Dudley Malone, and Marissa Hecker who played President Woodrow Wilson (on the Wednesday night performance).

Keleher was amazing as Alice Paul, a woman who is never deterred even amidst a four-week hunger strike in a woman’s prison. Keleher brought a fascinating woman back to life. Keleher’s musical ability was top notch.

Fulton was phenomenal as Ida B. Wells. She was giving strong Audra McDonald vibes.

Zheng delivered the best punchlines in the script as sharp-witted comic relief.

Other outstanding performances included (but were not limited to) Ramirez, Dahbura, Wood, and Jeffrey.

The orchestra, a combination of the tour with some Pittsburgh CLO orchestra in the mix, does a splendid job with all of the music.

Taub, who wrote the book, music and lyrics, had some great songs, including “Finish the Fight,” “A letter from Harry’s Mother,” and “G.A.B.”

Side note: “G.A.B.” stands for “Great American Bitch.” The song is hilarious, but makes a sharp point about how women who stand up for themselves are treated differently than men who stand up for themselves.

Sadly, the Patriarchy is still pushing against women’s rights (see the current White House administration for context).

The main message of “Suffs” is not one about winning. The message is about continuing to fight for equality, equity and parity. When Catt and Hay sing the reprise “If We Were Married,” the subject of marriage equality comes to the forefront (it took another 90+ years for that fight to the finish).

Part history lesson, part rollicking good time. “Suffs” is a winner.

-MB

“Suffs” runs from July 21-Sun., July 26 at the Benedum Center, 237 Seventh Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. For additional information and tickets, please click here. 

By Timothy Ruppert

After a sea storm, a ship wrecks him on an enigmatic island; Ferdinand, Prince of Naples (Joshua Brelsford), follows the lure of otherworldly voices: “This music crept by me upon the waters” (1.2.390). With their current production of William Shakespeare’s late classic, The Tempest (1610-11), Quantum Theatre brings the uncharted Mediterranean and its cryptic singers to the Carrie Blast Furnaces along the banks of the Monongahela River. The result is a singularly memorable evening and a worthy valediction from Tempest director and Quantum founder Karla Boos, who, having led this ever-innovative company for almost four decades, now says farewell.

The Tempest registers myriad themes and concerns that prove as relevant today as during the reign of James the First: colonial encroachment, political instability, and the questionable wielding of power. While Quantum’s production invites us to engage thoughtfully with these issues, Boos’s interpretation focuses cardinally on the theatricality of human experience. Here, performance and stagecraft are not merely aspects of being in the world; they are pathways to authenticity, forgiveness, and revivification. Thus Prospero (Jeffrey Carpenter), the banished noble and arch-conjurer, seeks to redress the wrongs he has committed while rejecting vengeance for the crimes once done against him. In breaking his staff and destroying his spellbook, Prospero moves beyond the instruments of his theatricality to achieve realness, to become more truly human.

The considerable on-stage talent involved in this production ensures that Boos’s vision of The Tempest succeeds in all particulars. Not surprisingly, the cast excels in conveying grand ideas and passions with terrifically nuanced performances. Carpenter crafts the imperfect sorcerer with humor, alacrity, and, as the play approaches its end, sweeping presence. Carolina Vargas Romero seasons her Miranda with a joie de vivre that keeps her youthful wonderment from succumbing to capriciousness. Tomé Cousin fashions Ariel brilliantly; with their attendant sprites (Jennifer Tober, Adrienne Wehr, and Sandy York), Cousin shepherds along the musical and balletic elements of the show with the sureness of an artist for whom excellence is a matter of course. Julia Silverman (Gonzalo) is, as always, inestimable, endowing Prospero’s long-trusted compatriot with the wisdom and honest integrity that this challenging role demands. Mark Staley (Alonso), Corey Rieger (Antonio), Joseph McGranaghan (Sebastian), and Dave Mansueto (Stephano) do nicely as aristocratic castaways in Prospero’s magical realm. Jerreme Rodriguez gives us a remarkably versatile Caliban, playing the ill-served son of Sycorax with the spirit of an eager revolutionary and the soul of a reluctant poet.

