About PICT Classic Theatre

Who We Are

Remember when you first discovered the power of live theatre? Stories and acting so compelling you were moved to laughter, tears, anger or sadness? Performances that left you with life-changing questions, and moments that brought you the satisfaction of an evening well spent? Now is the time to rediscover those exceptional moments and introduce others to the PICT Classic Theatre experience.

WHO IS PICT?

PICT Classic Theatre is an internationally recognized, non-profit theatre company committed presenting the highest quality productions for the widest audience. Our productions feature innovative, minimalist design, and examine current social issues through the lens of classic text. With over 110 productions in our 24-year history, PICT continues to bring beloved works to the stage to approximately 10,000 patrons each season.

WHAT IS CLASSIC THEATRE? PICT’S MINIMALIST APPROACH

We define a “classic” as a work that is true of its time and for all time. We define minimalism as the process of creating theatre with the actor as the center and heart of the presentation. The text and its themes and style come next. All other aspects of production and presentation such as setting, costumes, lighting, and sound are kept to a minimum and only serve to enhance and support the work of the actor.

Our productions celebrate the artistry of classic text through the craft of modern performance skills, but those are not our only strengths. PICT is also dedicated to the principle of employing local talent in all facets of the company, and to the duty of educating and training the next generation of Pittsburgh theatre makers in analysis, appreciation and execution of the performance of classic work. We can step in as a supplementary resource for primary and secondary school arts programming, as well as  providing continuing education for all ages. We are presenting shows not usually seen on other  Pittsburgh stages, particularly modern Irish and classic European plays. We are apprenticing and training the next generation of Pittsburgh theatre artists, and we provide a professional launching pad for young artists from Pittsburgh conservatories including CMU, Point Park, Pitt, and Duquesne. Lastly, and most importantly, we are invested in our local community partnerships: a theater of Pittsburgh, by Pittsburgh, and for Pittsburgh. PICT strives through the art of theatre and the interpretation of classic text to create a platform for our community to discourse on the issues relevant to our current time, and work toward connection and solution.

Long after the curtain falls, PICT Classic Theatre will remind you of the moment you first felt the power of a great performance.

For all venue accessible needs and questions, please contact our Accessibility Coordinator at (412) 561-6000, x 207

Our Vision

To produce professional and challenging drama for the widest audience regardless of age, gender and race, through innovative and imaginative theatrical presentation.

Mission Statement

PICT Classic Theatre’s mission is to engage with, entertain, and serve the Pittsburgh community by examining current social issues through the lens of classic text.

Core Values

We exist to serve as an essential artistic and educational resource for the Pittsburgh community.
We are dedicated to achieving the highest quality of artistic expression.
We demonstrate integrity and respect for others in all our dealings.
We create a safe and collaborative workspace founded in equity, inclusivity, and accessibility.
We endeavor always to be financially prudent and disciplined.

Core Values Expanded

  • We believe in the power of live theatre.  We believe creativity is an essential part of what it means to be human and that theatre is the best means, artistically, to achieve awareness of this fact.
  • We exist in order to bring people together for the unique emotional experience of theatre. To promote an awareness and love of theatre for all, but especially in the young.
  • We are a theatre and a company that makes Pittsburgh a home and are proud to collaborate with this city’s rich talent.
  • We are dedicated to the support of local artists and arts administrators and offer every encouragement to help them continue to make Pittsburgh their viable artistic home.
  • We serve as ambassadors to visiting artists who bring to Pittsburgh the best of talent from which we can learn.
  • We provide a professional theatre that is based on and around a committed team and a professional acting company. A theatre where the best of new talent is given the experience and nurturing that will help their own theatre craft, and provide the company and Pittsburgh with a body of skilled professional theatre artists into the future.
  • We provide a theatrical experience that is family-friendly and welcoming to the young and old alike. A theatre where young audiences are given modestly priced access and opportunity to experience the best of Irish and Classic theatre
  • We operate as a Not-For-Profit organization.
  • We are fiscally responsible. We are committed to financial discipline and to following best practices to ensure the continuation of the organization for future generations.
  • We create a culture of respect. We are respectful and considerate in interactions with artists, staff, board, audiences, donors and vendors at every point of contact, in a culture of mutual respect that engages and nurtures all constituencies.
  • We strive to be a “green” theatre. We are an environmentally pro-active organization that minimizes the negative impact of the inherently wasteful theatrical process.
  • We are dedicated to the building of clear, trusting and robust relationships with Foundation funders based on a commitment to work with them for the betterment of theatre experience for all; and especially in those areas for which their funding is dedicated.
  • We provide a theatre where donors, subscribers and all other attendees are given the highest quality experience of theatre both as guests and more importantly as stakeholders.
  • We believe in the power of art and compassion.

“I regard the theatre as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being.”

Oscar Wilde.

Our History

PICT Classic Theatre was founded as Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre, Inc., in 1996. It was founded in reaction to the closing of the Three Rivers Shakespeare Festival and in order to provide a venue for local artists to perform classical works, a mission that has stayed constant throughout the years. Our first show, The Constant Couple, was performed in May1997 in the Antonian Theater on the campus of Carlow Uniersity. After earning excellent reviews for that production, PICT went on to have a successful 1998 season, and the company grew exponentially. PICT Classic Theatre is now one of the largest professional theatre companies in the greater Pittsburgh region. As of October 20, 2020, PICT has produced 110 main stage shows, including eleven world premieres, nine U.S. premieres, forty-six Pittsburgh premieres and four festivals.

