Madhuri Shekar's Queen, the inaugural production of National Asian American Theatre Company National Partnership Project, completes its run at New Haven, Connecticut's Long Wharf Theatre June 5. The production will soon transfer to A.R.T./New York's Mezzanine Theatre for a June 10-July 2 run.
Ben Livingston, Keshav Moodliar, Stephanie Janssen, and Avanthika Srinivasan star in the cast under the direction of Aneesha Kudtarkar.
The play follows Sanam and Ariel, two PhD. candidates who study vanishing bee populations and are faced with a mistake in a career-making paper that could change everything.
Queen features scenic design by Junghhyun Georgia Lee, sound design by Daniela Hart, costume design by Phuong Nguyen, and lighting design by Yuki Nakase Link.
“Queen is more than just a story of women in science, but a deep dive into the complex tensions that have the power to redefine relationships," added Long Wharf Theatre Artistic Director Padrón. "With talented South Asian women at the helm as playwright, director, and protagonist, Queen is a reflection of Long Wharf’s ongoing commitment to foregrounding women—and BIPOC-led productions.”
NNPP is a new initiative from NAATCO that works with theatres nationwide to develop, improve, and implement local strategies including Asian-American theatre artists, technicians, and administrators. The Long Wharf Theatre has become an anchor NNPP partner.
Mia Katigbak, actor-manager and co-founder of NAATCO, said in a statement, “When I was thinking of the NNPP, I had many inspirational conversations with Jacob Padrón, the artistic director of Long Wharf, whose Sol Project was doing something comparable with Latinx playwrights partnering with theatres across the country. Not only was Jacob’s wisdom and experience with the Sol Project helpful, but his total support of what NAATCO was trying to do was fundamental.”
Visit LongWharf.org.
