Spring Awakening and the RTC ‘s 2027 season move to the Pierce Theater in the Cultural District.
By JESSICA NEU
Founded in 1965, the Riverfront Theater Company has become a staple in the Pittsburgh community theater environment. As many of Pittsburgh’s community and regional theater companies are still finding their footing in a post-pandemic world, Riverfront’s Artistic Director Caitlin Dobronz is constantly searching for opportunities for the historic company to evolve, challenge itself, and continue to create cutting-edge, quality performances. Determined to maintain the integrity of Riverfront’s three-show season and simultaneously develop new programming opportunities, Dobronz is thrilled to be fearlessly spearheading some new initiatives for Riverfront that she hopes will not only increase patronage, but also community involvement. A major initiative is moving Riverfront productions to The Pierce Theater in the Pittsburgh Cultural District. Before RTC goes “dark on the park,” I had the pleasure of speaking with Dobronz about her journey at the company and all the exciting developments happening at RTC.
“When I came on to Riverfront, I only knew them as being at the park,” Dobronz said. It was their flagship area, and I was really inspired by the company and by the space. It lent itself really well to more immersive theater. It almost has a black box mindset.” This inspiration led Dobronz to produce groundbreaking works for RTC, including 2024’s Constellations. However, as Dobronz became better acquainted with all aspects of RTC, she quickly realized that the park was not a financially sustainable location. “One of the company’s most detrimental costs was renting the park and bringing in all of the necessary equipment that you need to make it a theater,” Dobronz explained.
“We were using a significant portion of our donor money to rent the space,” Dobronz continued. “When I came on as a board member, I was told that I was only going to be able to do two shows because we could no longer afford a three-show season. In 2024, when I first discussed the 2025 season, I was told that if I was going to pitch a season larger than two shows, I needed to be able to also pitch a space for one of the shows.”
Dobronz did not want to restrict RTC to a two-show season, so she began researching alternative performance locations. “That is how we landed at the Theater Factory in Trafford for The Goat, or Who is Sylvia?” she explained. “It wasn’t really in the same vicinity as the community that we were trying to serve. I knew that we had gone too far away at the Theater Factory. I knew we weren’t going to be able to be there for more than one year,” as more avant-guard shows such as The Goat and Constellations were not doing well with ticket sales. However, a key stakeholder at the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust was present for The Goat and Constellations and she recognized where RTC was headed creatively. “She noticed that I was doing some programming that she wasn’t used to seeing other theaters do and thought that we were capable of producing a very high quality of theater, but just having trouble finding a firm location,” Dobronz said. “She brought the Cultural Trust and the Three Stories building to my attention. So, this move started all the way back then and while producing and directing Freaky Friday and producing the rest of the 2025 season, I was looking into the Cultural Trust and making that my main focus because they had that space available.”
Dobronz expressed her immense gratitude and excitement toward this new opportunity. “The Cultural Trust is serving so many of us in the theater community right now with the opportunity to use this space without any Equity overhead,” she explained. “I knew that I wanted to bring 2025’s third production, Title of Show, there, and after seeing what we were going to spend at Riverfront Park on the other two shows for that season, it became very apparent that we were going to have to make a move. We ended up being their first multi-week rental there. We had all our rehearsals there, which was incredible because we were able to do the whole show out of the downtown location. I knew then that my goal was to move the majority of the 2027 season downtown. Fortunately, staff was able to allot us more time, and all our dates have been accepted for the 2027 season. They also very graciously offered us their space this coming November to host Spring Awakening.”
As exciting as this new opportunity may be, Dobronz does not take her role as Artistic Director lightly. “I have a responsibility to think about the bridge-building that I am doing for the company as we move forward. I want to put other artists and other creators in a space where their work can be showcased and accessed by people in that community.”
As RTC forges ahead, Dobronz has set her sights on larger goals that involve this level of community engagement. “I would love to have more regional incorporation as we go. I would love to offer more classes. I would love to expand to have a specific community show each year where we offer parts for older adults and the youth. Inspired by Little Lake Theater’s production of The Wizard of Oz and seeing different generations come together on stage, Dobronz explained how she is “really taking note that when you build a strong community, the community rebuilds into you. I think there are a lot of us in Pittsburgh who come from an inaccessible throughline to the theater system, and expanding our resources into a multigenerational community through our artistic community can make programming accessible that previously was not.”
