How I Will Remember Sinéad O’Connor

When I was 21 years old on October 3, 1992, Sinéad O’Connor was the brave hero I needed. I remember being at a retreat for campus ministry that weekend, watching the show stretched across longish sofas with pizza and pop and the righteous purity of our little Catholic college bubble. I remember the shock in […]

Q&A with Esai About Her One Woman Show ‘TRANSlation’

But drag really helped me discover that I am a woman, and I started taking vocal performance a lot more seriously around age 15 with doing musical theatre, but once I reached 16, I discovered jazz and it completely changed my life, and I still do it now. Of course I still wanted to incorporate […]

Q&A With Kejuan, 16, Sharing Her Trans Joy On-Stage With Billy Porter in Pittsburgh

I believe it was an example of trans joy because I could just show the world who I was.  I think trans joy means that any trans person can express themselves freely without being judged for who they are. It also means that they celebrate their pride and the beauty of their bodies.  One of […]

Dear Taylor Swift. Pittsburgh’s Trans Kids Need You.

Protect Trans Kids

Friday night is one of the two biggest concerts of the year in Pittsburgh – Taylor Swift. The other is Beyonce in August. The news has devoted multiple segments for the past two weeks, nightly, to the concert – the fans, the hotel rooms being rented, the restaurants, the parking, etc. As someone who lives […]

Review: Father John Misty Brings Chloe and the Next 20th Century to Roxian Theater

Friday night I went to see Father John Misty, a concert that I was really looking forward to attending. The concert was held at the restored Roxian Theater in McKees Rocks. This was my second visit to the Roxian and I am  more charmed by it each time I visit. This time I found free […]

Review: A Mother Son/Duo Reviews Dear Evan Hansen

I feel as if this play told the perfect personal view of what it’s like to suffer from social anxiety and feel as if you don’t matter or no one is watching. Our review of Dear Evan Hansen currently at The Benedum is a little different. We sent our reviewer Sarah and her 16-year-old son, […]

Review: Rachel Baiman at Club Cafe

Tuesday night I went to see Rachel Baiman play at Club Cafe. I can’t remember the last time I was at Club Cafe, maybe when Amy Ray did her last solo tour? But I have seen a lot of really good musicians there over the years. I have a love-hate relationship with Club Cafe. The […]

My Haudenosunee Dream Catcher

Dream Catcher

I am not of Indigenous or Native descent. I am a descended from white European colonizers, mainly from the British Isles and Western Europe who settled in what we now label as Pennsylvania, Maryland, and North Carolina. I do try to listen and learn from my Indigenous friends, colleagues, and trusted sources. I’ve tried to […]

Sitting in Lynn Cullen’s Shadow

The first time I called Lynn Cullen’s talk radio program was in 1999. I was living in my parents basement while finishing graduate school. I have no recollection of why I called or what I wanted to say, I just remember what she said to me. Her sister Susan was on the air with her […]

Six the Musical Reminds Us Of the Lives of All of Henry VIII’s Wives

Laura and Sarah ventured out again to the next show in the Pittsburgh Broadway Series – Six The Musical. ~ Sue Last night was cold. Wind chill made it 11 degrees. It was snowing, sort of. The type of winter day Pittsburgh used to have. I came home after work. I did not want to […]