A great review from Pittsburgh in the Round: Aided by Kirk Howe’s skillful musical direction, and the excellent instrumental work of Howe (Keyboard 1) Beth Minda (Keyboard 2), Dave Minda (Bass Guitar), and Jesse Wall (Percussion), the performers of Theatre Factory’s latest production dazzle and elate throughout the many silly twists and turns. Fantasticks is wonderfully…
Similar:Heart of Stone (#StarTrek #DS9 Rewatch, Season 3, Episode 14) Odo tries to keep Kira's spi…Rewatching ST:DS9 In a runabout, Kira…CultureA LiDAR map reveals #medievalyork fortifications that Speed captured in his stylized but s…PersonalParents Dedicate New College Safe Space In Honor Of Daughter Who Felt Weird In Class Once“When our Alexis felt weird after…
Similar:Preview of "The Fantasticks" (thanks, Tribune-Review, for covering the arts community)For Luisa, Jerz’s character, “the world …Culture#AugustWilson #CenturyCycle Three week intensive course (whew!) All the students did very …PersonalSon took out trash w/o being asked; daughter wore papercraft tophat to grocery store. Life…I took my daughter to an Alice-in-Wonder…ArtThat should be the top "Under…
For Luisa, Jerz’s character, “the world is still a magical place, full of epic characters and situations and — above all — romance.” She says the audience should like Luisa and care about her, not wanting the world to hurt or change her. A fun show to perform “‘The Fantasticks’ music is uniquely beautiful, and…
Similar:Disability advocates: Don't drop COVID-19 safety measuresWith the lethal threat of COVID-19 on th…AcademiaWhen she isn't playing Hodel, she'll be dancing with a bottle.PersonalThe secret history of “Y’all”: The murky origins of a legendary Southern slang wordThe Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is u…CultureHow to be a Medieval Spectator (Intro to Toronto York Plays 2025)This…
Similar:One hundred years ago, Czech writer Karel Čapek introduced the world to the word “Robot”PersonalA pleasant Independence Day photo shoot with the daughter.AestheticsCarolyn and spider friends performing "Power" from Stage Right's Sleeping B…PersonalThe Best of Both Worlds, Part 1 ( #StarTrek #TNG Rewatch, Season Three, Episode 26) We Hav…Rewatching ST:TNG after a 20-year break …PersonalYes,…
Similar:Narnia Lesson Plans: Activities Related to the Musical (based on The Lion, the Witch and t…I just posted the latest musical theater…BooksRest assured, there will soon be enough Rey toys to monetize the imaginations of the littl…The problems of female characters being …BusinessMcCain's 2008 Concession Speech: Republicans interrupt their candidate's concession speech…That moment during…
During Fall Break, I filmed my scenes for the horror indie The First Night of Summer. My character is a cheesy dad who’s trying too hard to engage with his sullen teenager — played by my daughter. While coaching us on the set, director Mark Sciubba described the dynamic he was looking for, and asked…
I ſhall always treaſure the pleaſant ſurpriſe of ſeeing the “long s” while reading Epicoene, by Ben Jonſon. Similar:A Christmas Carol (WAOB Audio Theatre)Marley was dead. (I voice the narrato…Books100 Careers for English MajorsAnyone with an English degree will tell …AcademiaThere's No Substitute for FictionWhat do Peskin and Astington recommend f…Books"Godspell" is sure to entertain…
Rewatching ST:TNG after a 20-year break. Riker accepts a temporary assignment as first officer of a Klingon vessel. “A Matter of Honor” offers a thoughtful, enjoyable dramatization of differences between Federation and Klingon culture, and a good B-plot in which Wesley helps a visiting officer adapt to routine operations on the Enterprise. It’s a nice touch…
Similar:After Halloween where do all the pumpkins go? Now we knowIn the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Jonathan…AmusingDonald Trump Is a Broken Man (Assessment by Speechwriter for Reagan and both Bushes)Powerful assessment of Donald Trump, wri…Culture11 Compound Word Errors that Might Make You Look like a Numbskull You might wonder why we flip out over …CultureCreative writing majors…
Chants of “no justice, no peace” drifted from the hallway into the the 204th District Court, and then Botham Jean’s 18-year-old brother stepped up to the witness stand Wednesday. This was Brandt Jean’s chance to tell Guyger exactly what he thought of the former Dallas officer after she was sentenced to 10 years in prison…
Similar:Talkback session after the matinee and my brother and faculty colleagues after the evening…Talkback session after the matinee and m…AwesomeA tale of two headlines: CNN and Fox shade their reports of UFC crowd's reaction to TrumpHeadlines from CNN and Fox shade in diff…Current_EventsMasked up, so I don't infect you, in case you are in a…
Turns out, getting a STEM education may help you get a good job early but if you want a good career, you’re better off in liberal arts lane. In other words, even if you’re only measuring money, a liberal arts education is probably worth a ton more than most people may think. […] [B]y the time…
Rewatching Star Trek: The Next Generation after a 20-year break. Tension mounts between Captain Picard and Dr. Pulaski as the Enterprise encounters a rapid-aging disease. I rather liked how Picard, who just last week quoted part of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18, is in his ready room reading a book when Troi reminds him he wanted to…
Rewatching Star Trek: The Next Generation after a 20-year break. In his final hours, an arrogant, crotchety cybernetics genius takes a liking to Data. After the genius dies, Data starts acting arrogant and crotchety. Hmm. This early in the run of TNG, we’ve already seen the trope of a brilliant, older professional man supported and…
Saving for the next time I teach “Intro to English Study.” It’s all well and good to sing “The Ballad of Sweeney Todd” to the tune of “Hallelujah,” but why can’t you do it the other way around? For that matter, why does it work only when you limit yourself to the first two lines…
Rewatching Star Trek: The Next Generation after a 20-year break. A mediator who communicates via a telepathic chorus is a warring planet’s only hope for peace. While the episode isn’t perfect, nothing made me want to facepalm. I cared about Riva (the mediator) and his romantic (but at the same time respectful and professionally empathetic) interest…
Rewatching Star Trek: The Next Generation after a 20-year break. A pony-tailed pirate-shirt-wearing pile of charisma steps out of a Renaissance Festival sideshow onto the Enterprise for a silly low-stakes caper. Meanwhile, Data tries stand-up comedy. I cringed when the guest star put the moves on the pretty transporter technician (played by a before-she-was-famous Teri…
A librarian at the University of Virginia kindly scanned and emailed the review I wrote, as an undergraduate student journalist, of the pre-Broadway tryout of A Few Good Men, in September 1989. I was prepared to cringe, but I was actually kind of proud of the lead, which applies equally to the professional production now…