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From the moment the lights came up in The Old Schoolhouse Players production of James and the Giant Peach audiences were welcomed into a colorful, energetic world full of memorable characters, fun musical numbers, and plenty of laughs. Backed by a strong orchestra and a cast that clearly enjoyed bringing this whimsical story to life, the show kept its audience entertained from beginning to end.
The musical opens with Ladahlord, played by Thomas Inghram, who immediately commands the stage with a deep, rich voice, and excellent stage presence. His patchwork coat fit the whimsical tone of the show perfectly, making for a strong visual as he led the audience into the story. Throughout the evening, Ladahlord serves as both narrator and participant, and his confident performance keeps the story moving at a comfortable pace. Later, Thomas' solo, "Middle of a Moment," provides a welcome emotional pause. His vocals remain clear throughout the song, delivering both sincerity and enough vocal power to carry the number effectively One of the first things audiences are likely to notice is the colorful costume design (Cindy Berg). Every character is dressed in a way that fits the playful world of the musical, helping each personality stand out while adding to the overall visual appeal of the production. The full orchestral pit deserves recognition as well. Featuring piano, flute, trombone, clarinet, French horn, violin, bass, drums, and guitar, the orchestra provided a full, polished sound that supported the cast nicely throughout the evening. Whether accompanying quieter emotional moments or larger ensemble numbers, the musicians helped create an engaging atmosphere. The show's early scenes introduce several young performers who immediately impress. We meet our lead, James, portrayed by actor Violet Brewer, who begins with a convincing British accent that remains consistent throughout the scene- something especially impressive from such a young performer. The orphanage nurse also delivers a strong accent, helping establish the setting early in the show. The introduction of Spiker (Joyce Miller) and Sponge (Kelsey Ohler) quickly shifts the mood into comedy. Their opening number, performed while running throughout the city pickpocketing unsuspecting people, is full of energy and laughs. Spiker, in particular, shines with impressive facial expressions and excellent comedic timing that keeps the audience engaged throughout the number. Even smaller moments stand out, including the ensemble performer wearing a black shawl and gray dress who makes the most of her featured line during the "Spiker and Sponge" song. Scene changes are handled exceptionally well thanks to an inventive rotating panel system (Brian Nath). Rather than relying on lengthy blackouts, the cast and crew simply swing the next location into place, allowing the story to flow naturally without unnecessary pauses. One especially funny early moment comes when Sponge (Kelsey) traps a spider between two slices of bread before casually taking a bite out of it. It's a simple visual gag, but it lands perfectly and earns plenty of laughter. Later in act II, Spiker and Sponge continue to provide some of the evening's biggest laughs. One especially memorable moment features Sponge enthusiastically spraying whipped cream directly into her own mouth while insisting she has "very high taste," a joke that had the audience laughing throughout the theater. Later, while fleeing police and debt collectors, the pair run directly through the audience as ensemble members stop to ask patrons whether they've seen the fugitives. It's a fun piece of audience interaction that helps pull everyone into the action. Ladahlord (Thomas) returns with the jazzy "Shake It Up"- another highlight of the first act. His slick dance moves and charismatic performance fit the swing-inspired style of the number beautifully. The orchestra gives the song a lively jazz feel, while the ensemble joins midway through with an energetic dance break accented by lovely soprano harmonies. Two ensemble dancers stood out particularly during this sequence: the performer on stage right in the pink flowered dress, and the performer in the center wearing the blue flowered dress, both of whom danced with great energy throughout the number. "Money in That Tree" brings another memorable comedic moment as several girls appear disguised as male reporters in trench coats before three boys unexpectedly enter wearing dresses to sing the higher vocal parts. This unexpected casting choice (Gianna Tress) earns plenty of laughs while adding another layer of fun to the production. The arrival of the giant peach introduces an entirely new level of creativity. The Ladybug, played by Harmony Karwoski, immediately displays a strong acting range, while one particularly inventive sequence represents the rolling peach using a PVC frame covered in stretched orange fabric that spins its way across the stage. As the peach rolls over audience members- and unexpectedly over both Willy Wonka and Charlie- the crowd responded with enthusiastic laughter. Once inside the peach, audiences meet each of the insects, all of whom bring distinct personalities to the stage. Grasshopper (Noah Koons) leads the company through "Floating Along" with confidence, while Centipede (Ricky Growden) quickly establishes himself as one of the funniest characters in the production. Despite his smaller stature, the young performer has a remarkably large stage presence, delivering Centipede's pessimistic, almost "Debbie Downer" attitude with excellent comedic effect. After intermission, it's also worth mentioning the theater itself. The venue is clean, comfortable, and staffed by friendly volunteers. Guests can purchase snacks including chips, candy, and bottled water from the cash-only concession stand, while 50/50 drawings and a variety of raffle baskets add to the community theater experience. Act Two continues the comedy almost immediately. Actor Garrett Smyth plays Earthworm, and proves to be one of the show's strongest comic characters, consistently earning laughs throughout the second half. During "Have You Ever Begun to Wonder," each insect receives an opportunity to shine individually, with Spider (Hannah Garry) particularly standing out thanks to her lovely vocals. "Everywhere That You Are" offers one of the evening's sweetest musical moments. Ladybug (Harmony) and Grasshopper (Noah) lead the number with soft, heartfelt vocals that blend together beautifully, creating some lovely harmonies. The story briefly shifts back to Spiker (Joyce) and Sponge (Kelsey) as they sail toward America with absolutely nothing left to their names. Their duet, "I Got You," is lighthearted and charming, serving as an effective contrast to the more emotional material surrounding it. Then comes perhaps the most unusual song in the entire production: "Plump and Juicy." While the tango-inspired orchestration is undeniably enjoyable, the song itself is wonderfully bizarre. Garrett as Earthworm once again delivers plenty of laughs throughout the number, embracing every bit of its delightful absurdity. As the peach approaches New York City, the production once again showcases its creativity. A detailed model city and a giant peach model become the focus while miniature helicopters and other props "attack" the peach overhead. The performers manipulating these props do an excellent job bringing the sequence to life, making the miniature effects surprisingly entertaining. Ladahlord (Thomas) also earns laughs during his brief turn as an airplane captain making announcements about the giant peach in the sky. By the musical's conclusion, James has finally found the family he has long been searching for among his unusual insect companions. Centipede's realization that not all humans are bad provides a satisfying moment of character growth before the company gathers for the finale, "Welcome Home." The full cast fills the stage for one final uplifting number, complete with an impressively sustained ensemble note that builds suspense before the show's conclusion. Filled with colorful costumes, clever staging, memorable performances, strong musicianship, and plenty of imaginative theatrical moments, this production of James and the Giant Peach embraces the show's whimsical spirit while delivering an enjoyable evening for audiences of all ages. James and the Giant Peach continues this weekend, through August 9th. Next up on the OSP stage; Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap, running October 9 - 18. -Max, 2026
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 Company opened this week at Stage 62 in the beautiful Greer Cabaret Theater in downtown Pittsburgh. Being a cabaret-style theater, the Greer has intimate booth and table seating with dim table lights and options for food and beverages.