Given that this production takes place outdoors, near well-traveled, siren-loud streets, and in an area not regularly peopled for nearly fifty years, the technical crew merits higher praise than my mandated word count will allow. Suffice it to say that, as a low-vision person with imperfect hearing, I feared that I would struggle to see and hear the show with the precision that it deserves. The tremendous skill of the production team soon dispelled my apprehensions. While I will mention Stephanie Mayer-Staley (scenic designer), C. Todd Brown (lighting designer), Joe Pino (sound designer), Cory F. Goddard  (stage manager), Alicia DiGiorgi (assistant stage manager), James “Cubbie” McCrory (technical director), and Anthony Del Grosso (technical specialist), please know that scores of highly skilled artists and indefatigable volunteers contributed to this piece. The best way that I have to honor their work is to encourage you to attend a performance and witness it firsthand.

Beautifully realized and emotionally engaging, Quantum Theatre’s version of The Tempest qualifies as must-see theatre. Hurry, please, before these revels end.

—TR

The Tempest is playing at the Carrie Blast Furnaces, located in Rankin, PA, Tuesday through Sunday at 7:30 pm through August 23, 2026.  Tickets may be purchased here.  Please note that all names are spelled according to the biographies, not the cast list.

by Michael Buzzelli

A night of soulful sounds and playful banter resonated from the Bitz Opera Factory on Liberty Avenue on Sunday night as the R&B duo, Acute Inflections, comprised of bassist Sadiki Pierre and singer Elasea Douglas, wrapped their 2026 Summer Tour in Pittsburgh.

Pierre and Douglas performed an eclectic array of music from the soulful “Summertime” from “Porgy & Bess” to the 70s rock anthem Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust.”

Audience members were encouraged to dress up in their best “Great Gatsby” looks. Men showed up with suspenders, bowler hats, and black armbands, and women showed up in fascinators and feather boas. One woman even had a long cigarette holder that would have made Phyllis Diller green with envy.

The jazz duet is not just about the music. The couple incorporated jokes and jibes into their act.

The duo’s comedy stylings are reminiscent of Burns & Allen, Stiller and Meara, and the Smothers Brothers (I blame the bass).

Pierre has a particularly dry deadpan wit oozing sarcasm. He jabs at the audience in a playful way, knocking at the audience with a bit of insult comedy, ala Don Rickles.

Douglas’s facial expressions and reactions to Pierre’s banter softens his bitterest blows.

There is an interactive component to the show. The duo gave out prizes, including one to a couple who had been married for 60 years, there was  a gift for someone who recognized their first song in the first few chords,, and there was a singalong. Everything to make the audience relish their evening out.

When Pierre is not trading barbs with Douglas or jabbing at the audience, he is a pilot and instructor for Red Tail Flight Academy, a Tuskegee Airmen-inspired aviation charity at New York Stewart International Airport, a full-service flight school. Pierre and Douglas made a pitch for the school and asked the audience to donate. For more information about the academy, click here.

The duo also mentioned their work with the Renaissance Youth Center in the South Bronx, a nonprofit that helps NYC’s most underserved communities in life-changing programs that spark creativity, confidence, and curiosity. You can find out more about Renaissance Youth here.

Acute Inflections was an enjoyable early evening. The event started at 6 PM and finished at 8 PM—a perfect length for a Sunday night.

-MB

For additional tour dates and information, follow Acute Inflections here. 

By Lonnie the Theater Lady

In “Emilie,” the brilliant 18th-century French mathematician/ physicist, Emilie la Marquise du Chatalet (Katie Kerr), mysteriously comes to life to resolve a puzzling issue she often pondered while alive. Does life garner its deepest purpose and meaning through love or philosophy? Engaging flashbacks recreate a series of Emilie’s most significant life events and provide her with data identifying each event as related to either love or philosophy. She organizes the data on a chalkboard –tallying each event under the appropriate heading. Her satisfying conclusion is revealed at the end of the play. Her conclusion is deeply profound, somewhat comforting, and feels much like an explanation of the meaning of life. (No spoilers, other than to say, it evoked deep emotional responses from this audience member).

In these compelling vignettes, Emilie sees her younger self interacting with her romantic partner and intellectual collaborator, Voltaire. (Adam Merulli) From a distance, she observes their intellectual disagreements and flirtatious, loving interactions peppered with competitive repartee. These fascinating, sometimes scientific conversations highlight their cerebral brilliance and deep thinking. A compelling discussion about the nature and propagation of fire is just one of many intriguing conversations between the two.

Kerr delivers a flawless performance as the complex, nuanced Emilie. She weaves Emilie’s passion into her role with a powerful strength and energy. Exceptional!

Radeshak physically resembles Emilie, making her spirited portrayal of young Emilie authentic and believable. She’s well cast, and she performs well.

