Criminal Queerness Festival Announces Performance Dates at Lincoln Center and Outside The U.N.

National Queer Theater has announced that it will present the 2021 Criminal Queerness Festival outdoors at Lincoln Center and near the United Nations in Manhattan. Taking place during NYC Pride, presentations of Dima Mikhayel Matta's This is not a memorized script, this is a well-rehearsed story and Victor I. Cazares's «when we write with ashes» will be staged on the Hearst Plaza Stage as part of Lincoln Center's Restart Stages Initiative on June 24 and 25, respectively. Additional performances, including a reading of Martin Yousif Zebari's Layalina, will take place near the U.N. headquarters from June 22-26 as part of NYC's Open Culture program.

The Criminal Queerness Festival showcases LGBTQ artists from countries that criminalize or censor queer and trans communities. This year, performances will occur outside and in accordance with New York City and CDC guidelines. All participating artists have received assistance acquiring vaccinations.

Visit www.nationalqueertheater.org for the complete schedule of the 2021 Criminal Queerness Festival. Tickets for performances at Lincoln Center will be free of charge and will be distributed by random lottery the week prior. Showtime will be at 7pm both nights. General tickets for the performances near the U.N. are $30 and can be purchased via the National Queer Theater website. Festival passes are also available for $50.

The Criminal Queerness Festival is produced by Adam Odsess-Rubin and Adam Ashraf Elsayigh with a production team including: Kevin Jinghong Zhu (Stage Manager), Dmitri Barcomi (Production Manager), Dan Daly (Set and Props Designer), Taylor Lilly (Lighting Designer), M. Florian Staab (Sound Designer), Jules Peiperl (Costume Designer), Sam Levin (COVID-19 Safety Coordinator), and Melory Mirashrafi (Dramaturg). The festival is presented in partnership with the Stonewall Community Foundation, NYC Pride, and The Center.