Company follows Bobby, a single man on his 35th birthday, as he navigates the joys, challenges, and contradictions of love and marriage through the relationships of his married friends. The set for Company is a stunning LED backdrop of New York City, circa late 60s/early 70s, complete with a view of the Twin Towers. It’s clear we are placed in a high rise apartment with a terrace. In the apartment is a couch, table, chair and bar. At one point later in the show, the “windows” on the LED screen begin showing raindrops, and eventually a storm. This was such a fantastic addition to help place the audience in the scene (Hope Debelius). The show begins with some very comedic voice-overs that had the audience chuckling. We are introduced to the fantastic 11-person pit (offstage) with the overture, and eventually, full cast, for the chaotic and fun opening number, “Company”. It’s instantly clear that this production worked with an extremely high-quality cast, with standout, ethereal harmonies during this number from actors Anna Gergerich and Jess Whittington. The full cast periodically delivers strong, eerie, incantatory passages that are impeccably timed. The cast often acts as Bobby’s collective conscience. Everyone’s voices were so clear and diction was perfect. It’s not always very easy to keep up with Sondheim’s musical salad (shoutout to actor Emma Mihok during the song “Another Hundred People” on this one), but this cast nailed it. One thing is for certain; this show was absolutely perfectly cast (Dustin Wickett). The outfits of our main cast are bright, colorful, retro, and individualistic to each character (Ivy Ferris). Our main character, Bobby, is portrayed by Sean Whitney. Sean’s voice is clean and luminous throughout the show. His gentle falsetto is paired with a strong belt to create a truly remarkable performance. But it doesn’t stop there- Sean’s acting is also top notch and easily keeps the audiences attention. Sean’s voice and tonality sounds like it’s autotune’d in real time. But he is truly just that talented. Another favorite performance comes from actor Mike Leahy, with fantastic comedic timing and hilarious small character choices. Mike plays “subtly annoyed” very well. He is exciting to watch on stage and had the audience in an uproar during a fight sequence with highly animated and hilarious actor Jess Whittington. The fight choreography was fun and engaging (Jose Perez) and Mike and Jess- a couple- play the perfect passive-aggressive friends that most of us are all too familiar with. The intentional awkward tension of this scene was palpable, felt by both audience and character Bobby, who is put in the middle. Mike later goes on to sing “sorry-grateful” with beautiful low notes and an almost-vintage quality to his voice. He also begins a highly impressive trio song alongside actors Allante Walker and Jeff Johnston. The lighting changes during the karate sequence were especially well done (Hope Debelius). Kristen Welch is introduced in a scene where she becomes a brand-new stoner. This scene is belly-laugh hilarious and Kristen portrays silly and “high” very well. Her acting is incredibly natural and convincing and she has an adorable and fun giggle. One of my favorite moments comes from the female trio song, “You Could Drive a Person Crazy”, featuring Bobby’s three lovers, actors Grace Phillips, Emma Mihok, and Hannah Taylor, whose beautiful harmonies echoed that of the Andrews Sisters a la “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy”. These ladies had voices that melted together like butter, with nobody overpowering the other. This number, complete with well-timed swells and impressive staccato top notes, was truly stunning. Next, we meet my personal favorite performance of the evening, actor Grace Phillips as April. April is a flight attendant who is very gentle, but not very intelligent. Grace was absolutely hilarious and found the perfect pocket for this character with meticulous comedic timing. Every choice she made was so perfect to get across the personality of a woman whose lights are on but nobody is home. Grace played April as air-headed but charming and lovable. Grace fully committed to this character, keeping her vacant nature even while not speaking. She was especially hilarious while telling a painfully boring story in act II. It would be easy to overact playing dumb but grace kept it highly realistic. Later, Grace duets with Sean and their voices meld together insanely well. Enter actor Joyce Hinnebusch for famous and beloved nightmare song “Getting Married Today”. Joyce delivered this fast-paced patter number so well. Joyce’s partner, Kevin Rabbits, played nicely as the oil & water half of the couple, meeting Joyce’s erratic panic with confidence, naivety, and blind optimism. The opening song for act II was definitely my favorite. “Side by Side by Side” gave full company, with wonderful and crisp choreography (Alex Manalo) and hilarious comedic moments. It is always a pleasure to get to see Hannah Taylor dance. In act II, she has a fantastic dance number that spans the whole stage, choreographed again by Alex Manalo. Hannah is so well trained and in control of her movements and is super engaging to watch. I very much enjoyed actor Joann Spencer’s rendition of well-known song “The Ladies Who Lunch”. Joann had a great cynical and sarcastic nature and a gorgeous, slightly-raspy belt. She commanded the stage during her solo number. ADDITIONAL UNCATEGORIZED SHOUTOUTS: Eric Talotta played a riotous, sleazy, and sexually-confused character. I absolutely loved the choice to add reverb to the solo songs. It added such depth and dimension. Another fantastic choice was adding spotlights in different parts of the stage for Bobby to walk in to (Hope Debelius). All of the male cast comes together for the song “Have I Got A Girl For You”, with rich and deep low notes. Company runs 7 more performances through July 26th. Get your tickets at Stage62.org. Next up on their stage- Gypsy- running November 5-15. -Xavier & James, 2026 *As always, feel free to add any comments or corrections, with no need to sign up Lucky Stiff opened at South Park Theatre on June 18th. We attended the Friday, June 26th show.
