Author Archives
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Echoes of War: Students Face Vietnam Draft in New Play
The new play “Sixty Nine — Seventy,” among the independent productions sprouting in Pittsburgh this spring, is a throwback to the era of the Vietnam War, the draft lottery that sent young Americans to fight in Southeast Asia, and the antiwar protests of the “flower power” generation. It was the last military draft in the United States, ending in 1973, but not the last war. Every few years, it seems, the U.S. is embroiled in a violent conflict on foreign soil.
For playwright Michael Eichler, a University of Pittsburgh alumnus, and director/producer Alex Manalo, “Sixty Nine — Seventy marks” a second collaboration as the play readies for a May 14, 2026 opening. In March of last year, Manalo produced and directed Eichler’s self-funded “Repulsing the Monkey,” at City Theatre’s Lillie Theatre. -
Review: Italian ‘Jitney’ Exudes the Essence of August Wilson
The remarkable version of Jitney in Italian finished up three days of captivating sold-out Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre audiences on Sunday, ending a quick American tour that celebrated the years-long journey that carried the production from Vicenza, Italy, to August Wilson’s hometown.
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Pittsburgh Public Theater and Pittsburgh CLO Reveal 2026 ‘Prologue Season,’ Ahead of 2027 Merger
Pittsburgh Public Theater and Pittsburgh CLO have announced a “Prologue Season” of curated programming for the remainder of 2026, as they prepare to merge into one organization in January of 2027.
In a press release on Friday, May, 8, 2026, it was also announced that the O’Reilly Theater, home of Pittsburgh Public Theater since 1999, will undergo “significant renovations this fall.”
The lineup also includes the return of the Pittsburgh CLO holiday standard, “A Musical Christmas Carol,” at the Byham Theater, and “Who’s Holiday!” at the Greer Cabaret Theater.
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Stephen Flaherty’s ‘Ragtime’ and Carnegie Mellon Alums Feature Prominently Among 2026 Tony Award Nominees
Nominations for the 79th TONY AWARDS showcase the Pittsburgh theater community’s contributions to Broadway, including 11 nominations for the revival of Ragtime. Composer Stephen Flaherty, a Dormont native, won the 1998 Tony for Ragtime’s musical score, and will receive the Richard Rodgers Award on June 12, five days after the 2026 Tonys ceremony, at Pittsburgh CLO’s 80th Anniversary Gala.
For his performance in the current revival of Joe Turner’s Come and Gone by August Wilson, Ruben Santiago-Hudson earned a nomination as Best Featured Actor. He previously won a Tony in that category, in 1996, for Wilson’s Seven Guitars. The play’s five nominations also included Best Costume Design, for Paul Tazewell.
For more local ties and full list of Tony Award nominees, read👇 -
Review: Prime Stage Theatre’s ‘Speak’ Speaks Volumes About Aftershocks of Sexual Assault
“Speak,” a new play about the intentional damage — physical and emotional — we are capable of inflicting on one another, and the healing powers of kindness and art.
The work, an adaptation by Tammy Ryan of Laurie Halse Anderson’s popular 1999 YA novel, was commissioned by Prime Stage Theatre, and made its debut on April 30 at the New Hazlett Theater.
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Q&A With City Theatre’s ‘Hedwig’ Star, Treasure Treasure
“I’ve always been drawn to characters that take up a lot of space and refuse to leave the stage. I was born to play Hedwig.” — Treasure Treasure, who stars for City Theatre in a first-time revival of HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH.
The production at the Greer Cabaret, in partnership with the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, was visited by Hedwig creator and recent “Oh, Mary!” star John Cameron Mitchell during rehearsals, saying of the Broadway role “It’s going well. Easier than Hedwig!”
As she takes the stage this week as Hedwig, Treasure answers questions for onStage Pittsburgh.
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Review: PMT’s Moving ‘Evan Hansen’ Showcases Stellar Cast, Dynamic Design
A cautionary tale of troubled teens, families in crisis, and the consequences when a lie goes viral, DEAR EVAN HANSEN burst onto Broadway in 2016, and rewrote the rules of engagement by adding social-media screens to 21st-century theatrical storytelling. In Pittsburgh Musical Theater’s riveting regional premiere of the Tony Award-winner, Anthony Marino Jr.’s superbly awkward Evan and the strikingly original staging are among the reasons to revisit Dear Evan Hansen if you have already seen the show. If you haven’t, or even if you have, bring tissues.
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Preview: Prime Stage Theatre Commissions Tammy Ryan to Give Voice to ‘Speak’
Prime Stage Theatre’s season of premieres continues this weekend with a commissioned work by playwright Tammy Ryan, who has adapted the National Book Award finalist “Speak” for the stage. The YA novel about consent, trauma, and healing has frequently been near the top of the ALA’s banned books list since its 1999 publication. “Some people are afraid to let teenagers, as Laurie would say, be exposed to the realities of the world,” Ryan said, quoting “Speak” novelist Laurie Halse Anderson.
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‘Evan Hansen’s’ Anthony Marino Jr. Was Born to the Stage
A theater kid from birth, Anthony Marino Jr. is set to play the lead in “DEAR EVAN HANSEN” for Pittsburgh Musical Theater. “I think always being immersed in that world just kind of wired my brain in a way that made me know, ‘That’s what I was made to do.’ ”
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Arts Landing Ribbon-Cutting Showcases What’s in Store for Pittsburghers, Beyond the NFL Draft
The new 4-acre Downtown park Arts Landing was given a blockbuster welcome on April 17, 2026, when local and state dignitaries including Governor Josh Shapiro attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony, a week before thousands of football fans invade Pittsburgh for the NFL Draft.
