Goals of the Center
- To provide the highest quality of instruction in the performing arts for children and teenagers at various skill levels.
- To provide the highest quality educational opportunities in dance, acting, and voice for children with disabilities, utilizing other students to assist in these classes.
- To provide each student with performance opportunities.
- To offer advice to students and their families with respect to the student’s skill level and potential.
- To provide information about opportunities in the arts for Center students.
JUST WHO IS BILLY HARTUNG?
A note from Billy Hartung
Executive Director
As we embark on our 4th decade of high quality performing arts instruction for all children, including those with special needs, I wanted to take a moment to once again share that the Center for Theater Arts is much more than a place to take voice, dance, musical theater and theater instruction. The CTA offers a fun, creative, challenging and exciting curriculum that explores expectation, investment, personal accountability and process. This focus grounds each student with an overall experience that is truly unforgettable. I am confident that having classes at the CTA will be something your child will value the rest of their lives!
I am very excited about my “role” as the Executive Director of the Center for Theater Arts. I’m thrilled to be leading the very same school were I learned a love of theatre 25 years ago. I received my BFA in Theatre Arts in 1993 and later returned for my Masters in Curriculum and Instruction in 2008 both from Point Park University. I have taught Acting and Musical Theatre for The Performing Arts faculties of The Pittsburgh High School for the Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA) and The Pennsylvania Governors School for the Arts. I’m also an active member of the Arts Education Collaborative (AEC).
As an actor I’ve appeared on Broadway, off-Broadway, in films, television and in regional theatres throughout the country. Currently I can be seen singing and dancing in the movie musical “CHICAGO” (Miramax). I was thrilled to have been invited to perform in both the 75th Annual Academy Awards (ABC) and The 25th Anniversary of the Kennedy Center Honors (CBS) where I danced in a tribute to Chita Rivera.
With over 1000 performance on the Broadway stage to my credit, I’ve been featured in the “Original Casts” of three Broadway shows, Side Show, Footloose and Minnelli on Minnelli: at the Palace Theatre. Other Highlights include productions with New York City Centers ENCORES!, The Paper Mill Playhouse, The Goodspeed Opera House, The Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, The Manhattan Theatre Club, The Arizona Theatre Company and Lucille Lortels’ White Barn TheatrePittsburgh City Theatre, Pittsburgh Public Theatre, Pittsburgh CLO, The Pittsburgh Playhouse, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, The Pittsburgh Opera, Other TV/Film credits include: Striking Distance (Columbia Pictures) Guilty until proven innocent (Movie of the Week) The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade( NBC) The Today Show (CBS) and The View (ABC). My Favorite Leading Lady: my wife Sharon and my Favorite Role : Being a Daaadddy 
Our Mission
The CTA is dedicated to offering the highest quality performing arts instruction and committed to providing all students with opportunities to improve their self-image and self-confidence through artistic expression.
The Center for Theater Arts currently has students who enter our programs with a wide range of training, stretching from a mild curiosity to those that possess natural ability. By offering a curriculum that explores expectation, investment, personal accountability and process, we have an opportunity to ground our students with training, technique, discipline and an experience that will aid them in many aspects of the lives. With an ongoing commitment to best practices in education, you will find we are student centered focused on exploring multiple avenues to success. Our knowledgeable instructors and staff have a shared commitment and vision as we move into the 2010-2011 school year! With a faculty of over 30 degreed instructors and professional arts educators, the Center for Theater Arts is confident that you will find we are dedicated to our students’ and united by our mission.
CTA Board Officers
Chair: Alan Stein
Vice Chair: Anne Lutz Zacharias
Treasurer: Andrew J. Evans
Secretary: Mary Ketchum
CTA Board Members
Brian Abercrombie
Clint Bennett
Susie Bradley
Thomas Geisler, CPA
Marci Heckler
Bill Moorhead
Mary Sapienza
Lisa Silverman
Sadie Stang
Elizabeth Windsor
CTA Executive Director
Billy Hartung
CTA Associate Director
Cynthia Gray
CTA Administrative Assistant
Amy Jo Bartman