Pittsburgh Public Theater

Education

Pittsburgh Public Theater invites you to be a part of our dynamic Public Education programs. Join us and experience the world of theater through performance, exploration and interaction.

Our initiatives reach more than 20,000 children, teens and adults each year — more than 13,500 of these are young people. The Public's education outreach efforts have won the praise of principals, teachers, students, parents, and community leaders. As just one example, the principal of North Allegheny Senior High School wrote,

"I am impressed with the range, organization and quality of the educational outreach opportunities available to students through Pittsburgh Public Theater ...The Public is an outstanding educational resource for students in our region."

Each year, similar words of encouragement are heard from the more than 200 schools that participate in educational programs at The Public. The Public staff and guest artists are committed to sharing their expertise and resources with the community. We offer a variety of programs — backstage tours, free and discounted tickets, guest speakers, volunteer opportunities, audience talkbacks, benefit performances, and technical and career counseling — that target a wide range of people with the goal of expanding, diversifying and educating our audience.

Pittsburgh Public Theater aims to achieve three major goals with its education and outreach programming:

1. Provide innovative, effective and engaging arts education opportunities for children, teens and young adults;
2. Bring young people, families and underserved populations from across the region to The Public, allowing them to experience as many artistic and educational programs as possible; and
3. Instill in young people a greater understanding and appreciation of the dramatic arts, which in turn will help to build the arts audience of the future.

For more information on the Public's education programs, please call the Education Department at 412.316. 8200 ext. 715.

Pittsburgh Public Theater's education and outreach programs are generously supported by The BNY Mellon Charitable Foundation.

  

Now Introducing the 2009-2010 OPEN STAGE Student Matinee Series!

To view the PA Academic Standards fulfilled by the Open Stage Student Matinee Series, click here.

Ella: A Musical! 

book by Jeffrey Hatcher
conceived by Rob Ruggiero and Dyke Garrison
musical direction and arrangements Danny Holgate
October 7, 2009

Frank Sinatra's favorite singer. Cole Porter's finest interpreter. Duke Ellington's muse. Ella Fitzgerald is the greatest jazz singer of all time. The Public will transport you to the French Riviera and one of Ella's most thrilling concerts in this exquisite gem of a musical, starring the magnificent vocalist Tina Fabrique and a top-notch band. Songs includes "Night and Day," "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing), "The Man I Love," "A-Tisket, A-Tasket," and nearly two dozen more legendary hits.

The Little Foxes 

by Lillian Hellman
November 18, 2009

 Its juicy characters, scathing humor, and emotional fireworks have made The Little Foxes one of the absolute essentials of the American theater. Living in 1900 in the New South, the wealthy Hubbard clan will go to any lengths to get even richer. When a lucrative business venture beckons them, they turn against each other in a vicious struggle fueled by greed and the lust for power. Acclaimed actress Helena Ruoti will play the coveted role of Regina, made famous on the screen by Bette Davis.

A Midsummer Night's Dream

by William Shakespeare
January 20, 27 and February 3, 2010

This comic extravaganza brings together the vibrant fairy kingdom, a quartet of mismatched lovers, the bewitched Bottom, and a band of bumbling rustics in the world's most magical play.  Ted Pappas, the director of Metamorphoses, Amadeus, and Cabaret, and his brilliant team of designers, will transform the O'Reilly Theater into an enchanted forest in a ravishing new production of Shakespeare's exhilarating masterpiece.  

The Price

by Arthur Miller
March 10, 2010

This essential Arthur Miller drama tells the story of Victor and Walter Franz, brothers who haven't spoken to one another in 16 years.   We meet them in 1968 in their late father's Manhattan brownstone, which is set to be torn down.  The Franz brothers, along with Victor's wife, Esther, are facing each other again to clear the attic and, perhaps, clear the air of a lifetime's worth of baggage.  There to help them sort through the remnants is a near 90-year-old antiques dealer who brings wit and wisdom to the proceedings.  "One of the most entertaing plays that Miller has ever written," said Clive Barnes of this drama about the price that's paid for the choices we make.

Time of my Life 

by Alan Ayckbourn
April 21, 2010

When the Strattons meet at their favorite restaurant, they are hoping for a good time. But for playwright Alan Ayckbourn, time is relative - and wildly funny. While parents Gerry and Laura reminisce in the present, son Glyn and his wife are viewed in the future, and son Adam and his girlfriend are seen from the past. Meanwhile, one actor works overtime as the entire restaurant staff. Ultimately, Ayckbourn's sly comedy suggests that living in the moment is the best time of all.

For reservations, call Group Sales at 412.316.8200 ext. 704. For more information on the OPEN STAGE Series, click on the "For Teachers" section of our website or call the Education Department at 412.316.8200 ext. 715.