New scream club lets Pittsburghers yell it out
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The city's newest social club, Scream Pittsburgh, is inviting people to let loose with a full-throated shriek.
Why it matters: Shouting into the confluence is a healthier way to channel the wrath that builds with every botched zipper merge and tunnel backup — or whatever else makes you want to yell into the void.
- It's like a rage room without the wreckage.
The latest: A handful of locals gathered at The Point on Sunday morning for the group's first communal scream.
Zoom in: Lifelong Pittsburgher Cassie Gillen, also active in Pittsburgh Girls Who Walk, founded Scream Pittsburgh in mid-August.
- Venting to a friend that life sometimes "just made her want to scream," she learned about scream clubs drawing crowds across the country and thought: Why not here?
- She calls the club a weekly space to release pent-up emotions and cope with stress while lifting spirits and building community.
What they're saying: "I want people to leave feeling a little bit better, or knowing that there's other people in the world that feel like you even if they're not telling you they do," she tells Axios.
How it works: Gillen said she spoke with Point State Park rangers and will keep them updated as the events, and their volume, grow in case permits or adjustments are needed.
What's next: Scream Pittsburgh hopes to eventually introduce a release ritual: participants jot down what they're ready to let go of and set it aflame in a fire-safe container or toss it into the river on biodegradable paper, similar to Chicago's Scream Club.
- Gillen's longer-term goal is to partner with local mental health organizations to bring resources directly to the meetups.
If you go: The group will meet every Sunday at 8am at Point State Park near the fountain for scream sessions through September, Gillen says. Times may shift based on feedback.
- Follow Scream Pittsburgh on social media for the latest plans. It's free to participate and anyone can join.