Update August 26th, 2007: Edward Kinchley Evans, Playwright in Residence from 1985 to 1996, and Co-Founder of The Laurel Highlands Regional Theatre (later called THE ACTING COMPANY), and author of numerous plays, passed away in his Emlenton, PA home some time between the evening of Saturday August 11th, 2007 and early Sunday August 12th, 2007.  He was proceeded by his long time companion, Glen Z. Gress in 2003, with whom, he started this theatre company.  He is survived by a son and daughter and a younger brother.  More info can be found at the following newspaper websites obituary sections.

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Until 1998, THE ACTING COMPANY was a not-for-profit, professional theatre company, and it is currently and LEGALLY disbanded and dissolved. The Company was based in their own theatrical space (a former church) in Pittsburgh's Historic Lawrenceville district. Located between 52nd and 53rd streets, McCandless Avenue is easy to find, at its intersection with Butler Street. Parking was located on the streets surrounding the theatre building and on Butler Street, or in a lot a half block towards 52nd Street on Butler. The Theatre was in a Red Brick Church that was only one building away from the Butler/McCandless intersection.

THE ACTING COMPANY was founded in 1984 under a different name, "The Laurel Highlands Regional Theatre" and was doing business as "THE ACTING COMPANY" from around 1991 until it's close in 1998. The original location was also in a different part of town; Oakland on Craig Street, in the old Pittsburgh Laboratory Theatre space.  After the first two seasons there, the landlord wanted to take over the space for her own business and they lost their lease.  During the search for a new space over the next year the theatre was dark, until a down payment was secured and the building at 91 McCandless was mortgaged and the next season planned.

The building that was THE ACTING COMPANY closed in 1998 after it's 12th Season, and the building was sold. Since then it had at least two other owners. During a micro burst thunderstorm in 2003, the Building was damaged, and the then owners started to repair it, but as of October 2004, it was still open to the elements. It remained open to the elements until it was finally razed in late 2006.  The lot was leveled and strewn with straw. In the summer of 2007 it was a field of green. (Rest in peace, proud space.)

This web site was the official home of the company, on the world wide web, during the 10th season and part of the 11th. Due to board politics, the person in charge of the site stopped being a member of the company, until the final production in 1998, "101 Reasons To Sell Everything You Own And Move To The Mountains", which he was invited back in to the fold for. Needless to say, since the company was closing there was no point it reviving the web site at that time. Since then, the web author has sorely missed the THE ACTING COMPANY and the work done there, and he has longed for a return to a theatre that performed works the way they did. This site is therefore both a memoriam to The old Acting Company, and a source to draw upon for a potentially revitalized Acting Company some day. As time permits, old season information, pictures and clips will be provided, and notes on efforts for future projects will be noted.

The simple style that this site uses is similar to the styles developed for the program and advertising that happened up to the point that your web master took over the production of program materials around season 8 or 9, and that were flowed into the original web site design as well. The simple black box with the title in it belies the fact that we were much more than just a "Black Box" theatre. Programs were printed on a "Golden" paper product (as were posters), and Black Helvetica and standard weight Palitino fonts were used for most of the text. If your browser supports these, this page will use those fonts.

It should be noted that for any legal, financial or other reasons, both the "Laurel Highlands Regional Theatre" and "THE ACTING COMPANY" are officially and legally disbanded and dissolved. There are no assets here to be seized, only memories, and future plans.

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The last production listed on the previous "official" version of this web site was the Scandalous "Joan of Hollywood" by Edward Kinchley Evans and it played June 7th through the 30th, 1996. For more information on that show, click here.

For information about THE ACTING COMPANY'S Mission Statement, reviews from previous seasons and special programs for Theatre Artists in the Pittsburgh Area, "CLICK HERE."