A high-stakes thriller from the Pulitzer Prize winning author of
The War Within, American Dervish, and Disgraced
THE INVISIBLE HAND
by Ayad Akhtar
West Coast Premiere and a Co-Production with Artists Repertory Theatre
WHO: ACT – A Contemporary Theatre
WHAT: Mainstage production of Ayad Akhtar’s The Invisible Hand
WHEN: September 5-28, Press Opening September 11
WHERE: ACT Theatre Allen Theatre, 700 Union Street Seattle, WA 98101
TICKETS: Adults: Regular Tickets start at $55; Discounts available: Seniors, Students, Under 25
 Pay-What-You-Can for Sunday shows and Thursday matinees. Tuesdays all seats are $20
 The Invisible Hand is included on the monthly ACTPass Membership
 Tickets at (206) 292-7676 or www.acttheatre.org
Seattle WA – August 6, 2014 – ACT – A Contemporary Theatre announces the west coast premiere of
writer/actor Ayad Akhtar’s The Invisible Hand, about a big-wheel American investor kidnapped by a
militant group in Pakistan. Akhtar won the Pulitzer Prize in 2013 for his play Disgraced, which opens on
Broadway this fall. The Invisible Hand premiered at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis studio series in
2012. Since then, Akhtar has continued development on the script, added a character, and he will
participate in the creative process as the show develops in Seattle, spending time in the rehearsal room
and audience preview process.
ACT is pleased to partner with Artists Repertory Theatre (Portland, OR) to co-produce the The Invisible
Hand. Allen Nause, known to Seattle audiences primarily for his acting work, directs the cast of four,
featuring the return of actor Connor Toms as Nick Bright (In the Next Room, or the vibrator play, ACT),
and the ACT Mainstage debut of Los Angeles-based actor Elijah Alexander (Metamorphoses, Circle in
the Square; Shopping and Fucking, NYTW; Throne of Blood, BAM) as Bashir; along with Seattle actors
Erwin Galan (Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, Washington Ensemble Theatre) as Dar, and William
Ontiveros as Imam Saleem.
The Play
In remote Pakistan, Nick Bright awaits his fate. A highly successful player at a major investment bank,
Nick is kidnapped by an Islamic militant group, but with no one negotiating for his release, the prisoner
must take matters into his own hands. Full of questionable alliances and moral bargaining, The Invisible
Hand is a chilling examination of how far we will go to survive and the consequences of the choices we
make.
“The invisible hand” is a term used by Adam Smith to describe the natural forces that guide free market
capitalism through competition for scarce resources. This play examines what that principle looks like
under extreme circumstances.
The Playwright
Ayad Akhtar, a writer and actor, was born in New York City and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He is the
author of American Dervish, a 2012 Best Book of the Year at Kirkus Reviews, Toronto's The Globe and
Mail, Shelf-Awareness, and O (Oprah) Magazine. He is also a playwright and screenwriter. His stage play
Disgraced won the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and will be on Broadway this fall. His play, The Who &
The What, recently premiered at La Jolla Playhouse and just closed a run at Lincoln Center. As a
screenwriter, he was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Screenplay for The War Within.
He has been the recipient of fellowships from MacDowell and Yaddo, as well as commissions from
Lincoln Center Theater and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. He is a graduate of Brown and Columbia
Universities with degrees in Theater and Film Directing.
"Ayad Akhtar is a provocative, wise and funny playwright." —The Huffington Post
“an intellectual fireworks display” —KDHX
“Taut, riveting, intense, complex and clever, The Invisible Hand moves at the brisk pace you’d expect
from a playwright who also is an accomplished writer for the silver screen.” —Ladue News
— St Louis Post-Dispatch
Cast:
Connor Toms*—Nick Bright
Elijah Alexander*—Bashir
Erwin Galan—Dar
William Ontiveros—Imam Saleem
Creative Team:
Allen Nause—Director
Matthew Smucker—Scenic Designer
Rose Pederson—Costume Designer
Kristeen Willis Crosser—Lighting Designer
Brendan Patrick Hogan—Sound Designer
JR Welden*—Stage Manager
*Members of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers
Contacts for interviews, photographs, and further information:
Before August 14: Becky Lathrop at [email protected] or (206) 292-7660 x1327
After August 14: Mark Siano at [email protected] or (206) 292-7660 x1339
The Invisible Hand Mainstage Performances:
Friday, September 5, 8:00pm
Saturday, September 6, 8:00pm
Sunday, September 7, 7:30pm
Tuesday, September 9, 7:30pm (Behind The Scenes pre-show discussion with the director)
Wednesday, September 10, 7:30pm
Thursday, September 11, 7:30pm - OPENING NIGHT
Friday, September 12, 8:00pm
Saturday, September 13, 2:00pm and 8:00pm
Sunday, September 14, 2:00pm and 7:00pm
Tuesday, September 16, 7:30pm
Wednesday, September 17, 7:30pm
Thursday, September 18, 2:00pm and 7:30pm
Friday, September 19, 8:00pm
Saturday, September 20, 8:00pm
Sunday, September 21, 2:00pm and 7:00pm
Tuesday, September 23, 7:30pm
Wednesday, September 24, 7:30pm
Thursday, September 25, 7:30pm
Friday, September 26, 8:00pm
Saturday, September 27, 2:00pm and 8:00pm
Sunday, September 28, 2:00pm and 7:00pm
The Invisible Hand is sponsored in part by the Nesholm Family Foundation.
About ACT – A Contemporary Theatre
ACT is the only local theatre dedicated to producing contemporary work with promising playwrights and
local performing artists since 1965. ACT is a cultural engine that makes plays, dance, music, and film that
touch us through its annual Mainstage Play series and new works generated from the Young Playwrights
Program, the Central Heating Lab, and New Works for the American Stage commissioning program.
Because contemporary life demands examination, ACT is driven to inspire and strengthen our diverse
community through works that advance our understanding of human life. ACT is an interactive community
where artists and the public witness, contemplate and engage in dialogue on today's thought-provoking
issues, ideas and art, presented with intelligence, insight, and humor. Dedicated to the advancement and
preservation of today's contemporary work for future generations, ACT is a destination for contemporary
theatre and arts in downtown Seattle.
ACT gratefully acknowledges the generous support of our 2014 Season Sponsors: ArtsFund, The John
Graham Foundation, 4Culture, The Mayor’s Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs, and The Shubert Foundation.
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