Located in the Downtown Pittsburgh Cultural District, this year's EQT Children's Theater Festival includes:
- Professional theater performances from around the world
- Over 40 FREE hands-on educational and cultural activities!
- Family-friendly gallery installations, public art and interactive art!
- FREE outdoor pop-up performances featuring local and regional artists!
- Frog Stop Scavenger Hunt throughout the Cultural District featuring a free, fun prize!
Festival Grounds
The festival grounds will include a variety of food options and vendors, visual art programming at local galleries, pop-up green spaces, free hands-on activities, and free outdoor performances coordinated with Youth Express.
Festival hours
10:00am-2:00pm on Thursday, May 18 and 10:00am-6:00pm on Friday, May 19, through Sunday, May 21, 2017.
Featured Performances
MUFARO’S BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTERS by Dallas Children’s Theater
United States
Ages 5-11 | 65 minutes
Venue: August Wilson Center, 980 Liberty Avenue
When Mufaro learns that a great African king wants to meet the most worthy and beautiful women in order to choose a wife, he decides that both of his daughters should go. During their journey to the King, Mufaro’s beautiful daughters Manyara and Nyasha encounter mysterious situations that test their courage, kindness and strength of spirit. Celebrate goodness, generosity and love with traditional chanting, rhythmic drumming, and glorious African song in this beautiful Zimbabwe-based Cinderella tale based on the 1988 Caldecott Honor Award book by John Steptoe. The story was adapted for the stage by Karen Abbott, with music and lyrics by S-Ankh Rasa.
United States
Ages 5-11 | 65 minutes
Venue: August Wilson Center, 980 Liberty Avenue
When Mufaro learns that a great African king wants to meet the most worthy and beautiful women in order to choose a wife, he decides that both of his daughters should go. During their journey to the King, Mufaro’s beautiful daughters Manyara and Nyasha encounter mysterious situations that test their courage, kindness and strength of spirit. Celebrate goodness, generosity and love with traditional chanting, rhythmic drumming, and glorious African song in this beautiful Zimbabwe-based Cinderella tale based on the 1988 Caldecott Honor Award book by John Steptoe. The story was adapted for the stage by Karen Abbott, with music and lyrics by S-Ankh Rasa.
Denmark and Northern Ireland
Ages 3-6 | 40 minutes
Venue: Trust Arts Education Center, 805-807 Liberty Avenue
When a boy discovers a single-propeller airplane in his closet, he does what any young adventurer would do: he flies into outer space! Millions of miles from earth, the plane begins to sputter and quake. The boy makes a daring landing on the moon where he realizes he’s not alone up there. Based on the book by Oliver Jeffers, The Way Back Home explores the boundless imagination of children through puppetry, wonderful music, and creative wordless storytelling.
Venue: Trust Arts Education Center, 805-807 Liberty Avenue
When a boy discovers a single-propeller airplane in his closet, he does what any young adventurer would do: he flies into outer space! Millions of miles from earth, the plane begins to sputter and quake. The boy makes a daring landing on the moon where he realizes he’s not alone up there. Based on the book by Oliver Jeffers, The Way Back Home explores the boundless imagination of children through puppetry, wonderful music, and creative wordless storytelling.
Australia
All Ages | 30 minutes
Venue: 7th Street & Penn Avenue, Outdoor interactive installation, with partial tentThe whole family will enjoy building the cities of their dreams in this giant cardboard construction site. Thousands of cardboard boxes take over in this interactive performance where children build entire cities and towns of skyscrapers, tunnels, and sprawling estates that reflect the time and place of their immediate culture. With a rocking soundtrack and Polyglot Theatre artists roaming the site, We Built This City is one of the happiest projects you will ever experience. We Built This City is made possible in-part by the Maranne P. Welch Family Endowment. Established in 2015, the Maranne P. Welch Family Endowment supports adventurous theater for young audiences.
All Ages | 30 minutes
Venue: 7th Street & Penn Avenue, Outdoor interactive installation, with partial tentThe whole family will enjoy building the cities of their dreams in this giant cardboard construction site. Thousands of cardboard boxes take over in this interactive performance where children build entire cities and towns of skyscrapers, tunnels, and sprawling estates that reflect the time and place of their immediate culture. With a rocking soundtrack and Polyglot Theatre artists roaming the site, We Built This City is one of the happiest projects you will ever experience. We Built This City is made possible in-part by the Maranne P. Welch Family Endowment. Established in 2015, the Maranne P. Welch Family Endowment supports adventurous theater for young audiences.
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ELEPHANT AND PIGGIE’S WE ARE IN A PLAY!
