off the WALL productions at Carnegie Stage A Pittsburgh Theater

What do we want to be when we grow up?  For us this has become an existential question in more ways than one.   Let''s have a look back at the past five years and then... May 2014    Inky Written by: Rinne Groff Directed by Ingrid Sonnichsen With:  Tony Bingham*  (Greg), Abby Quatro* (Inky), Adrienne Wehr* (Barbara), and on alternating nights Evangelina Paul & Layla Wyoming (Allison) A love-starved Manhattanite husband and wife struggle to satisfy their child-like desire to "have it all" during the high-rolling, morally skewed 1980s. When they take in Inky, a young Slavic nanny who's obsessed with Muhammad Ali, to care for their nine-year-old daughter and infant son, they are forced to face both their limitations and their potential for change. Inky is a darkly comic story about the importance of fighting back. Reviews: "One of the most interesting productions I’ve seen for a while simply because just when you thought you had each o...

March 2014         A Feminine Ending Written by Sarah Treem Directed by Matt Morrow With: Erika Cuenca*, Ingrid Sonnichsen*, Weston Blakesley*, Shaun Cameron Hall, Andrew Wind* Amanda wants to be a great composer, but she’s in a profession that only recognizes famous men. At the moment, she's living in New York City and writing advertising jingles to pay the rent while her almost-famous fiancé, Jack, pursues his singing career. Her parents are getting divorced, her first love reappears, and there's a lot of noise in her head, but none of it is music. Until the end. A gentle, bittersweet comedy about a young woman who knows what she wants but not quite how to get it. Reviews: "...the play is really a showcase for Erika Cuenca as Amanda, who, in a mammoth performance of intense focus and rock-ribbed conviction, keeps reminding us of the humanity deep inside Treem’s compelling script." - Ted Hoover - City Paper “... the electricity between them and the...

by Elizabeth Beck - Senior RMU Sarah Silk - Alec Silberblatt Photo: Heather Mull The first thing I thought when the lights came up at the end of the show was: That was an insane amount of words. This may not have been the most articulate thing to say, but ironically, Off the Wall’s latest opening, Lungs, is extremely eloquent. I think the most mind-blowing part of this play is the mastery with which the two actors deliver the dialogue. It’s what keeps Lungs moving along, and in a ninety-minute show with absolutely no stopping and no obvious transitions, this is crucial. The sheer amount of words spoken throughout the play is astounding; the entire time, I was astonished at the fact that Sarah Silk, who beautifully portrays the complicated and endearing woman, had memorized it all. Watching Lungs, I felt as if I were stuck watching an impossibly long, circular argument that seems to be going somewhere—but as audience members, we can never be too sure where that “somewhere” is....

We often hear the saying “Life is short, so ____.”  How would you fill in the blank? Here are some common answers: Life is short, so have fun. Life is short, so live life to the fullest. Life is short, so be happy. And the list goes on. But how often to you hear someone say “Life is short, so look past your differences and your struggles and give the gift of acceptance”?  Not typically the first thought that comes to mind, but should it be? After all, what we’re really talking about here is reconciliation. Look at the common answers: have fun, live life to the fullest, be happy. Who is at the center of these responses? Ourselves. But when we start talking about reconciliation and acceptance, it’s no longer only about ourselves. It’s now about our relationship with another. Reconciliations need not be limited to someone with whom you’ve lost touch with or had a huge fight with. No, reconciliations can be life changing even over smaller actions. Any of those ‘little things’ ...

The Mother-Daughter Relationship. Though words cannot really express the depth of the bond, there are countless references to this special relationship. Perform a quick Google search for ‘mother daughter relationship’ and you’ll receive not hundreds or thousands or even hundreds of thousands results. You’ll receive over 350 million results. And that doesn’t begin to account for all the books, movies and even songs on the topic. Take a look on social media, and you’ll find a plethora of posts using #MotherDaughter, innumerable quotes, pins on Pinterest and the list goes on. But as special as mother-daughter relationships are, they are often simultaneously fraught with contention. Even WebMD discusses the topic. There are as many variances within relationships as there are mothers-daughters. But even so, there are also many commonalities, as well as cultural pressures that impact every relationship. In our upcoming production Mother Lode, two independent women deal with end-of-life d...