This call to serve her community also influences how Dobronz carefully selects the perfect productions for each season. “I know personally when choosing a season, and deciding what can best serve the community, I am learning that I cannot just make art that inspires me, but I also must facilitate art that feeds the community. I have a responsibility to program for the community… and I feel a call to action to help other artists to also be able to create.”
“When I graduated from being an assistant to building the art that I wanted to make, Riverfront happened to be there,” Dobronz explained. “But I also realized that once you start creating your vision but simultaneously have to start supporting a company that believes in you, your ego really gets a reset. You realize that when you’re given responsibility or an opportunity like this, you can’t just continue to make the art that you want to make. You have to build the bridge for other people. Otherwise, you aren’t serving the structure that you are looking for in the first place. For example, If I only hired the people that I know, or if I only made the art that I wanted to make or did not give opportunities to other people on the board that have worked tirelessly to support ambitions that I have, then I would be building another institution that is not building artists but instead trying to build a self-serving repertoire. Community goes both ways.”
As excited as Dobronz is about these upcoming changes, she is also deeply invested in RTC’s long-term future. “I would like to see Riverfront get a little braver. I would like to see us doing new work, supporting local artists, and compensating people for their time and effort. I would like to see us actively go after resources that sustain those efforts and go after opportunities to do riskier work. I think that Riverfront specifically has an incredible group of people that are willing to risk what is popular or easy for a highly creative concept. I don’t think that I would be the right leader for Riverfront if it didn’t run that way. In the past two years, we have taken something that has been established over the past 66 years now, and we’ve given it permission to be a little more daring. I think we have really pushed ourselves out of the proscenium and into a category of immersion that I would like to grow forward. Art comes with so many interpretations and personal opinions; it has been one of the biggest journeys of my life.”
Along with creating new, challenging and daring programming, Dobronz also recognized Riverfront’s longstanding youth summer program as a flagship component of RTC. “I believe that children also deserve a safe space where they feel free to play,” Dobronz stated. “I am blown away by the youth program every year. I think that it’s the greatest responsibility of my life to create a place that feels safe enough for children to be brave, to be bold, and to not always make the right choice. As an artist, I didn’t always feel like I had that space, and it took me into my 30s to have an inkling of the boldness that these young artists have.”
Dobronz offered an introspective, personal approach to supporting these young creatives. “I’ve had to learn how to balance being someone they enjoy being around and someone that they look to for education and leadership. The adults that I had in my life when I was training – it was success or nothing. There was no arc. It was the end product and how hard we would strive to get their approval. I never want the kids to feel that their growth from year to year isn’t enough and that they are not in the exact place they are supposed to be, just because there is further they can go. All the life that they are living now is valid, and it is applicable to their art. Getting them to dive further into that emotional intelligence and communication helps them to realize that there is a pathway to each other as humans, which also makes them kinder to one another.”
This culture of community, kindness, and opportunity permeates all aspects of RTC, and Dobronz is hopeful that patrons, new and old, will enjoy the upcoming productions. “I think it’s a really exciting time for Riverfront. We need our patrons more than ever. Otherwise, it just becomes a revolving door of companies doing one show at a time. I’m hoping to keep producing seasons with a motive behind them for years to come, and we are ready to do something even bolder and more exciting in 2027 now that we have the resources.”
And as for Fox Chapel, Dobronz still immensely appreciates the community that has supported RTC for so many years. “We are not leaving the Fox Chapel area in its entirety,” she explained. “There is a core to our community that is born there. There are small businesses that we continue to support while they support us, and we always want to welcome their patrons in.”
But for now, the next RTC event is a special Drag Bingo on September 27 at Spirit Hall. Then, Spring Awakening will be at the Pierce Theater November 20-28. Rounding out 2026, on December 18, Riverfront will produce a fundraising cabaret where they will also announce their 2027 season. For more information on all RTC events, visit https://www.riverfronttheaterco.org
Categories: Arts and Ideas, Company
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