Qpower. struggle. Book, Music & Lyrics By Michael Mitnick Directed by Tomé Cousin • Music Direction by Douglas Levine June 4-27, 2021 theater that moves Qyou. Quantum Theatre Never underestimate the power of a great performance. We are proud to support Quantum Theatre. BCD-SYS-15214_quantum_theatre_sponsorship_print_5x7.875_c.indd 1 5/18/21 4:38 PM Quantum Theatre Presents Book, Music, and Lyrics by Michael Mitnick Directed by Tomé Cousin Music Direction by Douglas Levine CAST in order of appearance Daniel Krell*………........... Thomas Edison Quinn Patrick Shannon*…. Francis Upton Billy Mason*………............. George Westinghouse Melessie Clark*………........ Marguerite Westinghouse Connor McCanlus*……….. Franklin Pope, Mister Talbot, Various Roles Tru Verret-Fleming*………. Alfred Black J. Alex Noble*……….......... Silas Boocock, Charles Durston Jerreme Rodriguez*……….. William Kemmler Drew Leigh Williams*………Gertrude Durston, Tillie Kemmler, Mrs. Talbot THE BAND Douglas Levine………Piano • Simon Cummings………Cello Cello/Piano/Vocal Arrangement by Douglas Levine Scenic Design: Tony Ferrieri • Lighting Design: C. Todd Brown Costume Design: Karen J. Gilmer • Sound Design: Steve Shapiro Director of Production: Michelle Engleman • Technical Director: Cubbie McCrory Production Stage Manager: Cory F. Goddard* ASM & Health and Safety Supervisor: Piper Clement Puppet Consultant: Nick Lehane • Audio Engineer and Technical Specialist: Peter Brucker Scenic Artist: Leah Blackwood • Scenic Assistant: Noah Glaister • Sound Assistant: Anna Hanson *Appearing through an agreement between Quantum Theatre and Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States. The work of the design and production artists is supported by the Philip Chosky Design and Production Fund. THE PERFORMANCE WILL LAST APPROXIMATELY 95 MINUTES WITH NO INTERMISSION. he first scene of The Current War was written the night before my first day of drama graduate school – September 12, 2007. As a kind of icebreaker, Richard Nelson, then-head of the playwriting program, asked his three new students to bring in a scene featuring a person from history. I remember thinking –"history... history... that's rather broad, isn't it?" My mind flashed to a poster of Thomas Edison that hung on the wall of my childhood Tbedroom. As a 12-year-old I had selected the poster because I thought that he looked cool and crazy. Google told me what I already knew about Edison: he was a self-made man, an inventor who thrice changed the world with recorded sound, electric light, and then moving pictures. Reading on, I came across a section of his life entitled "The War of the Currents." With direct current, Edison created the first complete system of electricity: generation, distribution, and application. Light bulbs, electric ovens, electric elevators! But when he finally took it to market, his hard-earned DC (direct current) was threatened by George Westinghouse's superior AC (alternating current). Thus began the war of the currents - a race to light up the world. The competition drove Edison to generate a smear campaign, an attempt to discredit Westinghouse by proving that AC was lethal. He connected a purloined Westinghouse generator to dogs, cats, horses, cows, and the first gorilla seen in the States. He filmed the electrocution of Topsy the elephant at Luna Park (Coney Island) with his newly minted motion picture camera. His actions were, to say the least, shocking (N.P.I.). That night in 2007 in New Haven, I wrote the opening scene of the musical. What started as a single scene soon blossomed into an obsession. I spent the summer of 2008 researching Edison, reading period biographies and digging through archives. How, I wondered, had such a brilliant person like Edison allowed himself to be consumed by the petty desire to beat out the competition? Westinghouse proved a more elusive figure. There are exactly two books written about him and about 15 known photographs. Why did this person who beat Edison and wired the modern world wish to be expunged from history? Could he really be as altruistic as he seemed? He insisted upon lease-to-own houses for his workers, half-day Saturdays, a livable wage – the man personally bankrolled a dinner reunion (plus transportation and accommodations) of every living fellow Union veteran of the Civil War – 6,500 men; eventually he donated his Pittsburgh castle back to the city to be transformed into the park where we sit right now. When he died, per his instructions, his papers and photographs were destroyed. Why? The 14-year journey of The Current War has been long and sometimes rewarding. It included a brief stop, fittingly, in the movies as a non-musical version starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Michael Shannon. Perhaps the most affecting aspect of this odd project that has consumed much of my life is that I am making my Pittsburgh