What’s New?
Twelfth Night
Catherine plays Viola this September as Pittsburgh Shakespeare in the Parks reimagines Shakespeare’s tale of mistaken identity, music, and unrequited love.
Illyria is a society in limbo held captive by loss. That is, until a sea-drenched stranger arrives and unexpectedly unleashes the chaotic and transformative power of love.
Bring your beach ball and pour your favorite tropical drink while you experience the delight of Shakespeare. Come prepared to play . . . what happens in Illyria, stays in Illyria!
Admission is always free to the public with donations encouraged and deeply appreciated. Your support makes our shows possible! Each performance will feature pre-show, storytelling, and workshops given by members of the company.
Into the Woods, Jr.
Catherine returns to the North Allegheny middle schools to direct a cast of nearly 60 seventh and eighth graders in perhaps her favorite musical of all time.
A new take on Stephen Sondheim’s and James Lapine’s groundbreaking musical fairytale about wishes and the choices we make, the junior version of Into the Woods is the first act of the full version, resulting in a happy ending, while still allowing the young cast to dive into the juicy, complex characters.
The directing team has vastly expanded the ensemble opportunities in this production, creating tracks such as Witchlings, Mysterious Minions, and Woodland Creatures to enhance the storytelling and utilize the district’s many eager student performers.
November 13-17, 2024
North Allegheny Sr High Auditorium
10375 Perry Highway
Wexford, PA 15090
Summer Camp!
Catherine joined the teaching staff at Act One Theatre School for a four week summer camp.
She taught a monologue audition class, sourcing and coaching monologues for nearly fifty students in grades 5-12. Each student left camp with a monologue specifically chosen for them, as well as a copy of an industry-standard self-tape recording of their work. Catherine also directed several scenes for the end-of-camp showcases, and led two electives:
Physicality in the Rehearsal Room
Let’s explore how movement can empower our minds and bodies! We’ll define our own physical boundaries and learn to respectfully voice them to scene partners and directors. Then, we’ll transform our space into a playground to supercharge our character toolboxes using the Viewpoints technique.
Decoding Shakespeare
Shakespeare may be old… but definitely not boring! In this class, we’ll dive deep into the dude, his world, his plays, and why they are still so popular today. After analyzing some text using Shakespeare-specific tools, we’ll be ready to speak the speech and perform together!
Launching Drizzly Day Design
Catherine is delighted to offer personality-packed Squarespace websites for artists and arts organizations.
All packages include basic branding elements, foundational SEO, and launch support in addition to custom web design.
Back on Tour
Catherine is touring local schools this spring with Pittsburgh CLO’s 2024 Gallery of Heroes production - The Incredibly Innovative Innovators of Pittsburgh. Her character, Lisa, is a high school student who wins a VIP experience with her favorite band (The Cement Heads). This could be the greatest night of her life, but something is killing her mojo. She has a major homework assignment due the next morning and she hasn’t event started it!!! Can The Cement Heads convince her that there ARE innovations from Pittsburgh worth writing - and singing - about?
With Book, Music, and Lyrics by Jason Coll, take a journey in a time machine as we explore Pittsburgh’s’ brilliant contributions to the past, present, and future. From Rachel Carson’s environmental movement to professional football‘s first game in America, audiences encounter legends like playwright August Wilson and organ transplant pioneer Dr. Thomas Starzl.
Through dramatic sketches and musical vignettes, Pittsburgh CLO’s Gallery of Heroes "edutainment" program takes its 50-minute mini-musicals to area schools to educate and enlighten students. Highlighting the lives and accomplishments of significant historical figures, Gallery of Heroes offers an entertaining alternative to traditional lectures and books.
Directing Finding Nemo Jr.
Catherine directs a cast of 57 middle schoolers at the North Allegheny School District.
Disney’s Finding Nemo JR. is a 60-minute musical adaptation of the beloved 2003 Pixar movie Finding Nemo, with new music by award-winning songwriting team Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez. You may recognize the song “Where’s My Dad” that went viral on TikTok in summer 2023.
November 16-19, 2023
North Allegheny Sr High Auditorium
10375 Perry Highway
Wexford, PA 15090
Cleopatra & Antony
Catherine plays Charmian, Lepidus, and Schoolmaster in Cleopatra & Antony with Pittsburgh Shakespeare in the Parks.
