By Les Hunter
Leslie Harrell Dillen in STEPMOTHER IN A SARI at Jackson Rep
Unbelievably, the entrance line to Queens Theatre in the Park snaked out the door, around the corner and down the hall. For a hot new production in Manhattan this would have been expected. But for an on-book reading of a new play by a relatively unknown playwright, on a Saturday night in, of all places, Queens?
Welcome to the new theater scene in Queens, NY, where, from Long Island City to Corona, professional theater with a strong interest in both community engagement and new play development is flourishing. With five recently formed companies producing nearly 20 major productions this season alone, Queens is looking more and more like a thriving regional theater scene, right in Broadway’s own backyard.
Carl Kissin in NO SOLO MIO at Jackson Rep
As late as 1996, the only professional groups in Queens were Black Spectrum and the Thalia Spanish Theatre, two companies still going strong and producing work specifically catering to the black and Hispanic communities, respectively. “When we started Queens Theatre in the Park, (in 1997) there were virtually no professional theaters in Queens. Now fortunately, there’s more,” says Rob Urbanti, Director of New Play Development at Queens Theatre in the Park, or “QTIP,” as it is lovingly referred to by thespians on the scene.
QTIP, by far the largest of the new theaters, is housed in a lavish new 23 million dollar performing arts center. The Flushing Meadows facility operates a 4 million dollar a year budget, showcasing dance and music, as well as old and new plays. Their two new play development series, “Immigrant Voices Project” and “Plays a Mother Would Love” dedicate workshops and development to several new scripts a year, culminating in public readings. QTIP is currently interested in letters of inquiry, and does not accept unsolicited scripts outright. More information can be found at http://www.queenstheatre.org
Across the borough, The Chocolate Factory, which opened in 2001 in Long Island City, has become a theatrical hothouse of new plays and performance art, attracting a hip, young crowd and rave reviews. Their recent “Redevelop (Death Valley)” comments on commercial development in LIC. (http://chocolatefactorytheater.org/)
Astoria Performing Arts Center (APAC), which supplies a robust community arts program in conjunction with main stage shows, also opened in 2001. “You have to come in with an attitude of loving where you are, appreciating where you are,” says Astoria Performing Arts Center Executive Director Taryn Drongowski. Aside from their main stage productions, APAC works with the Astoria community through a number of theater workshops and classes specifically for Queens residents. Their new play development series, “15/20” looks for new plays to eventually produce, though they don’t yet take open submissions. (http://www.apacny.org/)
The Queens Players, whose work mainly focuses on new interpretations of old classics, opened its LIC doors in 2005 (http://www.thequeensplayers.com). While Jackson Rep, the most recent addition to the scene, is located in Jackson Heights and looks to create new work that engages their diverse community. “Jackson Rep is a company that tries to connect to the cultural and geographical climate of the neighborhood,” says Ari Laura Kreith, Artistic Director of Jackson Rep, whose two new shows “Stepmother in A Sari,” and “No Solo Mio,” which were developed in conjunction with the theater, open in late April and hope to draw in both the local Indian and Hispanic populations. “We’re looking to create opportunities for local writers and artists,” notes Kreith. (http://www.jacksonrep.org)
Community engagement may be one of the reasons these theaters are thriving. “You have to be invested in the neighborhood,” observes Drongowski. “When you have a place where, you are as interested in your audience as you hope they are in your shows, then you have a more dynamic experience.”
“It’s important to connect specifically to neighborhoods,” agrees Angel Gil Orrios at Thalia Spanish Theatre, but he also attributes the sustainability of theater in Queens to cooperation between theater companies, “We don’t like trying to compete for funding with other theaters, that’s why we like to build coalitions.” Drongowski agrees, “There’s this great spirit of non-competition here. It’s an understanding that a great theater scene in Queens is one that we will all benefit from. We’re trying to make going to theater a habit.”
Rob Urbanti, at QTIP, on the other hand, has another reason why theater here is on the rise, and one that portends great hope for the future, “The theater scene has grown here because people in Queens support theater in Queens.”
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