By SHARON EBERSON
Announcing a “new model to serve as further catalyst of City’s Downtown Revitalization Plan,” the boards of Pittsburgh CLO and Pittsburgh Public Theater have voted to form a “unified organization, designed to ensure a bold and artistically ambitious future for professionally produced live theater and arts education in the region. The theater will be a dynamic destination in the city’s Cultural District, as part of the broader downtown revitalization already underway, energizing audiences of all ages and perspectives with inventive, year-round programming.”
Dr. Brett Ashley Crawford, a teaching professor of Arts Management at Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy, and the faculty chair of the Masters of Arts & Entertainment Management programs, has been appointed to lead transition team.
Pittsburgh Public Theater, in its 51st season, is the producing resident company of the O’Reilly Theater, Downtown, and Pittsburgh CLO, entering its 80th season, is a producing company of new musicals throughout Pittsburgh Cultural Trust venues, spending most of its summer seasons since 1998 in the Benedum Center. Each has annual Christmas shows: The Public’s A Christmas Story: The Play, and PCLO’s A Musical Christmas Carol. CLO operates the CLO Academy of Musical Theater, Downtown, and produces the annual Gene Kelly Awards for Excellence in High School Musical Theater.
Byham Theater for more than 30 years. (Image: Matt Polk)
Both theater companies have been struggling financially since returning from the pandemic shutdown. The Public has been operating without a full-time artistic director since Marya Sea Kaminski exited that role in July 2025, and PCLO’s Mark Fleischer has announced he will leave that same role at the end of the 2026 summer season.
No administrative restructuring, nor renaming, were part of the announcement.
Here’s more from the official statement on March 18, 2026:
This decision follows more than a year of exploration, analysis and candid and courageous conversations about the possibility of creating a novel model, while continuing to honor the rich legacies of PPT and CLO.”
The first full season will debut in January of next year, with the programming lineup expected to be announced by early fall. Pittsburgh CLO’s upcoming 80th Anniversary PNC Summer of Musicals celebration will continue as planned, and Pittsburgh Public Theater ends its current season with Primary Trust, opening on March 28, 2026.
“This highly collaborative effort has been guided by an unwavering belief in the opportunity we have to shape our destinies together. We can create a stronger, more sustainable approach that ensures live theater thrives for generations to come and our cultural vibrancy continues to serve as a vital anchor for one of the most livable cities in the world,” Public Theater Board Chair Krysia Kubiak said in the statement. “At the same time, it’s been about staking claim to newfound joy. With this historic opportunity, we have landed exactly where we are meant to be.”
“We are truly grateful to everyone who has supported this innovative process and will continue to be enthusiastic champions of our next exciting chapter,” added CLO Board Chair Joseph V. DiVito Jr. “This is a once-in-a-generation chance to embark on an exceptional journey together that leads to spectacular possibilities that might have otherwise been impossible.”
To help lead this next phase, Dr. Crawford has been appointed to guide the transition, including assembling a transition team … bringing extensive experience in theater management, audience engagement, marketing, production management and arts education, which will be an invaluable addition to this effort.
“Theater, at its core, is about people – and people will continue to be central to our process and decision-making as we embark on this exciting transition,” said Dr. Crawford. “By leveraging the respective strengths, common missions and shared audiences of both organizations, the new model will devote more resources to the art, the artists and the audiences, while forging a bold path to a successful and sustainable future.”
“Arts and live theater are essential to the life of a great city. They draw people downtown, support artists and local business and help define Pittsburgh as a place of creativity and connection,” said Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor. “Pittsburgh CLO and Pittsburgh Public Theater are treasured institutions, and this new organization is a bold step that honors their legacy while building a stronger future for the city’s cultural life and our Downtown Cultural District.”
An initial funding commitment to support the first part of this next phase has been secured and an interim board has been named. The board includes: Joseph V. DiVito Jr.; Krysia Kubiak; Lesley Evancho; Edward Karlovich; Christine Kobus; Richard Lipovich; Thomas McGough; Jessica Priselac; Peter Robinson; Bal Srinivasan; LaShawnda Thomas; and TJ Young. Kubiak and will continue to Chair the current Pittsburgh Public Theater board and Divito the Pittsburgh CLO board, which will remain engaged in this effort through the completion of the process.
Advancing on an accelerated timeline, the immediate focus of the transition team will be on establishing the legal structure for the new organization, shaping its leadership and operating structure and aligning on a shared artistic vision. Other near-term priorities include executing a real estate and venue strategy, naming and branding the entity, retaining an executive search firm to identify a permanent leader and integrating essential technology and administrative systems.
Categories: Arts and Ideas, Arts Education, Feature Stories, Our Posts
Sounds like a cool collaboration. Did they mention any specific shows they’re reviving?
Not yet, it is way to early as they are just starting to figure out the mechanics of how the combined entity will work.