RealTime Interventions continues its People of Pittsburgh Series with an original, interactive theater experience exploring the life and works of a remarkable Braddock resident.
The Constellationist, a live, biographical play-meets-variety show, illustrates the life of Pittsburgh-area resident Mary Carey, described in a press release as “a living ray of light and a cornerstone of the community of Braddock.” The production premieres Wed., July 12 at Attack Theatre Studios in Lawrenceville.
Sanford-Mark Barnes, a jazz trumpet player and member of the show’s ensemble, is Carey’s neighbor, and sees her as a perfect subject for the series, which pays tribute to “extraordinary, ordinary Pittsburghers.”
“Mary is the embodiment of what a neighbor and a community person is supposed to be here in Braddock,” says Barnes. “She knows the culture of Braddock, she knows the history of Braddock, and she will do anything that she can to help everybody get to where they need to get to. This show is honoring her and bringing a legacy for her and her kids, grandkids, family members, to really get a perspective of how other people see Mary.”
Carey has, as her record proves, been a strong advocate for Braddock and its residents. She served as the art, culture, and information facilitator at the Braddock Carnegie Library for almost a decade, and supports operations of the Braddock Community Bread Oven, which hosts monthly pay-what-you-want community pizza nights. She also worked for then-state representative Summer Lee.
RealTime Interventions’ co-founders and artistic directors Molly Rice and Rusty Thelin moved to Pittsburgh in 2013, and launched People of Pittsburgh in 2022 with The Alchemist of Sharpsburg, a show about Candra, a “Hindu-practicing, black metal-listening game enthusiast with multigenerational roots" in the borough of Sharpsburg. Rice and Thelin say they created the People of Pittsburgh series to amplify the voices of overlooked communities.
“And what we mean by that is these are people that are not Pittsburgh-famous. They are truly everyday people we’ve met in our travels in Pittsburgh," Rice stated in a Pittsburgh City Paper story about The Alchemist of Sharpsburg. "And the other element of these shows is that artist groups work together to create these theatrical portraits.”
In order to reflect Carey’s focus on communities, the performance will include her actual neighbors, friends, and family members, who were directly involved in the process of the show.
“Mary is a ‘we’ person,” Rice says. “When we approached her as the subject of our next People of Pittsburgh, Mary said, ‘You can write a play about me, but it has to include everybody.’
So we designed a creation process that includes everybody.”
People of Pittsburgh works to unite artists from different disciplines, and challenges them to collaborate on each show. Rice teamed up with Christine Bethea, a fiber artist, sculptor, and newly-appointed member of the city of Pittsburgh’s Arts Commission, to helm the creation of The Constellationist. The show is written and conceived by Rice, who interviewed Carey and her friends and family to inform the performance. Thelin serves as the production’s director.
To tell Carey’s story through different disciplines, Rice created prompts to which ensemble members responded with short original compositions, including songs, jokes, trumpet solos, dance pieces, guitar compositions, stories, and even animated video storyboards. Rice then wove the compositions together with audio interviews into a “constellation” of moments from Mary’s life — as told by an entire community.
“We feel that everyone, if you look closely enough, is a work of art, and the way a unique human being is depicted should be as original as the person themselves,” says Thelin.
The Constellationist. Continues through Sun., July 16. Attack Theatre Studios. 212 45th St., Lawrenceville. $30, free for Braddock residents. realtimeinterventions.org
