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July, 2020Digital 107COVID Crises: Pittsburgh Tries To OpenPittsburgh's long-awaited reopening has begun. Sort of.June ended with disturbing spikesin the number of known COVID19 infections and deaths. After anincrease of infected young adults,Allegheny Country has ordered anend to on-site alcohol consumption at bars and restaurants. Thethinking is that such a move willdiscourage people from breakingthe distancing guidelines.This is certainly not good newsfor Pittsburgh's nightclubs, whichare key to the incomes of countless musicians, singers and bands.They are already under orders tolimit capacity. This means that,even with the reopening, few arebooking acts.“It’s not as simple as we open athalf-capacity,” Alex Neal, general manager of the ThunderbirdCafé & Music Hall, recently toldWESA-FM's Bill O'Driscoll. “Wecan’t pay the artists half of whatthey cost. It doesn’t really workthat way.” [Read more by clicking here - ed.]"Nobody knows what's going tohappen or what's going on," aworried Homewood bartenderexplained to Alexis Johnson ofthe Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, "orhow long we are going to be inthis situation."Meanwhile, different parts of thearts & entertainment communityare taking different approachesduring this chaotic "reopening."The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust's(PCT) stages remain dark. So, thePCT has joined commercial entities like Row House Cinema ingoing virtual, only they appear tobe doing so in virtually everyway. Not only are films normallyscreened at the Harris Theaterbeing shown online, but so arejazz concerts, magic shows, bookevents and even the annual youthsummer camps.All four Carnegie Museums ofPittsburgh are open, but activities are minimal and patrons mustbook an arrival time in advanceonline. The National Aviary isopening on July 1 and the Mattress Factory on July 9 --- butalso only to those who bookedtimed tickets in advance.The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh has started "curbside service" which allows patrons to pick-up reserved material and returnothers without entering a branch.Specific rules are being introduced. The Senator John HeinzPittsburgh Regional HistoryCenter. is welcoming patrons tosee the exhibit "Smithsonian’sPortraits of Pittsburgh: Worksfrom the National Portrait Gallery" starting July 1. But the museum is operating at 50% capacityand is requiring everyone to wearface coverings at all times, practice social distancing and havingaccess to stations of hand sanitizer. Additionally, the center'scafé will be open in a limited capacity, serving snacks and beverages only.Film and television production isslowly resuming. Dawn Keezer ofthe Pittsburgh Film Office recently told WESA-FM that theregion’s relatively low number ofCOVID-19 cases may help thelocal industry rebound faster thanother areas. [Los Angeles Countyhas had over 100,000 cases and3,000 deaths compared to Allegheny County's 2,800 cases and180 deaths - ed.]. “We’re still in agood spot competitively to get thework,” she says. “We just need tofigure out a way to safely geteverybody back to work.” [ See“Unions’ COVID Rules” on page4 -ed.]Pennsylvania has had about86,000 proven cases of COVIDinfections with more than 6,000deaths. The consensus amongexperts is that every state is underreporting since not everyone infected is getting tested.
Launched in 2010, the closely-held company TicketIQ is an event ticket search engine that provides ticket-buyingoptions from many different sellers. On June 7, the firm issued this assessment of safety during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was created in partnership with Billboard magazine.
Pittsburgh ApplauseAEA NewsButler native and Tony Awardwinning actress Michele L. Pawk(Broadway's "Hollywood Arms")is among those elected to Actors'Equity Association's (AEA)Eastern Region Council.The union iscomprised ofthree regionseach with its ownelected council.The Eastern Region covers 20states including New York andPennsylvania. Carnegie MellonUniversity grad Jeffrey Omura(TV's "Limitless") also won aseat.In other news, the national AEAoffice has been trying to addressthe COVID-19 pandemic and itseffects on live theater. At the endof May, the union issued four"Core Principles" that need to bemet for a safe work environment.The union continues to express itsconcerns over employment duringthe pandemic. When the LaborDepartment issued a jobs reporton June 5, it contained the surprising news that 2.5 million payrollswere added and the unemployment rate had dropped. But AEA'sMary McCall warns that thereremains a "long road to recoveryfor all of us for in the arts andentertainment industry. Whilemillions of Americans have goneback to work, our members andcountless others in the service andhospitality sector are still facingrecord unemployment."Pittsburgh has several Equitystages, all of whom were impacted by the virus and the na-4Pittsburgh ApplauseUnions’ COVID RulesFour major entertainment unions -- the Directors Guild of America (DGA), International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), InternationalBrotherhood