United States
Ages 3-8 | 60 minutes
Venue: Byham Theater, 101 Sixth Street
Elephant Gerald and Piggie sing and dance their way through plenty of pachydermal peril and swiney suspense in Elephant & Piggie’s We Are in a Play! This vaudevillian romp of a musical is based on Mo Willems’s beloved, award-winning, best-selling children’s books. Together, these best friends face fundamental questions like: What do you wear to a fancy pool costume party? Should you share your ice cream? And how can two friends play with one toy? Backed by the nutty backup singers The Squirrelles, the duo even gets the audience involved in the action. You’ll be doing the “Flippy Floppy Floory” dance all night long! This performance is also part of the 2016-2017 Citizens Bank Children’s Theater Series.
Ages 3-8 | 60 minutes
Venue: Byham Theater, 101 Sixth Street
Elephant Gerald and Piggie sing and dance their way through plenty of pachydermal peril and swiney suspense in Elephant & Piggie’s We Are in a Play! This vaudevillian romp of a musical is based on Mo Willems’s beloved, award-winning, best-selling children’s books. Together, these best friends face fundamental questions like: What do you wear to a fancy pool costume party? Should you share your ice cream? And how can two friends play with one toy? Backed by the nutty backup singers The Squirrelles, the duo even gets the audience involved in the action. You’ll be doing the “Flippy Floppy Floory” dance all night long! This performance is also part of the 2016-2017 Citizens Bank Children’s Theater Series.
*Sensory Friendly Performances, which will include interactivity, rhythm, repetition, reduced sound levels and gentle lighting are scheduled at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 20, 2017.
United States
Ages 7+ | 60 minutes
Venue: Trust Arts Education Center, 805-807 Liberty Avenue
Experience a series of touching and poignant scenes from everyday life told through a beautiful and skillful manipulation of marionettes. Set to music, this theatrical and artistic program will provide an entertaining and sensitive vision of what it is to be human. This performance is also part of the 2016-2017 EQT Bridge Theater Series.
Ages 7+ | 60 minutes
Venue: Trust Arts Education Center, 805-807 Liberty Avenue
Experience a series of touching and poignant scenes from everyday life told through a beautiful and skillful manipulation of marionettes. Set to music, this theatrical and artistic program will provide an entertaining and sensitive vision of what it is to be human. This performance is also part of the 2016-2017 EQT Bridge Theater Series.
Mexico
Ages 0-2 | 30 minutes
Venue: Cabaret at Theater Square, 655 Penn Avenue
Carefully designed for the youngest of theatergoers, Pulse uses soft textures and lively games to invite infants and toddlers into a safe, positive, and friendly environment that will stimulate their sense of creativity. Actors create an extraordinary space ready for exploration, connecting with simple materials to transform their surroundings into a world of play. This event is a U.S. premiere.
Ages 0-2 | 30 minutes
Venue: Cabaret at Theater Square, 655 Penn Avenue
Carefully designed for the youngest of theatergoers, Pulse uses soft textures and lively games to invite infants and toddlers into a safe, positive, and friendly environment that will stimulate their sense of creativity. Actors create an extraordinary space ready for exploration, connecting with simple materials to transform their surroundings into a world of play. This event is a U.S. premiere.
Sensory-Friendly Performances Schedule
Sensory-friendly events during this year’s festival include ELEPHANT AND PIGGIE’S WE ARE IN A PLAY! taking placed at the Byham Theater, 101 6th Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. Sensory-friendly performances will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 20, 2017.
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Tickets and Information
Tickets are $9 for features performances. Multi-show packs are available and offered for as low as $6 per show! Flex Vouchers from the Citizens Bank Children’s Theater Series and EQT Bridge Theater Series are honored for all ticketed events taking place during the festival. Visit www.TrustArts.org/PGHkids, call (416) 456-6666, or pick up tickets in person at Theater Square Box Office, 655 Penn Avenue. For groups of 10+ call (412) 471-6930, or visit GroupSales@TrustArts.org.
Ticket Giveaway
We are excited to give away two sets of tickets to two lucky families!(Tickets can be redeemed for any show EXCEPT Elephant and Piggie's We Are In A Play.)
Click link to enter to win!
Getting Around Downtown
Here are some ways to make your trip to the Festival easier!
Here are some ways to make your trip to the Festival easier!
- Reserve parking in advance with vouchers for the Theater Square Garage. Learn how here.
- Visit ParkPGH.org for real time parking availability in over 20 Downtown parking garages.
- Visit the Port Authority website for bus and trolley schedules and routes to the Festival.
This post sponsored by Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. If I don't love it, I don't endorse it. ❤
