The lives of two friends intersect at pivotal moments after their first meeting in the nurse's office as elementary-school students.
That starting point and successive encounters form the backdrop for Rajiv Joseph's play “Gruesome Playground Injuries,” which is having its Pittsburgh premiere at Off the Wall Theater, 25 West Main St., Carnegie.
As they compare scars — both physical and psychological — and the calamities that draw them together, these two wounded rebels may be the perfect match — or not.
Erika Cuenca and Tony Bingham play the pair as they journey across three decades, from accident-prone kids to self-destructive adults.
Performances are through Dec. 29 at 8 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays and 3 p.m. this Sunday.
Admission: $5 to $35
Details: 888-718-4253 or www.showclix.com
— Alice T. Carter
ART
BORN OF FIRE AND PAINT
Big changes are under way at the Westmoreland Museum of American Art. The McKenna Gallery, once a beautiful space on the museum's second floor often used for entertaining, has been transformed into a functional gallery, with the addition of new walls, new paint and different artwork.
Much of it hung salon-style, the pieces on display include works from the museum's collection of 19th-century Western Pennsylvania landscapes, such as those from the Scalp Level School, and works from the industrial-themed traveling exhibit “Born of Fire: The Valley of Work.”
These have been tastefully installed in the gallery, along with some furniture and decorative arts from our region. All of which can be seen throughout the holiday season.
Also on display through Feb. 17, the exhibit “Your Art Needs You!” features nearly 200 works from the museum's collection that are in need of some repair, giving visitors an opportunity to “adopt” a work of art to help cover the costs of conservation. Those who do will receive a certificate of adoption for their chosen object, a one-year membership to the museum, and recognition in the annual report.
Westmoreland Museum of American Art is located at 221 North Main St., Greensburg, and is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays; until 8 p.m. Fridays. Admission: $5; children under 12 and students with valid ID are free.
Details: 724-837-1500 or www.wmuseumaa.org.
— Kurt Shaw
COMEDY
SURE WAY TO WIN
What does the losing team do with the “Super Bowl Champions” T-shirts they had printed up for the big game? Pittsburgh comedian Aaron Kleiber thinks he knows. Who cares if he's right? He's a comedian, not a surgeon. And surgeons aren't this funny. Kleiber, an open-mic veteran who has opened for Sinbad, Jim Breuer and Josh Blue, is taping his Thursday performance at the Pittsburgh Improv for his own comedy DVD/CD. Just so you don't drive yourself crazy wondering where you've seen this dude before, Kleiber (pronounced Kly-ber) has been featured in commercials for Highmark, West Penn Power and the Pennsylvania Lottery. Admission to the 8 p.m. show is $15.
Details: 412-462-5233, www.improv.com
— William Loeffler
MUSIC
JOY TO THE JAZZ WORLD
Sean Jones says the Christmas concerts of the Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra are done with one of the basic thoughts of holiday planning in mind.
“Traditions are things you can count on,” says the co-founder of the big band. “Symphonies have ‘The Nutcracker,' and we have our Christmas concerts.”
The band he founded and leads with saxophonist/arranger Mike Tomaro will present its fourth holiday event Saturday at theManchester Craftsmen's Guild.
In a traditional way, it will be doing some classic Christmas big-band arrangements, such as excerpts from Duke Ellington's version of the “Nutcracker,” but also some new material, too.
For example, Tomaro has written a new arrangement of “Joy to the World” that puts the carol in a gospel setting musically, Jones says.
The concert also will have a new element in its location. The band began its existence in 2009 as a resident ensemble of the August Wilson Center, Downtown. This year, however, it has pulled away from that residency and seeks to be its own nonprofit.
That move has taken its concerts elsewhere, but Jones says the band's efforts are the same.
“We're just trying to keep the Christmas spirit alive in a jazz language,” he says.
The concert is at 7:30 p.m. Admission: $30; $25 for students. Detail: 412-322-0800 or www.mcg.jazz.org
— Bob Karlovits
