Things to do in Western Pa.: April 21, 2021

Carnegie Science Center is celebrating Earth Week with both on-site and virtual programming, with topics including the crisis of ocean plastics.

On a lighter note, there’s a pop-up drive-in movie coming to Pittsburgh Zoo and a slate of Oscar-nominated films at Pittsburgh-area Cinemark theaters.

Other events cater to aspiring actors, singers and writers — and to people who leave those arts to the professionals.

The details are here, in this week’s Big List.

Art

• Pittsburgh public art: Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation will present a lecture on Virgil Cantini, an artist and sculptor best known for creating large works of public art in Pittsburgh in the mid-20th century, via Zoom at 6 p.m. Thursday. Freelance writer Holden Slattery will share findings in his more than a decade-long interest in Cantini and his work.

The $5 ticket is available at phlf.org.

• Take a chair: The Westmoreland Museum of American Art will present “For the Love of Furniture,” livestreaming at 7 p.m. April 28. Interior designer Anthony Allgeier will pieces from the museum’s permanent collection through function, design, architecture, color theory, fashion and film; why they are important to the permanent collection, and how they have been reinterpreted into modern designs. A live Q&A session will follow the talk.

Register for the pay-what-you-can program at thewestmoreland.org.

Film

• Drive-in fun: The Oscar-winning animated film, “WALL-E,” will be shown at 8 p.m. Saturday in the Pittsburgh Zoo parking lot in Highland Park, as part of the Dollar Bank Drive-In Movie Night series presented by the City of Pittsburgh Office of Special Events.

Admission is free, but parking space is limited. Reservations are required, starting at 10 a.m. Thursday at pittsburghpa.gov.

• Show must go on: Pittsburgh Film Office will host “Lights! Glamour! Action!’, an online fundraiser at 8 p.m. Saturday. Event will feature virtual photo booth, local celebrity vignettes, musical entertainment, presentation of awards to winning contestants of the “movie lines” video contest and more.

Admission is by donation at pghfilm.org.

• Oscar time: Cinemark’s annual Oscar Movie Week festival runs through Sunday, featuring all of this year’s Best Picture nominees and some of the Best Shorts nominated films. Pittsburgh-area theaters that are participating include Cinemark Robinson Township and XD and Cinemark North Hills and XD. Tickets are $5 per film for Best Picture contenders; a $10 ticket is available to see all shorts between Friday and Sunday.

Details: cinemark.com

Food and drink

• Pizza and beer: Allegheny County Parks Foundation will host “Pour at the Park South Park” from 5-8 p.m. May 15 at the South Park Fairgrounds. Patrons can pick up their beer-and-pizza meal to go or enjoy an in-person socially distanced event under a tent. Josh Jams will entertain. Tickets start at $55, which includes a meal for two, with two 32-ounce growlers of Mindful Brewing Co. beer and large pizza from Earth, Wheel and Fire mobile brick-oven pizza.

Reservations: acparksfoundation.salsalabs.org

• Cookie table: Dress for Success Pittsburgh will host The Black & Gold Cookie Table at Hartwood Acres: A Drive-thru Fundraising Event from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. May 16. Music will play as participants drive through the Allegheny County park. Black and gold or Andy Warhol-inspired attire is recommended for a photo opportunity.

Fee of $100 per vehicle includes two dozen cookies from The Little Kitchen, a local woman-owned-and-operated business; picnic blanket; swag bag; and raffle ticket for prize valued at $2,000.

To purchase tickets by April 30, visit e.givesmart.com.

Humanities

• Smart talk: The Pittsburgh Humanities Festival is virtual this year, with these programs streaming on the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s Facebook page and YouTube channel: “Cookie Activism: Using Sugar as a Platform for Social Justice,” with Jasmine Cho, 7 p.m. today; and“Gun Violence Prevention: A Discussion with Young Community Leaders,” 7 p.m. April 28.

The festival, launched in 2015, is a a production of Pittsburgh Cultural Trust presented by Citizens Bank.

