When Robert Morris University seniors Kate Queen and David Toole take the Byham stage tonight to play the lovelorn Maria and Tony in Pittsburgh Musical Theater's "West Side Story," it will mark a milestone in the growing partnership between the two institutions.

Four years ago, PMT founding director Ken Gargaro became assistant professor of communications at RMU, and since then he has re-introduced a theater program there, offering students a new communications degree with a theater concentration.

On Saturday, RMU will graduate its first student with that degree, Kate Queen, whom Gargaro says plans to sing at her graduation with Toole in the morning and perform for PMT that night.

Gargaro says his aim in creating what he called a "formal partnership" between RMU and PMT was really an expansion of his mission at PMT, founded in 1990 as Gargaro Productions.

"Our philosophy has always been about developing local talent," he says. Four years ago, when he joined RMU's faculty, he thought, "let's leverage what we both have in order to grow."

The partnership allows PMT to recruit student talent for its shows, while the university's students can get production credits by acting or doing tech internships. PMT also allows RMU to borrow sets and props from its inventory, while giving student performers who win parts the chance to hone their skills alongside area professionals.

That chance is one of the advantages Queen, 22, a native of Akron, says excited her. "The collaboration means we have a multitude of opportunities." In her case, one was the chance to work with Emily Lynne Miller, who plays Anita.

Although this is Queen's fourth professional production, it's her first in a featured role. But Maria isn't new for her -- she played her in RMU's 2006 production of "West Side Story," again opposite Toole as Tony.

Toole, 23 and a Penn Hills High School alumnus, will not graduate in communications, having opted for business management. But he is no less serious than Queen about taking his shot at stardom.

"I definitely want to pursue acting professionally," he says. RMU's connection with PMT has resulted in increased opportunities for him as well -- he starred as Joseph in PMT's January production of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat."

Gargaro stresses that PMT's partnership with RMU does not extend to giving students preference for roles. Referring to Toole and Queen, he says, "they really were the best performers for those roles. They won them fair and square."

"West Side Story" also stars Michael Greer as Riff, Sean Ewing as Action, Jennifer Laurel Oehlwein as Graziella, Jason Michael Swauger as Bernardo, Enrique J. Bazan Arias as Chino and Brookes Decker as Officer Krupke.

Gargaro hopes the partnership between PMT and RMU will grow and that the current theater concentration will eventually become a B.A. and then a master's.

Another view of the connection comes from Toole: "PMT can develop what college performers already have, so that when they graduate, they're ready to be in a professional show anywhere."