PITT ARTS introduces students to Pittsburgh’s cultural scene
By Elizabeth Donnelly, Senior Staff Writer
June 30, 2019
There’s more to college than just classes and extracurriculars, especially at an urban campus. Pitt students can expect dozens of opportunities each year to get out into the City and experience something new.
Pitt theatre arts alumni succeed on and off stage
By Mary Rose O'Donnell, Culture Editor
May 29, 2019
Pitt’s department of theatre arts serves hundreds of undergraduate and graduate students per year, covering theatrical production, training and study. Class topics range from the obvious, such as studies in acting and performance, to the technical, such as lighting and set design.
‘Dear Evan Hansen’ brings Pittsburgh audiences to tears
By Brian Gentry, Senior Staff Writer
May 22, 2019
Recent popular media has taken a closer look at mental health and mental illness. The 2017 Netflix original series “13 Reasons Why” focuses on the reasons a high school teenager took her own life, while “BoJack Horseman,” another Netflix original show, centers on a celebrity horse that copes with addiction and depression.
Tyler Oakley reflects on YouTube fame and activism
By Elizabeth Donnelly, Staff Writer
April 9, 2019
Little did Tyler Oakley know, 12 years after he began his YouTube channel he would be sitting in the William Pitt Union speaking about his social media career, LGBTQ+ activism and life as an internet celebrity to a room full of more than 250 Pitt students — only a small segment of his fanbase.
Performers death drop at Rainbow Alliance drag show
By Neena Hagen, Senior Staff Writer
April 9, 2019
Friday night, a charismatic performer clad in a silver sequin dress danced and swirled her poofy brown wig to the booming music. The hundreds of audience members leapt to their feet to clap along, roaring when the performer landed the drag-show-staple death drop.
Pitt Stages preps for ‘Into the Woods’ opening night
By Tamara Alchoufete, Staff Writer
April 4, 2019
Get ready for princesses, fairies, and lots of dark woods. The Pitt theatre arts department will perform “Into the Woods” as a mainstage production. The show opens tonight at 8 p.m. and runs through April 14.
‘Pitt Tonight’ celebrates women with annual empowerment episode
By Neena Hagen, Senior Staff Writer
April 2, 2019
In the darkened William Pitt Union Assembly Room, an unusual array of images graced the stage. Some slides flashed quotes from Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Others featured statements from female Pitt students, who wanted to send a message of thanks to the strong women in their lives.
Review: “Flyin’ West” soars to a standing ovation
By Tamara Alchoufete, For The Pitt News
February 21, 2019
The Pitt theatre arts department told a story beautifully on Wednesday night, showing that “Flyin’ West” really is a journey of flying “as free as a bird” from the oppressive South to the open prairies of the West.
Review: Pitt Stages takes spring semester by storm with ‘Woyzeck’
By Tamara Alchoufete, For The Pitt News
February 7, 2019
Tragedy meets insanity to create the chaotic atmosphere that was the Richard E. Rauh Studio Theatre on the opening night of “Woyzeck.”
Pitt student takes the stage in professional production of ‘The Tempest’
By Victoria Pfefferle-Gillot, Senior Staff Writer
February 7, 2019
Julia De Avilez Rocha, a senior at Pitt, got a start in pursuing her dream at Pittsburgh Public Theater with her role as Ceres in “The Tempest.”
Josh Peck talks YouTube, Nickelodeon and Oprah during CMU visit
By Sarah Connor, Culture Editor
January 31, 2019
Former star of the sensational TV show “Drake and Josh,” Josh Peck, stopped by CMU to speak about his life and newfound YouTube career. College students from both Pitt and CMU were excited to hear what Peck had to say, as many grew up watching his TV show.
Ruckus goes wild
By Rachel Saula, For The Pitt News
January 22, 2019
In G24 of the Cathedral, students gathered in Hawaiian shirts and safari hats for an evening with the improv troupe Ruckus.
‘Hamilton’ leaves Pittsburgh audiences speechless
By Alex Dolinger, For The Pitt News
January 6, 2019
The musical “Hamilton” is easily the most popular Broadway musical at the moment, with every show of the Pittsburgh stop on its tour sold out.
‘The Last Five Years’ makes the most of a small cast
By Apoorva Kethidi, For The Pitt News
November 16, 2018
The musical “The Last Five Years” opened on Nov. 14 and will continue in the Studio Theatre til Nov. 18. The show is entirely student run.
‘Much Ado About Nothing’ is something special with student efforts
By Victoria Pfefferle-Gillot, Staff Writer
November 13, 2018
The students in “Much Ado About Nothing” managed to memorize their lines for the very first day of rehearsal in order to grapple with the Shakespearean lines.
