History Center to host a special performance of ‘Shantytown’
The Senator John Heinz History Center will host a staged reading of “Shantytown: The Ballad of Fr. James Cox” on Sunday, Nov. 6 starting at 5 p.m.
A new musical about Pittsburgh’s Strip District during the Great Depression, “Shantytown” is the forgotten story of the Strip District’s “Pastor of the Poor.” It follows Cox’s rise to near sainthood, his federal trial for a lottery scam, and his death in 1951. Cox was the pastor at Old St. Patrick’s Church, and he printed the first food stamps and was also the first preacher featured on a radio broadcast. “Shantytown” celebrates Cox’s accomplishments and how he contributed to the Strip’s unique history.
After the reading, there will be a brief talk-back session with playwright Ray Werner and others involved in creating “Shantytown,” which will premiere in the Cultural District in February.
Registration is available at heinzhistorycenter.org.