of Teamsters (IBT)and the Screen Actors GuildAmerican Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAGAFTRA) --- have developed andreleased a set of COVID-19 safetyguidelines called The Safe WayForward.Zone A. This is the actual setwhere actors are performing inclose quarters without any protective gear. Everyone working inthis "bubble" must be carefullyvetted (i.e., tested for COVID).The working time should be limited and Zone A should be properly distant from Zone B.Zone B. This is the area outsideZone A where support functionsexist. These includes a productionoffice, dressing rooms, truck oranywhere else crew members maybe working. Everyone must wereprotective equipment and physicaldistancing while in Zone B.Zone C. This is where peopleinvolved in the production gowhen not working (home, hotelroom, etc.)Various epidemiologists and otherexperts were consulted whendrafting these guidelines. Theyare built around a system of three"zones" designed for the safety ofcast and crew. These zones areidentified as:No one is to be allowed access toZone A or Zone B for the firsttime unless a test conductedwithin the last 24 hours showsthem cleared of the virus. Zone Apeople are to be tested no lessthan three times a week.A pdf of the 37-page The SafewayForward can be downloaded byclicking here.tional shut down. On June 29came the announcement from theBroadway League that the klieglights of their 41 stages will remain dark until at least January 3.postponing their seasons and putting the safety and health of theiraudiences and workers first.These responsible decisions meanthat the industry will need supportso that when it is safe to reopen,the arts can go back to work andhelp the entire economy recover,”said the union's Brandon Lorenzin a press release. (At press time,it remained unclear if the extension will include regional stagesin Pittsburgh.)AEA responded almost immediately with a call for more federalhelp.“Countless regional theaters havemade the exact same decision asBroadway, and are voluntarilywww.pittsburghapplause.com www.pitts
Pittsburgh ApplauseCOVID CansIrish FestAnother major Pittsburgh eventhas become a casualty of theCOVID-19 pandemic.On June 8, the executive directorof the Pittsburgh Irish Festivalannounced that the 2020 event hasbeen cancelled. Instead, planningwill move forward on staging itagain in 2021."The Irish are nothing if not resilient," explains a press release,having survived " rain, bogs,floods, and now they face the difficulties of navigating the COVID-19 Global Pandemic."COVID-19 saw the cancellationsof Pride events, the Three RiversArts Festival, Kennywood's autumn programming and a host ofother annual celebrations. Fallevents like Light-Up Night, theReel Q film festival and WPXITV's parade on Thanksgivingweekend may be among the next,although no announcements havebeen made.In the interim, the organizationwill continue to stream live performances by local Irish musicartists.5Pittsburgh ApplauseGPAC’sCOVIDGrantsAs the COVID-19 crises continues, the Pittsburgh Foundationhas provided 50,000 to theGreater Pittsburgh Arts Council (GPAC) to supports artist ofcolor during the pandemic.GPAC formally made the announcement in a June 29 email:"Artists of all disciplines living inAllegheny, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence,Washington, and Westmorelandcounties in Southwestern Pennsylvania are eligible to request up to 500 in financial assistance.While there are no deadlines toapply, applications fitting the criteria and demographics will befunded on a first-come, firstserved basis."This financial assistance is unrestricted and can be used for rent,bills, groceries, childcare, etc. Ifyou are a previous recipient ofthis fund, you are not eligible toreapply."New DealAnnouncedThe national board of SAGAFTRA met via videoconferencing on June 29 and tentativelyapproved a new agreement withthe Alliance of Motion Pictureand Television Producers.More than 2/3 of the board approved of what a SAG-AFTRApress release describes as "themost lucrative deal the union hasever achieved."Valued at 318 million over threeyears, the same release explainsthat the deal "represents the needsand interests of our members asthey shared them with us duringour national Wages and WorkingConditions meetings held acrossthe country. First and foremost,we achieved a 26% increase instreaming residuals. In addition,we achieved a terrific wage package and an outsized increase inSAG-AFTRA Health Plan contributions. We are confident that thisfuture-focused agreement is thestrong foundation we need toevolve with the significantchanges in our industry and ouremployers’ business models."The agreement now goes to themembership for ratification.Learn more by k.com
