Queens Theatre Presents Apothetae/New American Voices Reading Series

Queens Theatre’s first-ever Forward Festival of the Arts, a national festival highlighting the artistry of Deaf/Disabled performers will host a series of readings by  The Apothetae over two weekends from May 13th - 22nd.

In 2015, The Apothetae, a theater company committed to challenging perceived perceptions of the “Disabled Experience,” and The Lark , a play development lab devoted to equity, community, and the power of an individual artistic voice, launched The Apothetae at Lark Fellowship, the centerpiece of a broader initiative designed to provide an unprecedented platform of financial and artistic support and advocacy for Deaf/Disabled Artists to promote the generation of new plays with the power to revolutionize the cultural conversation surrounding Disability, as well as address the profound underrepresentation and oppressive misrepresentation of people with disabilities that persists throughout our cultural media. The Lark shuttered in late 2021, and the initiative has been rehomed at Queens Theatre. 

Six readings of new full-length plays by Disabled playwrights, developed through the Apothetae at Lark Fellowship will be presented as part of the festival. The diverse set of plays, which are written in a wide range of styles, includes, "Blanche and Stella" by A.A. Brenner; "The Things We Carry" by Oya Mae "O" Duchess Davis,"3 Bodies" by Jerron Herman, "We Will Never Reach The Shore" by Tim J. Lord,  Magda Romanska’s "The Life and Times of Stephen Hawking," and Nikki Brake-Silla’s, "Say It Ain't So." All readings will be presented in-person and live-streamed.

Play readings are free, but reservations are required. Ticketed events start at $25. Students and seniors receive a 10% discount. For more information about the festival and to reserve your spot, visit https://queenstheatre.org/forward-festival or call the Box Office at 718.760.0064.