City of Pittsburgh - File #: 2026-0736

• File #: 2026-0736
• Version: 1
• Type: Proclamation
• Status: To Be Presented
• File created: 7/13/2026
• In control: City Council
• On agenda: 7/14/2026
• Title: NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby recognize Ms. Karla Boos for her outstanding 36 year tenure with Quantum Theatre and thanks her and the staff for providing innovative works to enrich Pittsburgh's art scene as well as their willingness to help and mold upcoming artists within and beyond Pittsburgh; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby declare August 23, 2026 "Karla Boos Day" in the City of Pittsburgh.
• Sponsors: Erika Strassburger, All Members
• Indexes: PROCLAMATION - MRS. STRASSBURGER

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WHEREAS, Ms. Karla Boos grew up in Wheeling, West Virginia, graduated from the University of Pittsburgh, and went on to earn her Master of Fine Arts degree from the California Institute for the Arts; and

WHEREAS, Ms. Boos founded Quantum Theatre in 1990 to bring a version of the experimental theater she brought to life during her time in Los Angeles to the City of Pittsburgh's art ecosystem; and

WHEREAS, Quantum Theatre's first production was a low-budget staging of Harold Pinter's "The Collection" at The Artery, then a gallery and music venue in Shadyside that is now the home of the restaurant Soba; and

WHEREAS, during its early years Quantum Theatre produced one or two shows a season, many of which were staged at the old Pittsburgh Center for the Arts now known as the Pittsburgh Center For Arts & Media; and

WHEREAS, by 1997 Quantum Theatre had solidified its unique approach to environmental theater by creating new, enthralling, and unusual spaces for many productions; and

WHEREAS, Quantum Theatre stages its productions environmentally, bringing the works out of the typical theatre setting and into a variety of locations such as the One Oxford Centre in Downtown Pittsburgh, the swimming pool under Braddock Library, the Historic Carrie Blast Furnace Site, the Pittsburgh Zoo, abandoned buildings in Lawrenceville, and Mellon Park, to name a few, in an effort to transport the viewer, the staff, and the thespian to a unique environment that further enhances the company's fantastic theatrical experience while providing an appreciation for the location in question; and

WHEREAS, Karla Boos has produced all 106 of Quantum Theatre's works, directed 33, acted in 17, and wrote or adapted nine original productions of Quantum's 26 world premieres; and

WHEREAS, Quantum Theatre has become a fixture of Pittsburgh's art scene and has been recognized nationally and internationally for its innovative work; and

WHEREAS, Karla Boos is a member of the National Theatre Co...