Pittsburgh‘s Three Major Theatres Consider Merger Amid Financial Strain
Pittsburgh,PA – pittsburgh Public Theater,Pittsburgh CLO,and City Theatre Company are exploring a potential merger,a move prompted by important financial challenges,according to a report obtained by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.A study by New York-based arts consulting firm Keene Consulting revealed all three organizations are projecting near or mid-term financial failure based on their own reports.
Keene Consulting recommended consolidating the three companies under a single organizational structure, governed by a unified board and led by three artistic directors-one for each existing company.
The theatres released a joint statement acknowledging the early stages of a “highly inclusive process centered on listening, research, and data,” anticipating a timeline of several months. this initial phase will be followed by a further $400,000 study to assess the legal and logistical feasibility of a merger. Consolidation would likely result in fewer performances and reduced staffing levels. Pittsburgh Public and Pittsburgh CLO currently operate with annual budgets of approximately $8 million each, employing 33 and 35 staff members, respectively. City Theatre’s budget is around $3.5 million with a staff of 23.
The theatres’ statement emphasized a commitment to considering the impact on artists, patrons, and staff, stating the path forward “will ultimately be driven by you and the community we serve, not consultants.”
Industry newsletter Nothing for the Group noted a previous collaboration between City Theatre and Pittsburgh CLO-a 2021 co-production of Matt Schatz’s An Untitled New Play by Justin Timberlake-as an example of the growing trend toward resource sharing driven by financial pressures. Author Lauren Halvorsen observed that such collaborations are “inevitably” leading to more permanent structural partnerships.