Merulli’s Voltaire is a boatload of often conflicting emotions–all of which are expertly expressed. There are times when he comes off as a bit of a dandy.

Rounding out the talented cast are Sam Lander and Jen Fitzgerald, who intermittently pop on and off the stage in various roles, often with comedic effect.

The beautiful 18th-century period costumes and spectacular wigs harken back to the days of French royalty. (Lilly Brown, designer) The gorgeous purple set’s patterned floor suggests movement — most likely the shift between time periods. (Sabrina Hykes-Davis, designer) The charming set is enhanced by dim lighting, suggesting candlelight and possibly gas lighting, as would be used in the 18th century. (Eve Bandi, designer)

Sound design (Joe Eberle) is particularly important in this show. It needs to be precisely coordinated with lighting. (It is!) The jolting electrical sound combined with the lighting activity effectively transitions the audience from one time period to another.

Playwright Lauren Gunderson’s “Emilie” is a fresh take on a brilliant historical figure who didn’t get the recognition she deserved simply because she was a woman. (The more things change, the more they stay the same.)

“Emilie” tells an engaging, captivating story of a great thinker whose scientific accomplishments profoundly influenced the scientific community.

The powerful cast brings the extraordinary characters to life in this often humorous dramedy. The noteworthy technical aspects of this show enhance its watchability. South Park has another hit on its hands with this intelligent production.

LtTL

South Park Theatre running through August 1. For tickets and additional information, click here. 

 

 

 

By: Joseph Szalinski

Before TV shows like Love Island, people had to sail all the way to Sicily to try their hands at rapid romance. It’s on this Italian island that we meet the comic characters in Steel City Shakespeare Center’s latest production, Much Ado About Nothing, directed by Jeffrey Chips and Lauren Scheller-Wolf, now running at various locations in the North Hills.

Shakespeare’s classic comedy about matters of the heart, well, one of them, is made clearer by a character breakdown in the program. Featuring a staggering repertoire of roles, this story coasts on the confusion caused by their concocted schemes. Hilarious and heartfelt, it’s easy to see how audiences can still relate to it today.

Actors in this show assume a multitude of identities. Christopher Rone plays both Benedick and George Seacole, employing ample energy and unmatched physicality. Bob Colbert captivates as Claudio and Dogberry, causing a cacophony of chuckles as the second, in particular. Alexandra Hellinger hysterically alternates between Beatrice and Verges, whose pool noodle prop provides plenty of entertainment. Taylor Humenay shows off her skills as Don Pedro, Margaret, and Watch. Caroline Phillips gives terrific portrayals of Hero, Don John, and Watch. Brianne Kessel brings Leonato, Borachio, and Watch to life. Acting interns round out the cast. Abigail Schnur makes easy work of the trio of Antonio, Conrade, and Watch, while Luna Meyers does an excellent job with Ursula, Friar Francis, Sexton, and Watch. Cat Aceto performs an invaluable service as the intimacy director, helping achieve appropriate levels of affection among the amorous pairings.

Summer is best when soundtracked by songs that reflect the season’s carefree and relaxed attitude, with a splash of soul for good measure. Wouldn’t it be nice if the Beach Boys could be incorporated into something Shakespearean? Well, music coordinators Bob Colbert and Michael Kirk agree with the sentiment, and they do just that. From beginning to end, the duo infuses a little fun, fun, fun, combed from the Capitol act’s catalog. Every song choice was excellent. The blend of early, pop hits and mid-60s songs suited the story well. Colbert and Kirk perfectly plumb the overlooked emotional range of the Beach Boys’ discography. Whether the troupe is wonderfully harmonizing tunes outright, or putting their own spin on things, the choices work beautifully. The instrumental of “Chapel of Love” and the repurposed “In My Room” stand out the most. Brian Wilson would be proud. Complementing the music is choreography by Brigita Ruta, with the routine for “Kokomo” being absolutely mesmerizing. You know what they say about dancing? It takes good timin.’

Despite having a minimal number of technical elements, this show wisely uses what it includes. Production designer Hannah Ruth Moss and design intern Mina Aksak cooked up casual costumes and a simple set. Props are used to pronounced effect, especially to supplement the humor. Stage managers Lauren Scheller-Wolf and Leila Belletti tirelessly keep it all afloat, with the former serving as a producer alongside Jeffrey Chips and Racheal Marie Graybill.

