Quantum Theatre
Established1990; 34 years ago (1990)
FounderKarla Boos
TypeNonprofit
25-1760895[1]
PurposeHuman relationships in unexpected ways.
Headquarters5907 Penn Ave Suite 210
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Coordinates40°27′44″N 79°55′35″W / 40.462270°N 79.926400°W / 40.462270; -79.926400
Artistic Director
Karla Boos
Co-Interim-Executive Director
Julie Deseyn
Co-Interim-Executive Director
Wanda Wilson
Budget (2021)
$1,500,000
Websitequantumtheatre.com

Quantum Theatre is an experimental theatre company that uses non-traditional stages in Pittsburgh, PA. Founded in 1990 by Karla Boos, it is the longest running producer of site specific plays.[2]

The theatre has been mentioned in American Theatre Magazine and Stage Directions Magazine.[3] It has staged classical plays, adaptations of literature, world premieres and contemporary plays in places such as Washington's Landing, Iron City Brewery, the former Don Allen Auto City, a Downtown loft in the Cultural District, abandoned school houses and the Frick Art & Historical Center.[4][5][6][7][8]

Education

Quantum Theatre also features an educational outreach program in which a teaching artist helps students at inner-city high schools interpret a play, a piece of literature, or a historical event in contemporary terms. The students then create a performance to be showcased at a rehearsal for a Quantum Theatre production.[9]

On January 30, 2012, Quantum Theatre was one of twelve companies to participate in Organic Theater Pittsburgh's From the Ground Up event to promote collaborations between Pittsburgh playwrights and local theater troupes.[10]

Productions

Quantum Theatre creates site-specific performances tailoring each one to the location. Updates can include costumes, plot, or a completely new adaptation. One example is when performing King Lear at the Carrie Furnace, Karla Boos mixed medieval English clothing with 1970s steelworker uniforms and added union songs to the play.[11]

Season Location Play Author Notes
2022-2023 OneValley Roundhouse The Cherry Orchard Libby Appel Directed by Katie Brooks. An elaborate multi-tiered stage was incorporated into the Roundhouse.[12]
2021-2022 Schenley Park Ice Skating Rink An Odyssey Jed Allen Harris Adapted by Jay Ball. Odysseus recounts his tales to a young princess Nausicaa. Quantum Theatre transformed the Ice Rink into a Greek amphitheatre.[13]
2021-2022 The Maverick Chimerica Lucy Kirkwood
2020-2021 Digital Season Love and Information Caryl Churchill
2020-2021 Digital Season Constellations Nick Payne
2020-2021 Digital Season Wild Mike Bartlett
2020-2021 Digital Season Far Away Caryl Churchill
2018-2019 Trinity Cathedral Pittsburgh Chatterton Karla Boos Based on the book by Peter Ackroyd
2018-2019 Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh – Homewood The Gun Show (Can We Talk about This?) E. M. Lewis Additional showings were at West Hall at CCAC – Allegheny Campus & The Tull Family Theater.[14]
2018-2019 Carrie Furnace King Lear William Shakespeare Costumes were a mixture of Early english garments and steelworker gear.[11]
2016-2017 Mellon Park Rose Garden Peribañez Lope de Vega

Quantum Theatre's final production of their 2018-2019 season will be the world premiere of Inside Passage, opening in March 2018.[15] The play was written by Pittsburgh's Gab Cody, whose work was most recently featured in Bricolage Production Company's Dodo: The Time Has Come in partnership with the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh. Directed by Sam Turich, Inside Passage incorporates documentary film footage and live performance to explore themes of family, home, childhood, and loss.[15]

See also

References

  1. ^ "NonprofitName Internal Revenue Service filings". ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
  2. ^ Jackson, Toni (9 October 2022). "Quantum Theatre, Chatham Baroque reinvent forgotten opera 300 years later". Pitt News. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  3. ^ "About Us - History". Quantum Theatre. Archived from the original on 2011-07-15. Retrieved 2011-01-02.
  4. ^ O'Driscoll, Bill (2009-11-16). "Candide at Quantum Theatre". Pittsburgh City Paper. Retrieved 2011-01-02.
  5. ^ "Quantum Theatre kicks off 19th season". Pop City. 2009-08-05. Retrieved 2011-01-02.
  6. ^ Rawson, Christopher (2009-02-03). "Quantum's 'Mouth to Mouth' packs a punch". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2011-01-02.
  7. ^ "- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette". Archived from the original on September 16, 2012.
  8. ^ Rawson, Christopher (2008-11-12). "Art, music, audience objects of Quantum's 'Museum of Desire'". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2011-01-02.
  9. ^ "About Us - Educational Programs". Quantum Theatre. Retrieved 2011-01-02.
  10. ^ Short List: January 26 - 31 | Short List | Pittsburgh City Paper
  11. ^ a b Deto, Ryan (14 May 2019). "Quantum Theatre's King Lear takes full advantage of its magnificent setting at Carrie Furnaces". Pittsburgh City Paper. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  12. ^ Sheppard, Stuart (15 July 2022). "Quantum's "The Cherry Orchard" is Brilliantly Inscrutable". Pittsburgh Quarterly. Retrieved 15 October 2022. This show – designed by Bryce Cutler — is performed on a multi-tiered circular stage that looks like the synthesis of an M.C. Escher print
  13. ^ McMarlin, Shirley (22 July 2022). "Quantum Theatre season opens with Greek tragedy at Schenley Park ice rink". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  14. ^ Eberson, Sharon (12 February 2022). "'The Gun Show' inspires a coming together that transcends the complicated subject". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  15. ^ a b "Inside Passage". Quantum Theatre. Retrieved 2018-02-05.

External links

Categories