With news about: Family Game Night at City Theatre; Midnight Radio; John Lane’s Lifetime Achievement Award; Little Lake’s Play in a Day; and more.

🎭 ICYMI:

• News: Confluence Theater of Pittsburgh Unveils a First-Season Public-CLO Combo Platter
• Feature: Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center at 20: A Performing Arts Oasis in Midland, PA
• Review: Takácz Quartet Inaugurates Chamber Music Pittsburgh’s 66th Season
• Review: Jennifer Simard, A Wickedly Funny Time at the Trust Cabaret
• Review: Linked Across Time: ‘Ohio State Murders’ and ‘Weight of Forgiveness’
• Review: BDE Productions’ “Rent” – Actors Finding Their Place on Stage
• Preview: 92NY Dance Premiere Will Kick Off ForgeWorks at New Hazlett Theater

‘FAMILY GAME NIGHT’ AT CITY THEATRE READING SERIES

City Theatre’s annual Momentum Reading Series kicks off the 2026-2027 Season with the dark comedy Family Game Night by Peter Kennedy, directed by Joe Calarco, on Monday, October 5, at 7 p.m. on the Main Stage, after the first wave sold-out the Lillie Theatre. The cast features Daina Michelle Griffith, Anil Margsahayam,  Cameron Nickel, Marissa Lily, Sheila McKenna, Tatyana Ramlogan, and John Shepard.  “The play is set at the Morton family’s monthly game night; where fireworks are always a possibility. Oldest daughter Andrea has supplied a new board game designed to lure her husband, aging parents, teenage daughter, and younger brother into conversations about the future they are steadfastly avoiding.” City Theatre is partnering with the Allegheny County Health Department to provide resources connected to the script’s themes, specifically its Building Our Largest Dementia Infrastructure, or BOLD, project.  

🎟️ TICKETS: Tickets are free, but registration is required, at https://citytheatrecompany.org/production/109500/family-game-night.

IT’S A WONDERFUL TIME FOR MIDNIGHT RADIO

It was announced this week that an It’s a Wonderful Life live radio show is coming to Broadway with an all-star cast, including Andrew Rannells, Megan Hilty, Tituss Burgess, Harry Hamlin, and Lisa Rinna. Hmmmm. We wonder where they got that idea … Bricolage Production Company’s Midnight Radio has two live upcoming Pittsburgh parodies, presented in partnership with City Theatre. First up is Night of the Living Dead N’at, opening October 29, followed by … Hey Hon, It’s a Wonderful Life. Hmmmm

🎟️ TICKETS: https://citytheatrecompany.org/calendar

Pittsburgh New Works Festival to Honor John Lane with Lifetime Achievement Award

The award recognizes recognizing a career that has touched virtually every corner of Pittsburgh’s theatre community.

Lane’s selection reflects decades of directing, producing, teaching, technical leadership, and service to Pittsburgh’s performing arts.

Lane is an associate professor and director of the Theater Arts program at Duquesne University. Over the course of his career, he has directed more than 120 productions for companies throughout the region, including Pittsburgh Public Theater, Carlow University, Pittsburgh Opera Theater, Wilkinsburg Arts Theater, the Medieval and Renaissance Players, Pittsburgh New Works Festival, Pittsburgh Playwrights Theater Company, Thank You, Felix Productions, and Future Tenants.

Lane’s career extends well beyond the Pittsburgh stage. He served as technical director for the Opera Theater of Pittsburgh and toured extensively throughout the United States and Europe.

For 18 years, Lane served as operations manager of Pittsburgh Public Theater, where he worked alongside an extraordinary roster of artists, including August Wilson, Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, Rob Marshall, and Hayley Mills.

Since joining Duquesne University, Lane has directed 12 world-premiere productions, including a new adaptation of The Beggar’s Opera, featuring new music by Suzanne Polock and a book by Lane. 

Lane’s career has been defined not only by the number of productions he has directed, but by his sustained commitment to the artists, students, institutions, and audiences who make Pittsburgh theatre possible.

