East Liberty Development – The Quantum Theatre has a thing for unusual spaces. For 30 years, the independent theater company has been taking over churches, restaurants, stables, and other unconventional spots around Pittsburgh, transforming them into one-of-a-kind sets for their productions. This time around they are headed to East Liberty and are busy transforming the gym of the new Maverick Hotel (formerly the Ace Hotel) for their show Chimerica, running from November 27 to December 19. Community is an important aspect of the Quantum ethos, and as such, they will be holding a free community night showing for the neighborhood on November 24 at 8 pm.
Ahead of the show, we caught up with Jalina McClarin, community engagement manager for the theater, to learn more.
To start, can you tell us a little about Quantum Theatre and its mission?
We’re an experimental theater company. Our eclectic shows reflect that experimentation in many ways, but one of the most visible is that we are constantly moving around the city transforming different non-theater spaces into homes for our productions. We’ve produced shows at venues including the Carrie Blast Furnaces, an empty pool in the Braddock Carnegie Library, and just recently, at the ice rink at Schenley Park. We’re celebrating our 30th Anniversary this year and for all that time we’ve been focused on our mission to produce intimate and sophisticated site-specific theatre with professional artists from many disciplines, locally and internationally, to explore universal themes of truth, beauty, and human relationships.
