Theater Guide March 2026: Positively Popular Productions in Pittsburgh

Thank God for March when this year daylight savings returns on the 8th. For most of us, this special day brings forth a reborn freedom, a new optimism, and a fresh sense of well-being that has been stifled far too long by darker skies and colder nights. It’s time now to get out and be out later. In Pittsburgh this March, it seems that the selection of great theater has come forth to celebrate similar sentiments of rebirth. Just read the descriptive titles below which use the positive words: Infinite, Eureka, Eternal, and Primary. Even Shen Yun translates to something like Divine Charm. (Don’t ask what Chicago means; its native translation suggests the pungency of a striped skunk or wild onion. I’m not making that up.) And who doesn’t like, want or need Water? What’s in a name, asked Shakespeare? Well, as titles alone can’t reveal all the characters, plot and dramatic wonder of a story  they represent, we have hereby condensed the reasons these particular plays, musicals, and dances appeal to us. As March approaches, we hope you will find yourself outdoors, walking on dry sidewalks, and entering new worlds of infinite inspiration, where eureka days are eternal, trust is always primary, and elephants are far more revered than skunks. Have a great month! 

Shows are previewed below in two sections, Spotlight Picks for the month and Other Shows of Interest, followed by a look-ahead to Big Shows on the Horizon. Spotlight Picks are listed by run dates. The Theater Guide is created by the theater writers and editors of Entertainment Central including Mike Vargo (M.V.) and C. Prentiss Orr (C.P.O.).

Spotlight Picks 

INFINITE LIFE by Annie Baker. barebones productions. March 6 – 22. 

Seeing a play at barebones productions often means you’re in for a wild evening. The company focuses on cutting-edge modern and contemporary theater, frequently choosing dark comedies that erupt into madness. Past hits have featured a bloody vendetta (Is God Is), a loony criminal caper gone wrong (American Buffalo), and a dysfunctional family detonating (Hir). Barebones’ most recent entry was the aptly titled God of Carnage. Now, for an encore, comes a play about … elderly women suffering from chronic pain? Infinite Life arrives with sterling credentials. The playwright is Annie Baker, a Pulitzer Prize winner for The Flick and a MacArthur Foundation “genius grant” recipient. Baker once adapted Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya, and her own plays have been called new takes on the Chekhovian style—more subtle than spectacular, teasing out the deep tragicomedy embedded in people’s inner obsessions and circuitous chatter. Infinite Life is set at a wellness resort where five women, ranging from late middle age to their golden years, share personal stories while fasting and relaxing in search of next-level wholeness. One review summed up the play’s 2023 off-Broadway premiere as a “hypnotic observational odyssey.” Observe Infinite Life inthe barebones black box, 1211 Braddock Ave., Braddock. (M.V.) 

EUREKA DAY by Jonathan Spector. City Theatre. March 7 – 29.

At a small, private day school, one which prides itself in equity and diversity, a select committee of parents convenes to discuss a recent outbreak of mumps and, proactive to its likely spread, update the school’s abiding policy on vaccination. Four parents along with the school’s principal must be unanimous in their decision; that’s the school’s policy, too. And for purposes of inclusivity, the committee is required to consider all parents’ input, at least (here) addressed in text messages (projected on stage.) In Eureka Day, playwright Jonathan Spector is clearly staging the kind of socially progressive, free-for-all meeting any parent—liberal or conservative—would cringe to join. But the confluence of parental opinion is the stuff of riotous comedy, both satirical and farcical. Could the cure possibly be more dangerous than the diagnosis? Does consensus-building have any role in a school devoted to personal achievement? Oh, but maybe this will be another Eureka Day! The comedy premiered in Berkeley, California, in 2018, well before COVID-19, and after playing the Old Vic in the West End, was staged on Broadway where it won the 2025 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play. Directed by Andil Monsoor, City Theatre’s production is a master class in comedy worth staying after school. 1300 Bingham St., South Side. (C.P.O.)

CHICAGO (musical) by John Kander, Fred Ebb, and Bob Fosse. Touring company at Benedum Center. March 10 – 15. 

In 1924 in Chicago, two lurid murder cases made headlines, each involving a glamorous young woman. One admitted shooting her lover and there was strong evidence that the other, a cabaret singer, had killed hers. Both had clever lawyers who played on the jurors’ sympathy, and both were acquitted. A young writer named Maurine Dallas Watkins covered the cases as a reporter, then wrote a play satirizing the media-circus trials and the wild atmosphere of the city itself. Her play, Chicago, did well on Broadway, and nearly 50 years later a musical adapted from it became a global hit. By mixing the crime stories and dark humor with jazzy song-and-dance, the musical Chicago evokes the Roaring Twenties in a way that seems to resonate with modern audiences. Not to mention the fact that a lot of its social commentary still hits home today. Chicago comes to Pittsburgh this year in a North American touring production, as part of the PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh series.  Visit the Cultural Trust page for tickets. Benedum Center, 237 7th St., Cultural District. (M.V.)

ETERNAL BEAUTY (program of three dances). Texture Contemporary Ballet. March 20 – 22. 

