In addition to a 5-show subscription lineup and special events, Bricolage and RealTime Arts will be in residence
By SHARON EBERSON
City Theatre has themed its 52nd season as “Our Next Act,” featuring a five-show subscription lineup, with two world premieres, plus a return to Pemberley for the holidays, and South Side residencies for local companies RealTime Arts and Bricolage Productions.
“Our upcoming season is a deep exploration of the ties that bind us, featuring stories that celebrate our shared humanity, the complexities of family, and the legacies we leave behind,” Artistic Director Clare Drobot said of the 2026-2027 season, in an announcement on Saturday, March 7. “By collaborating with visionary artists from both the vibrant Pittsburgh community and across the country, we’ve built a season of impactful partnerships that will lead City forward to its next chapter.”
The season opens September 19, 2026, with the one-women show In Clay, an intimate musical that recently completed a sold-out extended run at Signature Theatre, near Washington, D.C.
The next season’s unveiling comes on the heels of what City Theatre says “is shaping up to be the most successful box office year since the 2008 economic crash, with record-setting sales and increased subscriptions in 2025-2026, galvanizing an estimated 10% increase in sales from the previous year.”
The announcement added, “With an estimated operating budget of $3.3 million, next season will feature over 200 days and nights of public programming and performances from at least nine City-affiliated productions, educational initiatives, festivals, workshops and readings, and special events.”
Those events include the return of The Second City touring company, along with City’s 27th Annual Young Playwrights Festival and the Momentum Festival, featuring works in various stages of development.
Bricolage will be in residence for two of its signature Midnight Radio specials (titles TBA), totaling six weeks of performances in the Lillie Theatre, from October to December 2026.
“We’re thrilled to partner with City Theatre for the 14th season of Midnight Radio,” said Tami Dixon, Co Artistic Director of Bricolage with Jeffrey Carpenter. “Jeffrey and I have had the joy of performing with City Theatre for many years, so bringing this series here feels like a natural and exciting next step. It’s a perfect alignment — two companies passionate about pushing the boundaries of storytelling and delivering bold, imaginative, theater to Pittsburgh audiences.”
In February 2027, the culmination of a long in-the-works RealTime Arts project will make its debut in the Lillie for a two-week run. The play with music — working title: there is a blue that only children see — blends Ukrainian folktales, rock adaptations of folksongs, and real-life conversations between U.S. and Ukrainian veterans, will debut in the Lillie for a two-week run.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with City Theatre to debut this unique piece here in Pittsburgh,” said Molly Rice, Co-Artistic Director of RealTime, with Rusty Thelin. “City Theatre is the ideal partner for RealTime because we share a passionate commitment to community, social relevance, and artistic integrity. We look forward to working together to share this important work with the world.”
In addition to the organizational collaborations, City Theatre announced the creation of a season-long Artist in Residence position, “to be provided time, professional support, compensation, and access to City Theatre resources to further advance their career.” Local playwright a.k. payne will serve as the inaugural resident artist. Payne is a nationally recognized writer and graduate of the Yale School of Drama, who was launched as a two-time winner of City Theatre’s Young Playwrights Festival.
The announcements emphasized City Theatre’s commitment to “finding meaningful and aligned creative allegiances that elevate the wealth of talent and impact of small- to mid-size local arts organizations throughout the region,” following the board of directors’ recent vote to remain independent, and not explore formal consolidation with Pittsburgh CLO and Pittsburgh Public Theater.
Among the season’s premieres is the new play Bobby Robotowitz & Allison Portchnik, “a comedy about anxiously entering the second quarter of the 21st century,” said playwright and Carnegie Mellon alum Matt Schatz, whose works The Burdens, and An Untitled New Play by Justin Timberlake (with Pittsburgh CLO), premiered at City Theatre. “It’s about the exhaustion of parenting small children, career disappointments, aging, marriage, and not being able to afford any of it. It’s not autobiographical, I swear.”
The season closes with a world premiere developed during the 2025 Momentum Festival: The Punchline written and performed by Christopher Rivas, directed by Adil Mansoor.
“It invites us to build altars to our lives while we’re still living them,” Rivas said. “I can’t wait to share this story of presence with audiences who understand that theater and art are necessary in these trying times.”
CITY THEATRE 2026-2027 SUBSCRIPTION SEASON
IN CLAY | September 19 – October 11, 2026 | Main Stage | Book and Lyrics by Rebecca Simmonds, Music and Lyrics by Jack Miles (Additional Music, Arrangements and Orchestrations by Matt Herbert). Directed by Kimberly Senior and featuring Alex Finke
Based on a true story and set in the early 20th century to a vibrant Parisian jazz score, In Clay is a solo musical that unearths the overlooked artistry of ceramic artist Marie-Berthe Cazin.
GEORGIANA AND KITTY: CHRISTMAS AT PEMBERLEY | November 14 – December 6, 2026 | Main Stage | By Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon (Director TBA)
The Bennet/Darcy clan is home for the holidays, with the final installment of the Christmas at Pemberley series. This standalone from the first two plays follows the adventures of Mr. Darcy’s younger sister, Georgiana, and the youngest Bennet sister, Kitty, “as they take not only Pemberley, but London by storm.”
BOBBY ROBOTOWITZ & ALLISON PORTCHNIK | Main Stage | January 23 – February 14, 2027 | Main Stage | World Premiere | By Matt Schatz | Director TBA
A witty and imaginative take on the consequences of evolving artificial intelligence, this world premiere by Matt Schatz follows a novelist and mother who turns to a chatbot for writing help. What starts with grammar tips soon spirals into chaos.
LAUGHS IN SPANISH | March 13 – April 4, 2027 | Main Stage | Co-Production with Geva Theatre (Rochester, N.Y.) | By Alexis Scheer | Director TBA
Disaster erupts when a famed artist’s paintings go missing the night before Mari’s career-defining show in her Miami gallery. To make matters worse, her movie star mother appears to turn this crime scene into a fast-paced comedy.
THE PUNCHLINE | May 1 – May 30, 2027 | Lillie Theatre | World Premiere | Written & Performed by Christopher Rivas | Directed by Adil Mansoor
The new solo piece from playwright and performer Christopher Rivas (The Real James Bond … Was Dominican) reminds us to live in the present and celebrate it as sacred, because nothing can last forever. This production was developed during the 2025 Momentum Festival.
SPECIAL EVENTS AND ADD-ONS
THE BEST OF SECOND CITY | April 15 – 24, 2027 | Main Stage: The current season represents the return of the Chicago-based improv troupe to Pittsburgh for the first time since 2021. In 2027, the Best of Second City tour will be on the Main Stage for 10 performances. (Tickets to Second City can be purchased with subscriptions immediately, with subscribers receiving a special discount.)
THE YOUNG PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL | October 13 – 23, 2026: In its 27th year, the two-week festival includes student matinees and public performances of six, locally-selected one-act plays written by local middle and high school students. Over 300 submissions are received annually for consideration.
MOMENTUM FESTIVAL: After a multi-year hiatus, the Momentum Festival returned in 2025 through a partnership with the CMU Center for New Work. Dates have not yet been finalized, but the Momentum Festival will return again next season, featuring at least four new theatrical projects in progress and under development. Public readings of each will be presented, along with ancillary activities such as panels and local writer events.
TICKETS AND DETAILS
Subscription packages go on sale March 7, 2026, in person, over the phone, and online. Single tickets will be on sale in Summer 2026. Tickets to all three residency productions also will go on sale this summer. Visit https://citytheatrecompany.org/ or call 412-431-2489.
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