‘Rocky Horror’ survives cancellation scare to please fans and performers
By Sarah Connor, Culture Editor
October 30, 2018
Students in the Engineering Council’s production of “Rocky Horror” were devastated when they were told the show was cancel. However, with some luck, the show was brought back to the stage.
‘Pitt Tonight’ hosts ‘Collegiates and Comedians’ stand-up show
By Siddhi Shockey, Staff Writer
October 11, 2018
Nordy’s Place hosted plenty of comedians and laughs on Wednesday night with the monthly stand-up show “Collegiates and Comedians.”
Pitt Stages brings ‘Dungeons and Dragons’ to life with ‘She Kills Monsters’
By Sarah Gross and Wanyan Ma
October 9, 2018
“Dungeons and Dragons” is a term that has become synonymous with nerd-dom. Pitt Stages took on this concept by putting on the play “She Kills Monsters.”
Redeye Theatre Project packs Studio Theatre
By Siddhi Shockey, Staff Writer
September 4, 2018
This weekend, students at the University of Pittsburgh put on six plays. Each of these plays were casted, written, rehearsed and performed all within 24 hours.
Shakespearean plays take over Pittsburgh parks
By Madeline Gavatorta, Staff Writer
September 4, 2018
On Sept. 2, fans of Shakespearean drama lined the lawn at Frick Park for a special performance of the classic comedy "Two Gentleman of Verona."
Enchantment runs rampant at the Benedum Center in Disney’s ‘Aladdin’
By Victoria Pfefferle-Gillot, Staff Writer
August 27, 2018
The North American tour of Disney's hit Broadway musical "Aladdin" delighted a Pittsburgh audience on Aug. 23.
Pitt School of Medicine puts on ‘Beauty and the Yeast Infection’
By Shahum Ajmal | Contributing Editor
May 30, 2018
It’s a tale as old as time — itching, burning and pain during sexual intercourse. This is how WebMD describes the symptoms of a yeast infection, which the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine took to the stage with a satirical production called “Beauty and the Yeast Infection.” The cla...
Lingering Laughter: Pitt’s LGBTQ+ community takes on the comedy scene
By Sarah Connor, Culture Editor
May 30, 2018
When Andrew Dow isn’t making crowds of people laugh as the host of Pitt Tonight or performing onstage with the improv group Ruckus, he can be found spending his summer in his hometown of Abington, just 15 miles outside of Philadelphia. As he cozied up to his dog on a mid-May evening, he and his mot...
Pappas bids The Public adieu with ‘Hamlet’
By Jon Kunitsky | For The Pitt News
May 16, 2018
The audience poured an avalanche of applause over the cast of Pittsburgh Public Theater’s production of “Hamlet” following its opening performance April 19 — uproarious cheering, whistling and standing ovations galore. But I did not stand, and instead left the theater feeling indifferent and...
Musical Theatre Club gears up for Legally Blonde
By Sarah Connor, Staff Writer
April 12, 2018
Chloe Torrence circled a group of actors and singers onstage at the Charity Randall Theatre, kicking off her normal weeknight routine. “Starting tonight, you cannot call ‘line’ anymore,” Torrence said. “We start tech rehearsals soon, so you should know your lines by now.” The junior theatre arts ...
Pitt Stage’s Marie Antionette wows with symbolism and decadence
By Amanda Reed | Contributing Editor
February 20, 2018
Pitt’s production of “Marie Antoinette” has everything needed to recall the history of its title character — chandeliers, a guillotine and plenty of wigs. But make no mistake — this is not a historical play, but a “meditation on excess,” as director Le’Mil Eiland notes in the program. After ...
Review: Pitt Stages puts modern spin on Little Shop of Horrors
By Amanda Reed | Contributing Editor
February 15, 2018
Upon walking into the Charity Randall Theatre in Oakland Friday night, I was immediately transported from the dreary Pittsburgh weather to the even drearier Skid Row. But after two hours there, I didn’t want to return to the Steel City. Pitt’s production of “Little Shop of Horrors,” a 1982 off-...
Students celebrate sexuality in The Vagina Monologues
By Siddhi Shockey | Staff Writer
February 13, 2018
Cheers roared throughout the O’Hara Ballroom as the individuals on stage repeated the word “mine” over and over in an effort to reclaim their sexuality, prompting the audience to join in. The Campus Women’s Organization’s production of “The Vagina Monologues” — a play about the reclama...
