Dear Friends and Colleagues,

Today marks a historic moment for live theater in our remarkable city – and underscores the critical importance of cultural vibrancy to our region and sets the stage for a bold and artistically ambitious future for professionally produced live theater and arts education in our region.

We are thrilled to share that the Boards of Directors of Pittsburgh CLO and Pittsburgh Public Theater have voted to form a new, unified organization. This theater will be a dynamic destination in the city’s Cultural District as part of the broader downtown revitalization already underway, energizing audiences of all ages and perspectives with inventive, year-round programming.

This decision follows more than a year of exploration, analysis and candid and courageous conversations about the possibility of creating a novel model, while continuing to honor the rich legacies of both PPT and CLO.

We want to extend our gratitude to everyone who has supported this innovative process and will continue to be enthusiastic champions of our next exciting chapter. Expect the curtain to rise on our first full season of programming in January 2027. We hope you’ll join us for a front row seat, every step of the way!

Next Steps

In the meantime, Pittsburgh CLO’s upcoming 80th Anniversary PNC Summer of Musicals celebration will continue as planned and Pittsburgh Public Theater will continue its current season, including the opening of PRIMARY TRUST on March 28, 2026, with additional programming announcements to follow.

As we mentioned last week, our goal is to bring this vision to life on an accelerated timeframe. While the vote was the first official step to initiate a formal consolidation process, we are already well on our way with our plans and pleased to have secured an initial funding commitment to support the first part of this next phase. In terms of the specific details of our path forward, here’s what we can share today: 

Transition Team & Approach to Consolidation 

To help lead this next phase, Dr. Brett Ashley Crawford has been appointed to guide the transition, including assembling a transition team. Dr. Crawford is a Teaching Professor and Faculty Chair of the Master of Arts and Entertainment Management program at Carnegie Mellon University and brings extensive experience in theater management, audience engagement, marketing, production management and arts education, which will be an invaluable addition to this effort.

An interim board for the new organization has been formed and includes: Joseph V. DiVito, Jr.; Lesley Evancho; Edward Karlovich; Christine Kobus; Krysia Kubiak; Richard Lipovich; Thomas McGough; Jessica Priselac; Peter Robinson; Bal Srinivasan; LaShawnda Thomas; and TJ Young.

In partnership with the current CLO and PPT Board Chairs and interim board, the work of the transition team will include:

• Establishing the legal operating structure for the new organization

• Aligning on a shared artistic vision and approach to expanding arts education opportunities

• Shaping the leadership and organizational structure

• Developing a real estate and venue strategy to support a range of contemporary productions and large-scale musicals across downtown venues

• Leading RFP processes to select a creative agency for naming and branding and an executive search firm for a permanent leader

• Integrating core technology and administrative systems

Embracing the Art of Possibility 

Theater, at its core, is about people. The same has been true for this collaborative effort from the outset; it’s been about people—the staff, artists, patrons, donors, funders and community partners who know how much cultural vibrancy matters to our region, who have seen firsthand the life-changing power of the arts and believe deeply in the future we will build together. Together, we can create a stronger, more sustainable approach that ensures live theater thrives for generations to come and our cultural vibrancy continues to serve as a vital anchor for one of the most livable cities in the world.

At the same time, this work has been about staking claim to newfound joy—unearthing a transformational joy that springs from deciding to do hard things because we believe in doing hard things; from refusing to let go of big, brave dreams because dreams define our purpose; and from reveling in the magic-in-the-making from this collaboration.

With this historic opportunity, we have landed exactly where we are meant to be.

We will be providing regular updates as we move forward. Thank you again for your support, especially as the pages of this amazing script unfold.

With gratitude,

 The Boards and Leadership of:

 Pittsburgh CLO

 Pittsburgh Public Theater