Off the Wall Productions - Theater Blog

The House Of Yes Dec. 2-17, 2011

2011-11-29T14:05:00.001-05:00

Written by Wendy MacLeod

Directed by: Robyne Parrish

With: Erika Cuenca, Virginia Wall Gruenert, Lauren Michaels
Justin Mohr, John Steffenauer

“…A fascinating blend of frivolous family politics and menacing political allegory….It is wickedly funny, disturbing and vividly written….MacLeod writes funny, frightening dialogue, and she touches the nerve of our cozy, vicarious involvement with acts of public violence”
San Francisco Chronicle

“Gripping, funny and worth its reputation.”
Time Out, London

“MacLeod gets us there with a fertile and original screwball voice that puts her in a league with such erudite young satirists of America’s privileged class as Nicky Silver and Richard Greenberg.”
Newsday

The Pascal family is the embodiment of dysfunction. Set in their formerly stately mansion in McLean, Virginia, the play begins when Marty Pascal brings his new fiancée, Lesly, home for Thanksgiving dinner. Nobody is thankful. Not puppyish younger brother Anthony, not alcoholic Mama who hurries to the kitchen to lock up the knives, and certainly not Marty’s twin sister Jackie-O, recently released from a mental hospital, whose passions are equally divided between a role-model fixation on Jackie Kennedy and an implacable incestuous addiction to Marty. Jackie-O goes over the edge and attempts to undermine Lesly and Marty’s betrothal, with deadly consequences.

Dec. 2-3, 9-10, 15-17 at 8pm
Matinee Dec. 11 at 3 pm.

Shaken & Stirred 2011

2011-10-02T23:33:00.001-04:00

Interview with the Playwright, Virginia Wall Gruenert and the Director Robyne Parrish.

Oct. 7-8, 14-16, 20-22, 2011 Off The Wall Theater, Washington
Oct. 26-29, 2011 Theatre 54, New York, NY.

Tickets: Click Here

Shaken &Stirred 2011

2011-09-29T14:42:00.001-04:00

Written by: Virginia Wall Gruenert
Directed by: Robyne Parrish
With: Karen Baum, Erika Cuenca,
Virginia Wall Gruenert, Robyne Parrish

Off the Wall’s Theater’s highly successful debut production, Shaken & Stirred, is back!
Voted Readers’ Choice “Best of 2007″ in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Virginia Wall Gruenert’s powerful play recounts the stories of indomitable women struggling with the toll alcohol has taken on their lives, and the lives of those they love. Carrying all the despair, devastation, and fear that accompany addiction, these ladies valiantly attempt to summon up the strength to overcome. Don’t miss the re-staging of this compelling play before its New York City premiere at Theatre 54.

Shaken & Stirred - The Playwright

2011-09-22T19:49:00.003-04:00

NOTES FROM THE AUTHOR

Bowery Bum.

That’s the politically incorrect term that could have applied to my paternal grandfather James, except that he didn’t come from the Bowery. He came, originally, from County Galway in Ireland to the great city of New York. His wife, my grandmother Catherine, came from County Monaghan.

Grandpa James didn’t live in the Bowery, either. He and my grandmother settled into a tenement on West 51^st St. in a neighborhood affectionately known to this day as Hell’s Kitchen, which at the time – the time being the late 19^th, early 20^th century - was a bastion of poor and working class Irish immigrants.

James, Catherine, and their three boys fell under the category of “poor.” In fact, I believe “dirt poor” would be a more accurate description. You see, James could not hold down a job to support his family – he was an active alcoholic. So when Catherine had finally had enough, she showed the iron backbone with which God blessed all Irish women and threw him out, making him homeless and making my father, the oldest son, man of the house. He was eleven at the time. He quit school, lied about his age, and went to work, while his mother got the rent lowered by scrubbing the halls and stairways in their tenement.

Fast forward almost twenty years later. My parents, not yet married, were out on the town in Manhattan with a group of friends when a panhandler approached them for money. My Dad recognized the vagrant as his father, pulled him aside, briefly spoke to him, and gave him a few bucks. As far as I know, that was the first time he’d seen James since he left home. It was also the last. Some years later someone – I don’t know who – notified my Dad that his father had died. My father paid to have him buried. Where, I don’t know.

