CSTS Pittsburgh: Still Flyin’ After 20 Years

On August 22, 2005, the motion picture Serenity had its world premiere with the first of three sold-out showings at the Edinburgh International Film Festival in Scotland.  Eight days later, the movie was released theatrically around the world.  That means this August, Serenity celebrates her 20th anniversary, and the Rivers and Bridges Brigade of the Pennsylvania Browncoats will be celebrating right along with her at our 20th annual Can’t Stop the Serenity (CSTS) charity screening on July 27 at the Parkway Theater in McKees Rocks, PA.

We’ve made sure it’s no secret that Pittsburgh is the only city on this planet that has held a CSTS charity screening live and in person every year since the campaign made its debut back in 2006.  I think we’re justified in being proud of that fact.  Heck, we even found a way to keep flying through a global pandemic.  That wasn’t easy, but you know the saying… “We’ve done the impossible, and that makes us mighty.”

This year, CSTS Pittsburgh returns to the site that hosted our charity screenings just before the pandemic shut the world down for a while.  Our 2025 charity shindig will be at the Parkway Theater in McKees Rocks, PA from 1-5pm on Sunday, July 27.

This year’s shindig will have all the shiny features you’ve come to expect from a CSTS screening.  In addition to the film, there will be Serenity-themed games and prize drawings, including a shiny “door prize” and a special drawing for them as are seeing the Big Damn Movie for the first time.  The doors will open at 1pm, and the movie will show at 2:30pm, so if you want to have ample time to play the games and enter the drawings to win yourself some prizes, I reckon you should get through those doors as close to 1pm as you can. 

There will be food and drink available for purchase too, and the Parkway also has a fully stocked bar as well as a partnership with Abjuration Brewing, which brews local craft beers right on site. 

Another of the many exciting things about our return to the Parkway is that for the first time in five years, our event is being held in an air-conditioned venue.  That is significant because it is much more conducive to cosplay.  I, for one, hope to get myself into good enough shape to fit into the Cap’n’s tight pants of my Malcolm Reynolds costume, but if I can’t, I have a Plan B ready just in case.  While we don’t have any plans for a cosplay contest this year, attendees are nonetheless encouraged to attend in their best Firefly- or Serenity-inspired costumes, because as Jayne Cobb would say if you dress yourself up, you get taken out somewhere fun.

The Parkway’s screening room is a 45-seat movie theater with comfortable seating and great sound.  In case you didn’t catch that first part though, let me emphasize that there are only 45 seats in the theater.  And when those 45 seats are claimed, our charity screening will be sold out! While we do plan to sell tickets at the door again this year, if you want to see the Big Damn Movie on the big gorram screen, I suggest you get your tickets early.

Tickets to CSTS Pittsburgh 2025 are available through Jump Cut Theater.  Those who make a minimum $10 donation will receive admission to the film and an entry in the "door-prize" drawing (as well as the special drawing for first-time viewers, if appropriate).

Because this year is a special anniversary, we’re conjurin’ some special 20th-anniversary CSTS Pittsburgh merchandise too.  We’ll make sure to give you all the details as to how you can get your hands on some of that shiny merch as soon as they’re available.

With a nostalgic nod to CSTS’ global origins, and in keeping with our commitment to help veterans, all proceeds from this year's event will be split evenly between Equality Now (Joss Whedon’s charity of choice that advocates for the rights of women and girls around the world and was the flagship charity of CSTS for nearly two decades) and the American Legion's "Be the One" initiative (which works to reduce the rate of suicide among our nation’s military veterans).

Since 2006, Pittsburgh’s Can’t Stop the Serenity events have raised over $18,000 for various local, national, and international charities and contributed to a global CSTS effort that has raised over $1.35 million! Last year's event raised $635 for Joni & Friends (in memory of Firefly costume designer Shawna Trpcic) and the Veterans Leadership Program of Western PA.  With your help, we hope to raise even more for this year’s charities.  If you are unable to attend this year’s shindig but would still like to support the cause, Jump Cut Theater has set up a donation-only option on the tickets page of their website (just click on “BUY TICKETS” to find it).

Can’t Stop the Serenity Pittsburgh is sponsored by Geek Frontiers and Jump Cut Theater.  If you’re looking for even more information about this year’s event than what you found here, visit the Jump Cut Theater website and check out their calendar of events.

I hope to see you at the Parkway Theater on July 27 for CSTS Pittsburgh’s 20th anniversary shindig.  Until then, keep flyin’.

-            Chris