PAST SEASONS AND PRODUCTIONS

Our Family

Leadership

Alan Stanford, Artistic and Executive Director

Alan Stanford is Artistic & Executive Director of PICT Classic Theatre and has been a part of the PICT family for 10 seasons.   Mr. Stanford’s professional career in theatre has spanned more than 50 years, as actor, director, and writer, of the stage and screen. He is the founder and former Artistic Director of Ireland’s Second Age Theatre Company, and for more than 30 years, was a leading actor and principal director with the renowned Gate Theatre, Dublin. Mr. Stanford had the honor of serving on the Arts Council of Ireland from 2003 through 2008.  He holds the privilege of directing Harold Pinter in his own play, The Collection.  Mr. Stanford has presented many of his own adaptations internationally, most notably Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, which he directed, most recently, at the Hong Kong Arts Festival in 2015. For more than 20 years, Mr. Stanford has played the role of Pozzo, Waiting for Godot, on the international stage. Known as Ireland’s leading exponent of the works of Oscar Wilde, Mr. Stanford performed in PICT’s The Importance of Being Earnest and directed Salome and Lady Windermere’s Fan.  Last season, he produced a three-part celebration of Wilde with “In the Company of Oscar Wilde”, “Wilde Fairy Tales” and “The Trial of Oscar Wilde”. Last on the PICT stage for PICT’s Wilde celebration and The Lion in Winter as Henry II, Mr. Stanford also produced and directed a World Premiere adaptation of Oedipus Rex, from Sophocles, to critical acclaim.  With his own adaptation and direction of The Old Curiosity Shop, he completes a trilogy of Dickensian classics for PICT, which included Oliver Twist (2015, adaptation and Director) and Great Expectations(2014, Director).

Board

PICT Classic Theatre is led by a Board of Directors made up of many Pittsburgh area professionals dedicated to volunteering their time and talent to create the best classic theatre possible. As a governing body, PICT's Board is an active and dynamic entity, with many members serving on multiple committees over their three year terms. Learn more about board membership, committee service, and other volunteer opportunities.

Officers

President

Peter Smerd

President
Boulevard Building

Vice President

Eileen Clancy

Secretary

Gail Gerono

Vice President, Investor Relations & Global Communication
Calgon Carbon Corporation

Laura Bunting

Joseph Parsons

Secretary

Margaret “Peggy” Hynes

Peggy Hynes Marketing

Mark Barrett

Dina J. Fulmer

Retired
Research Librarian

Dolores Nypaver

Richard E. Rauh

Philanthropist

Pauline Taylor-Raiff

Practice Director, Genesis Medical Associates

Staff

Artistic and Executive Director

Alan Stanford

Email
412-561-6000 x202

Read Bio

Arts Finance Cohort CFO

Rebecca McNeil

Business Development Manager

Carolyn S. Ludwig

Email
412-561-6000 x207

For seven performance seasons, Carolyn has been a part of the PICT family, embracing a collective approach to bringing inspiring classic works to Pittsburgh audiences.  Bringing a diverse business perspective to the company, it has been a rewarding challenge to develop encompassing business solutions through resourceful planning and implementation.  Carolyn currently focuses on audience development, sales, strategic planning, box office management, and educational programming.

Prior to entering the performing arts sector, Carolyn professionally dedicated more than fifteen years in the technology sector,  holding various positions at The Robotics Institute and Carnegie Bosch Institute, both at Carnegie Mellon University, Zaxel Systems, a virtual reality data capturing company, and advanced manufacturer, Acutronic.

Carolyn has completed coursework at the H. John Heinz III School of Public Policy and Management, Carnegie Mellon University, Master of Public Management Program and holds a B.S. in Business Administration, Eberly College of Business and Information Technology, Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

Production Manager

Liam Nute

Email
412-561-6000 x202

Production Assistant

Anna Cunningham

Email
412-561-6000

Grant Writer

Patricia Hazen

Email
412-561-6000 x204

Marketing and Communications Officer

Delana Flowers

Email
717-208-2203
Costume Design

Joan Markert

Biography: Joan Markert is one of three resident costume designers at the Pittsburgh Playhouse and a frequent designer with PICT Classic Theatre. For PICT, she has designed School For Scandal, The Ideal Husband, Hobson’s Choice, Othello, The Importance of Being Earnest, The Mask of Moriarty, The School For Lies, Lady Windermere’s Fan, The Crucifer of Blood, Blithe Spirit, Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme, and Joan will also design for PICT’s December production, Great Expectations. A graduate of Grinnell College (Speech and Theatre) and Carnegie-Mellon University (Costume Design), she has worked in St. Louis at the Loretto Hilton Repertory Theatre (now the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis), Totem Pole Playhouse near Gettysburg, and in Los Angeles with Rita Riggs, who designed All in the Family, Maude, The Jeffersons, One Day at a Time, and Good Times. She started designing and creating costumes for the Playhouse in 1981, and has lent her talents to over 100 shows there. She served as Designer/Creator of the Mountain State Forest Festival’s Queen’s Gown in West Virginia for ten years. Joan has also done extensive costuming for the ballet students of the late Mansur Kameletdinov, both for concerts and for international competition, including The Firebird Suite for the Universal Ballet Company of Seoul, South Korea. In addition to her work at the Playhouse and PICT, Joan has designed for Prime Stage, the South Park Conservatory Theatre, the Opera Theatre of Pittsburgh, and the Jewish Theatre of Pittsburgh. She also teaches History of Costumes and Costume Construction for Point Park University where she is Costume Supervisor. For around ten years, Joan has been working with the help of a college friend on two inventory and tracking programs for costumes and for props.
Awards: 2014 Anne D. Mullaney Inspiration Award

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