United Solo to Present Liba Vaynberg's QUEEN'S QUEST

"When you grow up with no money and no land and no property, the only currency you have left is the story you tell. Stalin knew that and he restricted everything... including fairy tales."

Vaynberg's new solo piece, following Scheiss Book--Winner of the Backstage Magazine Audience Choice Award, Best One-Woman Show at the United Solo Festival, with sold-out encores at Theater Row, Dixon Place, Stonewall Inn and the Wild Project--is presented to benefit United Solo following its first reading with 14th Street Y and Downtown Jewish Life's TIKKUN: Into the Night. This piece has been developed and directed by Natasha Warner (Playmakers Rep, Samuel French OOB Fest, Shakespeare at the Manor) and managed by Shayna O'Neill (Kennedy Center, Oregon Trail, Round Table). Queen's Quest will be followed by a talkback with the creatives, and all proceeds will benefit the United Solo Theatre Festival, the world's largest solo theatre festival. Its founder and artistic director is Omar Sangare. The festival presents many categories of solo shows, including storytelling, puppetry, dance, multimedia, improvisations, stand-up, magic, drama, and comedy. Since its inaugural edition, the Festival raises money for The Actors Fund.

QUEEN'S QUEST: Romance, RPGs & Roses

(it's also a sequel to Scheiss Book)

Dates: 2/14 at 6 PM EST
Location: ZOOM (Invite required).

FYI it's rated R

(though kids would love the first 15 min)

RSVP at http://unitedsolo.org/us/2021-queensquest/

Bios:

Liba Vaynberg (Playwright/Actor): Liba Vaynberg is a first generation American writer and actor. Bilingual in English and Russian, she studied Molecular Biology & International Studies at Yale before getting an MFA at Columbia. She is the recipient of the inaugural commission at Rattlestick with CBE, for which she is writing The Gett, and recently completed the LABA 14STY Humor 2019-2020 Fellowship. Her play Round Table premiered at 59E59 (Times Square Chronicles 10 Best Plays of 2019) after workshops with Fault Line Theater's IRONS IN THE FIRE. Other plays include Scheiss Book which premiered at the United Solo Festival at Theatre Row where it won Best One-Woman Show as well as the Backstage Magazine Audience Choice Award. Scheiss Book was also produced by Dixon Place, Wild Project (with Wheelhouse Theater Project), and Stonewall Inn. Queen's Quest was a 2018 SPACE on RYDER FARM finalist and was performed as part of 14STY 2020 Tikkun. Her play with Emily Louise Perkins, The Russian & The Jew was the recipient of a COJECO BluePrint Fellowship and was produced by The Tank. She has been published by the LABA Journal, contributes to Lilith Magazine, and writes sketch with her partner Allison Minick. As a performer, she has recurred on New Amsterdam (NBC) and Madam Secretary (CBS) and has appeared on Billy & Billie (DirecTV), The Deuce (HBO), and The Plot Against America (HBO). Performance highlights include Annie Blumberg in the PBS broadcast of The Soap Myth opposite Ed Asner, Black Milk at Classic Stage Company, Bekah Brunstetter's The Oregon Trail at The Women's Project, Novaya Zemlya at HERE, and Golem of Havana at La Mama. Regionally, she has worked at Yale, Williamstown Theater Festival, La Jolla Playhouse, Hartford Stage, Contemporary American Theatre Festival, Huntington Theatre, Penguin Rep, and Miami New Drama.

Natasha Warner (Director) is a New York-based actor and director. In New York, Natasha has appeared in new and developing work at MCC, The Lark, HERE Art Space, SPACE on Ryder Farm, New York Stage and Film, and New York Performance Space (formerly PS 122). Regionally, Natasha has appeared at the Geva Theater, White Heron Theatre, The Cape Cod Playhouse, The Gulf Shore Playhouse, Merrimack Rep, and The Boston Court. As a director, Natasha has worked at PlayMakers Rep, The Vineyard, the 14th Street Y, Sylvester Manor's "Shakespeare at the Manor", and The Juilliard School. MFA: Juilliard. More info at www.natashabwarner.com

Shayna O'Neill (Stage Manager) is an NYC-based stage manager, dramaturg, production manager, and producer. NYC highlights include PSM for The Oregon Trail and the world premiere of Liba Vaynberg's Round Table with Fault Line Theatre; 3 years as PSM of the American Realness festival; Operations Team for the 90th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade; and SM work with Page 73, National Yiddish Theatre, Classical Theatre of Harlem, The Atlantic, Target Margin, TFANA, The Tank, and EST. Regional highlights include 3 years as Producer and 5 years as PSM for the Yale Baroque Opera Project; 5 years as SM for the International Festival of Arts & Ideas; PSM for a new version of Tarrell Alvin McCraney's Wig Out! at Studio Theatre; SM work with Folger Theatre, Rep Stage, Delaware REP, Dorset Theatre Festival, Elm Shakespeare, and Trinity Rep; and the SM/Cue-Caller for the National Symphony Orchestra's Pops! Series at The Kennedy Center for concerts featuring Diana Ross, Leslie Odom Jr., will.i.am, Megan Hilty, and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds. Shayna is the co-founder of Three Angry Ladies, which brings artists together for fundraising events, and Producer of the new podcast Dirty Laundry: Unpacking The Costume Closet with Johanna Pan. BFA in Stage Management from The Theatre School at DePaul University. For J.A.S.O.N. www.dirtylaundrythepodcast.com