Lucky Stiff is a high-octane, darkly comedic musical farce that masterfully blends the absurdity of a traditional bedroom comedy with a bright, tuneful score. The story follows Harry Witherspoon, an ordinary, severely underpaid British shoe salesman, who dreams of escaping his mundane life. Out of nowhere, Harry receives word that his estranged American uncle has died and left him a staggering $6 million inheritance. However, claiming the fortune comes with a bizarre catch: Harry must take his uncle’s embalmed corpse on an extravagant final vacation to Monte Carlo. Armed with a strict, eccentric checklist of tasks ranging from gambling at the casino to scuba diving, Harry must pull off the ultimate ruse, because if he fails to execute even a single detail, the entire fortune will be forfeited to the Universal Dog Home of Brooklyn, who has sent a fiercely determined representative to shadow Harry’s every move. Meanwhile, Harry’s late uncle's high-strung, legally blind mistress, paired with her neurotic optometrist brother, is desperate to reclaim $6 million in stolen diamonds that she believes are hidden on Uncle’s final vacation. In South Park’s quaint and intimate theater setting, every seat is full. There is a modest two-person pit- a keyboard and drums- and a very simple set of only inlay pocket doors in the proscenium stage. We meet our 12-person company in the opening number, “Something Funny’s Going On”. Ryan Hadbavny as lead Harry Witherspoon is hilariously animated and zany as he navigates his uncle’s bizarre dying wish. Carting around actor Sean Nangle- who stayed stiff as a board throughout the 2+ hour show- Ryan beautifully sings his way through the story while keeping the audience engaged with cartoonish, interactive performance (including puppeteering Sean’s body to pretend he is alive). Sean’s frequent voice-over work projected into the audience was also highly entertaining. Travis Miller gives us Vincent, a high-strung optometrist that gets dragged to Monte Carlo. Travis’ accent was fantastic and his portrayal was fun to watch. Vinny’s sister, Rita (Krista Strosnider) gave my favorite performance of the night as she delivered 100% energy and silliness to her character and always kept the audience laughing. Travis and Krista have fantastic stage chemistry as this antagonistic duo. Riley Tate graces the theater with her gentle mezzo notes and ethereal vibrato, with palpable character chemistry with Ryan. Standout ensemble performances come from Joel Ambrose as he stole the show every time he stepped on stage. There were constant laughs from myself- and the rest of the audience- every time Joel had another scene. Adrien-Sophia Curry gathered laughs as well with their great comedic timing, and Dylan Lawton created a hilarious and electrified bellhop character. Sean Michael Barrett commands on stage as Luigi Gaudi, a boisterous Italian tourist. The dogs were nightmare fuel. And I loved it. Filled with sharp wit, eccentric characterizations, and a brilliantly propulsive ragtime-infused score, Lucky Stiff is a delightfully chaotic caper that keeps the audience guessing exactly how this frantic gamble will pay off. Lucky Stiff runs one more weekend, July 2-5. Next up on the South Park Theatre stage, Emilie, running July 16-August 1. In the lobby of City Theatre in the South Side of Pittsburgh, a world-premiere had its opening night for the play Sixty-Nine Seventy, written by Pittsburgh native Michael Eichler.
Upon entering, you are immediately surrounded- the performance area was set up cabaret style, with four chairs to each square table, all with name cards based on various pop-culture icons from the seventies. We sat at the “Janis Joplin” table. We had the absolute pleasure of sitting next to the playwright himself, Michael Eichler, who attended opening night to proudly see his work come to life. In one of the most unique setups I’ve seen in local theater, there are three small stages on each wall of this large square room, with an operating bar on the fourth. Each stage is decorated to be a different scene; one has a couch and pay phone, another has a geographic globe and bulletin board, and the other- a high-top table set and bookshelf. The room is dim but still fairly well lit, as our performers would be walking from stage to stage in between scenes, utilizing the whole room as their performance space. Upon arrival, guests are able to purchase drinks and light snacks from the bar to complete the cabaret-style theater experience. Sixty-Nine Seventy is about the political and social unrest in the United States between 1969 and 1970, centering on the protests at Buffalo State College during the Vietnam War era. The story follows four college students as they navigate anti-war activism, generational conflict, civil rights tensions, and questions about morality and responsibility. As our show begins, five large televisions suspended around the room display a pre-recorded video of our four characters giving pep talks to themselves, followed by a vintage music video. Each actor is dressed in clothing that is vaguely 70s enough to set the tone, but still fairly ambiguous while staying distinctly different from their fellow co-actors. (Janus Young) Our actors emerge into the performance area to begin what I can only describe an intermission-free, 90-minute collection of highly impressive monologues to paint the picture of the story. All four actors had fantastic diction and such incredible volume to their voices, even in a fairly acoustic room. It sounded as if they were mic’d, though they were not. Each character delivers an introductory monologue, beginning their internal plot. Throughout the performance, the four characters do not interact at all until the very end. Although they may end up on the same stage together at various points, their lines are only delivered to the listening ears of the audience. As different characters deliver different monologues on each stage (and the bar area), a spotlight is focused on them to draw your attention to who is speaking. As each scene changed, you can hear the unison ruffle of coats as the audience swivels around in their chairs to follow the next scene. All actors are on stage at all times, so while not speaking, they are continuing about their lives as their character under dark lighting until they are spotlit next. Because of this stylistic choice, the audience had the option to “choose your own adventure” to an extent, as they could opt to watch a different actor as they listened to another. (Tyler Hieb) We quickly learn that in Sixty-Nine Seventy, all characters are speaking to the audience at all times. All four performers did a fantastic job at engaging and holding eye contact with various patrons in their chairs. All four characters in the show are distinctly different. Barry is highly politically aware and activist-minded, but wrestles with how far he’s willing to go with his beliefs. Sharon embodies somebody with relative privilege and stability who is forced to confront the realities of social inequality. Naomi is tied to the play’s exploration of racial inequality and systemic injustice. Andy is grounded, practical, and affected by economic struggle and the impending draft. Barry is played by Jack Senske. Jack is extremely funny- the clear jokester of the show- and always had the audience laughing during his monologues, even with his most minor choices. His performance is theatrical but not outlandish or unrealistic, in fact, its highly believable and familiar. The musicality in his delivery is entertaining and easy to watch and understand. He truly captured the essence of a storyteller. In between scenes, there was often a short musical interlude, with time-specific song bits such as “Time Of The Season” by Zombies. In addition to these moments, they were occasionally accompanied by light choreography