Scott N Andrew

First Lady

2025

Pittsburgh International Classic Theatre (PICT) presented a U.S. premiere to launch the 2025-26 season, Sedef Ecer’s First Lady. The production was directed by Adil Mansoor, and ran at Carnegie Stage from Thursday, October 2, through Saturday, October 11.

About the play:

FIRST LADY is a satirical romp through the last vestiges of power of an imaginary Mesopotamian country.

Queen Ishtar lives in a bubble, oblivious to the uprising of an enslaved people. Half goddess in a sanitized cocoon, half guinea pig in an experimental aquarium, she will be the unwitting catalyst for an explosive reaction. A revolution is brewing in the streets, but no one told the First Lady, who is enjoying a holiday at her summer palace with Gazal, her beloved trans stylist. Everyone in the palace is abandoning ship, so the Advisors decide to do a live, televised interview with the clueless and unpredictable First Lady, to assure the public that all is well in the country when in reality it is complete chaos. Elish, the harried Chief of Staff, is called in to make sure she does not stray from their prepared script, while also monitoring Yasmine, the young journalist they dug up from a fishing magazine, to make sure she does not mention politics as the farce ramps up into a full manic energy.

Directed by Adil Mansoor, Ecer’s timely play speaks to the delusive nature of power, corruption, and cronyism in a scathing, hilarious critique of this seminal moment in global politics. As waves of political unrest sweep through the United States, it is easier than ever to see the fault lines in our democracy and envision what its unraveling might resemble.

About the playwright:

Born in Istanbul, novelist, playwright, and screenwriter Sedef Ecer practices several forms of writing in Turkish and French. Her novel, Trésor national, (Lattès 2021, Poche 2023), won literary prizes and received an enthusiastic response from critics and booksellers alike. Her plays have been produced and received staged and radio readings at international festivals, in public and private theaters in France and abroad, and in public spaces, such as cafés, libraries, and schools. They have also been taught in middle and high schools and at university theater departments (including Columbia University, UC Berkeley, Sciences Po Paris, Queens College, the Sorbonne, and the University of the Peloponnese), and translated and published in several countries. Winner of numerous prizes and grants, she was included in the “Universal Dictionary of Creatives” in 2014 (UNESCO). She is a member of the SACD and a founding member of the Parlement des Écrivaines Francophones.

Sedef Ecer grew up in the world of movie-making, theatre and television. As a writer and actress, she has been a nominee or a recipient of prestigious awards. (French National Center of Theater, French National Center of Cinema, Beaumarchais Award, French Society of Multimedia Writers, Draft of a Dream, Velasquez Price, Writing Stipend of Paris Region, National Theater Award of Guérande, High School Students Favorite Play, nominated for Godot Award, Collidram Award, Best Television Comedy La Rochelle Festival) She is one of the founders of Parlement des Écrivaines Francophones.

About PICT:

PICT Classic Theatre is an internationally recognized, non-profit theatre company committed to presenting the highest quality productions for the widest audience. Our productions feature innovative, minimalist design, and examine current social issues through the lens of classic text. With over 111 productions in our nearly 30-year history, PICT has been Pittsburgh’s dramatic theater company dedicated to bringing the classics to the stage. We continue to bring beloved works to the stage to approximately 6,000 patrons in person and 11,000 patrons online each season.

PICT’s mission is to engage with, entertain, and serve the Pittsburgh community by examining current social issues through the lens of classic text. PICT officially changed its name to Pittsburgh International Classic Theatre to better represent our organization’s mission.

About Carnegie Stage:

Carnegie Stage is a prime performing arts facility just outside Pittsburgh city limits. Owned and operated by the Off The Wall Charitable Trust, Carnegie Stage’s mission is to encourage and support the artist and the appreciation of all arts, and to provide visiting artists a home in which to present live theater, dance, music, and comedy. Located at 25 West Main Street in Carnegie, PICT Classic Theatre is currently a theater in residence at Carnegie Stage.

