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ABOUT FRONT PORCH THEATRICALS

THE PRODUCERS

The Front Porch Journey

Fittingly, it all began with a locally written and composed musical. 

 

In 2009, we (Bruce Smith and Leon Zionts, a businessman and an attorney) channeled our lifelong passion for theater to put on Only Me at East Liberty’s Kelly Stayrhorn Theater. The endeavor proved to be an artistic and financial success, and Front Porch was born. 

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Thanks to the gracious support of friends and Pittsburgh’s arts community (The Heinz Endowments, The Pittsburgh Foundation, the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, among others) Front Porch has been able to act as an acclaimed, professional vehicle for countless directors and artists to realize the vision of their projects.

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With past productions including In The Heights, The Last Five YearsFloyd CollinsViolet and Big Fish,  “Pittsburgh’s Boutique Professional Musical Theater Company” provides our region with high-quality musicals featuring a diverse sample of Pittsburgh’s rich talent base. The company is proud of its emphasis on mentoring young talent in leadership positions through our apprentice and internship programs and on focusing on emerging local talent in music choreography, scenic, lighting, sound, and costume design. 

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In 2015, Front Porch debuted its first two-show season. The following year, the company became an IRS Section 501(c)(3) charitable organization, proudly joining our region’s welcoming nonprofit theater community. Front Porch continues to enjoy strong collaborations with Pittsburgh’s local university and conservatory theater programs, as well as many other regional theater companies.

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Front Porch Theatricals is committed to an environment in which all individuals are treated with respect and dignity and free of bias, prejudice and harassment.

Front Porch Theatricals Founders and Producers: Bruce E. G. Smith, Nancy D. Zionts, and Leon S. Zionts

The Producers: Bruce E. G. Smith, Nancy D. Zionts, and Leon S. Zionts

Front Porch Mission

The mission of Front Porch Theatricals is to provide our region with professional, high-quality musical theater productions featuring Pittsburgh's diverse actor, artistic and technical talent base. Emphasis is placed on mentoring young talent in leadership positions as well as youth through our internship/apprentice program, and in hiring creative up and coming and established local talent in music, directing, choreography, scenic, lighting, sound and costume design to create a high level professional vehicle for the acting and artistic team members to realize the vision of their project.

Listen to Nancy and Leon Zionts and Bruce Smith discuss

the history and mission of Front Porch Theatricals on StoryBeat                Podcast

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