WHEN YOU COME FOR ONE OF US, YOU COME FOR ALL OF US. AKA THIS IS AMERICA Kicks Off The Strawberry One-Act Festival

The Riant Theatre the Audelco Award-winning nonprofit providing a nurturing developmental environment for playwrights and theatre creators of diverse cultural backgrounds -- proudly presents THE STRAWBERRY ONE-ACT FESTIVAL. Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj, a Riant and Strawberry Festival Alumni kicks off the festival with his new play WHEN YOU COME FOR ONE OF US, YOU COME FOR ALL OF US. AKA THIS IS AMERICA on Wednesday, September 18th at 6pm and Thursday, September 19th at 8:30pm in Series A.

Maharaj is an Indo-Afro-Caribbean American artist, educator, and activist. He was hailed in the New York Times as "one of the most talented directors in New York these days". He is the Third Vice President of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) for the Borough of Brooklyn and Chair of the NAACP Brooklyn Equity in the Arts and Culture Committee. Other plays in Series A include: THE COMPUPPANCE OF PUGNACIOUS PAULLY by Philip Kushner, FREAK by Patricia Hayes and THE PHILOSOPHY PLAY by Yiqing Zhao.

In light of our current atmosphere in the USA, the festival is proud to feature WHEN YOU COME FOR ONE OF US, YOU COME FOR ALL OF US. AKA THIS IS AMERICA, a documentary theatre piece based on interviews from homeless Haitian women who are members of the New Sanctuary Coalition, facing deportation. In Series B on Wednesday, September 18th at 8:30pm and Thursday, September 19th at 6pm is THE STOCKYARD by Sean Hazen. Inspired by the Epstein case that dominated our newspaper headlines, THE STOCKYARD is about a woman who escaped a sex trafficking ring and returns to a nightclub looking for her sister, but her plans change when she is confronted by her past. The play features actress Tracey Lewis, (featured in BLUE BLOODS/opposite Will Estes and AMERICAN ODYSSEY/with Jake Robinson and THE HAUNTING OF KESHA/Guest Star) and actor Duke Williams, films include: The Dirty Kind (Raymond Caine), Santa Maria (Emmet) and Pillow Talk (Marcus). Other plays featured in Series B include: SOMETHING UNKNOWN by Marie Wall, UNIMAGINED LOVE by Maximillian Stebelsky and TWO GOOD DOGS by Anthony Roesch.

THE STRAWBERRY ONE-ACT FESTIVAL, a celebration of cultural diversity and inclusion, will be presented at Theatre 54 @ Shetler Studios and Theatres (244 West 54th Street, between Broadway and 8th Avenue, NYC) Wednesday, September 18th through Sunday, September 29, 2019. This winter's festival marks the 33rd Season of The Riant Theatre's renowned short play competition, and also will feature the premieres of two full-length one-act plays. Reflecting the diversity written into the mission of its presenter, THE STRAWBERRY ONE-ACT FESTIVAL has produced over 1,500 one-act plays since it began in 1995 (in recent years, the festival has often been presented biannually due to demand from artist submissions and audiences alike).

Tickets for all performances during THE STRAWBERRY ONE-ACT FESTIVAL are priced as follows: General admission - $25 advance/$27 at the box office. Tickets are on sale now through www.therianttheatre.com or by calling 646-623-3488. Festival Pass discount packages are also available upon request.

The following two full-length plays will premiere at THE STRAWBERRY ONE-ACT FESTIVAL, from September 20th through September 23, 2019.