Queens Theatre to Present First In-Person Play Readings Since Pandemic Shut Down

Queens Theatre will mark its first in-person play readings since the start of the pandemic with two evenings of performances. "SHORTS! An Evening of Short Plays" on Saturday, November 6th at 8 PM ET and "MORE SHORTS! Another Evening of Short Plays" on Saturday, December 4th at 8 PM ET feature plays written and directed by artists who identify as Asian.

Playwrights include Kitty Chen, ("Rowing to America"), Mrinalini Kamath, ("A Smooth Transition"), Nina Ki, ("Primary Colors," "One Small Step," "Broken English") Nandita Shenoy, ("To The Stars, With Love") Lucy Wang ("A is for American," "Suffragette," "Bad Chinese Daughter," "Walkable Feast," "Two Artists Trying to Pay Their Bill") and Cary Wong ("Our House in the middle of our street").

"Queens Theatre has always championed quality, diversity, equity and inclusion, making it one of my favorite venues to see new work. I am thrilled to return there to see my work performed before a live audience," said playwright Lucy Wang. "This homecoming feels even sweeter after the long hiatus imposed by the pandemic, because Queens Theatre prioritizes accessibility and I can bring my 93-year-old father-in-law to the show. What a gift."

"I am excited to have the first post-pandemic, in-theater reading of my play be at Queens Theater," said playwright Cary Wong. "After watching theatre on Zoom and social media for the last 18 months, returning to the historic building will be quite emotional."

Both evenings' performances will be directed by Aneesah Kudtarkar and Dennis Yueh-Yeh Li, and feature casts that include Borah Ahn, Subin Kara Ahn, David Brown, Leo Chang, Shan Y. Chuang, Stuart Green, Nancy Yao Maasbach, Charles Pang and Yeena Sung.

"I found these short plays electrifying," said Director Dennis Yueh-Yeh Li. "The playwrights strike an elegant balance between two greater cultures, while meticulously dissecting the complexity of these cultures. As a Taiwanese immigrant who is still looking for the sense of belonging in this country, these relatable short plays generously offer me great consolation."

All performances are free, but advance reservations are strongly recommended. Tickets can be reserved by calling 718.760.0064 or by visiting: www.queenstheatre.org. Each performance will also be available for viewing via livestream at: https://youtu.be/QEqhc3uVUbI and can be viewed afterwards at: https://www.youtube.com/QueensTheatreNYC.

All guests 12 years of age and up must present proof of COVID-19 vaccination upon arrival at the Queens Theatre facilities and patrons over the age of 18 must also show a valid form of ID. Masks are required, regardless of vaccination status. Learn more about our COVID Safety Protocols here.