such as poses or hand movements, a cappella singing, and a powerful “stomp” style pause to the song “Absolutely Nothing” by Edwin Starr. (Alex Manalo). At one point, the actors spoke in unison, which was haunting and incisive. The televisions periodically display time-period specific clips depicting things like political meetings and the draft lottery. At one point, a statistic was displayed and left static; “51% of US deaths in S.E. Asia are Black”. We have an understanding of the passage of time as characters add winter coats and scarves. The show begins with levity and heavy exposition, but turns to a heavy stillness with the introduction of conflict. This shift is highly effective and really takes the audience on a rollercoaster of emotion. Naomi, played by Marissa Lily, often speaks on the experience of racial disparity. Marissa has such a calming and engaging voice that allowed for full range of emotion. Marissa brought such a lovable character that was easy to root for, as well as empathize with. She was sweet and gentle, but also stood her own. Andy’s (Thomas B. Andrews) delivery of his portion of the show was deeply passionate and moving, showing depth to character as his internal emotions slowly develop from “typical college student” to political and ethical panic over the course of the show. Mal MacKenzie as Sharon was bright, peppy, and warm in her delivery for the first half of the show, which added palpable contrast to how her character ends the show- scared, conflicted, and genuinely crying. This all seemed very real to these actors, especially Mal and Thomas , as you really felt their emotions in the second half of the show. It felt as though we had left the stage and saw into the hearts of these actors and what they were actually feeling. As we reach the second half of the show, it becomes deeply harrowing, powerful, and strikingly poignant. I wasn’t able to find information on when Eichler wrote this play, though the first documented workshop production was in 2023. Although about the Vietnam War and President Nixon, this play touched on subjects that were so prescient and paralleled to current day, that the audience occasionally responded with audible murmurs of recognition to the emotional resonance. Although subject to interpretation, it can’t help but be recognized how contemporary the material felt from a political perspective. A particular line about “checks and balances” regarding Nixon’s presidential choices was met with uneasy groans of chilling agreement. One line in this show stood out to me more than the others. At the end, one character asks the other if they wish they were born later so they didnt have to experience this. The other character says, “If I were born later, it might be even worse”. That line hit a bell in my mind that continued ringing for quite some time. This cast knew the script like the back of their hands. There wasn’t a flubbed line, jumbled word, or even a shred of a moment of confusion, which is highly impressive for such a theatrically demanding show on opening night. At one point in the show, the four actors hold signs donning names- Jeff, Sandy, Allison and Bill- and blood spatter. Behind them on the screen is a photo from the 70s of students engaging in the UNT protest march of the Kent State shootings. This moment in particular was visually moving. The use of real-life imagery paired with live theater was beautiful and powerful. It was around this time that I noticed gentle sobs coming from the audience. I was one of them. And let me be clear- in my decades of attending shows, I have only cried one other time. This show drew that out of me. This was partially due to the material, but mostly due to the raw emotion emanating from the actors in such an intimate space, with such heavy and relevant material. In our final scene, the characters finally meet face-to-face in a dark and heavy moment at a payphone where our characters called their parents in a silent panic regarding the protests, as we watch them almost say- what could be- their goodbyes. The artistic choices in this production were fantastic, such as creating a moment during this scene where a spotlit Andy speaks to the audience in full speed while the other three characters move in slow-motion in the dark behind him. (Tyler Hieb, Alex Manalo). This show was extremely important, impressive, and insanely well cast (Brian Pope). Sixty-Nine Seventy runs 7 more shows, this weekend- May 15-17, and next weekend- May 21-24. - James, 2026 ** Feel free to add any comments or corrections on this post, with no need to sign up.  Surrounded by “magnolias” in the audience, I sat down in the Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall and am transported to Truvy’s salon. I had the pleasure of seeing Steel Magnolias at Stage 62 on Mother’s day. The set is elaborate; salon chairs and hairdryers, a sink (that I believe was actually functioning) for impressive live-action hairstyling while onstage. The set provided an ample playing space for the actors. Different decoration was added between scenes to show the passage of time effectively.
Steel Magnolias is a story that shows us the deepness of female relationships. Telling us the story of 6 Louisiana women, all with original and strong personalities, traversing years of their lives through conversations, jokes, and gossip in Truvy’s salon. There are themes of love, loss, aging, and heartfelt friendships throughout the story. Stage 62's group provides us with impalpable chemistry, working with range to keep this audience member thoroughly invested in each character. We are first introduced to loud and proud Truvy (Tonilynn Jackson) and the quiet Anelle (Sydney Mannion)- the owner and an apprentice- respectively. Tonilynn’s Truvy is sassy, heartwarming, and perfectly southern. She feels like a warm hug. She commands the stage with strength, always catching the eye with facial reactions or her infectious laughter. Anelle is a bit on the shyer side in Act One, and she provides a character that is incredibly relatable in terms of getting adjusted to a new workplace. She opens up in Act Two and gives us plenty of laughs in her sweetness and innocuousness. We have patrons of the salon and friends introduced next. Clairee, a widower, played by Barbara Harrold. Shelby (Sarah Puhala), a young woman with diabetes who is getting married, M’Lynn, Shelby's adoring mother, portrayed by Stephanie Ottey, and Ouiser (Cindy West), the crotchety neighbor of M’Lynn. West and Harrold give incredible performances with impeccable comedic timing. Ottey and Puhala play with a perfect mother-daughter dynamic, nagging, laughing, and loving all the same. Ottey’s Act Two monologue had the entire audience sobbing silently. She captivated a beautiful and devastating scene; a masterclass in line delivery. “Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion,” was the line spoken as I looked around at daughters and mothers in the audience holding hands alike. Director Sean Michael Barrett writes in his director’s note, “… strength doesn’t always look like stoicism. Sometimes it looks like showing up with a casserole, cracking an ill-timed joke, or sitting quietly beside someone who needs you.” This show provides the audience with a view of a woman’s strength and the power of friendship that is unconditionally loving. It was no surprise I joined the audience in a complete standing ovation as the cast took a combined bow. Steel Magnolias runs for one more weekend, May 15-17. Next for Stage 62, Company, which runs July 16-19 and 23-26 at the Greer Cabaret Theater. -Oli, 2026 ** Feel free to add any comments or corrections below, with no need to sign up. The Strand Theater in Zelienople opened their run of Jesus Christ Superstar last Friday, March 27th. I attended the Saturday show. JCS runs roughly a comfortable 90 minutes.