Rhodessa Jones brings art and activism to Pitt
By Joanna Li | Staff Writer
February 8, 2018
Since she found theater, San Francisco-based artist Rhodessa Jones said she has always had a place in the world — whether it be to share her ups and downs or to offer other women a chance to speak out. “Theater has been the one lover that has never let me down — it demands a lot of me, but t...
Pitt playwrights compete in festival
By Caroline Bourque and Shahum Ajmal | Pitt News Staff
January 23, 2018
Onstage, two actors sparred, bickered and gestured toward an imaginary hole in the floor as a willing audience played along — bringing to life a story from the mind of a fellow Pitt student. At the third annual Playwriting Festival, hosted by the Pitt Performance Collaborative, three students had the c...
‘Six a breast’: an exploration into the absurdities of womanhood
By Connor Wurst / For The Pitt News
September 13, 2017
A woman — illuminated by a single spotlight and clad in a bathrobe, a towel wrapped around her head and a pale green face mask — stands alone on stage and releases an enraged scream. The opening scene of CorningWorks’ fall 2017 production “six a breast” launched a theater full of Pittsbur...
Breaking a leg: Pitt med students archive their plays in art exhibit
By Marissa Perino / Staff Writer
July 11, 2017
Nestled deep within Falk Library atop Cardiac Hill sits one of Pitt’s most unknown gems — a small art exhibit comprised of artifacts from past plays performed by Pitt’s medical school. Annually, fourth-year med students perform a pop culture-themed play with a medical twist, called Scope & Sca...
Spelling bee play takes students back to middle school
By Matt Maielli / Senior Staff Writer
February 15, 2017
You don’t need to know how to spell “dramaturgy” to see the theatre department’s newest play — but it would probably help. While some of the vocabulary may require a college reading level, the actors in Pitt Stages’ current production ask viewers to think back to a time when even the m...
Review: ‘Hair’ a timely tale of sex, drugs and rock and roll
By Matt Maielli / Senior Staff Writer
November 15, 2016
As the entire cast of Pitt Stages’ “Hair” strips naked under low blue stage lights upstage, a hippie mulling over his Vietnam draft card downstage sings, “Where is the something? Where is the someone that tells me why I live and die?” This is “Hair’s” most iconic scene and is no less...
Setting the stage: Pitt Stages scene shop preps for ‘Hair’
By John Hamilton / Senior Staff Photographer
November 10, 2016
The environment of the University of Pittsburgh Stages scene shop is always changing. Some days, a few people quietly paint, listening to music. Other days, they swap headphones for earplugs as their peers cut metal, noise echoing throughout the basement of the Cathedral of Learning. For the p...
Curtains rise on the 2016-17 Pitt Stages season
By Marissa Perino / For The Pitt News
October 6, 2016
Two stories below the Cathedral of Learning’s Commons, the theatre department’s costume shop is filled with busy students. Storyboards line the unfinished basement walls and sewing machines hum on wooden tables, as designers work to complete finishing touches. It’s one week before the premier...
A Life of Imagination: Wilder Dies at 83
By Oliver Jia / For The Pitt News
September 1, 2016
As Gene Wilder, in his eponymous role as Willy Wonka in 1971’s “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,” leads a group of awestruck youngsters and parents into his chocolate factory for the first time, he sings, “There is no life I know to compare with pure imagination.” Even in death, Wilder...
Pittsburgh Comedy Festival: Quincy Jones Brings Laughs, Controversy to Heymann Theater
By Lexi Kennell / Staff Writer
August 29, 2016
Near the end of Quincy Jones’ stand-up set at this weekend’s Pittsburgh Comedy Festival, it looked like he might have gone too far — the room quieted as he playfully tried to riff on a hypothetical scenario in which black people enslaved whites. Jones commented on black people’s ability to...
Words cut deep: Pitt co-sponsers “Celebrating Black Poetry”
By Matt Maielli / Staff Writer
June 21, 2016
Black poetry has a well-established home in Pittsburgh. The Kelly Strayhorn Theater hosted four poets on Sunday, June 19, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Cave Canem — Latin for “beware the dog” and pronounced “Kah-veh Kah-nem” — a nonprofit literary organization that highlights and...
All work, one play: Redeye Film Festival
By Noah Coco / Staff Writer
April 18, 2016
Not all passion projects last 24 hours, but they do for students participating in Pitt’s Redeye Theatre Project. Twenty-nine students participated in the Redeye Theatre Project, a 24-hour theater festival where students work as playwrights, directors or actors. The project kicked off at 8 p.m. Fr...
