Pittsburgh Public Theater Staging ‘Indecent’; Tuesday Taco Special at Round Corner Cantina (Tues., 4/23/19)

‘Indecent,’ the acclaimed play making its Pittsburgh premiere at The Public, features klezmer music, and Erikka Walsh does the playing. (photo courtesy of Pittsburgh Public Theater)

1) Paula Vogel’s Indecent, a modern play about a controversial play of the early 1900s, has been called theater at its best. The true events began in Poland in 1906. Writer Sholem Asch, very popular among the country’s Jewish population for his stories and plays in Yiddish, wrote one that stirred up a storm as soon as friends saw the script. Even the play’s title was ominous: God of Vengeance. Set in a Jewish brothel, it included a scene in which a Torah is thrown across the room—and featured a lesbian love affair. This seemed entirely too much for most of Asch’s fellow Jews, who also worried about stoking the era’s anti-Semitism. But he got the play produced in Berlin and elsewhere, to responses that ranged from “Loved it” to “Immoral, garbage, indecent!” The controversy crested in 1923 when the cast of an English-language production on Broadway were busted for obscenity. Vogel’s Indecent relates the whole saga in a manner that audiences and critics have loved—and hasn’t yet been shut down by the police. Pittsburgh Public Theater presents Indecent at the O’Reilly Theater. Performances continue through May 19. 621 Penn Ave., Cultural District. (MV)

2) Even when it’s not quite summer in Pittsburgh, it always feels like warmer climes at Round Corner Cantina in Lawrenceville. The food certainly helps: chips and salsa, burritos, tacos, and other Mexican cuisine, much of it for $10 or less. The decor furthers the ambiance. Wallpaper of palm fronds border the booths in the dining room. Then there’s the recently opened Chalet, a patio bar which is enclosed and heated during the winter. It’s also always important to know where to get a margarita that’s not too watery, not too alcoholy, and not too costly. Round Corner has you covered, serving up one that’s just right. Whenever the kitchen closes, the bar stays open for at least an hour more and even longer on weekends. There are daily specials, a happy hour, and a brunch menu. And don’t forget churros for dessert. Round Corner is also available to book for private parties. 3720 Butler St., Lawrenceville. (CM)

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