The interesting part of this story is that it all came to me from my mother and my siblings. My father never spoke to me of Grandpa James. Never once.

- Virginia Wall Gruenert

Shaken & Stirred Oct.7 - 22, 2011

2011-09-18T15:25:00.002-04:00

Our fifth season is off to a great start. Stage construction is nearly finished, rehearsals are in full swing and the cast and crew are highly motivated.

Stay tuned for upcoming interviews with the playwright and the director and cast.

The stakes are high. After our three week run at

Off The Wall Theater the play moves with the

original cast and set to Theatre54 on 54th Street and Broadway in NYC. Opening night in Washington is Oct.7th and NYC Oct. 26th. Go to our web site for ticket information.

Shining City May 6th until May 21th2011

2011-05-05T10:06:00.014-04:00

The Theater Critics agree:

” John Shepard directs with careful attention…F.J. Hartland is both a mess of nerves and suprisingly matter-of-fact as John…, Dennis Schebetta…is just right…, James Masciovecchio…brings a suprising gift of acceptance and calm, and Karen Baum has an electric one scene role…, these professionals are well cast and tell a powerful story.” (Christopher Rawson, Post-Gazette)

,” The marvel is due in large part to the wonderful acting of F.J. Hartland and Dennis Schebetta, which must mean marvelous direction by John Shepard…”(Arlene Weiner, Coal Hill Blog - Performing Arts Reviews)

“…well acted, provocative…an extraordinary, virtuosic performance by F.J. Hartland.”
(Gordon Spencer on WRCT)

“…perfect cast…Karen Baum plays a slighted lover with the full-on, even physical torment…the standout is F.J. Hartland…”(Robert Isenberg, City Paper)

“…hilarious and tragic…Hartland commands the stage…Baum’s Neasa is an amazing portrayal…” (Michael Buzzelli, Outonline)

"...Neasa is played by the breathtaking Karen Baum…F.J.Hartland gives an affecting performance…combines a jovial vitality and down-to-earth warmth…” (Doug Shanaberger, Observer-Reporter)

Shining City - John Shepard, Director

2011-05-01T19:02:00.000-04:00

"Shining City" May 6-7, 13-14, 19-21 at 8.00 pm, May 15th at 3.00 pm

Pittsburgh Magazine April 2011

2011-03-31T14:54:00.002-04:00

EXPLORE NEW THEATRICAL FRONTIERS AT OFF THE WALL PRODUCTIONS:
If you sort of like theater, you visit the Cultural District now and then. If you really like theater, your frontiers expand to Oakland and South Side. But if you truly know your stuff, you may have discovered a hidden gem in Washington, Pa.: Off the Wall Productions. The company has been producing challenging, highly relevant dramas and comedies in an intimate 66-seat theater since 2007. Make an evening trip out of it for the company’s season-four finale, Shining City, in May. The play is an acclaimed story about faith and sin set in Dublin, but seeing the theater is worth the trip alone.

"boom" Mar. 4-5, 11-13, 17-19, 2011

2011-03-02T22:07:00.004-05:00

".. superb.. " ".. a joy.."
"..provocative, intellectual...and mainly a lot of fun."
Michelle Pilecki, Pittsburgh City Paper - Full review
" A wild and wacky script, full of laughs.."
"..hysterically funny.."
F.J. Hartland, Pittsburgh Out Magazine - Full review

" boom " Live Interview on OUT TV -click here-

2011-03-01T22:37:00.004-05:00

Watch Lauren Michaels and Matt Henderson live on OUT TV

A grad student’s online personal ad lures a mysterious journalism student to his subterranean research lab under the pretense of an evening of “no strings attached” sex. But when a major global catastrophic event strikes the planet, their date takes on evolutionary significance and the fate of humanity hangs in the balance. Will they survive? What about the fish in the tank? And who is that woman pulling levers and playing the timpani? An epic and intimate comedy that spans over billions of years, boom explores the influences of fate versus randomness in the course of one’s life, and life as we know it on the planet.

Directed by: Michael E. Moats
Starring:
Rachel Downie as Barbara
Lauren Michaels as Jo
Matt Henderson as Jules

"boom" Mar. 4-5, 11-13, 17-19, 2011

2011-02-27T19:06:00.001-05:00

Rehearsals for " boom "

Stop Kiss - Dec. 3-18, 2010 Rehearsal pictures

2010-12-01T22:25:00.003-05:00

Please click on picture below for photo album with latest rehearsal pictures.