Details: trustarts.org

Kids’ stuff

Gemini Children’s Theater will present the interactive virtual quiz show, “Mermaid Pollution Solution,” streaming on Facebook Live at 7 p.m. Thursday in celebration of Earth Day. Children ages 2 and older are invited to join mermaid Aria in saving polluted waters and teaching the Sea Witch how to care for creatures in the sea and on land.

Literature

• Exploring Appalachia: Pitt-Greensburg’s “Voices: Celebrating the Beauty and Diversity of America’s Literary Landscape” series will offer its fourth round of author readings at 8 p.m. Thursday, featuring voices of Appalachia and the theme, “Beyond Hillbilly Elegy.” Reading from their work will be author, storyteller and photographer Greg Clary; poet Byron Hoot; novelist Damian Dressick; and author and essayist Christina Fisanick. Pitt-Greensburg seniors Joseph Alexander and Colin Covada also will read their work.

Register for the Zoom gathering here.

• International LitFest: City of Asylum Pittsburgh will host the first Pittsburgh International Literary Festival (LitFest), a 10-day event beginning May 12 that will consider themes of migration, identity and displacement with an emphasis on works in translation. LitFest will include primarily live, virtual programs featuring more than 30 speakers, representing 20-plus countries in more than 14 languages.

Details: alphabetcity.org

• Spooky stories: Ligonier Valley Writers invites submissions for its 16th annual Flash Fiction Contest. Because the stories are usually performed for Halloween, this year’s topic is “Evil Twins.” Length is up to 1,000 words.

Cash prizes are awarded and there is no entry fee. Submission deadline is midnight Aug. 15; for guidelines, visit lvwonline.org.

Magic

Javier Natera and Dani DaOrtiz will be featured in “Monday Night Magic: Live Online” at 8 p.m. April 26. Pittsburgh Cultural Trust presents episodes of New York’s longest-running, Off-Broadway magic show as part of its online programming. Tickets start at $20.

Details: trustarts.org

Music

• Little bit of soul: Dan Bubien & The Delta Struts will perform their soulful roots/rock at 7 p.m. Thursday in Greensburg’s The Palace Theatre, as part of the weekly VIP Experience live­stream concert series featuring regional acts performing original music. The free concert will stream on The Palace Theatre and Westmoreland Cultural Trust Facebook pages.

Details: thepalacetheatre.org

• New arrangement: “Carmen to Beethoven: New Visions for Beloved Classics,” the next offering in Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s Front Row virtual concert series, will premiere at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Featuring a new arrangement by Music Director Manfred Honeck of one of Beethoven’s most popular string quartets, the performance was recorded live March 4 in Heinz Hall.

A ticket is $15 at pittsburghsymphony.org.

• Sing out: Vocalist and educator Anqwenique Kinsel will present a Zoom workshop titled, “Just Sing! Singing for Self-Care,” from 6-8 p.m. April 26, sponsored by Pittsburgh Arts Council. Session will cover techniques for breathing, strengthening your voice, building confidence for presenting and other topics.

Fee is $10. To register, visit pittsburghartscouncil.org.

Opera

• Pittsburgh first: Pittsburgh Opera will present the first-ever Pittsburgh performances of George Frideric Handel’s baroque opera, “Semele,” before small, live audiences May 8-20 at its headquarters in Pittsburgh’s Strip District. While seats for all six performances are currently sold out, there is room on the waiting list. The performance at 7:30 p.m. May 14 will be livestreamed free on the opera’s YouTube channel and Facebook page.

Details: pittsburghopera.org

Science

• Down to earth: Earth Week programming is planned today through Sunday at the Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh. Special events and programs will include daily on-site programs, pop-up experiences on select days, virtual experiences on Facebook and sensory sensitive hours. Among topics are healthy eating, planting and composting, clouds, water purification, biodiversity, ocean plastic and more.

Building capacity is limited; visitors should purchase timed tickets.

Details: carnegiesciencecenter.org

Theater

• Take control: Actor Brian Ceponis will host “The Empowered Actor,” an online class with tips and insights to help actors take control of what they can and empower themselves in the highly competitive entertainment industry. Offered as part of Prime Stage Theater’s Innovative Master Class series, the session is set for 2 p.m. May 15. Fee is $75; registration deadline is May 12.

Details: 724-773-0700 or primestage.com