Theatre in Pittsburgh

Posted on February 20, 2009 by ruthek

University of Pittsburgh Repertory Theatre, part of the Department of Theatre Arts, is putting on a production of Angels in America, the Tony Kushner play about AIDS and other facets of American life. All parts, with the exception of Roy Cohn and Ethel Rosenberg/Hannah, are played by students. It is a complex, ambitious undertaking and they do a great job. I never saw the play when it was first produced so I was pleased to have this opportunity. With my usual standard of how many times I look at my watch I have to report that I only looked once, at the beginning of the intermission, and was surprised at how much time had elapsed. That means I give it five stars.

The Pitt Osher group had a lecture/discussion about this first part of the play, and another will be held before the second part is produced. Much of this lecture focused on how the students approached their roles and what was done to prepare them, since most of them were born after the time period (Ronald Reagan eighties) the play addresses and long after Roy Cohn was most famous.

Coffee

Posted on January 6, 2009 by ruthek

I couldn't fall asleep last night; probably because of the cup of coffee I drank in the afternoon. I intended to have decaf, but I think I just asked for coffee. I tossed and turned, got an inspiration for a difficult email and got up to work on it, closed the computer and my eyes and still didn't fall asleep. I think it finally happened about 4 am, but I was up before the alarm rang at seven, couldn't open my eyes and stayed in bed listening to NPR for an hour.

I usually drink tea, although I love coffee. Twenty years ago, while I was in Alaska with Raja, I began to feel very ill–upset stomach type ill. I couldn't figure it out–this never happens to me. Finally I realized that while I was shopping I was drinking the coffee available in each shop we entered. It seemed a great way to warm up and the coffee smelled wonderful, thick and black. I stopped drinking it, felt much better, and finally switched to tea. I still drink coffee, but only very rarely and usually only when I am assured of a good cup. Since I moved to Pittsburgh and started back to school I find the coffee very attractive. Somehow school and coffee seem to go together, but I guess it's another practice that has to stop.

I will be teaching a class about blogging for my University of Pittsburgh Osher program, beginning March 21. As I prepare for the class I will post some of my thoughts about teaching and creating a blog on Silver Streakers. I'm not too happy about posting to a third blog. I started Silver Streakers at the urging of Len Zapler, a fellow Osher paticipant, but he seems to have lost interest and the blog has had no action since last summer. If you have any interest in teaching blogging, come visit me there. I would be delighted to have your input.

Moments of reality

Posted on January 3, 2009 by ruthek

The sun was shining; the sky was blue and cloudless; despite the cold I decided to walk to East Liberty and pick up my prescriptions at Walgreens. There's a Borders in the same complex as the drugstore and I stopped in to warm up. While I was browsing in the magazine section, in fact looking at a jewelry mag, a woman questioned me, "What kind of jewelry do you make?" One of the great things about Pittsburgh is that people talk to you. We had a long, very pleasant conversation during which she mentioned she had been a librarian. I told her I thought that was something I might have enjoyed doing. She said, why don't you do it? Go back to school. I said no, I didn't want to work again. We left it at that, but I've been thinking about it all day. I think this was the first time I've acknowledged to myself that I am too old to do something.

This evening I finally went through the pile of papers I brought back from my trip. It made me very sad. I will probably never return to Japan, although I would very much like to. I have finally, at almost 75 years, concluded I would not do another trip like that alone and as inexpensively as I have done these last two. Having money makes things much easier, and I no longer have confidence that my money will outlast me. I may have to go back to work, yet.

The lady in Borders had the same undaunted attitude I had a year ago. This has been a hard year for me, sometimes wonderful, occasionally frightful; it has very much altered my vision of myself and my attitude. I hope I can recover my sense of invincibility, or maybe it's just a fantasy I've had for 74 years.

Sunday walk

Posted on December 28, 2008 by ruthek

I smell like latkes, or rather my coat smells like latkes. I've taken the coat out for several airings, but it doesn't seem to go away. Everything else has gone into the laundry. I went to two Hanuka parties where they fried the latkes (potato pancakes) after we arrived. Latkes are good on Hanuka, but not having to smell them for days afterward.

