Kelly Strayhorn Theater

Kelly Strayhorn Theater Kelly Strayhorn Theater is a home for creative experimentation, community dialogue, and collective action rooted in the liberation of Black and queer people.
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As the last of nine theaters from the 1950s heyday of East Liberty, the Kelly Strayhorn plays a key role in the transformation of East Liberty into a welcoming and dynamic town-within-a-city by using the arts as a catalyst for continuing community revitalization. Kelly Strayhorn Theater is an intimate, professionally-equipped, 350-seat multiple-use performance venue. With a commitment to support t

he burgeoning arts community in the city of Pittsburgh, the theater serves as an ideal place for emerging local artists, regional artists and arts organizations to take risks and present new work.

06/04/2026

Vibe check! We’re so excited for House Party: Mic Drop! on Saturday, July 11 at KST, our 18th annual benefit returning as a karaoke fundraiser supporting our Fall 2026 season.

Get inspired to light up the night at our Immersive VIP Reception, featuring karaoke performances by artist-singers Treasure Treasure, DS and Anqwenique Kinsel, Bridgette Perdue, and surprise celebrity singers!

Keep the celebration going all night long at the lobby Dance Party powered by legendary dj Selecta.

Learn more and get your tickets here:
https://kelly-strayhorn.org/events/houseparty-2026-mic-drop/

The arts community is mourning the loss of Dito van Reigersberg, a beloved performing artist and co-founder of Philadelp...
06/04/2026

The arts community is mourning the loss of Dito van Reigersberg, a beloved performing artist and co-founder of Philadelphia’s Pig Iron Theatre Company, which presented two past works at KST: Poet in New York in September 2011, and Zero Cost Hour in October 2013. Dito was also featured in TAKES with Nichole Canuso in January 2011.

In addition to his concert work, Dito was a mainstay in the Philadelphia drag scene. Performing as Martha Graham Cracker, Dito created an energetic cabaret act that drew crowds from Philadelphia to New York City.

In a Facebook post, Pig Iron Theatre Company remembered Dito as “a supernova of joy and generosity.” Those who knew Dito can share stories and messages at the e-mail address [email protected]

Photo Credit: Dito van Reigersberg in Pig Iron Theatre Company’s Poet in New York, September 2011

Thank you to our 2026 House Party Sponsors!Our corporate, in-kind, and small business House Party sponsors are our partn...
06/03/2026

Thank you to our 2026 House Party Sponsors!

Our corporate, in-kind, and small business House Party sponsors are our partners in ensuring a successful launch of our Fall 2026 season of programming. Upcoming programs include Local/Global artist Maree Remalia, Freshworks artists Mal MacKenzie and lys scott, Youth and Family events, and much more!

Stay tuned for our Fall 2026 season announcement in late August, and don't miss House Party: Mic Drop! on Saturday, July 11 at Kelly Strayhorn Theater.

https://kelly-strayhorn.org/events/houseparty-2026-mic-drop/

2026 HOUSE PARTY SPONSORS:
Duolingo
Citizens Bank
UPMC
The Mosites Company
Bloomfield Garfield Corporation
Penn Avenue Arts & Commercial District
GLM Architects
Daisylew Productions/ Redwood Films
Tito's Vodka
Pittsburgh Pirates Charities
Wagner Agency, Inc.
H Marketing Services

Happy Pride Month from KST! 🌈At Kelly Strayhorn Theater, our mission is to be a home for creative experimentation, commu...
06/02/2026

Happy Pride Month from KST! 🌈

At Kelly Strayhorn Theater, our mission is to be a home for creative experimentation, community dialogue, and collective action rooted in the liberation of Black and q***r people.

KST has been unapologetically bringing LGBTQ+ artists to the stage and cultivating a community where people can have joy as an act of resistance. Featured in this post are just a few of the many performances, projects, and artists who have helped shape KST's story over the years.

We are committed to uplifting q***r voices through our programming, and will continue to center these voices, during Pride Month and into the future!

Performance and Photo Credits:

Jesse Factor, The Marthaodyssey
Photo Credit: Delaney Greenberg

Pittsburgh Q***r History Project: Calendar Girls in the House of Tilden
Photo Credit: Beth Barbis

Freshworks: LaTrea Derome, A Conversation.
Photo Credit: Beth Barbis

Meg Foley, Blood Baby: Communion
Photo Credit: Chad Isaiah

Freshworks: Andra Rand-Mathis, Diving Within
Photo Credits: Chad Isaiah

David Roussève/REALITY, Becoming Daddy AF
Photo Credits: Beth Barbis

Freshworks: Pria Dahiya, You and Me and the End of the World
Photo Credits: Megan Johnson

We want to share a shoutout to three KST alumni! Congratulations to the cast and crew of Whistleblowers, a new play pres...
05/29/2026

We want to share a shoutout to three KST alumni! Congratulations to the cast and crew of Whistleblowers, a new play presented by New Product Company .

This production features three artists connected to KST in different ways over time. New Product Company was co-founded by 2023 Freshworks alumni Pria Dahiya. 2026 Winter/Spring Marketing Intern Nai’Ron Arnett lends his acting talents as part of the cast, and the production is produced, media and sound designed by 2025/2026 Finance & Operations Intern Cole Schubert.

We’re glad to have spent time with each of these artists at different stages of their practice at Kelly Strayhorn Theater, and it’s always meaningful to see Pittsburgh’s arts community growing together.

Whistleblowers follows five employees at a fictional aerospace company who are forced into a mandatory empathy course as part of a corporate leadership training. When a whistleblower scandal goes public mid-session, the exercises stop being hypothetical.

