2021 Pittsburgh Fall Guide: Theater

STAGE • IRL
City Theatre and the Cornerstone Theater Company depict the refugee and immigrant experience in Pittsburgh with The Rivers Don’t Know, a play interlocking the stories of a 1940s steel mill worker, a Somali family, and a class of ESL students. On stage at the Pittsburgh Playhouse. Thu., Sept. 16-Sun., Sept. 19. 350 Forbes Ave., Downtown. Free with registration. playhouse.pointpark.edu

STAGE • HYBRID
The Pittsburgh New Works Festival continues with new plays from all over the world. All performances are held at Duquesne University’s Genesius Theater. Check out Inflatable You, The Confession, or The Pitch. Thu., Sept. 23-Sun., Sept. 26. 1225 Seitz St., Downtown. $12. pittsburghnewworks.org/on-stage-2

STAGE • VIRTUAL
The whole Peanuts gang is back together in Alumni Theater Company’s virtual production of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. Broadcast live from The Bill Nunn Black Box, the musical based on Charles M. Schulz’s famous comic strip promises to be “a whole vibe” as the all-Black cast portrays the characters as teens, giving the story a new, deeper meaning. 7 p.m. Fri., Oct. 1-Sun., Oct. 3. $15. alumnitheatercompany.org

STAGE • IRL
Playwright Ty Greenwood and choreographer and performing artist Cherish Morgan, two artists from Kelly Strayhorn Theater’s Freshworks creative residency program, present Death Dream, described as exploring “the power of spoken word and political performance art that is unapologetically Black and radical.” 8 p.m. Fri., Oct. 1-Sat., Oct. 2. 5530 Penn Ave., East Liberty. Pay what makes you happy. kelly-strayhorn.org

STAGE • VIRTUAL
If you’ve ever been “hangry,” you’ll be able to relate to Peter and Maureen’s wedding anniversary dinner in Slow Food, a comedic production presented by Pittsburgh Public Theater and filmed in Downtown Pittsburgh restaurant, Con Alma. Tue., Oct. 5-Sun., Oct. 17. Tickets on sale soon. ppt.org

STAGE • IRL
Learn about the evolution of language when City Theatre presents Live from the Edge, a performance by UNIVERSES. The show will trace language across childhood rhymes and community rituals, poetry and theater, hip hop and gospel, and more. Sat., Oct. 9-Sun., Oct. 31. 1300 Bingham St., South Side. Pick your price through Oct. 14. $20 or more from Oct. 15-31. citytheatrecompany.org

STAGE • IRL
Legendary Steelers coach Art Rooney had enough charisma that an entire play could be written about him. And it has. Pittsburgh Public Theater is bringing back The Chief, a classic written by renowned playwright Rob Zellers and award-winning columnist Gene Collier. The O'Reilly Theater requires guests to be vaccinated, as well as masks to be worn when Allegheny County is at substantial or high risk for COVID-19 spread. Wed., Oct. 20-Sun., Nov. 7. 621 Penn Ave., Downtown. $40-85. ppt.org

STAGE • IRL
Just a few days after PNC Broadway brought the musical The Band’s Visit to Pittsburgh in March 2020, the pandemic forced The Benedum Center to close its doors. Now, over a year later, the beautiful Downtown venue is not only reopening, but so is the Tony-award winning musical, which includes an Egyptian band, whose beautiful music is worth the ticket price alone. Thu., Oct. 28-Sun., Oct. 31. 237 Seventh St., Downtown. $33-102. trustarts.org

STAGE • IRL
PICT Theatre is bringing Shakespeare back to the stage with As You Like It, a comedy about performers, love, and the element of disguise. All performances take place in the Fred Rogers Studio at WQED. Sat., Oct. 30-Sat., Nov. 20. 4802 Fifth Ave., Oakland. Subscriptions on sale now, single ticket sales begin Fri., Oct. 1. picttheatre.org

STAGE • IRL
Point Park University’s Conservatory Theatre Company will stage the heavy “yet hopeful drama,” Little Children Dream of God, a show about a soon-to-be mother from Haiti hoping to make a life for her child in a new country. Presented in the Pittsburgh Playhouse’s Highmark Theatre. Wed., Nov. 3-Sun., Nov. 14. 350 Forbes Ave., Downtown. $23-45. playhouse.pointpark.edu


STAGE • IRL
Who’s in a new show at the Byham Theater? Spongebob! Squarepants! Everyone’s favorite animated undersea sponge is coming to Pittsburgh for The Spongebob Musical, three nights of humor, song, and dance based on the hit Nickelodeon show. Thu., Nov. 4-Sun., Nov. 7. 101 Sixth St., Downtown. Tickets on sale soon. pittsburghmusicals.com/spongebob

STAGE • IRL
Prime Stage Theatre will extend spooky season into November with KARLOFF The Man and the Monster, a one-person show about the actor who brought Mary Shelley’s creation to life on screen, at the New Hazlett Theater. Fri., Nov. 5-Sun., Nov. 14. 6 Allegheny Square East, North Side. Tickets on sale soon. primestage.com

STAGE • IRL
Experience Mozart’s most-celebrated opera, The Magic Flute, at the Benedum Center. The Pittsburgh Opera will present the story full of beautiful melodies and captivating characters. Sat., Nov. -Sun., Nov. 14. 2425 Liberty Ave., Downtown. $15-162.50. pittsburghopera.org

STAGE • IRL
Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, the performance inspired by the musical legend, features a score of more than 20 classic hits, including “Love to Love You Baby,” “Bad Girls,” and “Hot Stuff.” Don’t miss the PNC Broadway musical to learn more about the icon behind the ballads. Tue., Nov. 16-Sun., Nov. 21. Tickets on sale Fri., Oct. 1. 237 Seventh St., Downtown. trustarts.org