Stop Kiss Dec. 3 - 18, 2010 A look behind the curtain

2010-11-27T16:24:00.002-05:00

'Night, Mother Oct. 1-16, 2010

2010-09-29T22:08:00.003-04:00

Mother Thelma (Virginia Wall Gruenert) and daughter Jessie (Elena Alexandratos) enjoying a moment of peace. Come and see the play that the New York Times called ".. one of the most moving and thought provoking plays in recent theater history.."

' Night, Mother Oct. 1-16, 2010

2010-09-19T22:59:00.005-04:00

Our cast and crew getting ready for opening night.

" The Club" - The Cast

2010-04-25T18:26:00.002-04:00

Rehearsals April 25, 2010 at Off the Wall. Enjoy.

" The Club" May 7 at Off The Wall

2010-04-19T09:51:00.002-04:00

Rehearsals in full costume. April 17, 2010.
In the picture standing left to right
Amy Doria, Diana Ifft, Erika Cuenca, Robyne Parrish, Linda Haston
Sitting: Brittany Graham, Elena Alexandratos.

" The Club " Stage Construction II 4-10-10

2010-04-10T20:03:00.001-04:00

Stage is nearly finished. The cast is getting ready to rehearse.

" The Club " Stage Design/Construction I

2010-03-27T14:38:00.005-04:00

Paul Shaw explaining his vision.

Reviews for " The Mercy Seat "

2010-03-06T20:16:00.006-05:00

" Powerful performances electrify The Mercy Seat", F.J. Hartland Outonline
Click here for full review!

" A dynamic and disturbing experience...." Gordon Spencer on WRCT.
Click here for full review.

" Off The Wall scores with Neil LaButes' post 9/11 drama" Brad Hundt, O-R.
Click here for full review

" The Mercy Seat " Rehearsal 2/28/10

2010-02-28T23:02:00.001-05:00

Adrienne Wehr as Abby and Michael E. Moats as Ben

" The Mercy Seat " March 2010 - Michael E. Moats - Ben

2010-02-20T17:29:00.001-05:00

Michael E. Moats shares his thoughts about his charater, Ben, with us.

" The Mercy Seat " March 2010 - Adrienne Wehr - Abby

2010-02-16T22:58:00.001-05:00

Adrienne shares her thoughts about her role as " Abby" with us.

" The Mercy Seat " March 2010 Update Jan. 24, 2010

2010-01-23T22:56:00.000-05:00

The stage design is falling into place. Can't wait to see what it looks like next weekend. Good job Paul!

" The Mercy Seat " March 2010 Update 1-17-10

2010-01-17T21:42:00.001-05:00

First week of stage construction. The lay out for the set design for The Mercy Seat has been approved by the director, Robyne Parrish. Now it is up to our designer Paul A. Shaw, a man of many talents (carpentry, electrical, painting) to put it all together. Please check the video below for a look " behind the curtain".
Watch here for our weekly updates and see what happens until the curtain finally
opens Mar. 5, 2010.
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Observations of a Theater Aficionado contributed by Gary E Stout, Esq.

2009-12-15T15:19:00.000-05:00

I have always enjoyed the theater. I never watch a movie or read a book twice. A rerun on television gives me the chance to try something new. But I look forward to seeing a play I know well, reinterpreted and brought alive with a different director and cast. The intimacy of the theater, especially in a small venue, is my favorite form of entertainment. When I can see the spittle, smell the cigarette, hear the footsteps and feel the emotions unfold before me, I am part of the experience.

I have had the pleasure of introducing my second wife to the theater over these past six years. We read the critics and synopsis of the plays, on the way to the Shaw and Shakespeare festivals in Canada. We look for a new play when traveling, especially New York, San Francisco and Toronto. We subscribe to The Pittsburgh Public and try to never miss an August Wilson production.

Now we have our own local theater to support and enjoy. On the Main Street of Washington, PA, in a city trying to remain viable and reinvent itself, a converted Moose Hall has become Off The Wall Theater. On a theater night the lights blaze, patrons have dinner in the city and stop at the Union Grill, Washington Hotel, or Eat and Park after the production to discuss the show. Miracle of Miracles, Pittsburghers make the drive South to see what the cutting edge plays and good reviews are all about.

