University of Pittsburgh Library System

This project explores the way that contemporary Pittsburgh theatre has addressed and explored stigmatized experiences onstage, with a particular focus on issues relating to sexuality. This research focuses primarily on four major Pittsburgh theatres – The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Pittsburgh Public Theatre, City Theatre, and Quantum Theatre – and considers the work of other theatre companies as a supplement. An in-depth analysis of trends in content matter and playwrights, as well as the reception and ticket sales of relevant shows, was conducted in order to locate the instances when Pittsburgh theatre artists have explicitly discussed stigmatized experiences and analyze any perceptible change or conversation they inspired. The ultimate objective is to find out where Pittsburgh as a community has set its limits in order to challenge these limits and create platforms for open, honest conversations about stigmatized and isolating experiences.