The whole world’s a stage…except for the outdoors when there’s an air quality warning. Being equally mindful and flexible, the folks behind this production decided to relocate opening night’s performance to the Ross Township Community Center, where they inevitably hosted the following day’s performance as well. Barring any other inconveniences, the rest of the run should take place at the intended locations. Even though Shakespeare in the Park should be…in a park, this play made use of the secondary space, effortlessly transforming a basketball court into sunny Messina.

Steel City Shakespeare Company tallies another triumph. Further proving their penchant for making The Bard palatable to audiences of all ages. Halfway through their 2026 season, they have two more shows in the fall/early winter that are sure to delight just like this one.

-JS

Much Ado About Nothing continues its run July 24^th, 25^th, and 26^th at Bruno Sammartino Park in Ross Township at 6 P.M., Barry G. Schell “Bronx” Field in West View at 6 P.M., and Ross Community Center Amphitheater at 4 P.M., respectively.

by Claire DeMarco

As he approaches his 35^th birthday, Bobby (Sean Whitney) is still single and unattached.  He hangs out with five married couples and is always the odd man out.  He’s the perpetual 5^th wheel.  He currently does have three younger women he’s involved with – Kathy (Hannah Taylor), April (Grace Phillips) and Marta (Emma Mihok).

His social friends, though, are five couples that have been part of his life for some time.  His lack of commitment is not always the center of conversation, but it usually comes up at some point over the long period of time he’s been associated with them.

Bobby revisits their stories and their relationships through sketches of each couple and their interaction with one another.  He listens to the pros and cons expressed by his friends on commitment and watches their actions.  But this exercise has been going on for some time.

Sarah (Jess Whittington and Harry (Mike Leahy) are in a perpetual contest with one another.  Each one has to have the last word and neither one seems to appear the victor in this one-upmanship environment.

Susan (Anna Gergerich) and Peter (Eric Talotta) appear to be very much in love and Bobby is shocked when he discovers that they are getting a divorce.  Their divorce appears to make them more in love than before as they continue to live together and are still committed.

Jenny (Kristin Welch) acts as the conventional housewife but she definitely knows how to manipulate her husband, David (Allante Walker) who firmly believes in marriage and tradition.

Amy (Joyce Hinnebusch) and Paul (Kevin Rabbits) are as opposite as night and day.  Scared to death on her wedding day and refusing to get married, she makes up the most ridiculous reasons to avoid it.  Paul remains upbeat and positive but finally leaves, only to be wooed back in as the marriage eventually takes place.

As the older couple of the group, Joanne (Joann Spencer) is acerbic while Larry (Jeff Johnston) is more stable and can keep Joanne somewhat under control when those needs arise.

Absorbing the pros and cons of their conversations with him and his observations of their interactions, will Bobby ever make a decision?  Or will he continue to waffle back and forth and never come to a conclusion on commitment?

“Company” takes us through one man’s hesitation concerning commitment. This 1970’s musical introduced a new concept in theater.  There is no plot but a series of stories revolving around dating, marriage and divorce during that time period and the impact and influence they have on our main character.  Add to this formula the exceptional songwriting of Stephen Sondheim and one has a musical that went on to receive fourteen Tony nominations and four Tony awards.

“Company” cast

What a talented, well-balanced cast!  Excellent performances!

Stage 62’s production of “Company” is a must-see show!

Whitney goes through multiple and believable iterations of contemplating commitment or not contemplating commitment with general confusion about both scenarios.  He delivers with “Someone is Waiting” and “Being Alive”.

Leahy has great facial expressions and physical movements as he affectionately banters with his wife.

Welch provides a comic touch as she gives in to her husband’s wish to try marijuana.

Hinnebusch is outstanding as the fearful bride.  Her comedic timing with vocals delivered with machine gun rapidity and physical movements are superb.

As the multi-married and older wife, Spencer sings a powerful rendition of “The Ladies Who Lunch”.

Phillips creates the perfect airhead as one of Bobby’s girls.  Her monotone delivery as the self-described boring person is exceptionally funny.

Taylor, Phillips and Mihok’s rendition of “You Could Drive a Person Crazy” is great.

Excellent direction by Dustin Wickett.

Music Director Andrew Peters and his 10-person band are exceptional.

Choreographer/Intimacy Coordinator Alex Manalo produces precision-like movement in the clever multi-phone scene, the dancing/singing moves of “You Could Drive a Person Crazy” and the bridal gymnastic skit.

Music and lyrics for “Company” by Stephen Sondheim.

Book by George Furth.

 

-CED

“Company” is a production of Stage 62. Performances run from July 16th to July 26th at The Greer Cabaret Theater, 655 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222.