We are proud to know the owners, Virginia and Hans Grunert. Their commitment, both financially and in hours, goes well beyond a hobby or project. For them, theater in Washington is a new vocation. The venue, professional actors and productions are first rate. Such vision and attention to detail deserve to be experienced and rewarded.

Off The Wall Theater is at a crossroads. It is difficult to institutionalize an experiment such as this. If it is to flourish beyond a footnote or curiosity, it must receive broader support from the community, the arts establishment and the foundations. Recognition from one source will foster attention from the others. The dream will live on as a regular addition to the theater culture of Southwestern Pennsylvania.

Theater - by Lauren Michaels

2009-12-15T15:18:00.000-05:00

Ruminations by Lauren Michaels

Finding the Off the Wall Theatre has been one of the luckiest coincidences in my career. I moved to Pittsburgh almost a year ago from New York City, where I had been studying acting at NYU. I had moved there from Dayton, OH with big dreams to find big opportunities in the big city. And I did, for a while in school. But once I graduated, times got tough. I realized it was a hard city to make it, not just for my career, but for rent, too. It was hard to find any theatres that were ready to hire non-union actors fresh out of college. If I wanted to act, I did plays friends produced on a small scale or student films. A paid gig was still a faraway dream.

Life took a turn when a certain someone walked into the East Village Mexican restaurant where I was bartending. He was from Pittsburgh, and despite the physical distance of our homes, we needed to be together. As fates would have it our relationship was sped up when I was fired from this particular Margarita Bar after I took off for a month to help out with my sick mother. Suddenly I was back in New York, with no money, no job, and an apartment with an explosive toilet. It was time for a change. So I moved to Pittsburgh, ready to start fresh with my career efforts, which in NYC at that point had gotten lost between "on the rocks or frozen?" and "salt or no?"

Upon moving here, immediately I was floored when finding the people of Pittsburgh were so happy to help. I started running into people in the Theatre Community here and they encouraged me to pick up a City Paper and start auditioning for shows. Finally over the summer, I took their advice and decided to start getting in the audition habit again. I found a listing for "The Little Dog Lauged" at the Off the Wall Theatre. I had at that point, heard of neither the play nor the theatre, but I thought, "heck, it's time I get me back in the swing of things." It was a sunny relaxing drive out to Washington. When I arrived at the theatre, I was happily surprised to see the posters of past shows on the walls, shows that were daring and risque, shows I always had read about in school in New York, but were hard to come across at my level there. Shows more obscure, intriguing, and daring than I would expect in such a quaint Americana town. At the audition I was handed a monologue from the play and I was ecstatic. It was a character I'd dreamt of playing without even knowing the context of the play. The words were so specific and hysterical, I thought, "I have to get this. This is an exciting piece of work."

And luckily I did. This play has been an incredible experience for me. It is a joy to be a part of something I believe is so important to put onstage. As one who has been educated in the theatre, people of the homosexual variety are often more common than not. Which is why I had to move to Pittsburgh to find me a good straight man. I mean, don't get me wrong, nearly ALL of my best friends throughout my life have been gay boys. I get along better with gay men than straight girls. It's like you can still sit around listening to Regina Spector or Lady Gaga without secretly comparing who has a better body between the two of you. With that said, I find it ASTONISHING that today, in the year 2009 AD, that freaking HOLLYWOOD has a homophobic attitude. Broadway doesn't. Broadway is happy to talk about homosexuality and raise money for AIDS. But Hollywood, it's like if you're outwardly gay in your personal life, you are comitted to playing gay characters, and can give up on hope to ever be the next James Bond, or guy from Mission Impossible for that matter. And to me, I find it terribly ironic that this is the case (especially considering the Oscars they'll throw at a movie like "Milk" or "Brokeback Mountain"). One can only assume a huge percentage of Hollywood actors are originally theatre actors. If you do the math and consider the homosexual percentage of theatre actors, it seems likely several are kept in the closet in Hollywood. This play explores this situation. My hope is that people can leave the show feeling like they had an entertaining experience, while also keeping in mind this closet problem is not just a west coast issue, but one within our own communities as well. If the public can become more accepting of people being openly who they are, then Hollywood will be forced to as well.

