World Premiere of THE DEVIL IS A LIE to be Presented at Quantum Theatre in April

Quantum Theatre will conclude its 2022-2023 season with Jennifer Chang's fresh take on Faust with The Devil Is A Lie opening April 7 at The Tenant Innovation Center in the Frick Building, 437 Grant Street in Pittsburgh. The Devil Is A Lie is directed by Kyle Haden and features a 4-person cast, including Quantum regular Sam Turich (An Odyssey) and Emmy-nominated Lisa Sanaye Dring. Performances will run April 7 - 30, Tuesdays through Sundays. Tuesday and Sunday performances will be at 5:30 PM, and Wednesday through Saturday performances will be at 8 PM.

The audience has been invited to celebrate the mind-blowing success of George Fast's company Voltaire (highest earning quarter ever!) Maybe the invited 'shareholders' will get a sneak peek at some new technology and help influence the rise of this company headed for the Forbes list.

The Devil is a Lie is a sly and subversive retelling of the Faust story. In this snappy consideration of capitalism by Jennifer Chang, give an eye to the 'staff' at this seemingly celebratory cocktail party - the young DJ gigging it definitely offers more than his employers anticipated. Poor George finds payment for his soul is due upon receipt, and the Devil is a disrupter. Prepare to be disrupted.

The Devil Is A Lie offers an immersive world where the audience is invited to contribute. Attendees can offer answers to poll questions via their smartphones. It's fun, fast, and reminiscent of several reality TV shows, but on closer examination, the questions reflect on things such as social status, cultural marginalization and ethical decisions. And innovative technology, in the hands of Kyle Haden, blurs the lines between what is real and what's not.

Collaborators Haden and Chang had been workshopping The Devil Is A Lie for a bit when Haden brought it to Quantum's InQbator initiative. At that point, Quantum Artistic Director Karla Boos knew that Chang's script would be a fantastic piece to bring to the 2022-2023 season.

To best serve this contemporary spin on a revered classic, Quantum gladly brings back both old friends and new faces. Having grown up in Bethel Park, Haden is well-known to Pittsburghers. Quantum regulars may recognize him for his recent roles in Chimerica (2021) or Inside Passage (2018). Haden, an assistant professor of acting at Carnegie Mellon University, is thrilled to continue the rich cultural experiences in Pittsburgh.

"This is another case of bringing world-class theater to Pittsburgh," Haden states. "Jennifer Chang is a nationally renowned theater artist, and we're getting to premiere this play of hers in Pittsburgh.

Me continuing to make art here, to make it a priority, is extending that legacy of great art in Pittsburgh."

Jennifer Chang is a versatile artist, actor, director and now playwright. The Devil Is A Lie represents Chang's ongoing commitment to diversity in storytelling and anti-racist practices.

Core to the play is LaTrea Rembert, who may ring a bell as a hired deejay with a moral compass. Locally, Rembert has been seen in The Wizard of Oz (CLO) or Dreamgirls (PMT). Sam Turich (decades of Quantum shows) is George, who is unafraid to use his wealth to get what he wants-even at a cost. Pittsburgh newcomer Christine Weber appears as George's quick-changing wife, Margarita/Helena. Weber, originally from the Twin Cities, most recently could be seen in Love Labor's Lost (American Players) and Emma (Guthrie Theater). Lisa Sanaye Dring rounds out the cast as Lucy, party host, assistant and more to be discovered. Recent work of Dring's includes Welcome to the Blumhouse Live, a 2-year interactive film event for Blumhouse/Amazon Prime by Little Cinema, which was nominated for a 2021 Emmy for Outstanding Interactive Program and won a Silver Clio Award. She comes to Pittsburgh from LA and will lead the audience through an experience that leaves one on the edge of their seat.

In order to meet the technical finesse and elegant party environment that the script invokes, The Tenant Innovation Center at the Frick Building became the perfect solution for the performance venue. The space is a fitting marriage of lush architectural history and modern technological updates. The building, built by and named for Pittsburgh titan Henry Clay Frick, is a fitting tip of the hat to the socioeconomic power struggles examined in the play.

"Taking the bones of the Faust story, which has been around for generations, turning it on its head and twisting it is, I think, very interesting and makes room for people of color or those who have been marginalized or overlooked. There's something very compelling to me about that." Haden states.

The Devil Is A Lie's creative team features Scenic Designer Sasha Schwartz, Lighting Designer C. Todd Brown, Sound Designer Howard Patterson, Costume Designer Grzegorz Labuda, Projection Designer Davine Byon and Stage Manager Cory F. Goddard to leverage the powerful messaging the play presents.

Every performance begins with the audience invited to mingle over a cocktail, but special evenings during the production's run include Pay What You Can Night on April 5, Community Night on April 6, Opening Night with post-show reception on April 7, Sunday Q&A with cast and crew on April 9, Social Q pre-show reception on April 12, pre-show wine tasting at the Quantum Quaff on April 13, and psychological post-show discussion of the characters Quantum on the Couch on April 22.

Tickets and more information on The Devil Is A Lie can be found at www.quantumtheatre.com/thedevil/ or by calling the Box Office at 412.362.1713. The Devil Is A Lie closes the 2022-23 season, which also included Idaspe and The Cherry Orchard.

About Quantum Theatre

Quantum Theatre is a company of progressive, professional artists dedicated to producing intimate and sophisticated theatrical experiences in uncommon settings, exploring universal themes of truth, beauty, and human relationships in unexpected ways. Quantum is devoted to eclectic experimentation, staging its works in environmental sites that inspire directors, designers, and performers, and delight audiences. They reflect Pittsburgh's character, history, and architecture, and are as different from one another as a grand museum, an abandoned industrial site, a modern office tower, a beloved city lake, and a waterless indoor swimming pool. The company is influenced by theater artists working in new ways around the world, often bringing such artists to its Pittsburgh laboratory, where Quantum assembles unusual artistic teams, empowers creativity, and nurtures bold ideas.

To post a comment, you must register and login.