Jennifer Baron picks TENACITY as this week’s Pop Filter Hot Pick and previews the performances that will be featured at the event:
Audiences will be treated to a scene from the Tony Award-winning play, Take Me Out, by barebones productions, a classic 1930’s radio drama by Bricolage, a screening of Mombies, a comedic short about zombie parents in Lawrenceville, and a balletic vignette from Gravity+Grace, Frank Ferraro’s opera inspired by early-onset Parkinson’s disease. The Hiawatha Project will stage a scene fromCamino, its mythical story of immigration, detention and identity, while BRICKS for Young Adults will share first-hand stories of young lives impacted by cancer.
Surprise celebrity guests will compete in a live puppet-making contest during Tom Sarver’s Art Olympic Theater, the always charismatic artist Alexi Morrissey will read his “love letter to Sprout” and musicians David Bernabo and Barrett Black will perform original compositions. Also featured will be nationally-acclaimed poet Vanessa German, the rollicking Accordion Pool Party Orchestra, shorts by ambulantic videoworks, and dance by Zafira Studios and HYBRID.
With professional sound and light design provided by South Side-based Clear Story, TENACITY will tell a story of transformative growth and output within Pittsburgh’s cultural landscape. Showcasing both established and emerging artists and performance companies, the unique event will demonstrate The Sprout Fund’s focus on seeding the work of local artistic innovators, which in turn, has helped to cultivate regional talent and make Pittsburgh a vital arts environment.
[Mac] Howison, one of six [Sprout] staff members, says the initial vision was “all about the number 10,” with a loose framework to provide each performer with 10 minutes in the limelight. The show evolved to feature 11 artists and approximately 14 artistic contributors, during what Howison calls a “rapid-fire festival-style” production. When curating acts for the 90-minute showcase, Sprout’s staff took a close look at their impressive 10-year portfolio, selecting performers and performance pieces that date back to the organization’s infancy in 2002, and some that reflect emerging recently funded works.
$25 Balcony Seating now available. Limited seats remain on the main floor. Buy your tickets online today.
Doors open 7pm; curtain at 8pm. Tickets include a pre-show reception from 7-8pm and a post-show party from 10-11pm featuring live music from the Turpentiners & DJ Edgar Um and complimentary food and drink.