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They have achieved artistic success with less money and fewer resources than most, proving there are high-quality offerings beyond the mainstream institutions

Sunday, June 02, 2002

Mike Elko and Jon Rinaldo
Concert promoters

Don't mistake these two for partners. We're not even sure they like each other. Why, then, would we pair them here? Because they represent the last defense against the corporate might of the Clear Channel dynasty, which ultimately means more entertainment choices for the city. Without Elko, who's to say if Pittsburgh would have seen the latest White Stripes show? Without Rinaldo, who's to say if local hip-hop fans would ever see a hardcore rap show? And they've both done more than that, of course.

Ken Gargaro
Artistic director, Pittsburgh Musical Theater

	Underdogs for now: from left, Mike Elko, Janet McCall, Andrew Paul, Gary Kaboly, Jon Rinaldo, Linda Benedict-Jones, Ken Gargaro and Mark Taylor. (Annie O'Neill, Post-Gazette)

There are a dozen small Pittsburgh theater companies working for free and begging for performance space who wonder why Gargaro is an underdog. That's because PMT often seems an uninvited junior member of a Cultural District theater elite -- Broadway Series, Public and (especially) CLO. Two seasons after a reorganization that removed his name from the company's banner, Gargaro, 53, is happiest as dean of PMT's Richard E. Rauh Conservatory, which has found a comfortable home in the West End. Last year's experimental pop-rock theater season didn't generate the excitement Gargaro had hoped, but although the company still rents the Byham from its competitor, most of its shows are popular successes. PMT remains a big company still on the verge.

Mark Taylor
Artistic director, Dance Alloy

With a sliding economy knocking at the door of the Dance Alloy's Neighborhood Dance Center in Friendship, Taylor remained inside for the most part, scheduling a record nine informal performances on the popular ComMOTION series and a creative trio of Showroom performances that tapped the talents of this likable company. Taylor threw a delectable "Soiree," based on Merce Cunningham's events, scored with the shifting interface of video and dance in "New Directions" and successfully celebrated the return of the mayfly with "Hello Love, Goodbye -- I'm Dead!"

Gary Kaboly
Director of exhibition, Pittsburgh Filmmakers

In the past year, Kaboly and his staff have booked 260 films and fed moviegoers' appetites with an array of international choices. He helped "The Bread, My Sweet" become a local sensation and also scored with "The Road Home," "Under the Sun" and "Innocence." He programs the Regent Square, Harris, Melwood Screening Room, Three Rivers Film Festival and resurrected the Byham summer series. "As for being in the underdog category, Wally Cox was always my hero, and I even enjoyed him as Mr. Peepers," Kaboly says.

Janet McCall
Executive director, Society for Contemporary Craft

The presence at the 30th anniversary celebration last fall of guest of honor Michele Ridge (at the time the state's first lady) signifies the society's progress toward its goal of raising its profile and becoming an international leader in showcasing contemporary craft artists. This year, the biennial competition held in memory of founder Elizabeth Raphael generated international response, while programs included exhibiting two nationally known artists in conjunction with the International Sculpture Conference, co-hosting an international fiberart exhibition and presenting a workshop by American Indian artists Julia and Lucy Parker, whose baskets are in the Smithsonian's collection.

Linda Benedict-Jones
Executive director, Silver Eye Center for Photography

Since taking Silver Eye's reigns three years ago, Benedict-Jones has elevated photography's presence in the city and spread Pittsburgh's reputation to a national audience. A fall exhibition of collectors' photographs called attention to the rapidly expanding nationwide interest in historic and fine art photography, and annual juried membership exhibitions draw submissions from across the country. In March, Benedict-Jones was an invited portfolio reviewer at the prestigious Houston FotoFest. April's benefit auction raised $56,000 during an economically distressed period.

Andrew Paul
Artistic director, Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre

Last year was financially rocky for Pittsburgh's newest Equity theater, which had grown very fast, but the work stayed strong artistically. Though Paul's new season is one play smaller, there's a tour of Ireland coming up and a new play-reading series. The classics still come from the English tradition, with fresher work flowing from the fertile Irish imagination. The challenge ahead: a more stable home than shaky tenancy at City.