The 2018-2019 Hillman Performing Arts Series at Shady Side Academy continues with ventriloquist and comedienne Lynn Trefzger on Saturday, Nov. 17, at 7:30 p.m.

The show takes place in the Hillman Center for Performing Arts, located on the Shady Side Academy Senior School campus, 423 Fox Chapel Road, Fox Chapel. Tickets are $24-30 and can be purchased online at www.thehillman.org or by phone at 412-968-3040.

Have you ever had a childhood hobby that got out of hand? That explains Lynn Trefzger's start as a ventriloquist/comedienne. For more than 30 years, Trefzger has given life to a trunk full of comical characters, performing for family audiences worldwide. Audiences will be treated to her vocal illusion talents when they meet a drunken but lovable camel, a grumpy old man and a feisty little girl – and some audience members may be brought up on stage for the action too! The show is spontaneously funny, and no two shows are alike.

Trefzger and her many voices were first brought to national audiences on TV's popular Star Search, and since then she has performed on TNN, VH-1, Lifetime and Comedy Central. She is featured in I'm No Dummy, a whimsical and insightful documentary film about the extraordinary art of ventriloquism, also starring ventriloquists Jay Johnson and Jeff Dunham. Learn more about Lynn Trefzger.

Trefzger is the third of seven shows in the 2018-2019 Hillman Performing Arts Series, which includes several main stage shows in the Hillman Center's Richard E. Rauh Theater, as well as intimate black box shows in the Peter J. Kountz Theater. Remaining shows include: pianist Deanna Witkowski on Dec. 8, 2018 (black box); Celtic music trio Poor Man's Gambit on March 9, 2019 (black box); magician The Amazing Max on March 16, 2019 (main stage); and zany jugglers The Flying Karamazov Brothers on April 13, 2019 (main stage).

The Hillman Center for Performing Arts, established in 2004, is one of Western Pennsylvania's newest cultural venues. Its flagship offering, the Hillman Performing Arts Series, presents programs of excellence that represent Pittsburgh's cultural traditions while celebrating global artistic innovation. In addition, the Hillman Center strives to foster an accessible environment for all patrons to explore and enjoy fine art.