BODEGA CAT at Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning

There will be a semi-staged reading from BODEGA CAT, an absurdist play, written by Latina playwright, Desi Moreno-Penson with a thirty-five-minute excerpt from the piece. Directed by SDC Director KM Jones, it will feature the performing talents of Tyler Cruz*, Olivia Kinter, and acclaimed actor, Renoly Santiago. The reading will take place on Thursday, November 20th at 8pm @the Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning (JCAL), 161-04 Jamaica Avenue in Queens.

Set in an East Village bodega, a white woman artistic director and a woman playwright of color engage in a heated dialogue on such polarizing issues as gentrification, wokeisms, white privilege, and racism. Their discourse is interrupted by a demanding individual not only reading the stage directions, but also playing the role of a resident bodega cat named after the Latine poet/playwright Miguel Pinero.

This event is the season premiere of JCAL’s Meet the Playwright Series, which offers an inside look at the creative process through semi-staged readings by Queens-based BIPOC playwrights and post-show conversations with the creative teams. The series spotlights stories that are both resonant and rooted within the community.

Each of the four playwrights selected, receive a stipend of $2000. Meet the Playwright is made possible through funding by the Mellon Foundation, the New York State Council on the Arts, the Howard Gilman Foundation, the NYC Dept. of Cultural Affairs, and private supporters.

Director KM Jones says, “The play is genuinely funny, and with the current state of the world, we need the humor. But what I like about Bodega Cat is how it allows us to continue the conversation on such issues as gentrification and racism. And the cat’s funny, too.”

For reservations and info visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/meet-the-playwright-4629233

*Denotes AEA

Desi Moreno-Penson (she/her) is a playwright, actor, dramaturge, and independent theatre producer based in Astoria. She has an MFA in Dramaturgy from Brooklyn College. Her play, EL BACALAO: The Catfish Man, a Latine retelling of The Bacchae by Euripedes, is a finalist for the 2023 Jane Chambers Excellence in Feminist Playwriting Award. Her work has received Honorable Mention on The Kilroys List, and her play, BEIGE, is the winner of the 2016 National Latine Playwriting Award sponsored by the Arizona Theatre Company. Her plays are published by Broadway Play Publishing, Smith and Kraus, Applause Theatre and Cinema Books, and an excerpt from her play, DEVIL LAND, is included in the second edition of the popular playwriting textbook, “Playwriting with Purpose,” written by Jacqueline Goldfinger.

KM Jones (Director) (she/her) Is committed to Diversity, Inclusivity, LGBTQIA+ and Neurodivergent voices in Theatre/Film. Member: League of Professional Theatre Women (Board Member 2020-2025. Past Co- Executive Vice President), Previous Associate Artistic Director Planet Connections Festivity, AEA, Associate Member SDC. Directorial venues include: The Flea, Open Jar Studios, AMT Theatre, TADA! Hostos Community College, Houghton Hall, The Tank, Drama League, The RAT NYC, and The Connelly Theatre. Education/Training: St. John's University and The American Academy of the Dramatic Arts. Website: KMJDirector.com, IG: @km.jones.52493