What not to miss on campus this week
By Jack Trainor / Culture Editor
April 12, 2016
Donald Trump’s Wednesday visit may be grabbing all the local headlines, but his isn’t the only event worth noting this week. The second to last week of class doesn’t usually garner the same amount of excitement as the last, but it’s hard not to get excited, as this week offers, among other events, an Acad...
The meaning of life: math and literature collide in new play
By Matt Maielli / Staff Writer
March 31, 2016
Turns out “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” might have been on to something. While the meaning of life might not in fact be the number 42, a new play at the Henry Heymann Theater suggests literature scholars and math nerds can learn a lot from each other. “The Mathematics of Being Huma...
Conversation spoils dinner, not thought in ‘Disgraced’
By Madeline Franke / for The Pitt News
March 21, 2016
What’s the difference between living in America and being American? Ayad Akhtar’s 2013 Pulitzer Prize winning play “Disgraced,” which debuted at Pittsburgh Public Theater March 10, and runs through April 10, breaks down the complexities behind citizens’ dual identities. The one-act play, ...
‘Fences’ finds fresh audience at staged reading
By Matt Maielli / Staff Writer
March 16, 2016
The title of August Wilson’s “Fences” might sound like a dividing play, but Wednesday afternoon it united an auditorium full of people. Visiting anthropology professor Philip Kao’s Intro to Cultural Anthropology class hosted a two-day “Fences” excerpt reading, which drew about 70 students an...
Ivory cast: Pitt theater debuts “Rhinoceros”
By Matt Maielli / Staff Writer
February 18, 2016
Even the most outlandish trends, be it political ideology or viral internet meme, can generate a following — even rhinoceroses. Tonight, Pitt’s theater department will put that theory into practice in its debut production of French playwright Eugéne Ionesco’s “Rhinoceros,” which runs fr...
‘Good Kids’ arrives at Pitt
By Valkyrie Speaker & Brady Langmann / The Pitt News Staff
November 12, 2015
We’re all good kids, every one of us. That’s what the ensemble of playwright Naomi Iizuka’s “Good Kids” keep telling each other throughout Pitt Stages’ latest production, inspired by real events from a 2012 high school sexual assault case in Steubenville, Ohio. But when the story rewinds t...
Improv-ing Pittsburgh: The Maker Theater welcomes wacky, weird productions
By Jack Trainor / Culture Editor
November 5, 2015
When comedian D.J. Kingston wanted to make an improv show about his schizophrenia in 2012, only one theater agreed to stage it. That host, then known as Steel City Improv Theatre, was famous for its comedy lessons, improv team and saying yes to even the wildest ideas. The theater, which opened in...
Triple play: Pittsburgh Ballet Theater debuts with decorated bill
By Yesh Patel / for The Pitt News
October 20, 2015
The Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre will begin its season this weekend with an energized bill of three classic ballets spanning time and place. “Mixed Repertory #1,” which plays from Friday, Oct. 23 through Sunday, Oct. 25 at the Benedum Center, evades themes and categorization with masterworks from Ru...
Burr talks comedy, career
By Dan Sostek / Contributing Editor
October 8, 2015
As a stand-up comedian, actor, podcaster, amateur drummer and now animated series star, Bill Burr is a bit of a renaissance man. The edgy comedian will show off the first of those talents in Pittsburgh on Oct. 22, as he’ll perform two stand-up shows at 7 and 9:30 p.m. at Heinz Hall. Tickets are $49.25....
The Moth mainstage showcases premier storytelling
By Nick Mullen / Staff Writer
October 1, 2015
From pagan fundraisers to emergency room tables and jury rooms, popular storytelling podcast The Moth turns everyday experiences into unforgettable storytelling. Pittsburgh Arts and Lectures, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting literary arts, presented the traveling podcast downtown at the Byham Theater W...
Pitt student choirs unite for Fall Showcase
By Rio Maropis / Staff Writer
September 29, 2015
Rarely together under the same roof, Pitt’s four student choirs will join forces and voices for this weekend’s Fall Showcase. The Pitt Men’s Glee Club, Pantherhythms, Women’s Choral Ensemble and Heinz Chapel Choir — all of the faculty-directed choirs on campus — will perform a free show Sun...
Pittsburgh Public Theater opens season with “Anne Frank”
By Alessandra Roberto / for The Pitt News
September 22, 2015
After every rehearsal of “The Diary of Anne Frank,” actress Remy Zaken goes home and sobs as she tries to reestablishment the distance between herself and the famous holocaust victim. With May 8 marking the 70th anniversary of the Nazi regime, Frank’s diary remains one of the most moving remi...
