Open Streets Pittsburgh in Downtown, North Side, and West End; The Public Staging ‘An Act of God’ (Sun., 6/25/17)

The Strip District was crowded with bikes, walkers, and shoppers during Open Streets PGH. photo: Heather McCracken

1) Open Streets Pgh is occurring today with streets closed to auto traffic in parts of Downtown, North Side, and West End. There will be plenty of fun activities in each neighborhood and businesses will be open too. For more info check out the Open Streets Pgh website. 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

This is God in danger mode, swirling out of the whirlwind. (See Job 38:1 and following.) Photo by Michael Henninger.

2) Do you ever wonder what God thinks of us? Is he happy, sad, or understanding about how we are doing here on Earth. An Act of God is the name of a play by David Javerbaum, who’s won 13 Emmys, 11 of which he received as a writer for “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.” The play is based on Javerbaum’s book The Last Testament: A Memoir By God. Act of God takes a satirical look at heaven, where God, who admits to having some wrath-management issues, develops a new and improved set of commandments, relates some stories about Adam and Eve, and gives his thoughts on bedtime prayers. He’s aided in his irreverent social comedy by his two “wingmen,” angels Gabriel and Michael. Marcus Stevens, a Point Park grad who has seen action on stages in New York and Pittsburgh, portrays God. This is the season finale for Pittsburgh Public Theater. An Act of God is directed by the noted Ted Pappas. God and his angels can get a little salty, so the play is recommended for audiences ages 17 and above. 2 and 7 p.m. Performances continue through July 2. O’Reilly Theater, 621 Penn Avenue, Cultural District. 

Magician David Blaine. photo: MagicMama and Wikipedia.

3) Magician, Illusionist, endurance artist David Blaine will perform at the Byham Theater this month. The New York native has stood on top of a platform at Pier 54 in his hometown with a million volts of electricity directed at his body, protected only by wearing a special suit that allowed the current to pass around his body and not through it. His Electrified stunt lasted for 72 hours during which he did not eat, drink, or sleep. He has sat encased in a block of ice for over 63 hours for his Frozen in Time stunt. In Buried Alive, he put himself in a Plexiglas container over which a three-ton water tank was placed. It was reported that the  plastic coffin had only six inches of headroom and two inches on each side. Wow, can’t wait to see what he has cooked up for the Byham show! Maybe he will have to escape from a room filled to the ceiling with buttered pierogies and onions. 8 p.m. 107 6th St., Cultural District. THIS EVENT IS POSTPONED.

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