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At Peter Roth’s invitation and encouragement I drove over to Pittsburgh last Saturday night to attend Midnight Radio 3: Cowboys & Aliens at Bricolage.

Using my trusty GPS I landed nearly infront of the place on Liberty Avenue, parked, and promptly went into a proximate bar and had an Arrogant Bastard.

At quarter to 9 the lobby at Bricolage was packed. I was handed a small form to fill out where I had to choose whether I would be on Team Alien or Team Cowboy: I went the cowboy route for obvious reasons. Bricolage threatened attendees with an audience participation segment that would result from a drawing of the form midway through the show. The lobby is a storefront, and in the two storefront windows landscapes where setup (desert and space) wherein you could don some costume pieces and take photographs. Complementary munchies were provided of the cowboy and alien type: nachos and salsa and jello shots. Beer, etc., was available with a contribution. There was a mingling, party atmosphere penetrated occasionally by the huckstering of a man selling swag.

At around 9 the house was opened and the lobby streamed in. We sat up and toward the back left and then looked upon the stage. Perhaps “beheld” is a better word, as the stage held a wonderous toyland. At stage right there was a selection of microphone booms and arms and microphones and radio sound effect set pieces: a car door framed by wood; a small door with frame; boots in a box of gravel; a large piece of sheet metal to wave, rattle, or strike, etc. Upstage center were mikes at left and right while down center were three mikes facing left, right, and up with music stands. At left was another mike and further up the tech booth. On the upstage wall there was a projection which currently showed the Midnight Radio log. Up center was a good old-fashioned “On Air” indicator, currently off. And up left was an “Applause” sign, dark.

After the announcements, the stage space dimmed and the performers walked to their respective stations. A flamboyant and stylish mike check was undertaken all about the stage, with mikes emerging from odd locations and demos of shoes walking on gravel, strange voices, odd effects, etc. Then the show began.

There were commercials, announcements, Peter’s piece (Hank & Buster v. Orson Welles), Fake News –think Fox News and Glenn Beck with very little need for exaggeration at all, really. Plus an actual radio program (The Mimic) from the 50’s. Great musical interludes were provided by Slim Cessna and his son. Midway through the two raffle winners were brought out for the team alien/team cowboy segment (like the gameshow Password) The characterization of the actors was fantastic as they switched from role to role and did voice impressions as well as hustled around to create the various sound effects. It was, at once, theater and most definitely radio, too. Apparently, at some point, the episodes will be available on iTunes.

Midnight Radio in Pittsburgh is definitely worth going to see and worth the 2+ hour drive over.

Another blog about the event.

Went to a great meeting late yesterday with our regional representative from the Dramatists Guild of America: Tammy Ryan. She was pretty enthusiastic about her experience and what the DG meant to her and her region, which was Pittsburgh and most of the rest of Pennsylvania. The only down side is the recognition that New Yorkers somehow still consider the Midwest as some strange amalgam of people who are, for all intents, the same. I say this because someone’s wisdom was to lump Ohio into the same region as Pittsburgh; as well to provide Philadelphia with a region and stuff the rest of Pennsylvania into a Pittsburgh region. Frankly, it’s a far stretch to believe that Cleveland should represent the whole state of Ohio (and there weren’t many at the meeting who disagree with that–and there was one person from Columbus and one from Cincinnati); but the point is only more acutely made: not only is it a stretch to think of Cleveland representing all of Ohio; how much more odd to think of the Pittsburgh region representing all of Ohio?

The meeting was great, though, and I came away pretty fired up; as I think, did others. There were quite a few people represented, too, including Seth Gordon and many from the Playwright’s Unit, including Eric Coble, Eric Schmiedl, Faye Sholiton, David Hansen, Margaret Lynch; there was also Linda Eisenstein, Mike Geither, and several of the NEOMFA students.

It was a revealing meeting in that many opportunities of which I was unaware were revealed, and so, I learned that more opportunities existed in Cleveland. Also, from Ms. Ryan’s reaction, I came to understand that the Cleveland scene is pretty fortunate, developed, and cohesive. I also came away understanding that there will soon be more cohesion, as we will shortly be forming a regional unit ourselves. Cleveland has a lot going for it when it comes to theater, and soon the rest of the country will come to see it as well; just like Chicago in the eighties and early nineties.

On another note, Eric Coble’s new play is opening this weekend and I look forward to seeing it.