It’s the dawn of the Roman Empire. Ploys for power and domination run parallel with the passion of Egypt’s Queen Cleopatra and Rome’s Mark Antony. Allegiances and loyalties blur as a fiery romance ignites. The rarely-performed tale of comes alive in a fierce, all-female production with music, dance, and soul-lifting fun. Celebrating Cleopatra, one of Shakespeare’s most complex female characters, and her tragic grandeur.
The production is directed by Jennifer Tober, music directed by Matt Calvetti, and stars Callee Miles as Cleopatra and Harper York as Mark Antony. Production photos by Catherine Aceto.
September 2 - October 1, 2023
Saturdays and Sundays at 2 pm
Find the park schedule here.
Welcoming Little Amal to Pittsburgh
Catherine joins RealTime Arts in a performance of Ghosts of the Furnace at historic Carrie Furnace to welcome Little Amal to Pittsburgh.
Why is a 12-foot puppet of a 10-year-old Syrian girl traveling the world? Little Amal—whose name means “hope” in Arabic—has journeyed across 15 countries, meeting more than one million people.
WHEN: September 20th at 6:30 pm
WHERE: Carrie Furnace, 801 Carrie Furnace Blvd, 15218
ABOUT: As the sun sets, Amal stumbles upon Carrie Furnace, a hulking remnant of Pittsburgh's steel-forging past. Odd lights flicker and music beckons-are there spirits here? Are they frightening or friendly? Help Amal discover others who once found themselves at the furnace, far from home.
ADMISSION: The event is free, but space is limited and registration is required.
Sliding Scale
Summer SPecial
Web Design
When Catherine isn’t performing, she’s often making websites for fellow artists and entrepreneurs. This summer, she’s offering Sliding Scale Websites. No matter which price point you choose, you’ll get the same customization and attention to detail.
Website Mission: “As a Squarespace web designer, I empower creative thinkers with custom websites that stand out in the digital landscape. A strong believer in artist agency, I also teach my clients the basics of how to manage and grow their own sites.”
Taylor Swift x Capital One
Catherine worked as a Brand Ambassador for Capital One at the Taylor Swift Eras Tour stop in Pittsburgh. She guided participants through a green screen video experience based on the Taylor Swift elevator commercial. Catherine hyped up concert attendees in creating the their own video like this!
Twelfth Night / First Drafts
Catherine joins Pittsburgh Shakespeare in the Parks once again as Viola in Twelfth Night and multiple characters in Shakespeare: The First Drafts.
About Twelfth Night
One of Shakespeare’s most beloved comedies, PSiP’s production of Twelfth Night takes a tropical twist in this immersive reimagining of mistaken identity, music, and unrequited love. This 60-minute exotic excursion directed by Nick Hrutkay with music direction by Matt Calvetti will cause immense joy and compulsion to sing along to tons of fun music, tossing beach balls, and having a cold drink from the bar at a beautiful venue, Soluna in the Strip District.
About Shakespeare: First Drafts by Charles David “Stoney” Richards:
Master Classes are all the rage these days. Alan Irvine directs the premiere of Shakespeare: First Drafts, a new one-act by Charles David “Stoney” Richards, who also plays the Bard in this comic take on familiar works. William Shakespeare jumps on the bandwagon, determined to cash in on his several centuries of fame.
A Second Semester with Quantum
Catherine continues as a teaching artist with Quantum Theatre, whose education program visits various schools in the Pittsburgh area. The students in each class first studied Quantum’s mainstage production, the world premiere of The Devil is a Lie by Jennifer Chang, a contemporary take on Faust. Students then extracted themes that spoke to them and created their own devised performance pieces. After several months, the schools came together to share their work at Education Day.
This semester, Catherine led the devising process at two different schools with one middle school and one high school class. She witnessed an abundance of artistic and personal growth among the participating students.
Painting Lessons
Catherine is thrilled to get back on stage with a stunning and heartbreaking new work by director and playwright Jasmine Roth. Catherine will be one of the ensemble members playing all the supporting characters in J’s story.
About the play: J struggles to accept her father’s death when so much of their relationship feels unresolved. Hoping to hold on to one more minute with him, J dives into a metaphysical cactus garden where she meets her dad for the painting lessons and conversations they never got to have. Can they heal and paint together, or will the pain of losing a parent stand in the way of her finding herself?
