TABLE staff, always hungry for drama, looks to these noteworthy Pittsburgh theater companies for the thrill and intimacy of live performances. 

barebones productions

Patrick Jordan, the founder and artistic director of barebones productions, isn’t afraid to take chances. In addition to being a stellar actor, he’s produced an impressive array of theatrical performances while at the helm of barebones and aims to challenge his performers while delivering artistic experiences to non-traditional theater audiences. 

Prime Stage Theater

This unique theater company brings literature to the stage, with performances meant to entertain, inspire, and enrich. The organization’s impressive list of recent performances include stage adaptations of C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, and S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders. Have younger children? Prime Stage’s Sprouts Series features stage productions for elementary students and their families. Don’t miss The Boxcar Children at the New Hazlett Theater running from June 16 to 25. 

New Hazlett Theater

This North Side institution serves as a space for a multitude of theatrical companies throughout the region, but New Hazlett’s own original programming shouldn’t be overlooked. The company’s Community Supported Art (CSA) Performance Series introduces audiences to emerging performing artists specializing in theater, dance, music, spoken word, and more. 

Pittsburgh Musical Theater

Pittsburgh Musical Theater is a nonprofit arts education organization that’s dedicated to youth development. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t also have fun! In addition to titles like The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Once, the company brought the horror of Evil Dead to the stage, and included a “splatter zone” for audience members unafraid to be doused in fake blood. Mark your calendars for Jersey Boys, coming to the Byham Theater May 4 to 14. 

Pittsburgh Public Theater

During the worst of the pandemic, Pittsburgh Public Theater was a leader in continuing to bring theatrical experiences to virtual audience members. Now, under the direction of Artistic Director Marya Sea Kaminski and Managing Director Shaunda McDill, the theater company continues to inspire with a commitment to diverse offerings. Look for Frida… A Self Portrait coming June 7 to 25 and join Brazilian-American writer and performer Vanessa Severo in this extraordinary one-woman tour de force, telling the life and legacy of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo.

Off the Wall Productions

Carnegie’s Off the Wall Productions is celebrating 17 years of theatrical performances. The current season has a strong female presence, including Virginia Wall Gruenert’s Mother Lode on June 3 and 4, and Laura Irene Young’s When Jesus Divorced Me this October. 

Story by Lisa Cunningham

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