THEY CALL ME Q Celebrates 100 Performances with Party Tonight

Off Broadway's hit show, THEY CALL ME Q will have a red carpet party in celebration of 100 shows tonight, November 14th at INC Lounge, 224 West 49th St, bet 8th Ave and Broadway. The show's Author/Star, Qurrat Ann Kadwani, will appear at the event along with Co-Producer and TV personality, Obaid Kadwani.

The award-winning play THEY CALL ME Q began previews May 19 at St. Luke's Theatre in the heart of the Theatre District and Kadwani has traveled with the show all over the country at festivals and colleges since 2012. The Village Voice raved THEY CALL ME Q is "A winning tale!"

The 100th Show will be on Nov 16 at 2pm.

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THEY CALL ME Q is the story of a girl from Bombay growing up in the Boogie Down Bronx who gracefully seeks balance between the cultural pressures brought forth by her traditional parents and wanting acceptance into her new culture. Along the journey, Qurrat Ann Kadwani transforms into 13 characters that have shaped her life including her parents, Caucasian teachers, Puerto Rican classmates, and African-American friends. Laden with heart and abundant humor, THEY CALL ME Q speaks to the universal search for identity experienced by immigrants of all nationalities.

Under the direction of Obaid Kadwani and Claudia Gaspar, and developed with Ellery Schaar, THEY CALL ME Q scored the Best Actress Award for Ms. Kadwani in the production's debut at Variations Theatre Group's 2012 Harvest Theatre Festival. The emotionally charged comedy subsequently opened to rave reviews in cities all around the country and Canada including Chicago, Montreal, Washington D.C., Nashville, Orlando, and even Hawaii where THEY CALL ME Q was awarded Best Play at the 2013 Maui Fringe Festival.

Qurrat Ann Kadwani is an actress, producer, television host, and philanthropist. She has hosted "Desi Jams" and "100% Desi" on Namaste America, and her other TV appearances include ABC News' "What Would You Do?" Ms. Kadwani's recent stage credit includes Blind Angels (Theatre for the New City). Ms. Kadwani was raised in the Bronx, attended The Bronx High School of Science and received a B.A. in Theater from SUNY Geneseo. Ms. Kadwani's one woman show They Call Me Q opened Off Broadway on May 19 and is currently running at St. Luke's Theatre in the theatre district. Playing 13 ethnically diverse characters in one hour, They Call Me Q questions how to develop identity within the context of a traditional culture in an urban environment. To date, she has performed her solo play 100 times. She has received the Best Actress Award at the Variations Theatre Group: Harvest Festival 2012 in NYC and Best Play Award at the Maui Fringe Festival 2013. Non-profit charity organizations have presented her solo play as benefit fundraisers. Colleges and universities all over the US have invited Ms. Kadwani to perform her solo play as part of their multicultural programming, alongside discussions and workshops on diversity. She has received an award from the United Nations World Women Global Council, an award from the Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center in San Francisco, an award from SAPNA NYC for inspiring South Asian women to dream and make their dreams a reality and was the Guest Speaker for CAMP Philly. Ms. Kadwani also helps coordinate A Slice of Hope, spreading hope and joy with pizza parties and musicians at homeless shelters all over the county. www.qkadwani.com

Obaid Kadwani, co-producer and co-director of THEY CALL ME Q, is an entrepreneur who wears many hats including producer, director, author, actor, and charity activist. He is the head of It's OK Films and the author of the upcoming book A Slice of Hope. Obaid is the co-founder of Working Actor Studio, an acting school in NYC, and he founded the charity project A Slice of Hope, which raises joy and optimism in homeless shelters. He has acted in Bollywood films including New York and Badmaash Company as well as American TV shows including "The Blacklist." He also hosts TV shows and anchors the weekly news desk for Namaste America. www.obaidkadwani.com

THEY CALL ME Q will be performed in November on Sundays at 2pm with the 100th Show on November 16th at St. Luke's Theatre, 308 West 46th Street (just west of Eighth Ave.) Tickets are available through www.Telecharge.com or by calling 212-239-6200.