The weather has been amazing these last two days. Yesterday was in the high 60's and I didn't wear a coat. It's colder today, but the sky is that beautiful blue and the sun feels warm. The radio was forcasting high winds; I wasn't sure I wanted to go out. After Robin told me it was beautiful I put on my coat and started walking. Pretending I was still in Japan I took my camera with me. This was the first thing to catch my eye.

Library - 10280

I watched the red house being painted before I left. It makes an amazing contract with the pristine white lady next to it; almost enough to inspire a story.

Further on this tree spoke to me.

It's not like the Japanese gardens, but somehow the trees give me the same feeling.

I finally got to Trader Joe's where I had one of their little cups of coffee and bought a few things I should have left in the store. They have great nosh and I don't want to gain back the weight I lost.

Another travel concern

Posted on December 22, 2008 by ruthek

Here in Pittsburgh we always seem to be flying on small planes, which use those awful stairs to get you off and on. I know there are jetways that fit those planes, but they are seldom used. Getting on the plane at Dulles I had to walk down the steps from the gate, walk across the tarmac, then walk up the steps to the plane. Arriving in Pittsburgh I had to do the same thing. Those of you who followed my trip in China and Japan know that I am phobic about steps: not all steps, but certain ones with narrow treads and steep angles. Granted these things have railings–otherwise I might just stand there and scream–I don't like them. I want to know what they do with you when you are in a wheelchair. Or what happens if you get sick while the plane is enroute?

I asked the flight attendant and the Traveler's Aid people in Pittsburgh, but never got an answer. The next time I have to fly from Pittsburgh this will be an issue for me. It wasn't too terrifying this time because I had no carry-on luggage with me, only my purse, which hangs across my chest. I was able to use both hands on the railings. No one has ever offered to help me when I've been carrying a bag. Would they help if I was in a wheelchair?

Pittsburgh has a large elder population. Will the airlines figure out they ought to accomodate us, or do we stop flying?

More cruisin’ the Mon

Posted on August 13, 2008 by ruthek

While I was wandering around the ship I noticed the paddlewheel at the back. Thought I'd give you the opportunity to go on the cruise with me. The music playing in the cabin recorded as a loud cacaphony, so I put in some Japanese Koto to get in the mood for my forthcoming trip.
http://www.youtube.com/v/beabk_AaboY

Movin’ and cruisin’

Posted on August 12, 2008 by ruthek

I made the deal to sublet my apartment. My tenants will move in on Thursday, so I really have only one day to finish moving out. It shouldn't be a problem, I've been organizing everything for such a long time. I have only my summer clothes, day to day toiletries and this computer to take care of.

Needing a break from all this organizing on Saturday I went on a cruise of the Monongahela River. The cruise was called Lords of the Mon and was guided by people from Rivers of Steel. It seems that at one time there was 37 miles of steel mills along the Mon. I think our cruise went only about 10 miles; we saw only the Edgar Thompson works, the only mill left in Pittsburgh. Most interesting are the bridges. I think we went under eight of them. I loved the echo of the guide talking as we went under the bridges. Here are my bridge pictures. More about the sublet later.

Smithfield Street Bridge

Hot Metal Bridge–molten steel crossed to the other side of the river to be finished.

Rankin Bridge–wrapped for badly needed repairs

Another bridge that needs help.

Revisiting Pittsburgh sights

Posted on July 28, 2008 by ruthek

I’ve been playing tourguide to a friend from New York, who has been with me for the last few days. We began on Friday with a trip on the busway and got off at Penn Station. I love the building, particularly the rotunda.

We peered through the doors at the beautiful waiting room, then got very lucky. The doorman let us go in and look at the waiting room from the doorway. I was in it once before; I took a special Landmarks and History tour sponsored by my alumni association. Weddings are held there now. Maybe someday I’ll get invited to one.

We walked over to the convention center and walked along the water feature down to the Allegheny.

At noon we joined a Landmarks and History tour of the cultural district along Penn and Liberty Avenues. Hot, tired, we took the “T” across the Mon and went to lunch at Grand Concourse. I love the room, the lunch was good, the service was almost unbearably slow. We were there two hours. It’s no wonder they are almost always empty.

