Kelly Strayhorn Theater aka Community Theater Project Corporation

Results: The Kelly-Strayhorn Theater is named in honor of Gene Kelly, motion-picture musical icon, and Billy Strayhorn, jazz composer and arranger, both of whom spent their formative years in Pittsburgh’s East End. The building is the beloved former Regent Theater on Penn Avenue in East Liberty, the only remaining East End movie house of the original seven that, along with restaurants and shopping, made the East Liberty of the 40’s and 50’s the third largest shopping and nightlife area in Pennsylvania. Since the renovation and rededication under its new identity, the Kelly-Strayhorn Theater has hosted 714 performances by 176 user groups. 80,000 patrons have come through our front doors testify that once again the performing arts are alive and flourishing in East Liberty! Importantly, in addition to being a well-equipped, beautifully restored performance facility, we are also a resource and a support source for both fledgling and established performing arts groups. We have recently begun branching out into collaborative relationships with some of our client organizations, and we extend a special invitation to social-services non-profits to discuss with us how we can be of service in promoting their missions. We are an important component of the new cultural and economic renaissance in East Liberty as this historic enclave of Pittsburgh begins to reclaim the promise of its glorius past.

Target demographics: Developing and established small-to-medium sized arts organizations: dance, theatre, spoken word, public- and social-service non-profits and educational initiatives, and their audiences and stakeholders.

Direct beneficiaries per year: 40-50 arts organizations and independent event producers.

Geographic areas served: Pittsburgh and suburbs

Programs: The Kelly Strayhorn Theater and our unique programming series, KST Presents, seek to provide the reason and the place for community gatherings and enrichment through the arts. Through diverse and multi-disciplinary programming, we bring new audiences to new experiences that take place within their community. We hope to increase our artistic, educational, and economic impact through a diverse mix of quality, large-scale arts and cultural programming that contributes to the vitality of East Liberty, the East End and the region.