off the WALL productions at Carnegie Stage A Pittsburgh Theater

By Monica Stephenson - Composer Last night was the first music rehearsal for Carnegie Stage’s Pittsburgh Premiere of The Carols , a musical that I composed with lyrics and script by Jennifer Childs.  On my way to rehearsal I spotted the first of many holiday street lights sparkling along Carnegie’s Main Street. I had two thoughts.  First, I imagined the city hanging these lights the day after Halloween. Holiday decor seems to go out earlier and earlier every year!  Second, audiences will soon pass these lights on their way to Carnegie Stage to see The Carols . The notion of it filled me with hopefulness, immense pride and excitement to meet the talented, new cast.  Monica Stephenson and Jen Childs, interviewed by  WHYY's Peter Crimmins In March of 2016, Jennifer Childs, 1812 Productions’ Artistic Director, asked me if I might be interested in writing a few harmony numbers for a new play she was developing to be produced that December.  The play ...

Pittsburgh’s drinking troupe with a sketch comedy problem!   Matt Butoyak, Nathan Bell, Heidi Nagle, Tyson Schrader, Monica Stephenson    June 17 & 18 @ 8:00 pm, June 19 @ 2:00 pm $ 10.00 in advance ($ 15.00 at door) .   BUY TICKETS HERE As someone once so eloquently put it,  “WE’LL DO IT LIVE! F#@K IT! WE’LL DO IT LIVE! I CAN – I’LL WRITE IT AND WE’LL DO IT LIVE! F#@KIN THING SUCKS!” We’ve done live sketch comedy before, in ways that even Bill O’Reilly couldn’t imagine. Conspiracy theorist weathermen, jilted lovers at the gates of heaven, sex toys, celebrity nudes, lesbian weddings, and awkward teens. It has all been done and seen before. Until now. Now, The Harvey Wallbangers get lucky with five, and we promise you that this show will be, by far, the most recent. But either way, we're doing it live.   The Harvey WALLbangers at Carnegie Stage A Pittsburgh Theater operated by The Off The Wall Charitable Trust

            Prior to Sunday’s performance of The Harvey WALLbangers’ “We’re Inside You Now,” I had not seen any of their previous performances. After attending, I am grossly disappointed that it’s taken me this long to get on board.             This year’s performance by The Harvey WALLbangers left me wanting more. I’ve always been a sucker for sketch comedy; I watched SNL long before it became cool for kids my age to stay up to watch it. But I think even if I had not been a fan beforehand, I would have enjoyed the performance just as much. The Harvey WALLbangers             “We’re Inside You Now” was presented and paced perfectly. It starts off with the seven WALLbangers introducing themselves and what they like to do in their free time, while generalizations and stereotypes associated with their various activities flashed on the screen behind them. The opening of the show was perfect; it ma...

There’s a stampede in process and it’s not the running of the bulls.  It’s a stampede to get to Carnegie Stage .   People are making reasons to go out of their way to see The Harvey Wallbangers IV: We're Inside You Now.   We don’t know your reason yet, but I’m sure it’s a good one! Here are some of the reasons others are hurrying in. Some are gathering friends, even their Facebook ‘friends’ to celebrate their birthday. We think they may be secretly hoping for a moment to shine on stage. Others, after dieting the first few days of the New Year, are eagerly awaiting Sunday’s brunch*.   Some, looking to stick with their New Year’s Resolution, are looking forward to laughing their *** off . Others are groping for a chance to discreetly make ‘accidental’ contact with their date under the cover of the darkened lighting.  Won’t they be surprised that not much goes unnoticed in our small, intimate theater! Still others, tired of an entire holiday...

Are you sick and tired of the same old same old? Then maybe you need to get a lifeline with the Harvey Wallbangers IV ! This sketch comedy group’s newest production promises to be an all new, high-energy, highly ridiculous dose of ‘funny’ where no subject is safe, and no topic is taboo. They say that ‘ laughter is the best medicine ’ for whatever is ailing you, so purchase your ticket s early, because these shows sell out fast. The Harvey Wallbangers IV: We're Inside You Now : This show is all new, with original sketches, a new digital short, and more outrageous characters and costumes than ever before. A few skits into the show, you should be recovering quickly from whatever ails you; however, here’s and extra dose of medicine for you. The sketch comedy troupe is being joined by two guest performers, Laura Barletta and Jim Platani to help you to an even speedier recovery. Don’t let the weather or the winter blues get your down, when the right prescription for what’s ailin...

"There’s a story inside all of us.” That’s the motto of the Pittsburgh New Works Festival and we couldn’t agree more. Our team here at off the WALL productions is committed to “enrich enliven, educate, amaze and entertain our audiences.” When selecting plays to produce, we look at many factors. One of the most important factors is that the play tells a story, a story that reflects the challenges and nuances of real life. A story that reflects the trials and tribulations that real people deal with. A story that needs to be heard. A story that can change perspectives. The Pittsburgh New Works Festival “is dedicated to fostering the development of original one-act plays.” Each September, 18 plays are selected from hundreds of submissions. Six of the plays are read on stage in special reading performances in August. The remaining twelve plays are performed on stage. This year, all Pittsburgh New Works Festival performances will be held on CARNEGIE STAGE. We believe it is impor...

Live theater.  To those of us who love it so, live theater is a comfortable visit with people we know, or who we are about to know. The ticket we exchange for entry is our invitation to a special time, a time of laughter, smiles, tears and sighs, the same emotions we share with family and friends. The experience of small live theater , in particular, holds a special allure. Instead of watching the story unfold from the front door, we are invited into the living room, invited to share the moment, rather than watch it only. Those who frequent Off the Wall Center for Performing Arts enjoy the intimacy unique to small theater. You are our guests, and we invite you in to be a part of the special stories we have to share. We're one of the few theaters in the Pittsburgh area where professional actors take the stage. lease consider our schedule for the upcoming 2015-16 theater season. We can't wait to spend some time with you. So consider this your invitation to come on in! H...

The Harvey WALLbangers are back and they’re back with their best material yet! Think they were funny before, they were just getting started.  So if you’re ready to laugh out loud, and I mean really laugh out loud, not just little lol’s, grab a few of your friends, a date or come alone.  Just be sure to get to off the WALL theater on June 11th, 12th, 13th or 14th. After that, the laugh’s on you! “Laugh and the world laughs with you, snore and you sleep alone.” ― Anthony Burgess DON’T BE A LONER! COME JOIN IN THE FUN. HERE’S WHAT AUDIENCE MEMBERS HAD TO SAY AFTER THE LAST HARVEY WALLBANGER SHOW. “I laughed so hard I cried!” “I almost wet myself.” “Did you hear me snorting? That was so funny!!” “Oh my gosh! I can’t remember the last time I laughed that hard.” “Did you hear that group of women laughing? I was laughing at how hard they were laughing!” “I laughed so much my belly hurts! I bet I’ll be sore tomorrow.” “Ow! I think I pulled my bac...