Trevorrow’s “Jurassic World” gnashes into theaters
By Matt Maielli / Staff Writer
June 15, 2015
“Jurassic World”Starring: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Vincent D’OnofrioDirected By: Colin TrevorrowGrade: B+Jurassic World is finally open.Twenty-two years after the disastrous events captured in the original film, the dino-rampant “Jurassic Park,” rebranded as “Jurassic World,” is n...
City of Asylum offers ad-lib insight into lives of the disabled
By Nick Mullen / Staff Writer
June 9, 2015
Bright, fluorescent lights poured down on a cast of characters. They joined hands and bowed, their bodies casting shadows on the white stage where they stood. Some were standing, some accompanied by their caregivers and some in wheelchairs.At the New Hazlett Theater in the North Side, “A (micro) histo...
Pitt a plentiful, collegiate playground
By Jai-W Hayes-Jackson / Staff Writer
May 28, 2015
Ready to experience the magic of the Steel City? Pittsburgh has a lot to offer. From PNC Park to the Andy Warhol Museum, the city has something for everyone’s bucket list. Here are the top five things you’ll want to check off before your time is up at Pitt.Catch a show at the Benedum Center Whether...
Pitt Arts decorates student life with culture and class
By Chang Zuo / For The Pitt News
May 28, 2015
For Pitt student Stephanie Liang, one of her most memorable experiences at Pitt Arts was watching a 4D play. As an audience member, she and other students got up on stage and followed the actors of “Tamara” at Quantum Theater while they watched scenes unfold.“It showed me how far people can pu...
Wilson’s one-man-show makes its Pittsburgh debut
By Danah Bialoruski / Staff Writer
March 5, 2015
It’s taken 12 years, but August Wilson’s first one-man show, “How I Learned What I Learned,” will finally run in the same city where the story takes place.“How I Learned What I Learned” is one of Wilson’s final plays, which originally debuted in Seattle in 2003. Wilson, one of America...
This Weekend … 2.25 – 3.1
By The A&E Staff
February 26, 2015
Thurs., Feb. 26 (through Mar. 6)“Urinetown”Studio TheatreCathedral of Learning basement8 p.m. (2 p.m. on Sunday)Tickets available at box officePitt’s Theatre Arts program will perform Greg Kotis and Mark Hollmann’s biting satirical musical “Urinetown” this week. The student-directed Student Labs production t...
“N’At’s All Folks”: The Second City brings a Pittsburgh-specific gig
By Ian Flanagan / Staff Writer
January 5, 2015
Although they hail from Chicago, the improv troupe The Second City visits Pittsburgh with a show exclusively for and about the city’s residents. The critically acclaimed ensemble will perform its original show “N’At’s All Folks!” six times at Pittsburgh Public Theater’s O’Reilly Theater f...
Redeye Festival: Rehearsal to stage in 24 hours
By Sabrina Romano / Staff Writer
October 29, 2014
Ridiculous. Hilarious. Tongue-in-cheek. This is how the Redeye Theatre Project describes a typical performance.Serious. Musical. Professional. Highbrow. This is the way Pitt’s Musical Theatre Club views itself.Even though they couldn’t be more different, their members will take to the stage toget...
TPN’s guide to the city’s best spooky spots
By Stephanie Roman / Staff Writer
October 29, 2014
If you don’t have the patience for an extensive “Haunted Holland” line, perhaps try one of Pittsburgh’s other haunted house options. Halloween in college might be focused on costume parties, but, if you’re still looking for scares, here are some of the best places to get spooked.The Scarehouse1...
New musical ’21’ explores life and mystique of Clemente
By Sam Bojarski / Staff Writer
October 15, 2014
It took Alki Steriopoulos more than 30 years to transform the inspiration from his near-death experience into a full-blown musical. But now that his musical, “21,” is slated to premiere at Pittsburgh Playhouse between Friday, Oct. 17 and Sunday, Oct. 26, his finished product couldn’t come at a...
‘Stop Kiss’ portrays a ‘stumble into love,’ mirrors the headlines
By Shawn Cooke / A&E Editor
October 1, 2014
“Stop Kiss,” unfortunately, has turned out to be a timeless play.The off-Broadway production, which debuted in 1998 at The Public Theater in New York, focuses on two women who unintentionally fall in love, despite their existing relationships with other men. It’s a complicated situation, but i...
‘Observe the Sons’ explores disillusion with war, bond of brotherhood in World War I
By Richard Koppenaal / Staff Writer
September 4, 2014
For soldiers at war, the destructive forces that cause them to take arms often prove to be the glue that forms the strongest bonds.“Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme,” written by Frank McGuinness and the latest production of the Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre, tells the stor...