‘Infinite Life’ Continues at barebones; Mullaney’s Hosts ‘Finnegan’s Wake’; Tartan Terrors at Byham (Thurs., 3/12/26)

INFINITE LIFE by Annie Baker. barebones productions. Through March 22. 

1) Seeing a play at barebones productions often means you’re in for a wild evening. The company focuses on cutting-edge modern and contemporary theater, frequently choosing dark comedies that erupt into madness. Past hits have featured a bloody vendetta (Is God Is), a loony criminal caper gone wrong (American Buffalo), and a dysfunctional family detonating (Hir). Barebones’ most recent entry was the aptly titled God of Carnage. Now, for an encore, comes a play about … elderly women suffering from chronic pain? Infinite Life arrives with sterling credentials. The playwright is Annie Baker, a Pulitzer Prize winner for The Flick and a MacArthur Foundation “genius grant” recipient. Baker once adapted Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya, and her own plays have been called new takes on the Chekhovian style—more subtle than spectacular, teasing out the deep tragicomedy embedded in people’s inner obsessions and circuitous chatter. Infinite Life is set at a wellness resort where five women, ranging from late middle age to their golden years, share personal stories while fasting and relaxing in search of next-level wholeness. One review summed up the play’s 2023 off-Broadway premiere as a “hypnotic observational odyssey.” Observe Infinite Life inthe barebones black box, 7:30 p.m. 1211 Braddock Ave., Braddock. (M.V.) 

2) Are you up for exploring the mysteries of the cycle of life, death, and rebirth? There’s no more comical or musical way to do it than by attending a re-enactment of the good old Irish song “Finnegan’s Wake.” The song, from the 1860s, inspired James Joyce’s novel of the same title. It’s about a hod carrier named Tim Finnegan who suffers a seemingly fatal accident but revives when a brawl at his wake sprays whiskey into the coffin. The dramatic staging features a “live corpse” and is being staged at Mullaney’s Harp & Fiddle. Festivities commence at 8 p.m. 2329 Penn Ave., Strip District. (M.V.)

3) The Tartan Terrors are invading Pittsburgh, by way of Toronto, in advance of St. Patrick’s Day. The Celtic music group is bringing their brand of that lively genre of music to the Byham Theater. 7:30 p.m. 101 6th St., Cultural District. (R.H.)

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