For more information, click here.

 

 

By Joseph Szalinski

As the Good Book says, one must not discount the cool stuff happening up north. Especially the events. Even the most unassuming small towns host hordes of hardworking and highly regarded artisans who are more than eager to share their efforts with those looking for a good time. And this is exceptionally evident with The Red Barn Players’ production of Fiddler on the Roof, directed by Jessica Patterson and J. Daniel Craig, now running at The Red Barn Theatre in Fombell, PA.

Based upon stories by Sholem Aleichem, this Tony Award-winning play features a book written by Joseph Stein, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and music by Jerry Bock. In addition to being the (former) longest-running show on Broadway for an entire decade, it was also made into an Academy Award-winning film in 1971. All that to say, some of the songs might sound familiar. Set in a fictional town in Eastern Europe, the story is concerned with the people who live there and their experiences being Jewish during a time when the occupying Russians weren’t especially keen on such a way of life. Amidst all the tension and conflict is love, life lessons, and lots of musical numbers.

This cast is stacked and the stage is crowded with a score of talented performers. David A. Cary is a quadruple-threat as Tevye. He can act, sing, dance, and kvetch with the best of them. Shelly Cary is a fantastic complement to him as Tevye’s wife, Golde. Their daughter, Tzeitel, receives a remarkable rendition courtesy of Hopi Myers-Arrigoni. Complementing her is Travis Myers-Arrigoni as her love interest, Motel, a role in which he is “sew” good. Filling out the family is Melissa Patterson as Hodel, Mara Ilko as Chava, Lana Holcomb as Shprintze, and Cosette Rotondo as Bielke, Tevye and Golde’s other daughters. Balancing two roles is Katie Donaldson as both the matchmaker Yente and the haunting Grandma Tzeitel. Perchik, an unorthodox religious scholar, is brought to life by Jon Lowery. Gary Patterson has a lot of fun with his portrayal of Lazar Wolfe. Arguably the character with the coolest name, and the most frightening dead wife, Fruma Sarah, played by Danielle Sanche. Austin Almendarez is the life of the party as Mordcha, while Sean Donaldson keeps things kosher as Rabbi. Frank Baker is another talent with dual roles, his being Nachum and Mendel. Not to gossip, but Joey Bellinger does a swell job as Avram. Matt O’Polka maintains order as Constable, while Jerry Hahn as Fyedka, Heather Giammaria as Shaindel, and Maximus Heitger as Sasha, do the dirty work as his muscle. Featured dancers Chloe Kurtyka, Megan Lutz Morgan Stanton, and Maximus Heitger move masterfully under the direction of choreographer Rebekah Sedwick. Rounding out the cast are the engaging members of the ensemble: Andrea Cary-Spaziani (producer), Jonathan Cermak, Bryn Donaldson, Leyna Donaldson, Alena Kucan, Katie Lowery, Bonnie Nolan, Karl Pamer, Amanda Pinto, Shanna Ridgley, Lily Sanchez.

Not only does this show deliver solid performances, but its technical elements are superb as well. The set design by Jessica Patterson, Kathy Patterson, and Austin Almendarez transports the audience to humble Anatevka. Steven Burnworth, Kim Smolka, John Brenner, Paul Brenner, Robert S. Hazen, Tom Bickert, Gary Patterson, J. Daniel Craig, Matthew Patterson, and Jerry Hahn, who comprise the construction team, did a marvelous job making it a reality. Director J. Daniel Craig double-dips with lighting design, which finds an operator in Matthew Patterson. Sound operator Zach Huang and sound tech assistant Oliver Schneider ensure that everything can be heard the way it should. Costumes by Anne Stanton, Kathy Patterson, Betsy Berenson, Jaina Ilko, and Melissa Patterson add another level of immersion to the world being crafted. Absolutely awesome. Stage managers Kathy Patterson and Jaina Ilko did great work making the chaos more manageable throughout the process. Publicity photos by Sarah Campbell beautifully adorn Alena Kucan’s photo display board that greets people as they find their seats.

Musical director Kevin Newton does wonders with the cast and the orchestra. Constituting the latter are Deanna Jacobs on flute, Fred Persi and Tori Petrella on clarinet, Kate Kesecker on bassoon, Andy Zerance on trumpet, Isaac Miller on horn, Jade Kirkpatrick on trombone, Jeremy Miller on guitar, Kim Zerance on bass, Greg Becker on percussion, and Emmett Moore on piano.