Whistleblowers, written and directed by Spencer Byham-Carson, runs from May 28 - May 30 at Three Stories, 937 Liberty Ave. View more info and purchase tickets here:

https://www.newproductcompany.com/upcoming-shows

Photo Credit: Lillie Tuck

05/29/2026

Artist Maree ReMalia has been connected to Kelly Strayhorn Theater as a choreographer, performer, and instructor. Here, she shares some of the ways that KST helps create community and collaboration opportunities for artists.⁠
⁠
Maree began her artistic journey with KST in 2013, when she worked on her then-work-in-progress The Ubiquitous Mass of Us at her Freshworks residency, dancing alongside a cast that included KST's Co-Executive Director Joseph Hall!⁠ Ubiquitous world premiered at New Hazlett Theater and later toured to Middlebury College in Vermont.
⁠
In January 2026, Maree was part of the KSTXNYC program. We partnered with Live Artery Festival | New York Live Arts and Hatch Arts Collective to present a work in progress studio showing of Maree's WITH OURSELVES, WITH EACH OTHER. This new performance in development will have its world premiere in Pittsburgh at KST in Fall 2026.⁠
⁠⁠
You can help KST support artists like Maree by attending our 18th annual benefit, House Party: Mic Drop!, on Saturday, July 11.⁠
⁠
View more information and purchase tickets:
https://kelly-strayhorn.org/events/houseparty-2026-mic-drop/

WOWEO ARTISTIC TEAM
Creator/Performer/Co-director: Maree ReMalia
Co-director: Adil Mansoor
Assistant Director: Iliana Tomasa Sharp
Dramaturg: Jenny Johnson
Sound Design: David Bernabo
Lighting Design: Nicole White
Media Design: Kolton Cotton
Scenic Design: Sasha Jin Schwartz
Wardrobe Design: Rona Chang
Wardrobe Stylist: Rachel Vallozzi
⁠

KST is proud to announce the incoming Freshworks artists for the 2026/2027 season!Mal MacKenzie, lys scott, Michael Curr...
05/28/2026

KST is proud to announce the incoming Freshworks artists for the 2026/2027 season!

Mal MacKenzie, lys scott, Michael Curry, and Aaleah C. Oliver are the next artists who will be presenting their works-in-progress as part of our Freshworks program.

Special thanks to all the artists who applied and this year’s Freshworks review panelists: Anya Clarke-Verdery, B Kleymeyer (2023 Freshworks Artist), Jordan Howard (2021 Freshworks Artist) and José Pérez IV.

Read more about the artists and their upcoming works-in-progress here:
https://kelly-strayhorn.org/community/freshworks/

Stay tuned for residency announcements, showing dates, and ticket information coming in late August for Fall 2026 and early December for Winter/Spring 2027 for the corresponding residencies.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of the Artists

Our Glam Couch Experience is SOLD OUT – your exclusive lounge within the VIP reception at House Party: Mic Drop!⁠⁠The Gl...
05/27/2026

Our Glam Couch Experience is SOLD OUT – your exclusive lounge within the VIP reception at House Party: Mic Drop!⁠
⁠
The Glam Couch Experience includes admission for up to 4 guests, a champagne toast just for you and your crew, plus VIP perks like open bar and heavy hors d’oeuvres. Lock in guaranteed seating for the night – a luxe, comfy space to call your own – with prime views of every karaoke mic-drop moment.⁠
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Tickets are still available for the immersive VIP Reception. Learn more and purchase your tickets here:
https://kelly-strayhorn.org/events/houseparty-2026-mic-drop/

Saturday, July 11, 2026
7:00pm – 9:00pm: Immersive VIP Reception
9:00pm – 12:00am: Dance Party

Photo Credit: Chad Isaiah
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As you know, this year's House Party: Mic Drop! is karaoke-themed!! 🎙️✨️🎶 ⁠👀 At the VIP Reception, we will have secret c...
05/23/2026

As you know, this year's House Party: Mic Drop! is karaoke-themed!! 🎙️✨️🎶
⁠
👀 At the VIP Reception, we will have secret celebrity singers singing the most unexpected songs. The best part? YOU get to decide which songs they will sing between two options with the Donate to Vote feature ✅️ .

Stay tuned as we announce the celebrity singers soon and how you can donate to choose the tunes... 🤫

See you at KST for House Party: Mic Drop! on Saturday, July 11. 7:00pm - 9:00pm features the Immersive VIP Reception, followed by the Dance Party 9:00pm-12:00am -- Bring your main character energy, because the mic is gonna be hot!

https://kelly-strayhorn.org/events/houseparty-2026-mic-drop/

Photo Credit: Beth Barbis, House Party: Lavender Wave in 2025.

⭐️ VOLUNTEERS NEEDED for House Party: Mic Drop! ⭐️House Party: Mic Drop! is KST’s 18th annual benefit returning as a kar...
05/23/2026

⭐️ VOLUNTEERS NEEDED for House Party: Mic Drop! ⭐️

House Party: Mic Drop! is KST’s 18th annual benefit returning as a karaoke fundraiser supporting our fall 2026 season on Saturday, July 11, 2026.

Various Volunteer Slots are available between Monday to Saturday, July 6 - 11.

By joining our volunteer team, you're not just lending a hand – you're becoming a part of the pulse-pounding spectacle! Please sign up by Sunday, June 21 at 11:59pm if you are interested.

Volunteers must be 18 years or older to perform tasks for House Party.

Sign up here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf0PAvv_Qmrpt7QmtHG14dm_kdnkgmI5hcdHAl_puyglnq6jQ/viewform

Photo Credit: Chad Isaiah

Address

5941 Penn Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA
15206

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 6pm
7pm - 8pm
Tuesday 10am - 6pm
Wednesday 10am - 6pm
Thursday 10am - 6pm
7pm - 8pm
Friday 10am - 6pm
7pm - 8pm

Telephone

+14123633000

Website

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