The stage is simple. At the heart- a full-bodied, 8-person rock orchestra under tall scaffolding, a large cross, and four large televisions suspended on stage (Chuck Ziegler). Low-lying fog was utilized during the production and added to the intense ambiance of the show. This production also chose to have various ensemble characters passing around a video camera with a live feed to the televisions. This was a unique and creative way to bring the audience into a deeper place of intimacy with the main characters and show the story from various visual angles. (Jeremy Czarniak) We begin by meeting our ensemble cast, donned in fairly modern yet eccentric clothing. Right away, we get introduced to Judas during his solo song, “Heaven On My Mind”, played by Johnny Reardon. Johnny was my favorite performance of the evening, and left my jaw completely dropped. Johnny’s voice is strong and clearly well trained. He hits impressive high belts and intense vocal grit in JCS’s notorious rock-opera style, and sets the tone of energy level not only for his performance especially, but the rest of the production. Judas’ anger/frustration is palpable and Johnny delivers us deep emotion and his clear conflicting feelings about his impending reality. Before one of Johnny’s songs, he comes running from the outside of the building (caught on the video camera), and immediately sings yet another vocally insane song, further demonstrating his training and stamina for this absolute beast of a role. Later, during Judas’ death, it’s clear how Johnny was able to twist the audiences emotions to truly make us feel for him and see his side of the story, which may be a foreign emotion for audience members. Next, we meet Jesus, played by Sam Brooks. Sam immediately has “the look” that you might expect, even from the biblically depicted Jesus we are most familiar with. His voice is more gentle and almost traditionally operatic, but also beautifully trained for another vocally demanding role, with moments of falsetto and swelling that add flavor to the vocal performance. Sam and Johnny work well together with strong stage chemistry to create duality and distinction for the characters. JCS is a strong ensemble-driven show. Besides Jesus and Judas, other characters come into the story here and there in passing- other than Mary, (Sam Carter) who is a more gentle constant in Jesus’ story. Sam has an endearing and almost maternal nature as Mary and delivers a strong falsetto in her performance. Later on in act II, Sam and Sam Brooks have a harrowing duet with beautiful harmonies during “Can We Start Again Please?” Deeper into the secondary cast, we meet Annas, played by Matty Thornton. Matty gave another standout performance- one of my favorites of the production. He was vocally flawless and had the perfect energy for the character. Michael L. Marra is Pilate, and plays a hauntingly sinister villain. He is intense and domineering (and I absolutely loved his costume (Missy Nowakowski). Michael kept up this chilling energy throughout his entire performance. During Jesus’ lashings in act II, Michael counts from 1 to 39, and although these are just numbers being slowly called out, he created a sense of evil and climax as the beating became more and more intense. Evan Krug brought us a truly moving performance of Peter with visceral anger and high physical energy. Shoutout to his short yet highly impressive partnered dance duet with Cait Crowley Krug, choreographed by Jeremy Czarniak. When Jesus is receiving his flogging during “The 39 Lashes”, director Jeremy Czarniak chose an interesting and highly powerful approach, where each ensemble member took turns giving Jesus a lashing, and as they did, they would wipe a smear of fake blood on his back. This was gut wrenching and visually gruesome, and by the end, Jesus’ back was a bloody mess. This is usually depicted in a more hypothetical sense, but I found this rendition of the blocking to be so, so smart to evoke even more emotion from the audience and give them a visual instead of having to imagine. In act II, the cross suspended center stage slowly lowers and illuminates deeper, prepping for the death yet to come. During Jesus’ crucifixion, the crosses lights momentarily climb to a blinding level to symbolize his death. There is a very long silence after, which I think was a harrowing and powerful choice. FINAL SHOUTOUTS; Clay Glenny and Jeremy McCawley were aggressive and menacing as the priests, and worked well on stage together with Sam Brooks to manipulate a worn and weak Jesus into submission. They also had a convincing, high energy fight with actor Luke Carter that had great sight lines. (Fight director?) In the song“Make Us Well”, there was a strong operatic high note that was sang masterfully, I believe by actor Carol Niedringhaus. (Please correct me if I’m wrong) Overall, the harmonies from the ensemble were very well done, under vocal direction of Joy Hess, especially the men’s harmonies in “The Last Supper”. The pit was absolutely incredible in this production, with everyone playing at their best. Extra shoutout to standout musician and lead guitarist Joel DeMary. Although Jesus Christ Superstar runs three more shows, they are officially SOLD OUT! Congrats to the cast and crew on this production. - James & Xavier ** Feel free to add any comments or corrections below, with no need to sign up.  There is a version of the beloved musical, Shrek, that lies in between the 150 minute original, and the 60 minute "Jr" production, and that is the 90-minute "Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA)" version, developed for middle-ground viewers to better appeal to the needs and attention of children and teens alike and a slightly older target youth audience. This production style balances complexity and stamina with slightly less technical and endurance demand of the original musical.
Stage 62 opened Shrek (TYA) on Valentine's Day at the Andrew Carnegie Free Library & Music Hall in Carnegie. Although this production may be a bit more complex than the junior version, there were many bright-eyed toddlers in the audience who were fully engaged in the show. The stage is well decorated without being too detailed; it's predominantly made to look like a swamp, with trees and an interactive hillside. The set breaks the 'fourth wall' and travels down onto the floor of the theater beyond the stage as a sunflower field. (Rachel Ferrari-Engel, Jeff Way). The lighting design for this production was fantastic and utilized quite well. For example, in the swamp, a green and textured moving light would be placed on the set to help set the scene and create movement. Green light was also used on Fiona when she was in "ogre mode" so the actor didnt need to mess with body paint. (Garth Shaefer) In the ensemble's opening number, "Story of my Life", we are greeted with just about full company, unique and distinct familiar storybook characters, and beautiful harmonies. The ensemble cast is animated and each actor sticks true to their assigned character that each young viewer will likely recognize. I particularly found myself drawn to the boisterous and hilarious Big Bad Wolf, played by Jeri Rolon, as well as Pinocchio (Zachary Holderbaum), whenever they were on stage. We meet audience favorite, Donkey, played by Tony Montgomery. Tony stole the show with his rendition of this beloved critter, reminiscent of the original movie character while still making the performance his own. Tony particularly played "scared" well- a consistent theme in Donkey's personality. He had fantastic comedic timing, energy for days, and sometimes almost seemed spring-loaded. It was also evident, though not super necessary in this production, that Tony is a fantastic dancer. He never once strayed from 100% during his performance. This character was cast perfectly for this show. (Michael Van Newkirk) Here we also meet our main character, Shrek, portrayed by Mike Leahy. Mike and Tony have great chemistry together, which helps put the audience into the scene during their quest to rescue the princess. Both actors properly gave us characters that created duality- true opposites. Mike delivered a very subtle but effective Scottish accent- just enough to give a nod to Meyer's. He played Shrek as genuinely frightening and mean, which allowed for great contrast later in the show. We get to see Mike's vocal chops and belting later on in solos such as "Who I'd Be". In "What's up, Duloc?", the ensemble sports bright and exciting matching costumes (William Wilmoth) and here, we meet our antagonist, Lord Farquaad, played by Xander Boots. In addition to Tony, Xander delivered my favorite performance of the evening as