After the coming 37th season at Quantum Theatre, Karla Boos, founder and artistic director, will retire in December 2026. Her departure marks the end of an incredible period of artistic leadership that has led to the theatre’s success over the years. Her path has helped reshape Pittsburgh’s cultural landscape and continues to push national theatre boundaries.
Karla Boos, Founder and Artistic Director of Quantum Theatre, to Retire December 2026
For Boos, Quantum has been about immersive performance since the very beginning in 1990. Under her direction, productions take you outside your normal stage into warehouses, parks, churches, and even cemeteries. Each space she chooses deepens the meaning of the story and helps connect the audience to the piece. Over her career, she produced all 106 Quantum works, directing 33, performing in 17, and creating or adapting nine original pieces.
How Quantum Theatre Came to Be
Los Angeles, the City of Angels, was actually the inspiration for Boos. The experimental theatre scene there took leaps that progressed theatre to a different level than other parts of the country.
“Pittsburgh didn’t have what I was encountering in L.A.,” she says. “I wanted to make work that would be unique here—and it has been.”
As Pittsburgh transformed from industrial center to cultural destination, Boos’ Los Angeles-inspired vision helped lead the way for new experiences.
What’s special about Quantum is that all the artists within the theatre share ownership of every project. All are involved from start to finish. Together, they choose sites, figure out budgets, and put together entire productions. It’s a creative risk but it’s one that designers, musicians, dancers, and performers of all types are drawn to for its creative payoff.
“Karla offers people opportunities—she’ll take a risk on you if she sees something in you,” says longtime collaborator Narelle Sissons.
A Last Look Back at Karla Boos’ Tenure
Over the years, Boos has explored so many different facets of the theatre world. From King Lear, to Idaspe with star Vivica Genaux, to her own favorite artistic achievements in All the Names and The Winter’s Tale, she’s seen a lot.
As she retires, Boos offers gratitude to the entire community of Pittsburgh as well as a challenge for the future.
“I want people to remember their own Quantum moment and invest in the artists who will make theatre that can’t be anticipated,” she says. “Courage is required, because you don’t know if it will work. But, if you say you know it works, you lose the chance to do something better.”
What’s Next for Quantum Theatre?
Quantum Theatre now prepares for its next chapter while still upholding the values that Boos brought to the company. The DeVos Institute of Arts and Nonprofit Management is supporting the theatre in their search for Boo’s successor. The job description will become public in January 2026 with a new appointee coming by the end of the summer.
Meanwhile, you can still stop by Quantum Theatre where Boos will be directing The Tempest in August and programming the rest of the 2026/2027 season, as well.
Story by Kylie Thomas
Photography Courtesy of Quantum Theatre and Jason Snyder
