City Theatre’s ‘Downstairs’ Relies on Strong Performances to Explore Family Violence Themes

City Theatre is staging Theresa Rebeck’s Downstairs this month. Originally written for actor siblings Tyne and Tim Daly, the plot focuses on adult siblings Irene and Teddy. Teddy has taken up residency in the basement of the house Irene shares with her husband. Teddy pokes at an old computer that Irene claims is broken, they […]

Review: Grist From the Mill Delivers a Good Storytelling Experience

On Friday we were at Carnegie Stage for the debut of Grist From the Mill, the first piece of a storytelling trilogy from local playwright and creator, Lissa Brennan. The trilogy boasted infusing Irish murder ballads with the steel industry. This piece was set in 1902 Pittsburgh. This performance was not what I expected, but […]

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How to Submit a Guest Blog Post

Do you have a great idea for a blog post, one that would be a good fit for this site? Maybe LGBTQ or feminist or racial justice topics? A story from your own life? A Q&A with your favorite creator? Or an analysis of the 2020 elections? We have lots of room for guest blog […]

Enter to win a free download of Halsey’s new album Manic

Halsey Manic

Enter now for your chance to win a free download of Halsey’s new album Manic featuring “Without Me,” “Graveyard” and “You Should Be Sad”   Manic is available NOW: https://halsey.lnk.to/manicthealbumYD    Facebook.com/HalseyMusic Twitter.com/Halsey Instagram.com/IAmHalsey Rulez You can enter as often as you like, but you can only win once every 30 days. You must live in the continental US to win. We […]

Castiel, 36, is Bisexual and Gender Fluid in Westmoreland County #AMPLIFY

Bisexual, gender fluid, Westmoreland County

Name: Castiel Hess Age: 36 County of Residence: Westmoreland Pronouns: He, him, his How do you describe your identity? Bi-sexual, gender fluid Please describe your coming out experience. Where did you find support? What challenges did you face?  I let a few close people know slowly out of fear of judgment. It actually took me a really long time […]

‘Grist From The Mill’ trilogy explores steel mill storytelling

This weekend, Off the wall Theater debuts the first piece from a new trilogy by Lissa Brennan. GRIST FROM THE MILL is a trilogy of works of storytelling inspired by fairy tales and folk music, specifically Irish murder ballads which spoke of ugly events with considered beauty. The steel mills of Southwestern Pennsylvania go beyond […]

How a Fishing Boat Sinking in North Carolina Resonates with Pittsburgh. Please read.

Papa's Girl sinks

There are four reasons you should donate to this crowdfund. I grew up in a steelworkers family and understood from early on that it was a dangerous, difficult job. We weren’t allowed to touch my father’s work clothes, not to keep them from being mussed but to keep us from being exposed to the chemicals. […]

My family has had decades to break their silences.

“Do you feel comfortable sharing family stories about living people?” is a question I am frequently asked, particularly when I’ve just published a post about my trauma work.  I never feel comfortable or good about revisiting trauma infused stories, but not because I might upset someone in my family. The only exception is the other […]

Two Year Anniversary of My Hysterectomy

lesbian hysterectomy

It’s been two years since I had a hysterectomy and I still occasionally find a tampon or pad stuffed away in an old purse or the pocket of a rarely worn coat. I have donated most of my unused items, but the occasional surfacing of one that I overlooked always makes me pause. I spent […]

Our Blog Named Finalist in GLAAD Media Awards for Third Consecutive Year

GLAAD Media Awards

This genuinely caught me off guard in a good way; we were again nominated as a finalist in the GLAAD media awards in the Outstanding Blog category. You may recall we were also a finalist in 2018, then won the category in 2019. A third consecutive nomination is humbling and energizing as we head into […]