Texture Contemporary Ballet, a unique Pittsburgh-based company, describes its artistic approach as one that “fuses the power and precision of classical ballet with the freedom and creativity of contemporary dance.” Texture is also a new-works company, presenting only original pieces created by resident or guest artists. And while many troupes mark their anniversary seasons by performing favorites from the repertoire, Texture is wrapping up its 15th season with an all-new show, titled Eternal Beauty. Three dances are scheduled. “Architecture of the Soul,” by resident choreographer Madeline Kendall Schreiber, is set to music that seems ideal for the occasion: composer Anna Clyne’s soaring cello concerto called “DANCE.” Next on the program is “Woman,” by guest choreographer and former Texture dancer Alexandra Tiso. Alan Obuzor, Texture’s founding artistic director, then closes the evening with his latest work, “Moment of Impact.” See all three when Eternal Beauty is staged at the New Hazlett Theater, 6 Allegheny Square East, North Side. (M.V.) 

SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS (dance and theater extravaganza). Touring company at Benedum Center. March 21 – 22. 

In what has become an annual custom, the Shen Yun Performing Arts troupe visits Pittsburgh with a feature-length dance-and-drama show. Shen Yun’s productions may seem, at first, like a cross between Bollywood spectacle and some odd hybrid of Western dance, but they are distinctly Chinese. The performers’ mesmerizing movements and leaps are drawn from classical Chinese dance, which evolved over the millennia to incorporate elements of martial arts, acrobatics, storytelling, pantomime, and spiritual expression. These elements are combined with modern stagecraft to dramatize folk tales and true stories from China’s long history. The show is presented by the Greater Philadelphia Falun Dafa Association, part of the larger Falun Dafa (or Falun Gong) movement. Visit the Cultural Trust page for tickets. Benedum Center, 237 7th St., Cultural District. (M.V.)

PRIMARY TRUST by Eboni Booth. Pittsburgh Public Theater. March 25 – April 12. 

There are men who combat their personal demons by finding courage in a bottle. Kenneth finds his in a well-shaken mai tai. By day, he has soberly worked for years in a used bookstore, but loses his job suddenly when the owner is forced to sell. He turns, of course, to his evening ritual at Wally’s Tiki Bar and confides in his ever-present bar mate, Bert. Yes, life is unpredictable and ever more challenging when you live in a small town, when friends are few, and job opportunities are even slimmer. Yet, when a small act of kindness intercedes, Bert convinces Kenneth to accept it. And, suddenly, one man’s fears become rationale for hope, survival and trust never before realized. Eboni Booth’s comic drama Primary Trust won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2024, having premiered Off-Broadway at the Roundabout Theater the year before. Since then, the play has thrilled audiences at the best regional theaters across the country. Now, it will be staged by Pittsburgh Public Theater with Kyle Haden as director. In the company’s O’Reilly Theater, 621 Penn Ave. Cultural District. (C.P.O.)

WATER FOR ELEPHANTS (musical) based on the novel by Sara Gruen; book by Rick Elice, and music & lyrics by PigPen Theatre Co. Touring company at Benedum Center. March 31 – April 5.

During the depths of the Great Depression, young Jacob, a student of veterinary medicine, has lost his parents in a tragic accident. Not knowing where to go, he hops midnight trains, taking a ride on what magically reveals itself by daylight as a touring circus company. The Benzini Bros.’ attractions are an elephant named Rosie, a trained horse, Star, (ridden by the exquisitely beautiful equestrienne, Marlena,) tigers, lions, and a full company of acrobats. Our narrator for the evening is an aged Jacob, older and wiser, looking back on his life. And so we learn that the top-hatted ringmaster August is controlling and abusive, particularly of Marlena who confides her fears to her famous horse. Of course, there are aerial antics, clowning, juggling and every sort of circus art to entertain us, but much of it serves as a busy backdrop to the simmering emotions shared by the show’s two leads. The music for Water for Elephants is folksy and foot-tapping, and the set, principally a circus tent, is extraordinarily theatrical in utility and design. Not the least fantastical are the circus animals which employ puppetry on a mammoth scale. You gotta see it to believe it! Step right up and focus your attention on the center ring for Water for Elephants as part of the PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh series. Visit the Cultural Trust page for tickets. Benedum Center, 237 7th St., Cultural District. (C.P.O.)

Other Shows of Interest
(By opening date)

Thursday, March 12
Shit-Faced Shakespeare: Hamlet (Dentons Cohen & Grigsby Trust Presents)

Friday, March 13
The Smuggler (PICT Classic Theatre)

Friday, March 20
(Title of Show) The Musical (Riverfront Theater)
The Grand Duke (Pittsburgh Savoyards)

Friday, March 27
Coven (fireWALL Dance Theater)
Jesus Christ Superstar (The Strand Theater)

Saturday, March 28
Yuma: Dancing Down the Magdalena River (Palenque Colombian Dance Ensemble of Slippery Rock University & August Wilson Center)
Bat Out of Hell: The Musical (S2BN and Pittsburgh Cultural Trust)

Big Shows on the Horizon
(By opening date)

April 3
10 Out of 12 (Quantum Theatre)

April 9
Second City’s Laugh Smarter, Not Harder (City Theatre)

April 10
Spring Mix (Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre)
Breadcrumbs (off the WALL Productions)

April 14
Shucked (PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh)

April 28
Falstaff (Pittsburgh Opera)

April 30
Dear Evan Hansen (Pittsburgh Musical Theater)

C. Prentiss Orr is a Pittsburgh-based writer who covers theater and other topics for Entertainment Central. He is the author of the books The Surveyor and the Silversmith and Pittsburgh Born, Pittsburgh Bred.

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