The Little Dog Laughed - Comment

2009-12-15T15:15:00.000-05:00

I was pleasantly surprised and pleased by Off the Wall's production values and choice of material. I just attended the opening night of THE LITTLE DOG LAUGHED and loved the play - it plays a lot better than it reads, and I'd never seen it before. Good choice - and risky material for Washington!

For one thing - it's again an actor-centric piece. Small set, not a complex technical production - simply actors doing great roles. Which is still what I think theater is about, and something to which your theater has made a real commitment. So few theaters today have the freedom, (both economic and from their Boards) to choose material that depend on actors doing exciting work. More often season choices are made in order to entice audiences away from their television sets. Your selections seem focused on enticing actors to work in a small theater, in Washington, for not a lot of money - in order to do roles that 'they've always wanted to do'. Thank you!!!

Ingrid Sonnichsen

Agnes of God (commentary)

2009-11-24T11:27:00.001-05:00

Oh my goodness! I saw the production of 'agnes of god' over the weekend and it was simply amazing. It was so intense and very well directed. The venue is beautiful and such a wonderful surprise for little Washingotn, PA! I was very impressed with off the wall theatre and look forward to attending many more productions in the future. .... again, what a great experience this weekend was! Thank you. Kimberly Katruska 10-23-09

Agnes of God (commentary)

2009-11-24T11:25:00.001-05:00

Thank you all for an amazing experience last night. I have never been so entranced by a stage production in my life-I was nearly in tears.The quality of the sets and the acting were honestly unexpected. I expected good, what I got was mind-blowing. Everything was absolutely fantastic. Thank you so very much. As an English major I do not run out words often, but last nights performance left me utterly speechless. I am looking forward to a return trip.
Thanks again,
Evid Miller 10-17-09

Agnes of God (commentary)

2009-11-24T11:19:00.000-05:00

Dear Mr & Mrs Gruenert,

Agnes of God is in keeping with your apparent bigotry against Catholics, religion and family life. Ever since Agnes hit the stage, Catholics (and those who put the play on) have known of its harshly negative and unfair view of Catholicism. I wouldn’t be surprised if you followed this up with Sister Mary Ignatius Explains it All for You or Bare. Mercy Seat may not be as bad in relation to its attack on religion, but this Mormon artist certainly makes up for it in his use of the profane talk of his characters.

I’m looking forward to you performing something that treats Gays, Women or Muslims in the same ugly light. But I won’t hold my breath too long. Liberals rarely display that kind of intellectual integrity; they preach that we should be tolerant, peaceful and compassionate, yet they themselves spew the most bigoted, hateful and insensitive things. You seem to think, like a spoiled teenager, that to be “grown up” means that you have to be crass, vulgar, and sexually explicit.

When I heard there was going to be a theatre in Washington, I was hopeful that there would be offerings I could attend for the sheer love of the theatre, but I have yet to see that. I’ve heard that the performances are very well done and the acting is fairly good, but as with most “modern” art, you’d rather go for the sophomoric shock than something that expresses emotion, truth and beauty in a professional and entertaining way. I performed in high school and college in both drama and musicals. It’s a shame that your view is so narrow and parochial that you can’t get beyond your Manhattan mentality and realize there are a lot of us out here in the real world who would much rather be entertained than insulted.

Don Ross
Washington, PA 10-06-09

" The Little Dog Laughed " at Off The Wall

2009-11-23T19:15:00.000-05:00

Below is a synopsis of our next show:
Set in Manhattan and Los Angeles, the play is a fast paced, hilarious look at the world of celebrity and the down-and-dirty politics of show business. The four characters are Mitchell, a handsome young movie star, his uber-agent Diane, a hustler named Alex, and Alex’s girlfriend Ellen. When Mitchell and Alex become involved in a physical relationship, Diane is concerned that what she describes as Mitchell’s “slight recurring case of homosexuality” will derail his career. She may have to push him back in the closet and everyone else in his life off a cliff in order to secure the movie role of a lifetime for him.

At Off The Wall Theater Dec. 4-19, 2009

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2009-11-23T15:07:00.001-05:00

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