Days before layoffs at Pittsburgh Public Theater, three staff positions were eliminated from Point Park University’s Pittsburgh Playhouse, university representatives confirmed Thursday.
Ted Black, senior vice president of institutional advancement and strategy, said in a statement to TribLive three positions were eliminated as part of a “strategic review” of the Playhouse’s operations to “ensure long-term success and alignment with its artistic and educational mission.”
An email obtained by TribLive and signed by Black, with the subject line “Playhouse – Operational Restructuring,” was sent to Playhouse team members on May 15. The email informed employees the university had undertaken an external review of the Playhouse and a subsequent “restructuring effort.”
“Three positions within the Playhouse’s management and administrative structure have been eliminated, effective immediately,” the email read. “These decisions are never easy and were made after careful consideration of the Playhouse’s operational needs, strategic priorities, organizational structure, and future direction.”
Positions eliminated include general manager/producer, Playhouse administrator and production manager.
“We recognize that organizational changes can create uncertainty, and we appreciate your professionalism, flexibility and continued commitment to the mission and work of the Pittsburgh Playhouse as we move through this transition,” the May 15 email concluded.
An employee said affected staff members were not given notice and each informed individually by a university representative on the morning of May 15.
Last year, Point Park expanded its performing arts offerings as part a university-wide, seven-year strategic plan called Pioneer Vision 2030.
Point Park acquired the historic Pittsburgh Playhouse in 1968. Originally located on the corner of Craft Avenue and Hamlet Street in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood, it moved to Downtown Pittsburgh as part of Point Park’s campus and reopened as the New Pittsburgh Playhouse in 2018.