Mother Lode is off the WALL productions upcoming play. There are so many great reasons to see this play that we’ve select the top seven reasons that make this play stand out. This is a world premiere performance and opens on January 28, 2016 at Carnegie Stage, a Pittsburgh Theater. TOP 7 REASONS TO SEE MOTHER LODE Linda Haston - Photo: Heather Mull The Music: Soulful, old style jazz from the 1930’s – you can’t find that at every street corner in Pittsburgh, but you can find it at C arnegie Stage during the performances of Mother Lode. The Life Story of Two Pittsburgh Women: Mother Lode is based on the lives Pittsburgh actor Linda Haston and her mother Ruth and on growing up in the Hill District. It is also about the stages of their mother-daughter relationship, from contention and discord to acceptance. Style: A one woman show, Linda Haston plays the characters of herself and her mother. Enjoy a Great Story:  Ruth is such a great story teller that you’ll be cap...

What do you get when you bring together a playwright and director from New York City and two experienced actors from Pittsburgh?  You get the perfect storm for the makings of a brilliant production. Join us as we welcome newcomers Lisa Ann Goldsmith and Elizabeth Ruelas for their first appearance with off the WALL productions at Carnegie Stage, as they star in the premiere production of Tunnel Vision, by Andrea Lepcio and directed by Melissa Maxwell. Lisa Ann Goldsmith, Elizabeth Ruelas,  Photo by Heather Mull Tunnel Vision is a very unique play in many ways. The set is simplistic, the props are unexpected, and the setting is non-realistic.  But it is a story that reflects the reality of many. It is the story about the challenges faced by women in today’s society.  Challenges ranging from how women perceive themselves and other women to how women go about deciding their career path, especially if it is not a traditional career for women.  The play also add...

Whether it’s peanut butter and jelly, chocolate and peanut butter or bacon and, well... anything, some things are just meant to go together!  This is also the case with theater and community. Live theater can be great entertainment, but when you combine the theater experience with dinner, drinks, dessert and/or a bit of shopping, the whole experience is enhanced.  That’s why we’re thrilled to announce that many businesses in the Carnegie community have joined with off the WALL productions so that when you attend one of our productions at Carnegie Stage, you can make a night (or afternoon) of it. There’s even some discounts for you to enjoy during other times of the week. Participating businesses : Sunset Pizza & Grille Modern Mercantile PGH The Flying Squirrel Motion on Main Carnegie Health & Wellness Center Riley’s Pour House (ticket stub) A Wards Cheesecakes Be sure to save both your ticket stub and your program booklet for disco...

It’s no secret off the WALL Productions is a huge advocate for women playwrights. It’s a busy world we live in, and sometimes we fail to question the obvious as we go about our day-to-day lives. We accept ‘things’ for what they are. ‘Things’ become so ingrained within a culture that few bother to think about them, let alone ponder or question the reasoning behind the current status or possible solutions for change. And we get that. If you’ve been to our theater, you know we like to select productions that tell a meaningful story, productions they may in their own small way allow you to see life through the eyes of another. Another perspective per say. So when it comes to hearing the voices of women, we 100% support parity in theater. Parity as applied to playwrights would mean that 50% of the time, the audience is hearing the voice of a female playwright, and 50% of the time that of a male playwright. As it is, just one in five plays currently produced around the country are written ...