theatrical debut. I credit my life in theatre to my parents, to Fox Chapel Area's strong arts programs and teachers, and to our city's investment in theatre. So now I sit gobsmacked at my Brooklyn kitchen table writing this account, soon to drive to my hometown to see a musical I wrote over a decade ago about electricity. Somebody turn on the lights and wake me up, I don't believe it... Thank you, Quantum Theatre. Thank you, Pittsburgh. – Michael Mitnick A Q&A WITH PLAYWRIGHT MICHAEL MITNICK AND DIRECTOR TOMÈ COUSIN MICHAEL: Aside from the excellent writing, what drew you to this story? TOMÈ: Well, you are correct with the excellent writing being a draw! I was instantly attracted by the idea of visual energy being portrayed on stage. These two iconic giants, both with strong personalities and back stories, I thought were an interesting study for representation in a musical form. The story itself, though hugely important and significant, is also one that I don’t think the average person, let alone a theatergoer, would be aware of. The Current War has multiple figures and events behind it that I thought would be interesting to help feature. M: What do you think the CEOs of America's largest companies could learn from Mr. Westinghouse? T: Tricky question. We have many examples of high and power corporation trading, battling, selling, and buying. At the center of each of these conglomerates is a central figure who we don’t fully know much about personally. Once some sort of scandal emerges, then their past is displayed. George Westinghouse seemed to be a rare bird in this ideal. He was a bit more personable and objective in running his ideas. He was a shrewd leader and master inventor,but he also found a balance between pride, fame, and ego. In our current world atmosphere that is dependent on social media and digital landscape, achieving this balance and privacy is challenging. M: As a director, how do you approach taking a cold, scientific story like The Current War and bringing it to life in the customarily warm world of musical theatre? T: The very first element in my creative process is to hunt in a script for what I call “the heart” of the story or plot. The section or moments where I feel or think the audience will fully understand and assemble everything that has come before it. I view the audience as a witness to storytelling. They have a role in the exchange of energies between the artists and the storytelling. I want them to be forward in their seats and invested in the characters and plot. I’m a very kinetic artist, and I zero in on the moments of ultimate emotional impact and begin work. The Current War is a provoking musical project that has more than one of these moments. I aimed to find a balance and a “current” of energy that will take the audience for a ride with an emotional, electrical pulse running. The back-and-forth battles of Westinghouse and Edison and the lasting effects of the “war” were fascinating to try and invent a concept around. I’m a huge comic book fan. A few years ago, a friend who is a former Marvel Comics artist gave me a book that featured a cover of a boxing match between Superman and Muhammad Ali!!? That cover always stayed in my mind. Then Karla came to me with this project. Inspiration and memory struck. I then raced in my basement and pulled out my Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots and off I went! Quantum Theatre Immersive Audio Experience 5 x 3.875 The Frick Pittsburgh Quantumquantumtheatre.com/10for21 Theatre Program Now open, on-site and online! THE FRICK ART MUSEUM Reckoning: Grief and Light —a powerful installation of new sculpture by Artist-in-Residence Vanessa German, nothing can separate you from the language you cry in Through Sept. 5: Bouke de Vries: War & Pieces Opening July 3: Sporting Fashion: Outdoor Girls 1800 to 1960 CAR AND CARRIAGE MUSEUM Through Oct. 31: Cast in Chrome: The Art of Hood Ornaments 7227 REYNOLDS STREET, 15208 | THEFRICKPITTSBURGH.ORG | 412-371-0600 WESTINGHOUSE PARK WELCOMES QUANTUM THEATRE AND THE CURRENT WAR t's been a Pittsburgh city park for over a century now, but from 1871 to 1918, these ten, leafy-green acres were the site of “Solitude,” the estate of inventor and industrialist George Westinghouse and his wife Marguerite. quantumtheatre.com/10for21 I Much more recently, the Westinghouse Park 2nd Century Coalition has been organized to help polish and preserve this rare recreational gem for future generations, while enhancing its ecology and remembering the remarkable man after whom it's named. In conjunction with the Point Breeze North Development Corporation, the WP2CC initiated a multi-faceted effort already under way. One element is the creation of a comprehensive master plan for the city to follow going forward, a plan that celebrates the park's assets and is expressive of the communities it serves.