Back across the Mon we walked over to the Allegheny County Court House, a marvelous building by H. H. Richardson. My friend was impressed with Pittsburgh and I love visiting all those places. We were wiped out by the time we got back to the apartment.

After a short rest we went to a program presented by the kids in Charna’s Governor’s School. Those kids a really something, very impressive.

While I was at the keratoconus meeting, Phyllis went to the Carnegie Museum of Natural History and looked at the gems and minerals, a wonderful display, and fossils. Then we went to the Duquesne incline, took lots of photos and rode down and back up again.

This is the incline car just beginning to emerge.

Finding my way down Mt. Washington without getting lost made me feel really good, and we easily found our way over to PPG Place. The kids were having a great time in the water around the Egyptian obelisk.

A few of the reflections were good; mostly the light wasn’t very good.

Sunday was Frick Park day. We went on a tour of Clayton, ate a wonderful lunch in the cafe (desserts are fabulous), looked at the exhibit of 19th C. Pittsburgh prints and finally looked at the park but were too tired to really walk it.

Today we drove to Fallingwater. I’ve been there four or five times already, but I still enjoy it.

Art and history in Pittsburgh

Posted on July 1, 2008 by ruthek

The Frick Art and Historical Center is having an exhibit of nineteenth century printed views of Pittsburgh. The prints give a wonderful picture of the early growth of the city. Coming from the amazingly flat city of Chicago I am always intrigued by the hills and valleys of Pittsburgh, particularly the changes that were made in the downtown area by leveling Grant’s Hill and using it as landfill. Both the Frick Building and the Allegheny County Courthouse were built with the expectation that Grant’s Hill, which they were built into, would be removed. The basement of the Frick Building became the first floor and the facade of the courthouse was reconfigured. Knowing this, I have tried to envision what Grant’s Hill would have looked like. I was hoping the prints would help me, but I the best picture I’ve found is here. It looks like the kind of hill I imagined as a child, something not too large rising off a flat surface. I can see where this could be completely removed. The map just below the Grant’s Hill picture shows a pond in the middle of downtown. This was probably filled in using material from Grant’s Hill. On Sunday, there was a special lecture about the show given by the curator. I was hoping he would talk mostly about the content of the prints, but he actually spoke about how so many of these views were copied and reissued without ever crediting the original creators. Copyright law was a different animal at that time.

Earlier in the week I went to the Carnegie International, a major survey of contemporary art presented by the Carnegie Museum of Art. Although I am not usually fond of contemporary art I found this exhibit quite interesting and plan to return and spend more time there. I can’t say I loved any of it, but it was intriguing and gave me a lot to think about.

3 Miles

Posted on June 27, 2008 by ruthek

I did it yesterday morning. In fact, I did my leg exercises, walked my three miles, then went to a museum in the afternoon. Of course, I was wiped out by dinnertime. Oh well.

As Phyllis and I started to walk in Frick Park we were assailed by tiny flying things, maybe mosquitoes. I’m usually a mosquito magnet so I wasn’t happy. We’ve had a lot of rain here. Although the path wasn’t wet we decided to leave and went over to Homewood Cemetery, next to the park. Where the park is wild and only the paths are cleared, the cemetery has broad roadways and the lawns are beautifully manicured. I don’t like it as well because it’s usually sunny–not so many trees, but it was cloudy for most of our walk. Most of the cemetery is wonderfully well kept. After all, it’s the finally resting place of some of Pittsburgh’s most prominent citizens, like Henry Clay Frick.

We talked about the Carnegie International, which Phyllis had seen the
day before, and I was anticipating seeing in the afternoon. (I’ll write
about it next week.) About two-thirds of the way through the walk we came to a place that could provide material for artist installations. An old, deteriorated building had been destroyed. There were some old monuments, bricks and other building materials in a pit where the house had stood. I’m surprised they haven’t cleaned it up; it’s been like that for awhile. Here are a couple of pictures looking into the pit.

This strange thing was on the edge of the pit. I don’t have a clue about what it is. Kind of makes me think of an elephant.

100 Books Before I Die

Ruthe Karlin

Category Archives: Pittsburgh