Spring is an excellent time to spend at the theaters around Pittsburgh. It’s not always warm enough for outdoor pursuits — but the snow is (hopefully) off the sidewalks for good, inviting you out for a night on the town. Here are seven great reasons to buy a ticket this March and April.
Pittsburgh Spring Theater Shows in March and April
Infinite Life
Barebones Productions, March 6-22
The latest play by Pulitzer Prize winner and off-Broadway fixture Annie Baker, Infinite Life, is conversational, intimate and personal. It’s fitting, then, that it be staged in Pittsburgh’s most immediate venue: the black-box space that serves as home for Barebones Productions in Braddock. The show’s phenomenal cast — which includes Tami Dixon, Helena Ruoti and more — will be mere feet from where you’re sitting, whether you’re in the first row or the last. It’s a space that invites close, careful consideration. I’m also eager to see more of Baker’s work after enjoying her (under-heralded) film debut, 2023’s Janet Planet, so I’m looking forward to Infinite Life.
Eureka Day
City Theatre, March 7-29
When Eureka Day premiered in 2018, the idea of a community rent asunder over an elementary-school vaccination policy seemed plausible, if not immediate. Eight years later, the topic couldn’t be more relevant — so much so that it may have been too much for a certain venue in Washington, DC, where a planned run was surreptitiously canceled. (You know the one — it used to bear the name of one U.S. President, now it has two.) Playwright Jonathan Spector’s show is no dire morality lesson, however, lauded as one of the funniest plays in recent memory upon its New York debut. City Theatre presents Eureka Day, directed by Adil Mansoor; the cast includes Daina Michelle Griffith, Desiree Mee Jung, Jalina McClarin, Max Pavel and John Shepard.
Primary Trust
Pittsburgh Public Theater, March 25-April 12
Monteze Freeland — current artistic director of Alumni Theater Company, recent co-artistic director of City Theater, frequent director and performer at the Public — returns to the O’Reilly to star in Primary Trust. Eboni Booth’s play won the 2024 Pulitzer Prize in Drama, so awarded for demonstrating “how small acts of kindness can change a person’s life and enrich an entire community.” The show is also intimately concerned with making the perfect mai tai, so do arrive early for a pre-show beverage (or perhaps head to the Warren afterwards).
The Wizard of Oz
Little Lake Theatre, April 2-19
Dorothy demands the spotlight! Intriguingly yet disappointingly kept faceless during a certain For Good cinematic moment late last year, the young girl from Kansas reclaims the story of her journey to Oz in the traditional musical favorite, staged by Little Lake Theatre. The Wizard of Oz is not only a satisfying and whimsical tale for all ages, it’s one of the best shows for introducing young children to the theater. Head to Little Lake’s charming suburban home — and see if you can get table seating to better enjoy your intermission order of coffee and dessert (or wine, if you left the kids at home).
10 Out of 12
Quantum Theatre at the Mellon Institute, April 3-26
When all is going well at the theater, the voice of a Stage Manager is soothing: Assured, rhythmic, in control. When chaos reigns backstage, woe be unto the poor crew members on the other end of the earpiece. In the case of Quantum’s 10 Out of 12, that poor crew member is you: In an immersive touch, you’ll not only watch this behind-the-scenes comedy, you’ll be offered an earpiece to hear additional off- (or is it on-?) stage action. A cast of local favorites includes Melessie Clark, Connor McCanlus, Jamie Agnello, Tim McGeever, Shammen McCune and more.
Paradox of Education
Pittsburgh Playwrights at Madison Arts and Entertainment Center, April 4-20
If you haven’t yet made the trip to the Madison Arts and Entertainment Center, the world premiere of Ty Greenwood’s Paradox of Education provides a great opportunity. Converted from the former Madison Elementary School in the Hill District, the venue has become home for Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company; while the group still performs elsewhere (including annual trips to August Wilson’s nearby childhood home for backyard performances), the custom-built Carter Woodson Redwood Theater at Madison serves as their long-overdue permanent space. Paradox of Education follows a group of Black students at a predominantly white university — one that’s better at embracing diversity in theory than in practice.
Breadcrumbs
Off the Wall at Carnegie Stage, April 10-18
The theater company Off the Wall, which promises “groundbreaking theater for grown-ups” — a product often in short supply — presents “Breadcrumbs,” a two-hander about the strained relationship between a writer struggling with dementia and her reluctant caregiver. Ingrid Sonnichsen, an associate professor emeritus in CMU’s vaunted drama program, directs the show, which stars company founder and veteran performer Virginia Wall Gruenert co-stars with fellow local favorite Erika Cuenca. AV
Story by Sean Collier
Featured Photo Courtesy of Barebones Productions
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