You may read the above title and scratch your head.  What does a Christmas present have to do with the month of August?  Well, let me explain.  Did you ever notice the look on children’s faces when they open a Christmas gift? It’s priceless isn’t it? The smile on their faces, the sparkle in their eyes, the numerous hugs of thanks and an overall feeling of awe! Well, sometimes that’s how I feel when I walk into our theater.  As I enter, I sometimes look around, pondering our journey to bring this theater to life.  I see all the pictures of the actors and directors displayed on our wall and I am just amazed. I smile when I think of all the hard work and dedication they put in to prepare for the shows so that our audiences leave in awe. I get a glimmer in my eyes when a performance ends, and the audience not only applauds for the talented actors who just performed before them, but stands unanimously in appreciation – a standing ovation! I am thankful that we ha...

With over 75 film credits and numerous television appearances to his name, this actor/director/playwright/teacher was born in Warren, OH. He received his education at Yale University’s School of Drama, teaches at the HB Studio, and has directed at The New School, both in Greenwich Village. His performance as Motel in the original Broadway cast of Fiddler on the Roof resulted in his first critical acclaim. He most recently directed Peter Sarsgaard in the Off Broadway production of Hamlet. His work in between the two would fill volumes. He received a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Performance and an OBIE Award in 2007 for his appearance in The Last Sweet Days of Isaac. In 2007, he also received a Drama Desk Special Award for Renaissance Man of the American Theatre. In 2011, he received an OBIE Award for Direction for Three Sisters. He was also nominated for a Tony Award for The Little Foxes. And the list goes on… This individual will be directing our upcoming special summer theater...

People are often drawn to a career that they believe will satisfy their passion. Lovers of children are drawn to teaching, lovers of animals to veterinary medicine, lovers of crime shows to forensic science, and so on. We can and should add that lovers of artistic expression are often drawn to theater. Parity (the state or condition of being equal, especially regarding status or pay) — actually the lack of parity — may be most evident in theater. Few veterinarians treat diseased animals as a side job until they can earn enough money to go full time. Few forensic scientists offer to help solve criminal cases for free of for very minimal pay until they prove they are worthy of hire. Theater, however, is a different story. Most audiences would be surprised to know that a percentage of actors, even in New York City, practice their craft for as little as five dollars per night. Some work for free, choosing to satisfy their passion without regard to compensation. Some might say that th...

Fact:Across the world, women remain underrepresented in theatre. A recap of a previous blog tells us that, as recent as 2014, women represent only 17% of all playwrights. As with most ingrained cultural practices, change doesn’t come easily. Achieving true gender parity will require a concerted effort across the entire theatre universe. Rita Anderson, an award-winning Texas playwright, in a recent article posted on tcgcircle.com recommends a push from the theatre world to achieve “50/50 by 2020.” Martha Richards, in an article for American Theater, shared a series of steps that she believes will help to eliminate the “parody of gender parity,” that poor imitation of equality. She outlines the following: Build alliances with other social justice groups. Work with women in other art forms. Teach and produce plays by women. Work with the unions to help prevent unfair labor practices. Educate political candidates about the need to increase arts funding. off the WALL Theater is ...

The Women’s Lib movement made great strides in the 1970’s, expanding women’s access to a broader array of career choices. Now, in the 21st century, we can point to multitudes of women who have achieved workplace parity with men, stepping in as company executives, managers and business owners. It is no longer unusual for men to report to women, a relatively rare phenomena pre-women’s lib. Though we are approaching parity in some areas, with the level of parity varying within industries, geographic areas, etc., great strides have been made towards achieving parity. Unfortunately, when it comes to equal pay for equal work, we see parody, not parity. Women’s salaries are a “poor imitation” of men’s, when working in comparable positions. This same “parody of gender parity” — or poor imitation of equality — is evident in education, history books and so much more. What about theater? A number of studies reveal that women remain underrepresented in theater, not just in the United States, b...