Pittsburgh Applause7Pittsburgh ApplauseControversy Again At Post-GazetteIt seems that turmoil and controversy have become almost routineat the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.This scenario seems to date to2018 when parent company BlockCommunications consolidatedthe Post-Gazette editorial department with that of the ToledoBlade under the latter's chief editor Keith Burris. Burris is a wellknown supporter of DonaldTrump. Later that same year thepaper under Burris fired PulitzerPrize winning cartoonist RobRogers, presumably because herefused to draw pro-Trump cartoon.In June 2019 at least four staffersreported seeing publisher JohnRobinson Block drunk and "goingberserk." There have also beenissues with the union and concerns over the increasingly conservative editorial page. This includes a 2018 editorial thatseemed to justify blatant racism.The most recent situation revolvesaround African-American journalist Alexis Johnson. On May 31she tweeted out a joke involvingseveral pictures of a trash-strewnparking lot with the comment:"Horrifying scenes and aftermathfrom selfish LOOTERS who don'tcare about this city!!!!! . oh waitsorry. No, these are pictures froma Kenny Chesney concert tailgate.Whoops."She was then prohibited by thepaper's editors to cover the jailedprotesters. Johnson has since fileda lawsuit charging racial discrimination and illegal retaliation. Another Black staffer, photographerMichael M. Santiago says that hewas given similar restrictions buthas opted for a settlement and leftthe paper. Some insiders claimthat these are just the latest example of racial discrimination at thepaper.“This is a national embarrassmentto a newspaper that in 2019 received the Pulitzer prize,” Michael Fuoco, president of theNewspaper Guild of Pittsburgh,recently told WESA-FM's LucyPerkins. “The Post-Gazette is onthe wrong side of history. We’reon the right side of history. Wehave a responsibility to fight forour members, we need to fight fornon-discrimination, equality andjournalistic ethics.”Burris did post an online apology,but the fallout remains considerable: local grocery chain GiantEagle (possibly the paper's mostimportant seller of the print edition) will no longer sell copies ofthe Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.CLP Book Thieves MayGet Stiffer SentencesThe Associated Press (AP) is reporting that prosecutors wantstiffer sentences for the two meninvolved in pilfering valuabletomes from the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh (CLP).For decades,while he was theCLP's rarebooks manager,Gregory Priore,stole materialfrom the holdings. He thengave these items to John Schulman, the owner of Caliban BookShop to be sold to collectors. [SeePittsburgh Applause February2020 -ed.] In early June, the courtSchulman to four years of homewww.pittsburghapplause.comconfinement and Priore to threeyears home confinement. Theseare to be followed up with 12years of probation. CommonPleas Judge Alexander Bicketopted for home imprisonmentrather than prison because of theCOVID-19 pandemic.On June 26, Deputy District Attorney Brian Catanzarite expressed a desire for these sentences made even more restrictive. “The history of our nationwas stolen and resold merely tofeed the defendants’ avarice,” hewrote.No decision had been made atpress time.www.pittsburghaebook.com
Pittsburgh Applause8Pittsburgh ApplauseNew FilmHeadMuseum WorkersMay UnionizeA unionization effort is underwayat the Carnegie Museums ofPittsburgh, Marylynne Pitz andLauren Rosenblatt report for thePittsburgh Post-Gazette.Hundreds of employees "met" onJune 29 at a virtual rally to discussthe matter.“Many of us struggle to makeends meet while the organizationrelies on our dedication, longhours and other sacrifices,” GabiDiDonna, an assistant registrar ofloans at the Carnegie Museum ofArt, told the journalists. “Museumand cultural workers deserve asustainable way to make a living.”The employees are calling themselves the United MuseumWorkers and is seeking representation by the United Steelworksof America. Read more by clicking here.PSO’s New ViolinistSouth Korean musician YeokyungKim has been selected by thePittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (PSO) asthe new section secondviolin.According toa press release,"YeokyungKim began violin study at the ageof three, and at the age of 12played as soloist with the SeoulPhilharmonic Orchestra. She studied at the Yewon Arts School andSeoul Arts High School, andwhile there won numerous national solo competitions. Kimreceived Bachelor’s and Master’sdegrees from Seoul National University, and completed an ArtistDiploma at the Colburn School inLos Angles in May 2020."Announced at press time, EmmaWatts has been named presidentof the Paramount Pictures MotionPicture Group.Paramount is a division of ViacomCBS, which owns two Pittsburgh television stations.The Hollywood Reporter's PamelaMcClintock reports that the"veteran executive will overseethe studio’s film operations fromdevelopment to release, includingParamount Pictures and Paramount Players production labels,as well as managing the creativeand development group and supervising casting, physical production, post production and music."Watts begins her new role on July20.Ms. Kim officially began her newposition on June om