The New Hazlett Community Supported Art (CSA) is the first and only performance series of its kind, introducing you to the freshest, most original artists in the Pittsburgh area.
The Spongebob Musical
Catherine assistant directs North Allegheny High School’s spring musical, alongside an incredible team of educators and artists.
The Spongebob Musical is based on the Nickelodeon animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. Co-conceived and directed by Tina Landau, a book by Kyle Jarrow, and songs from a wide range of pop musicians.
The plot follows SpongeBob, Patrick, and Sandy in their attempt to stop an erupting volcano from destroying Bikini Bottom. Meanwhile, Plankton sees this as his time to strike. Stakes are higher than ever before as SpongeBob and all of Bikini Bottom face the total annihilation of their undersea world. Chaos erupts. Lives hang in the balance. And just when all hope seems lost, a most unexpected hero rises up and takes center stage.
THe Heavy Gait of Night
Catherine directs the world premiere of a script-in-hand workshop production of Jeffrey Chips’ new play with Steel City Shakespeare Center.
Public performances will be Friday, March 31 and Saturday, April 1 at 7pm at the West View HUB north of Pittsburgh.
About the play:
The year is 1596. Will “Shaggy” Shakespeare is a player and shareholder in the Lord Chamberlain's Men and is quickly becoming one of the most popular playwrights in London. He's just opened the smash hit A Midsummer Night's Dream, and now Queen Elizabeth herself has requested he pen a new history of King John featuring Will Kempe as Robin Hood. Will struggles to complete this tall order, writing in the wings during performances, when he receives news from his family that changes his life – his son, Hamnet, has died.
The Heavy Gait of Night is a brand-new play by SCSC Founder and Artistic Director Jeffrey Chips about grief, passion, and family, filled with humor and love and finding inspiration from those we love the most.
Album Now Streaming
The film adaptation of the world’s only rock & roll nutrition show lives on through Jump with Jill: The Movie! (The Soundtrack!), recorded live on set. Available wherever you get your music.
Shakespeare Coaching
For Steel City Shakespeare Center’s Winter Youth Academy, Catherine is coaching several middle school students on Shakespeare monologues and co-teaching the K-3 session on clowning!
Thanks to the West View HUB, all of Steel City Shakespeare’s programming is free to the community. Yay arts education accessibility!
Directing Newsies Jr.
Catherine makes her directorial debut with a cast of 51 middle schoolers at the North Allegheny School District.
“As a North Allegheny musical alumnus, I am beyond honored to return to this incredible program - especially to build our version of Newsies. This story empowers the underdog in each of us to fight for what we believe in. It’s a reminder that when we work together, we can accomplish great things, and I think this special group has done just that.”
December 9-11, 2022
North Allegheny Sr High Auditorium
10375 Perry Highway
Wexford, PA 15090
Teaching Devised Theatre
Catherine has joined the teaching artist team with Quantum Theatre, whose education program visits various schools in the Pittsburgh area. The students in each participating school first studied Quantum’s mainstage production, and then they extracted themes that spoke to them and created their own devised performance pieces. After several months, the schools came together to share their work at Education Day.
“It’s rare that students from all different schools and backgrounds can come together in a deep and meaningful way. Thoughtfully crafted performance art allowed these students to share their humanity and values while being supportive audience members. What an inspiring day!”
Highlighted Media Appearances
Look for Catherine in Jump with Jill’s updated Media Reel! Catherine appeared on several media outlets as “Jill” when she was on tour with Jump with Jill, and a few of her clips made it into the new Media Reel, featuring some of the brand’s best studio and on-location interviews.
About Jump with Jill’s Media Strategy:
What is expertise if no one is listening? The Jump with Jill Media Reel does not have a single broadcast placement without live singing and making interviewers laugh. If things as important as drinking water and eating vegetables are to get any media attention, it has to be just a little different than every other time you’ve heard that story. Take a break from the actual news and watch these reporters have a little fun with Jill Jayne and her band of extraordinary educators.
Video Editing Fun!
