With news about … PBT receives $1 million grant; PSO Passport unveiled; The Next Act, and The Next …; naming the merged Pittsburgh Public & Pittsburgh CLO; Squonk’s Joy Machine; Dallas, Texas, presenter/producer merger; and more.
Merger
Merger of CLO & Public Complete, With Name TBA
Announcement of new year-round company includes two productions for first season By SHARON EBERSON The history books will record that Pittsburgh Public Theater and Pittsburgh CLO made it legal on Friday, July 31, 2026, when they officially merged into a… Read More ›
Mark Fleischer Exits Along With Pittsburgh CLO: ‘It’s Been an Honor to Work Here’
MARK FLEISCHER AND PITTSBURGH CLO EXIT
“It’s been an honor to work here. I take a lot of pride in what we’ve done, and the people I’ve worked with, the staff, the donors, the crew, but I recognize that it’s a time of transition, and a time that’s scary for some. My hope is that the community pulls around and says, ‘We still want this.’ Ask for what you want, and you’ll ask for what you want by buying tickets. And I hope that those people know change is not easy. Someone once said, ‘Change is not a Pittsburgh virtue,’ but we have had change. It’s not Heinz Field anymore.” — Mark Fleischer, leaving Pittsburgh for Studio Tenn Theatre in Tennessee
Pittsburgh Public Staff All Laid Off on a Dark Day for Local Professional Theater
A Dark Day for Pittsburgh Professional Theater: All Staff Members of Pittsburgh Public Theater Receive Same-Day Layoff Notices
All staff members of Pittsburgh Public Theater were laid off effective immediately, as of Tuesday, May 19, 2026, a sad day for local theater that was first reported by WTAE-TV and verified by an onStage Pittsburgh source.
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.
Pittsburgh CLO and Pittsburgh Public Theater Vote to Form New Organization, Starting January 2027
PITTSBURGH CLO & PITTSBURGH PUBLIC THEATER ENTER INTO A COMBINED NEW MODEL
The first full season will debut in January of next year, with the programming lineup expected to be announced by early fall.
Pittsburgh CLO and Pittsburgh Public Theater Unveil New Consolidation Plan; Board Vote to Come
The board chairs of Pittsburgh CLO and Pittsburgh Public Theater have shared with subscribers a proposed plan for the creation of “a new, consolidated producing theater company, designed to anchor a broader destination theater experience in Pittsburgh’s Cultural District.” In a letter (see below) to “Dear Community,” sent on Monday, March 9, 2026, the exploration of shared resources may culminate in “not a merger, but the launch of something entirely new and exciting, built for Pittsburghers, by Pittsburghers.” Both boards are set to vote on the plan later this month
City Theatre Goes Solo, Pittsburgh CLO and Pittsburgh Public Theater Remain ‘Enthusiastic’ About Possible Merger
The exploration of a three-way consolidation process of Pittsburgh’s three largest producing theater companies is down to two. A letter by the leadership of the three theaters said, “After more than a year of careful exploration — grounded in data and informed by national best practices and input from all stakeholder groups … City Theatre chose to remain as an independent organization.” However, there remains “significant enthusiasm” among the respective board chairs of Pittsburgh CLO and Pittsburgh Public Theater “about the possibility of a two-way merger.”