the goofy villain with a Napoleon complex. Xander took on the exceptional feat of playing a character whose performance is given entirely on their knees, so as to create the illusion of height. Farquaad is deliciously villainous and objectively hilarious. Xander expertly stayed fully in character during his highly entertaining and impressive solo songs. His introductory solo ends with pyrotechnics at the end of the stage- an unexpected and exciting addition to the show. (Rachel Ferrari-Engel) There were multiple elements of the shows design that pleasantly surprised me and kept the young audiences engaged, such as smoke projectors to simulate geysers and bubbling lava, and an exploding bird trick. Lord Farquaad's costume was also fabulous, being adorned with glitter that shone under the lights of the theater, and scrawny legs that bend to allow for the continued illusion of walking (William). In one scene that gained an uproar of laughter, Shrek lifts Lord Farquaad by his shirt to be suspended in the air, which is accomplished simply by actor Xander standing on his own feet to full height. Gingy, a fan favorite, comes onto the stage under a veil of 'suspense of disbelief', being puppeted on a poster board by an ensemble member, who gives the characters lines while in clear view (Ivy Ferris). The cookie's voice is shrill and movie-accurate and was also aesthetically entertaining for the children watching from the audience. Later on, we actually meet a second version of Gingy than before, showing extra complexity to the set/prop/costume design. A few songs in, we meet the Princess Fiona- 3 versions of her- as we travel throughout her life. Actors Evelin Lundy, Lenci Boehme, and Hannah Taylor show us Fiona during different ages as they sing a trio song, "I Know Its Today"- a song with beautiful, seamless harmonies and clear diction. Their voices are fairly similar and mesh well. Donkey's love interest, Dragon, is played by Arielle Kroser. Arielle was on foot in a purple and pink dragon-esque costume, but was accompanied by a highly impressive full-sized dragon puppet, operated by four ensemble actors who never let the dragon stop moving for a moment. (Sean Barrett, Asriel Barnabei, Marlo Pierre, Amanda Espin) Hannah Taylor as adult Fiona has a beautiful belt and lots of feisty energy. Hannah especially played Fiona as angry well. She has great comedic timing and got lots of laughs from the audience. In act II, children's faces were glued to the stage for the opening numbers which included spinning rainbow lights and a lengthy and absurd fart/burp sequence between Shrek and Fiona. Parents know all too well how you can't escape the toilet humor, and this interaction between our main characters had endless giggles from the seats. This show was fairly limited on choreography, but when it did happen, it was tight and impressive, like in the second act number "Freak Flag". (Cristy Crawshaw, Mikaela Kapeluck). FINAL SHOUTOUTS Loved the skeleton trio- they got quite a few laughs from me. (Aaron Cook, Aaron Lenzi, Lee Basehore) (I believe. Correct me if I'm wrong on names!) as well as Mama Bear's beautiful singing voice (Alyssa Brinza). Shrek runs one more weekend- February 21st at 11 and 3, and February 22nd at 3. Next up for the Stage 62 is Steel Magnolias, opening May 8th. - Xavier, 2026 **Feel free to add any comments or corrections, with no need to sign up.  Godspell ran February 6th - 8th at the Greensburg Garden & Civic Center in Greensburg, PA. This 2012 revival production was directed by Barbara Rolla with Eric Barchiesi as music director and Raul Avina as choreographer.
Godspell has taken on a number of faces and various interpretations throughout the years. The entire cast participating on stage for the duration of the run of the show lends itself well to individual creativity from the director; and this production was no exception to the long-held belief that 'putting your own spin' on this classic is welcomed by audiences. The opening number featured the cast in full grey attire and the unique motifs of daily life and illustrated a clear and consice commentary on average humanity before Jesus makes his initial appearance in minds and on the stage. During 'Tower of Babble', the cast demonstrated their power and precision as a vocal collective and assured the audience that they would be experiencing a full wall of musical ability for the duration of the evening. While the volume of cast members could be seen as a bit overwhelming for the space, their vocals blended incredibly well. We first meet Jesus (Jeremy Poynton) as he addresses John the Baptist (Richard Halbrook) as an individual, approaching with palpable humility. Poynton's portrayal of Jesus immediately focuses in on a modern version of reservation and quiet kindness with a sprinkle of friendly quirk and relatability. As he begins 'God Save the People', the remaining players re-emerge as followers in their true characters dressed in brightly colored and flowing garb reminiscent of the imagery and tone of the 1973 Godspell film by David Greene.Poynton's gentle demeanor leaves no surprises as to why his character suddenly acquired a flock of fans and followers. After his initial teaching; the scene is quickly followed by the show's most famous hit number, 'Day by Day'. This particular rendition by Jade Goodes was sung precisely with intention in a sweet and confident tenderness that helped display what made Godspell a beloved classic. It set the tone for the newly established community we would spend the rest of our night with. This particular version of Godspell features a number of re-vamped compositions from the original publication, one of which being 'Learn Your Lessons Well'. Which, in the original production, is a relatively meek and short number. However, this revised edition is a beast. Riley Galloway delivered a fiery and full scale version of the song that was executed beautifully. By this point, the cast is beginning to honestly show their relationships amongst themselves and have personalities all their own. There are so many moments occurring across the stage that no matter where you choose to look, you will find something to soak in. As they go through their now-established rhythm working through parables, we see a new talent in every scene. Most notably, the character voices are wildly hilarious. You never see the same portrayal twice. We reach what many folks consider to be the show-stopping number in Godspell: 'Bless the Lord'. This rendition was performed by America's Got Talent semi-finalist Aubrey Burchell. America does indeed have talent. Burchell's vocals and her charisma were beyond perfect to take on this song, which is no easy feat. It was an overall powerhouse display, and her riff modifications brought a new and unheard flair to the performance. After a number of solo features we get to the duet that everyone is waiting for. 'All For the Best' is a duel of fates between Jesus and Judas (Travis Miller) that director Rolla deliberately stayed close to the book for - which, yes, means magic canes. The cast as a whole shone through here with well balanced vocalization and tight choreography (Raul Avina). 'All Good Gifts' is my personal favorite Godspell song, which was sung by Stephen Taylor in this production. The parable preceding this number was particularly entertaining in its absurdity, especially the actors' depictions of various plants used to demonstrate another biblical lesson. Stephen gave the audience a perfectly gorgeous rendition of this number that truly brought the cast together as a unit and left the audience with a tear in their eye. This was followed by the ending of the first act - sent off by a beyond hilarious Andy Hayes. Andy's comedic performance 'in-parable' is unmatched in size and commitment. His song sounded wonderful and it was a perfect way to embrace intermission. Act II opens with an intimate reprise of 'Learn Your Lessons Well'. It was a lovely moment, but relatively quickly overtaken by Scarlett Davis's 'Turn Back O Man'. Much like 'Learn Your Lessons Well', 'Turn Back O Man' has been heavily revamped from the original production score in this 2012 revival. While it still maintained a taste of the gentle alto seduction from the first version, this 'Turn Back O Man' was filled with electricity and great vocals from the entire company; especially Davis. It was absolutely a stand out of the show. Jo Gongaware was an impressive and notable player with their wild facial expressions and dedication to full body acting that Godspell commands. 'We Beseech Thee' was simply a joy. Incredibly fun, incredibly well sung, and incredibly satisfying. This is a number that everyone anticipates to hear, and it didn't disappoint. Poynton's Jesus truly comes home in the second act of this production. 