fireWALL dance theater FIREWALL DANCE THEATER PRESENTS ADMISSION A WORLD PREMIERE REMAINING PERFORMANCES: JUNE 4-6 @ 8:00 PM Choreography by Elisa-Marie Alaio Original Music by: Ryan McMasters our fireWALL dancers: Elisa-Marie Alaio, Glenna Clark, Grace Cohen, Sara Cohen, Cammi Nevarez, Jenna Rae Smith Have you recently had one of those days where you just want to scream? As hard as you try to work around problems, your hands are tied and you just can’t do what you to do. No matter what you do, you run into a brick wall. Sometimes it may even feel a bit hopeless. It’s not fun feeling stifled, whether from your own perceptions or from boundaries placed by others. Often, various segments of society have barriers placed upon them. Invisible as they are, these cultural barriers are stronger than steel. This has been, and continues to be, in varying degrees, the case for women. Imagine how you feel when you just want people to hear you, to acknowledge you, to understa...

Admission, currently on stage, is fireWALL dance theater’ fireWALL dance theater s powerful expression of empowerment through movement… and music. It’s natural to focus on the dance performance, awed by both the athleticism and the gracefulness of the dancers; moved by the power of the story. But what would happen if you watched the performance in a vacuum of space, where no sound can travel? Would you still ‘feel’ the performance, or would it lose something? Chances are you would still appreciate the skill of the dancers, but that much would be lost in ‘feeling’ the power of the story. Why is this? This is because the dance movements and the musical score are married into one, inseparable performance. The music not only supports the story, the music is an integral part of the story. We took some time and talked with the mastermind behind the original musical score for Admission, Ryan McMasters. Ryan is our Resident Music Director and Sound Designer. Ryan is a true musical genius...

What does it mean to be a woman? Is it all about being sexy? Is it about being intelligent? Is it about fireWALL dance being sensual? Maybe it’s none of these, yet all of these. Admission, written and choreographed by Elisa-Marie Alaio, explores the art of being a woman. That’s right, the ‘art’ of being a woman. What does female empowerment mean? How is it achieved? At times, women may seem to be bent on comparing themselves with other women, and perhaps even at odds with one another. So how can women simultaneously lift each other up, even through the hardest of times? How can a woman be true to herself, yet be a part of a larger sisterhood? How can admitting individual weaknesses lead to a stronger bond with other women? How? This is part of the mysteriousness of women, the art of creating a bond through all the differences and challenges in life. It is also a force behind female empowerment. Admission is the creative, energetic exploration of this empowerment as presented by th...

A World Premiere May 29 – 30 @ 8:00 pm, May 31 @ 3:00 pm, June 4 – 6 @ 8:00 pm The dynamic fireWALL dance theater returns with Admission, a celebration of female empowerment. In a world full of all-boys’ clubs, glass ceilings, and disproportionate salaries, six women embark on separate journeys to overcome their obstacles, and ultimately discover that there is strength to be had in the sisterhood. our fireWALL dancers: Elisa-Marie Alaio Glenna Clark Grace Cohen Sara Cohen Cammi Nevarez Jenna Rae Smith Choreography by Elisa-Marie Alaio Original music by Ryan McMasters

Admission (\əd-ˈmi-shən, ad-\) – the act of admitting or allowing something; a statement or action by which someone admits a weakness or fault; the right or permission to enter a place. This is the Merriam-Webster definition of admission. Elisa-Marie Alaio’s newest dance show Admission portrays these meanings, and so much more. fireWALL dance theater - Photo by Grace Cohen Admission is an energetic dance production that explores the various facets of womanhood. Interpreting aspects ranging from the mysteriousness to the emotional to the chaotic ‘order’ that at times permeates our lives, along with the need to both challenge and support one another, Elisa-Marie brings a depth of thoughtful representation to the myriads of women. Only when we admit our flaws and weaknesses to ourselves, are we truly able to accept the helping hand of others, to allow others to support us through our ups and downs. Through dance, Admission demonstrates the intense power of lifting each other up. A...