Catherine continues to work part time with Jump with Jill - currently working on updating and documenting the brand’s many digital assets. With creator Jill Jayne’s collaboration, Catherine updated the Production Reel to offer a comprehensive view of the company’s most prized projects. Catch her performing in snippets of the Jump with Jill Live Tour and Jump with Jill: The Movie!, both featured in this Production Reel.
About Jump with Jill:
As a leader in interactive educational experiences since 2008, the music-based nutrition education program, Jump with Jill, makes healthy rock. Created by a singing Registered Dietitian & her band of extraordinary educators, Jump with Jill’s memorable anthems celebrate the power of healthy eating and exercise. The evidence-based content of this award-winning production company has melted the faces of millions of kids around the world.
Outdoor Shakespeare Magic
Catherine will play Hermia in A Midsummer Night's Dream with Pittsburgh Shakespeare in the Parks. Artistic Director Jennifer Tober steps back into the directing realm with this summer’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream production.
Using the outdoor environs and found spaces, Pittsburgh Shakespeare in the Parks creates exciting, muscular productions that use diverse, innovative casting, engage the audience in unique ways and bring new life to Shakespeare’s words, delighting thousands of patrons of all ages and all walks of life.
The 22nd production by PSiP, Dream will move through four parks with nine performances on weekends, September 3-25, 2022. For the first time, performances will be held in historic Westinghouse Park while returning to Frick and Highland Parks, in addition to Schenley Plaza in Oakland where PSiP will return for one twilight performance.
Re-living the Best Parts of Childhood
Catherine served as a teaching artist for Steel City Shakespeare’s 2022 summer camp.
Over 50 kids between grades 1-12 registered for the second free Shakespeare Summer Camp held at Bronx Field in West View. They learned skills and stagecraft, including improv, movement and voice, and stage combat, and created incredible scenes from Shakespeare’s plays together.
Catherine directed eight students in grades 1-5 in a scene from The Merry Wives of Windsor, as well as five students in grades 6-9 in a scene from Twelfth Night.
A Pleasant Little Play with Nothing Dramatic At All…
Catherine Baird will play Macduff, Duncan, and a Witch in Macbeth with Steel City Shakespeare Center. Told by a cast of six actors and relying on shadow puppetry designed by Catherine Aceto, an intimate library setting highlights West View's colorful history. Directed by SCSC Founder and Artistic Director Jeffrey Chips, Macbeth is an experience you will not want to miss. Join the fun at the West View Hub, fifteen minutes north of Pittsburgh, from May 13-22, 2022.
About Macbeth:
Steel City Shakespeare Center presents Shakespeare's famous tragedy about ambition and its moral cost. When Macbeth encounters three witches and hears a prophecy that he will be king, he takes his fortune into his own hands, murdering King Duncan in his sleep and anointing himself King of Scotland and taking every bloody measure to retain his power. Recommended for ages 10 and older.
A One-Woman Show?!
Catherine Baird plays Mary in The Twelve Dates of Christmas, a hilarious solo play written by Ginna Hoben. She loves working under the direction of the brilliant Tracey D. Turner. Steel City Shakespeare, in collaboration with the West View HUB, gives this merry hilarity its Pittsburgh premiere.
About The Twelve Dates of Christmas:
After seeing her fiancé kiss another woman at the televised Thanksgiving Day Parade, Mary's life falls apart -- just in time for the holidays. Over the next year, she stumbles back into the dating world, where "romance" ranges from weird and creepy to absurd and comical. It seems nothing can help Mary's growing cynicism, until the charm and innocence of an unexpected someone brings a new outlook on life and love.
Is that shadow… Talking?
In the 2021 Pittsburgh New Works Festival, Catherine played Sandy the shadow in Fade, a one-act play directed by Nicole Zalak of The Heritage Players, stage managed by Greg Pegher, intimacy choreographed by Elena Falgione, and written by Rebecca McGann . She had an exhilarating few weeks exploring what it would be like if shadows had thoughts, feelings, and dreams, thanks to an endearing script and an amazing team.
This uplifting one-act was nestled among two other premiere plays the weekend of September 9-12, 2021 in the festival’s “Program B.” In-person shows took place at the Genesius Theater at Duquesne University with full COVID protocols in place, and a recording was available for virtual streaming following opening night. Following the completion of the entire New Works Festival, Fade was voted the Mainstage Audience Choice Award Best Play.