'Alas for You' is a true behind-the-curtain moment for Jesus and his pals as he expresses his concern for events to come as the company gets their first sense of a perhaps darker future in their otherwise happy collective. Poynton's vocals are precise and deliberate that still carry a proper sense of storytelling. Madison Bosler brings the transition into a deeper part of this story with true grace and quiet compassion. 'By My Side' remains a gentle and untouched proper alto ballad in this production, as it was first written. Bosler's sincerity and tone created a moment of love and seriousness that is often difficult to achieve in such a colorful and playful landscape, and was refreshing while still carrying necessary weight. As we carry through the conclusion of our journey, we get to experience what feels like a true conflict between Poynton and Miller - who both display a sense of genuine despair but necessary action. The entire team does a phenomenal job of moving into harsh reality and pain despite how outrageously quickly it happens on the page. The crucifixion and departure of Jesus from the stage through the back of the theater were well sung and treated with respect and solemn contemplativeness that filled the entire house. I applaud the production staff for their overall design, as well as the dedication and complete hilarity of the entire cast throughout the performance. It was a delight to see Godspell in its own fresh face while still holding true to its source material and message. Next up- Greensburg Garden & Civic Center will produce Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Musical, running April 17-18 -James, 2026 ** Feel free to comment any thoughts or corrections, with no need to sign up.  Grease ran January 30th - February 1st at the Main Street Theatre Company in Uniontown, PA. Upon entering, the set is stunning- designed to feel perfectly 1950s/60s. There is a checkered proscenium arch that later becomes illuminated with neon (Eric Luchen).
The show opens with the number "Grease", where we instantly meet our team of Pink Ladies and T-Birds. It's immediately clear that the cast of this show packs powerhouse and clean harmonies and vocals. The costumes are Broadway-inspired (Darien O'Neal) and the men's hair and women's wigs are perfectly in era (Candace Orlandi). Another addition to the quality of the show involves the lighting design and use of spotlight strobing (Zachary Calloway and ZLX Productions). The cast of the T-Birds were absolutely perfect together. All 4 of the supporting male leads had fantastic and inspired stage chemistry together. They perfectly encompassed the chummy and immature nature of the T-Birds- constantly ragging on each other, full of deliciously obnoxious energy and crass humor. Even when not delivering lines, these gentleman kept up the young greaser energy while onstage in the dark as the Pink Ladies had their scenes. The Pink Ladies also echoed this, and had distinct and animated personalities that made them kindred- yet contrasted- to their respective T-Bird duo. These two groups work very well together, clearly knowing the script perfectly, as the lines they delivered were quick, back-to-back and snappy without stepping on the others, even in scenes where they aren't speaking to each other, but rather having separate conversations at different parts of the stage. The song "Summer Nights" was fun and exciting, as we get dual left-right stage choreography from the T-Birds and Pink Ladies, each distinctly unique and on-theme. The ending of this song, vocally, was strong and full, demonstrating the talent of the extended ensemble cast. We meet our leading lady, Sandy Dumbrowski, played by Madison Adams. Madison gives us a sweet, shy, and soft-spoken Sandy, which gives great dissimilarity from her personality change in the final scenes. Madison's voice was very reminiscent of Olivia Newton John's, yet much more powerful for her big upcoming songs. Madison's belt is clean and rings through the theatre gracefully. Later, in act II, Madison stuns with "Hopelessly Devoted", a ballad she delivered beautifully and much larger than I've yet seen (with a shocking and impressive opt up at the end!). This song brought the house down. At the end of the show, Madison gives a heavily contrasted Sandy, which really hammers in the changes the character made to compromise with Danny. Madison deserves all the accolades possible for this performance, and she was perfectly cast by director John Wagner-Malia. Danny Zuko is played by Quenten Zboyovsky. Quenten puts his all into each song and scene and fully acts while singing, showing a range of emotions, but where Quenten really stood out most was as a dancer, especially during the "Hand Jive". Quenten also delivered an impressive falsetto. Though the set only changes very little in this production, you are never taken out of the scene. At the house of one of the Pink Ladies, a simple vanity and bed are added. Marty is played by Abigail Rocks. She stayed perfectly in character while beautifully delivering her solo song, "Freddy, My Love". Abigail gave my favorite performance of the night as she perfectly pegged Marty's sultry but naive energy- truly embodying the character fully. Another minor set change takes us into the body shop where an impressive full-sized car is wheeled onstage for the iconic number "Greased Lightening", led by actor Seth Springsteen as Kenickie. Seth has great comedic timing and shows off impressive and diverse vocals and dance talent. The harmonies during this song were fantastic, predominantly led by male voices, and the fast-paced and energetic choreography was entertaining and crowd-pleasing as it, of course, included the original "arm-ography" (John Wagner-Malia). Springsteen's voice was so fine-tuned that it sounded like a professional recording. Altogether this was a truly perfect number. Roger (Peter Confrancesco) and Jan (Jordan Zelmore) bring us the hilariously silly "Mooning", where they show their comedic stage chemistry. Peter's belt was strong and impressive, even in such an unserious number, and he never once dropped energy in the show. He perfectly grasped the vintage falsetto a la Frankie Valli. Jordan had the audience in laughs whenever she came on stage. Emma Jones brings Betty Rizzo to life, keeping her fellow classmates in check with a sarcastic, monotone vocal delivery of lines and borderline bullying of Sandy. The number "Look at Me, I'm Sandra Dee" is fun and classic, and "There Are Worse Things I Could Do" is moving and solemn, with Emma demonstrating that she was really feeling the emotions of the song and showing her frustration with how she's perceived. Emma brought Rizzo into the spotlight in the way where she seemed truly mean, but still dedicated to her friends. (I feel that Emma could make a very good villain!) Act II opens with fun choreography from a troupe of featured dancers. We meet Cha-Cha DiGregorio, played by Sophia Hamilton. Sophia also embodies the spirit of Cha-Cha perfectly- she looks and sounds the part. She is loud, obnoxious, and beautiful. Sophia brought the energy, as well as comedic timing and impressive dance skills. Smaller but powerful character Eugene Florczyk is played by actor Ben Rush. Eugene is awkward, dorky, terrified of both women and men, and then out of absolutely nowhere, a fantastic dancer. I was truly in awe. Frenchy was another standout performance, given by Katie Grubb. Katie nailed the Frenchy voice from the movie. She has great interaction with actor Christian Sesek as Teen Angel, my second favorite performance of the night. Christian's voice is absolutely insane- he's suave and confident and comes into the scene in an iconic way- through a cloud of smoke center stage. Again, another actor perfectly cast into the role. FINAL SHOUTOUTS Doody (Adam Drabish) gives a beautiful rendition of "Those Magic Changes", in addition to highly entertaining comedic timing for his character. Ben Rush's convincing fall as Eugene. All of the vocal choices of the cast had a convincing vintage quality. Emma Jones dancing in character as Rizzo. Peter Confranesco's facial reactions when not delivering lines. Brennan Wagner-Malia's well-tuned radio voice. Next up on the Main Street Theater Company stage has yet to be announced, though there is a hint on the company website. That show will run July 10-12. ** Feel free to comment any thoughts or corrections, no need to sign up. - Xavier, 2026  In the town of Braddock, Barebones Theater opened its production of God of Carnage on November 7th.