Pittsburgh ApplauseWilson To BeOn WalkPittsburgh's beloved Pulitzer Prizewinning playwright August Wilson (1945-2005) is getting another honor: a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.The famous walk began in 1953and now has more than 2,600stars embedded in sidewalks ofLos Angeles' Hollywoodneighborhood.9Pittsburgh ApplauseWill Michael Keaton BeBack As Batman?It looks like Pittsburgh son Michael Keaton will be wearing thefamous Batman cowl for the thirdtime.Keaton portrayed the superheroand his billionaire alter-ego in"Batman" (1989) and "BatmanReturns" (1992). He may reprisethe role for a planned movie centered around another comic bookicon, The Flash.In an exclusive report for TheWrap.com, journalist UmbertoGonzalez writes that talks "are inthe very early stages, it is far froma sure thing, and can go eitherway. No details are currentlyavailable about how big or smallKeaton’s role is."Read Gonzalez's full story byclicking here.WTAE-TV reports that otherstage luminaries getting stars areSarah Brightman and LucianoPavarotti.No date has been set for the ceremony; the COVID 19 pandemichas postponed all 2020 ceremonies and 2021 dates are expectedto be affected.ImagesPittsburgh playwright August Wilson is to be honored with a star onthe Hollywood Walk of k.com
Pittsburgh Applause11Pittsburgh ApplauseOpera Adds Board MembersTwo new professionals havejoined the board of the Pittsburgh Opera.One is Jones Day attorney TarekAbdalla and the other is Highmark executive Sri Palanisamy.International law firm Jones Daywas formed in 1893 by Clevelandattorneys Edwin J. Blandin andWilliam Lowe Rice. It wentthrough several changes in nameand ownership over the next ninedecades before assuming its current moniker. The firm's highprofile clients include roughlyhave of Fortune magazine's famous list of 500.Working out of the firm's Pittsburgh office, attorney Tarek Abdalla represents clients in majorpublic and private projects in theenergy and construction industriesincluding power plants, pipelinesand other energy infrastructure.He has been involved in arbitrations across the globe, from London to Abu Dhabi.AffiliationAgreementReachedAn new affiliation agreement hasbeen reached between SinclairBroadcast Group (SBG) andViacomCBS' flagship network,reports Broadcasting Cablemagazine's Jon Lafayette.The Pittsburgh-based Highmarkwas created in 1977 and is one ofthe nation's largest nonprofithealthcare organizations with several commercial subsidiaries. SriPalanisamy leads Highmark'slarge enterprise-wide strategicinitiatives and planning. He alsohas arts experience having cofounded a theater company.Both companies own televisionstations in Pittsburgh, althoughthe deal does not involve them.The agreement covers eight SBGstations that reach some threemillion households.“We are pleased to extend ouraffiliations for these stations withViacomCBS,” Lafayette quotesSinclair's Barry Faber. “The CBSNetwork’s extremely popularsports, entertainment and newsprogramming, together with thehigh-quality local news and otherprogramming provided by Sinclair, positions these stations tocontinue to serve as an importantmarketing platform for advertisers, as well as to generate a growing distribution revenue aebook.com
Keep Your EyesOn Us!As venues finalize their newschedules, we’ll updateour event listings!
OpportunitiesArtists of color who have been impacted financially by the COVID-19 pandemic can now apply for relief from theEmergency Fund for Artists. Operated by the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council, qualifying applicants can receive upto 500. Details available at st-services/emergency-fund?utm source newsletter&utm medium email&utm content %20artists%20of%20color&utm campaign EFFA%20pocVincent Lighting Systems is looking for a shop manage to work out of their Pittsburgh location. The position callsfor scheduling crews, maintaining records, etc. A theater degree (BA/BFA) is preferred but not required. Learnmore at cruitment/recruitment.html?cid 1945c406-ef09-4094-8944-d6e55612ab76&ccId 19000101 000001&type MP&lang en US
12345768910Across1112131. Famous Mae West line (part 1 of 6)7. Famous Mae West line (part 2 of 6)8. Pub beverage9. Common13. Famous Mae West line (part 3 of 6)14. Wee one17. Viewed18. Eat20. Up in years22. Famous Mae West line (part 4 of 6)24. Mined stuff25. Famous Mae West line (part 5 of 6)27. Sonny and Gregg’s ex28. Famous Mae West line (part 6 of 6)141516181720192221232425262728DownLast Month’s SolutionFIFTEEWARHOLMYSOMINDONSODMUSEEM ERMOOOFFSSENASAKNNYUTEASMWBETANDANEEDONRMNEAY1. Casper or Beetlejuice2. Boat propellant3. “Star Trek” shape-shifter4. Make very happy5. Common comment6. Pleaded10. Entry word11. Human honker (LOL)12. Carla of “Cheers”15. Smell16. Rip or ebb19. Negative word21. Send out22. Hammer or wrench23. Level25. New York musical landmark Café26. Cycle or pod intro27. “Nashville” actor Pittsburgh native,initially
Pittsburgh Applause 4 Pittsburgh Applause www.pittsburghapplause.com www.pitts Four major entertainment unions --- the Directors Guild of Amer- ica (DGA), International Alli- ance of Theatrical Stage Em-ployees this "bubble" must be carefully (IATSE), International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) and the Screen Actors Guild- American Federation of Televi-