The award will be presented at the Pittsburgh New Work’s Festival’s Wrap Party on Sunday, October 4th. Tickets to the Wrap Party are available at www.pittsburghnewworks.org

LITTLE LAKE’S PLAY IN A DAY IN CANONSBURG

Little Lake Theatre brings talent from throughout the region to the Canon Theatre Friday and Saturday, October 2–3, for the third annual Farmer McDowell’s Play in a Day. Here’s the who’s who of what’s happening in Canonsburg (you’re in for a lot of bold-faced names, so get ready):

DIRECTORS: Melissa Cardello-Linton, Meighan Lloyd Harding, Shannon Knapp, Catherine Kolos, Tal Kroser, Malic Maat, Shaunda McDill.
ACTORS: Olga Acevedo, Jamie Agnello, Hope Anthony, David Bailey, Paul Binotto, Erin Bock, Jason Burke, Allison Morgan Cahill, Shane Callahan, Frances Chao, Katy Chmura, Kauleen Cloutier, Andy Coleman, Andy Cornelius, Dewayne Curry, Terri Davis, Natalie Dispenza, Candice Fisher, Delana Flowers, Rachel Frank, Lynne Franks, Steve Gallagher, Richard Garbee, Lydia Gibson, Nick Grosso, Harry Hawkins, Greta Healy, Matt Henderson, John Herrmann, Leah Hillgrove, Tonilyn Jackson, Arianne Joson, Kelsey Wooley Jumper, Chelsea Kikel, Ross Kobelak, Jen Kopach, Arjun Kumar, Chris Laitta, Eric Leslie, Tim Macuski, Erin McAuley, Richard McBride, Michael McBurney, Nancy McNulty McGeever, Cole McGlumphy, Kerry McGrath, Mary Meyer, Christine Miceli, Joyce Miller, Megan May Mitchell, Darrin Mosley, Hopi Myers-Arrigoni, Travis Myers-Arrigoni, J. Alex Noble, Stephanie Ottey, Danette Pemberton, Jeremy Poynton, Ryan Rattley, Surya Ravindran, Jed Reifer, John Reilly, Mairead Roddy, Stacey Rosleck, Briana Ryan, Claire Sabatine, Ernesto Sanchez, Lisa Scarmazzi, Marianne Shaffer, Julia Silverman, Helga Terre, Tim Tobias, Hunter Ventura, Sophia Willis, AJ Wittman, and Keith Zagorski.

🎟️ TICKETS: https://us.patronbase.com/_LittleLakeTheatre/Productions/182/Performances

AND MORE OUT & ABOUT THIS WEEKEND

• Jennifer Simard | Pittsburgh Cultural Trust | September 28, 2026 | https://trustarts.org/pct_home/events/series/trust-cabaret-series/shows
• Takács Quartet | Chamber Music Pittsburgh | Carnegie Music Hall | September 28, 2026 | https://www.chambermusicpittsburgh.org/mainstage-live-series
• Disney’s Frozen | October 2 – 4 & 9 – 11, 2026 | Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center | Main Stage Theater | https://www.lincolnparkarts.org
• BNY Classics: Gerstein Plays Brahms | Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra | Heinz Hall | Manfred Honeck, conductor | Kirill Gerstein, piano | October 2 & 4, 2026 | www.pittsburghsymphony.org
• Freshworks: Mal MacKenzie – AURA | Kelly Strayhorn Theater | KST’s Alloy Studios | October 2 & 3, 2026 | https://kelly-strayhorn.org/events/f26-freshworks-mal-mckenziem
• Confluence: A Pittsburgh America 250 Concert | Chatham Baroque | October 2 at St. Nicholas Church; October 3 at Hicks Memorial Chapel; October 4, 2026 at Original Pittsburgh Winery |  https://www.chathambaroque.org/concert/confluence
• Doubt | Paragon Theatre | October 2 – 10, 2026. | https://www.ParagonTheatre.net
• Shane Patrick in The Oracle | Liberty Magic | Pittsburgh Cultural Trust | October 2 – 17, 2026 | https://trustarts.org/pct_home/events/series/liberty-magic/show
• Hedda Gabler | Steel City Shakespeare | Providence Heights Motherhouse at La Roche University | October 2-11, 2026 | https://www.onthestage.tickets/show/steel-city-shakespeare-center/6a74c242e8dba887376328dc/tickets#/productions-view
• Count Basie Orchestra with Nnenna Freelon | MCG Jazz | Saturday, October 3, 2026 | https://www.mcgjazz.org
• Opera on the Allegheny | Pittsburgh Festival Opera | River Life’s Shorre Thing | October 3, 2026 | https://shorething.riverlifepgh.org/event/opera-on-the-allegheny-with-the-pittsburgh-festival-opera

🎟️ Reminder: The discount ticket initiative Go See a Show! is ongoing, with 18 performing arts companies and Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama participating. Find tickets at https://www.goseeashowpgh.com.

👉 Don’t forget — you can always explore the next two months of performances, organized by date or company, at onStage Pittsburgh.

👉 Did we miss your show? Send us your updates at info@onstagepittsburgh.com so we can share them in Listings and a future Call Board.

Categories: Arts and Ideas, CALL BOARD, Our Posts

Tags: Call Board, City Theatre, John Lane,, LITTLE LAKE'S PLAY IN A DAY IN CANONSBURG, Pittsburgh New Works Festival