Programming Analysis

"How Did We Get Here?":

PPT's Programming Patterns Before

COVID and Our Arrival

PROGRAMMING BUCKETS

NEW PLAYS

  • Sweat by Lynn Nottage (18-19)

  • A Doll's House, Part 2 (18-19)

  • Indecent by Paula Vogel (18-19)

  • Marjorie Prime by Jordan Harrison (18-19)

  • School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play by Jocelyn Bioh (19-20)

  • American Son by Christopher Demos-Brown (19-20)

  • STATS: 6/18 (~33.3%)

ADAPTATIONS

  • Pride & Prejudice by Kate Hamill (18-19)

  • STATS: 1/18 (~5.6%)

REVIVALS/CLASSICS

  • The Tempest by William Shakespeae (18-19)

  • A Few Good Men by Aaron Sorkin (19-20)

  • Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie (21-22)

  • Two Trains Running by August Wilson (locally important) (21-22)

  • Barefoot in the Park by Neil Simon (21-22)

  • STATS: 5/18 (~28%)

MUSICALS

  • Little Shop of Horrors (19-20)

  • STATS: 1/18 (~5.6%)

SPECIAL EVENTS, LOCALLY TAILORED

  • Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin by Hershey Felder (18-19)

  • Yinzer Yuletide (19-20)

  • Slow Food by Wendy Macleod (21-22)

  • The Chief by Rob Zellers & Gene Collier (21-22)

  • How The Hell Did I Get Here? by Lesley Nicol (21-22)

  • STATS: 5/18 (~28%)


PROGRAMMING TRENDS

  • Shift of programming towards focus on locally tailored special events is likely due to COVID budgetary concerns, and less a sign of programming trend (normally one a year)

  • Move from four new plays in 18-19 to two in 19-20, one adaptation to zero, static revivals.

  • Decrease in new plays, replaced by musical / special event

  • OVERALL: Less experimental, more classics, more tailored events, smaller casts.

EDUCATION AND ENGAGEMENT

  • Open Stage Matinees

  • Ticket discounts, classes, and workshops for students and educators

  • Shakespeare Monologue and Scene Contest for students grade 4 - 12

  • Adult Classes for acting and stage combat

  • OVERALL: The basics. Not tied to specific programs or productions, but more "standard fare."

MISSION ALIGNMENT

  • The mission of Pittsburgh Public Theater is to provide artistically diverse theatrical experiences of the highest quality.

  • Pittsburgh Public Theater also strives to serve, challenge, stimulate and entertain while operating in a fiscally responsible manner.

  • The Public shares its resources with the community through education and outreach initiatives intended for a wide range of people with the goal of expanding and diversifying the audience while enriching the community.

  • OVERALL: Season-by-season, they're not very artistically diverse: each season is mostly focused on one bucket.

    • It's clear this season that they heavily consider fiscal responsibility in programming: focusing on cheaper special events, only doing big-budget musicals every few years, etc.

    • PPT has really stepped up their outreach through free initiatives over the last year -- through PPT PlayTime, Classics N'At, and the Barefoot in the Park public performance.