The Red Barn Theatre is a great venue. The creativity it houses is matched only by the gorgeous views one can glimpse on its porch before showtime or during intermission. It has certainly attracted a stable of patrons and fans over the course of its existence, and continues to produce shows that enrapture folks who will go on to spend many more summer evenings being awed by art.

The Red Barn Players are halfway through their 2026 season, their 71^st, with two more productions coming up in August and September, respectively. Whether they choose to put on straight plays or musicals; theatrical classics or more obscure titles, they always manage to dazzle and delight. I hope they have the chance to for another seventy-one seasons.

-JS

Fiddler on the Roof continues its run July 15^th-18^th at Red Barn Theatre in Fombell, PA.

By Michael Buzzelli

“All the human race has something between their legs that can be taken”             

– Gene in “David Mamet’s “Henry Johnson 

Henry (John Steffenauer) careens from one disastrous event after another, unaware that he’s the world’s biggest patsy in David Mamet’s “Henry Johnson.”

The play is structured like four interlocking one-act plays, each with a shocking resolution. The four scenes, like violent pieces of a evil jigsaw puzzle, come together with a dramatic and malignant end.

Henry argues with his boss, Mr. Barnes (Cotter Smith) about hiring an ex-con, who is a college acquaintance of Johnson’s. The discussion mines deep, darker desires and, by the end of the first scene, Johnson is hit with a shocking revelation.

In the next scene, Henry meets Gene (a frightening David Whalen), a prisoner with radical ideas and opinions. He delivers a monologue about Snow White where he recants a weird version of the Snow White story that teaches a prescient lesson about power and surrender.

In the final scene, Henry and Jerry (returning Pittsburgher David Butler), a prison guard, play a deadly cat-and-mouse game, which one is the cat and which one is the mouse is debatable until the final moments of the play.

It’s hard to tell if Henry plagued by dark twists of fates, or is he a gullible dupe who believes in the charismatic, but insidious, men in his life, each of whom furthers their own sinister goals with Henry as the hapless pawn to their White King Energy.

Steffenauer does a great job, believing his deceivers without looking like a gullible, toadyish, or spineless cartoon of a human being (RIP Lindsey Graham).

Smith plays Barnes as a cold, calculating company leader without a shred of compassion, though, with hidden reasons that justify his behavior. Barnes is more of an Vulcan (Star Trek reference) psychologist than corporate boss, who digs at the protagonist with a sharpened scalpel.

Whalen is chewing the scenery as Gene, who seems more like a malevolent tent revival preacher than prisoner. He spits and spews his dark theories, manipulating Henry with every twisted sentence.

Butler’s Jerry seems like an affable prison guard, who only wants to clock out and go home, but there are is much more seething under the surface.

Side note: Butler stepped in to replace the late Matt DeCaro, who passed away in the middle of a production of “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago. DeCaro was the impetus for the production, and the performance of the show are dedicated to his memory. That said, on opening night, Butler had to hold onto his script during the final (dialogue heavy) scene.

Kimberly Brown’s costumes add a level of realism to the show. She’s outfitted Whalen with a set of temporary tattoos and specialty designed sleeves that mimic two arms-length of ink.

The set, however, is surreal, a square stage reminiscent of a boxing ring, with simple props garnered from Rachel Ferrari Engel, beautifully lit by Andrew Ostrowski.

Additional side note: It’s a Mamet play. It’s all about cis-gender straight (presumably) males, some the characters carry deep-seated resentment for women. In this play, two women are mentioned, a victim of a heinous crime, and a jail-appointed psychologist, who may or may not be another manipulator in Johnson’s life.

Director Andrew Paul manages to get striking performances from his four actors, everyone is on their “A” Game.

The play is hard and cold. A miasma of negative thoughts and emotions, excellently performed, but the brutal truths are hard to stomach as each reveal brings Henry Johnson (the character not the play) toward his inevitable conclusion.

“Henry Johnson” is a particular world view, one where every action has drastic consequences. It’s darker than “Dateline,” the news program about in-depth, true crime murderers and their victims. Don’t expect to come out of the theater whistling a happy tune. If you want to see a masterclass on acting on a Pittsburgh stage, “Henry Johnson” should be right up your darkened alley.

P.S. The final moments of the play are gasp-inducing.

-MB

“Henry Johnson” runs from July 9 to July 26 at the Carnegie Stage, 25 W. Main Street in Carnegie, PA 15106. For tickets or additional information, click here.