‘In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play)’ at Throughline; The Summer Company Gives ‘Clue’ (Thurs., 6/22/17)

1) Here’s a losing proposition: urging people to “support local theater.” When people seek entertainment they don’t want a worthy cause; they want something they’re likely to like. So here is a winning proposition: Throughline Theatre’s 2017 season opener, In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play) by Sarah Ruhl. Throughline is a small company that remains a too-hidden gem. Plays in a typical season range from very interesting to knockouts, and they don’t come much punchier than In the Next Room, a comedy based in historical fact. When cities were first wired for electricity in the late 1800s, the vibrator was invented—as a medical device. Doctors used it to treat nervous or depressed female patients by inducing orgasms, which it seems were in short supply for women during that male-dominated and socially repressive period. To many, the treatment was an eye-opener. Some women bought the device and went DIY. Others set out to replicate the therapeutic effect without appliances, via conventional (but improved) sex with their men … and therein lies the nub of Ruhl’s Tony-nominated 2009 play. Leave the children at home. 8 p.m. Performances through June 24. In the Henry Heymann Theatre at the Stephen Foster Memorial, 4301 Forbes Ave., Oakland. (MV)

2) Before Battleship was adapted into a movie in 2012, another popular board game, Clue, starring Tim Curry, premiered in 1985. A musical version followed in 1995, initially in Baltimore and then Chicago in 1996, before running Off-Broadway in 1997. Act I culminates in—what else?—a murder in a mansion. All the usual suspects, such as Colonel Mustard and Mrs. Peacock, are present, plus a new character, the Detective, who helps to further the plot in Act II. However, there’s still an element of chance. Audience members draw cards at the end to solve the murder: who, where, and with what. The musical can end 216 different ways, so rarely are any two shows alike. 8 p.m. Ends Sunday. Clue,  by Peter DePietro, Galen Blum, Wayne Barker, Vinnie Martucci, and Tom Chiodo, will take place at the Summer Company, Genesis Theater on Duquesne University’s campus. 600 Forbes Ave., Uptown. (CM)

3) Since fireWALL was founded in 2013, Artistic Director, Choreographer, and Dancer Elisa-Marie Alaio has helped to transform quaint Carnegie into one of the best places around to catch modern dance. She continues her streak with Stroking Its Ego, “an exploration of female empowerment alongside men and driven by  honest, unapologetic, and raw musical sounds.” The production is divided into three sections: “Killing My Lonely,” “Pussy Is Power,” and “Welcome to the Circle.” Ego, power, and self-awareness number the show’s themes. The performers include Alaio and her dancers. 7 p.m. Runs through Sunday. At Carnegie Stage, 25 W. Main St., Carnegie. (CM)

4) Braddock’s Pittsburgh Brasserie is hosting a prix fixe six-course dinner pairing upscale culinary creations from Braddock’s kitchen with selections of Wild Turkey bourbon whiskies or an Anderson Valley brew. The third course, consisting of Huge Arker braised short ribs, smashed Yukon’s, grilled asparagus,and an Imperial Stout pan sauce; paired with a Wild Turkey single barrel cocktail, sounds especially good. Between each course Executive Chef Chuck Ney and reps from Wild Turkey and Anderson Valley Brewing will discuss the reasoning behind each pairing.  6-8 p.m. For more information and reservations call (412) 992-2005. 107 6th St., Cultural District.

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