Intelligence - Slave

The humble pocket calculator has an incredible back story. As a young Austrian engineer named Curt Herzstark was in the midst of perfecting his invention – the Curta calculator – the Nazis arrested him and took him to a salt mine deep below the Billroda concentration camp, where he continued to work on his revolutionary device. Playwright Kenneth Lin based his story, in part, on an oral history recounted by Herzstark shortly before his death in 1988. "Intelligence-Slave" is part of L.A. Theatre Works’ Relativity Series featuring science-themed plays. Major funding for the Relativity Series is provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, to enhance public understanding of science and technology in the modern world. "Intelligence-Slave" stars Garret Dillahunt as Herman Pister, Joe Spano as Fritz Englehardt, Josh Stamberg as Curt Herzstark, Daniel Stewart as Finn Frey, and Nick Toren as Bruno Clemens. With Matthew Wolf as the recorded voice of the German boy. Stage manager: Megan McGrory. Sound Effects Artist, Jeff Gardner. Associate Producers, Anna Lyse Erikson and Myke Weiskopf. Editing: Wes Dewberry. Recording and mixing engineer: Mark Holden for the Invisible Studios, West Hollywood. Our director is Matt August. Special thanks to Burt Weiner for the use of his original Curta calculator in this production.