  • First Lady by Sedef Ecer

  • First Lady, Ishtar: Elizabeth Elias Huffman

  • Yasmine: Milia Ayache

  • Elish: Doren Elias

  • Gazal: Treasure Treasure

  • Translation by Amelia Parenteau

  • Directed by Adil Mansoor

  • Media Design by Scott Andrew

  • Sound Design: Anthony Del Grosso

  • Scenic Design: Sasha Jin Shwartz

  • Lighting Design: Madeline Steineck

  • Properties Design: Alex Keplar

  • Production Manager: Melissa Hill Grande

  • Stage Manager: Caroline Hall

  • Set Builder: James Dworek

  • Marketing Specialist: Ben Drickman

  • Marketing Assistant: Mackenzie Heidenreich

PICT Theatre

Gallery

Projection of a woman with red lips and brown hair, chin resting on her hand, on a dark, ribbed surface. Black background with "FIRST LADY" in ornate red and white font, splattered with red. Below, production details in white. Close-up of a woman's face, distorted by horizontal black bars and a glitch effect, with wide eyes and parted lips. Two women on a stage, pulling a thick black rope. One wears a dark floral dress, the other a flowing orange gown. Two women on a stage, one in an orange dress and the other in a patterned dress, facing a large screen. Performance artist in a green and gold patterned suit and hat, gesturing, with a news broadcast screen behind them. Man in yellow apron holds black cat, mouth open, surrounded by open suitcases and clothes in a sunlit room. Four actors on stage: two women seated and standing on the left, two women and a man standing on the right. Monochromatic yellow artwork featuring a lion statue on a column and large fabric leaves against draped fabric. Man in vest and tie, with safety glasses on head, holds a yellow mallet in a cluttered room with brick walls. Performer in orange and yellow flowing dress on stage with yellow curtains, two screens with static, and a chair. Man in green suit with patterned sash and hat, holding a briefcase, lit from the left against a dark background. Two women in a yellow studio set, one being filmed by a cameraperson, with a live broadcast on a monitor. Woman in orange dress and shawl on a stage with yellow curtains, chairs, and objects, filmed by a camera operator. Man with wide eyes and glasses in a video call, surrounded by a cluttered shelf with various objects. Performance shot featuring a figure in a large white ruffled garment, holding a red disc and a geometric bag. A screen displays a golden lion statue. Clothing rack with colorful garments visible in the background. Woman in flowing orange dress and coat on stage, lit by warm light, with dark panels and screens in background. Three people on a stage with a large screen displaying a man's face, against a yellow curtain backdrop. Man in fedora and trench coat leans over a messy desk, looking at papers in a video call interface. Staged scene with two people and a screen. One person in green suit sits left, a woman in an orange dress sits right, and a screen displays a man in a white tank top. Yellow drapes in the background. Two women on a stage with a bright yellow curtain, one in a pink and orange dress gesticulating, the other seated. Performance art with a woman in an orange dress on a stage with yellow curtains, a cameraman, and two screens. Two women on a set with yellow curtains, a large screen showing a person with a face mask, and a camera in the foreground. Monochromatic yellow-toned sculpture of a jaguar head and shoulder, surrounded by palm fronds. A person in a sequined dress stands before a large screen showing two women in traditional attire on a news broadcast. Stage scene with three actors: one on a screen, one seated, and one standing in an orange dress. A woman in a dark dress sits on a chair while a man in a green and gold tunic stands facing her, all against a yellow backdro Stage production with three actors: one on a screen, two on stage with yellow curtains and props. Projected image of an older woman with red hair, looking right, with a serious expression, on a dark stage. Woman in a short, patterned dress and large necklace stands in near darkness, illuminated by purple light. She faces left with her hands outstretched. Projected image of a woman's face with dark hair, looking forward, on a screen in a dark room. Woman with shaved sides in a colorful beaded dress, wearing a statement necklace, looking right; two women sit behind her. Man in black and white head covering, holding a shovel, looking at camera in a video call interface with green foliage background. Monochromatic yellow sculpture of a rabbit surrounded by large leaves on a small table. Two silhouetted figures on a circular stage before bright yellow curtains with circular window patterns. Close-up of a person's eyes and nose, partially obscured by horizontal, distressed white and gray bars. Performance art with four costumed figures on a stage with a bright yellow curtain, two screens on either side. Man in tan hat, shirt, and yellow sunglasses, leaning on a stool in a cluttered room with clothes racks and plastic sheeting. Digital portrait of a woman with golden eyeshadow and red lips, fragmented by horizontal dark bands. Two women in a yellow room, one in a navy suit, the other in an orange dress, conversing beside a large screen. Installation view: Two women seated on yellow chairs against a yellow curtain backdrop, one in orange attire. A cameraman films them. A monitor displays the same scene with news graphics. Monochromatic artwork features a glossy white lion sculpture, glossy white monstera leaves, and a gold curtain backdrop. Close-up of a person with cucumber slices on their eyes, a towel on their head, in a wicker chair, viewed through a video call interface.