God of Carnage follows two sets of parents who meet to discuss a playground fight between their young sons. What begins as a polite, civilized conversation quickly unravels into chaos as passive-aggressive remarks, defensiveness, and long-buried resentments boil over. Alliances shift, tempers flare, and social niceties collapse, revealing how thin the veneer of adulthood and civility truly is. Barebones is quaint; upon entering, you have the opportunity to purchase a drink at an attached restaurant/bar to take with you into the show. This theater is set up as a blackbox; a small, intimate stage surrounded by dark curtains and walls. You actually walk on the stage to get to your seats. The set is simple, but attractive. It’s set up to look like the living room of a stylish and wealthy family, with couches, chairs, fresh-cut flowers, and at the center- a large piece of abstract artwork on the wall. Tastefully 75-minute long God of Carnage consists only of four actors- and we meet them all right away. We intrude on a friendly conversation between the Novak family and the Raleigh family, as they discuss their children, who got into a fight at school. The conversation is palpably awkward, with comedically timed awkward silences and niceties. All four actors did a fantastic job at putting us in this bizarre interaction with each other. The script is fast. From an acting perspective, it’s clear all four actors need to know the show like the back of their hand. If each performer didnt know the other three actors lines, it would slow down the momentum of the show, which thrives off snappy and witty interaction. There were no silences unless intentional. The show’s laughs come from the quickness of the delivery and our four performers understood that assignment. Veronica is played by Daina Michelle Griffith. Dana is chatty and boisterous as Veronica, and she has a soothing and comforting voice with great diction and projection, as our actors were not mic’d. Dania delivers a kind and engaging Veronica for the first half, but comically switches into a unhinged, drunken nut job in the second act, which was absolutely hilarious. Daina’s ability to snap from playful to intimidating was immaculate. Later, Daina delivers us a hilarious and impressive repeated maniacal laugh. Michael, played by actor Patrick Jordan, is a bit of an antithesis to Veronica- chill and relaxed. This contrast and stage chemistry between Patrick and Daina create a believable and entertaining couple in this predicament. Patrick is witty and funny and unravels as the show goes on, showing impressive acting skills. David Whalen plays Alan, a business man who cares more about his job than his wife. Alan begins and never stops receiving mysterious and heated phone calls during what should otherwise be an important meeting. David really helps the audience understand how insufferable this character can be with his ignorance by prioritizing his work. David’s acting is utterly inspired, with incredibly believable and natural delivery and movement- watching David is like watching a. Movie. His performance was incredibly easy to digest and he developed a distinct and memorable character- in fact, all four actors did- which seems to be a crucial element for this show to be successful in what its aiming for. David and Patrick have quite a bit of funny bickering that was well executed and comical. After what seems like a positive social meeting, we learn about halfway through that these parents are actually not too happy about the situation, as passive-aggression and snappy remarks begin to sink in. Our fourth actor and Alan’s wife is Annette, played by Gayle Pazerski. Gayle also bounced her performance off of her co-actors very well and became frustrated with here husband in a believable way. Gayle was given the character with the funniest moment in the show. If you plan to see the show and don’t want a spoiler for a comedic practical effect, skip this next paragraph! About 1/3 of the way through the show, Annette unfortunately falls ill, and- quite literally- sprays the set down with “vomit”. This moment was so unexpected for people like me who were unfamiliar with the show. Even those who knew it was coming seemed shocked, mostly due to the efficacy of the trick pulled off by Barebones. The sheer projection and pressure of the vomit got so much air that it shot multiple feet across the stage like a hose, covering the chair and drenching the actor in front of her with the mix. This happened multiple times in a short moment. I have thought about it over and over and I still cannot figure out how they achieved this effect. I didnt see a hose or a bag- Gayle was completely mobile and acting normally, which added to the surprise of the moment. Gayle faced backwards a bit for the gag and the sight lines were absolutely perfect. The entire audience gasped and screamed. Patrick and Daina specifically had hysterical reactions to the vomit. Daina spraying perfume was cracking me up, as the atomizer liquid against the black backdrop of the theater was very visible. VERY, very well done. Spoiler over. This effect set the momentum for the rest of the show. It’s in this moment that you are truly reminded that you are watching a comedy, and the script and performances pick up into absolute hysteria. In what we might classify as “act II”, the couples- getting increasingly more intoxicated- begin agreeing with one another and ganging up on each other. At one point, Daina is perched on the couch like a gargoyle and begins jumping all over the furniture- she is an incredibly animated actor. God of Carnage exceeded my expectations and left my cheeks hurting from laughing. This was my first experience with the show- and with this theater, which has been gracing Pittsburgh with plays for 22 years. Although there are seven more shows for God of Carnage, this run is almost sold out! You still have chances to see it Thursday the 19th at 8:00 and Saturday the 22nd at 2:00. - Xavier, 2025 ** feel free to comment with thoughts, updates, or corrections. It can be public or anonymous, with no need to sign up. |
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