‘A Doll’s House, Part 2 Continues at The Public; Alexions Bar & Grill Serving Carnegie Since ’58 (Tues., 4/2/19)

Daniel Krell (Torvald) and Lisa Velten Smith (Nora) in The Public’s ‘A Doll’s House, Part 2.’ (photo: Michael Henninger)

1) Among the current wave of hot new playwrights, the A-list includes Lucas Hnath, whose subject matter ranges widely. His Isaac’s Eye is a riff on Isaac Newton and science, while Red Speedo revolves around a competitive swimmer caught doping. The Christians, performed in Pittsburgh two years ago by Kinetic Theatre, is about a church pastor trying to persuade his old-school congregation that Hell does not exist. Now Pittsburgh Public Theater stages Hnath’s A Doll’s House, Part 2, a seriocomic sequel to Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, which shocked the world in the late 1800s by depicting a liberated woman who leaves her husband and children. Part 2 is set 15 years later. The woman, Nora, returns to confront her estranged husband over their divorce, which still isn’t legally settled, and winds up confronting many other issues as well. Hnath’s plays are praised because his characters are not simple, and neither are the predicaments they face in trying to determine what’s right.

A Doll’s House, Part 2 is directed for The Public by Ted Pappas, the company’s former longtime artistic director. Cast members are Lisa Velten Smith, Daniel Krell, Helena Ruoti, and Marielle Young. 8 p.m. Performances continue through April 7. At the O’Reilly Theater, 621 Penn Ave., Cultural District. (MV)

2) Tucked into the eastern corner of Carnegie, right on the Green Tree border, is Alexions Bar & Grill, which has proudly served patrons since 1953. Happy Hour, when all drinks are a dollar off, is 5 to 7 p.m. Monday to Friday and 8 to 10 p.m. Saturday. Every day features different food and drink specials, such as 40-cent wings Thursday after 5 p.m. and dollar-off craft drafts Wednesday. Speaking of drafts, the list includes macros and micros, IPAs and stouts, and just about everything in between. The food menu boasts pizza, calzones, wedgies, specialty sandwiches, gourmet burgers, and salads. Or take control by creating your own sandwich instead. Be sure to try the pepperoni roll—homemade and available after 2 p.m. weekdays and all day weekends. Don’t forget, too, the jukebox is free Wednesday. The interior is cozy; the outdoor patio, smoker-friendly. 141 Hawthorne St., Carnegie. (CM)

Share on Social Media