Pitt Stages, the in-house theatre company of the Department of Theatre Arts at the University of Pittsburgh, is proud to announce its 2026-2027 season. Comprised of compelling stories that showcase grit and inner strength, the productions will reflect a common theme of Perseverance. The mix of mainstage productions, musicals, and one-act plays will consist of classical adaptations, modern day abstractions, and a bohemian musical that celebrates the seasons of life.
Curated by the Pitt Stages Season Selection Committee and led by Co-Chairs Kelly Trumbull and Howard Patterson, this year’s productions embrace the department’s mission to amplify diverse voices and produce stories from multicultural perspectives and theatrical styles. This allows for deeper artistic and educational opportunities for the students, faculty, and community collaborators involved.
The Fall season will open with Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’s Gloria, a play set in modern times that explores trauma and human connection. Pitt Theatre Arts Head of Performance Ricardo Vila-Roger is set to direct. The show will run from October 16-25. Pitt Stages will feature a Fall musical which will be directed by Head of MFA Performance Pedagogy Program Cynthia Croot. Hundred Days, by The Bengsons & Sarah Gancher, is a show that centers on embracing life and love with limited time left to live. It will run from November 13-20. Two student-run One Act Plays will premiere at the same time, from October 2-4, on a split bill. Undergraduates Lila Kelley and Ryder Smith will direct Ethan Coen’s Waiting and Anton Chekov’s The Proposal, translated by Julius West.
The Spring season will present the classic The Metamorphosis, by Franz Kafka and adapted by David Farr and Gîsli Örn Gardarsson, in collaboration with University of Pittsburgh’s Czechoslovak Nationality Room. Theatre Arts Assistant Professor Keelie Sheridan will direct the production, running February 19-28. The One Act play will be the world premiere of Pittsburgh-Machine, written and directed by Theatre Arts PhD Student Guilherme Meletti Yazbek. The production, which revisits the seminal 1952 Black Mountain College and will include Pittsburgh imagery, will run from February 26-28. The season will end with Jonathan Larson’s infamous and beloved musical Rent, from April 9-18. Teaching Associate Professor Kelly Trumbull will direct; Teaching Assistant Professor Becki Toth will direct music. This pop culture phenomenon embraces themes of falling in love, finding one’s voice, and belonging within a community.
The Department of Theatre Arts welcomes all students across the university (regardless of major) to pursue theatre-focused academic research and courses, as well as perform or participate in productions for Pitt Stages shows. Auditions for the 26-27 season productions will take place on August 26 & 27, 2026.
The Department of Theatre Arts at the University of Pittsburgh operates with the understanding that the arts and education can change the world for the better. Pitt Stages produces shows that pair world-class faculty with aspiring theater-makers and enthusiasts. Theatre Arts is proud to present shows that represent the diversity of both the University of Pittsburgh campus and the greater Pittsburgh community. The Department of Theatre Arts is a NAST-certified program that trains students for careers in theatre or those that can utilize theatre’s many useful skillsets.
For tickets please visit: https://www.play.pitt.edu/current-season