National Asian American Theatre Company has announced the inaugural production of the NAATCO National Partnership Project (NNPP) will be Madhuri Shekar's Queen. The play will run at New Haven, Connecticut's Long Wharf Theatre May 15-June 5 ahead of its transfer to A.R.T./New York's Mezzanine Theatre June 10-July 2.
Featured in the cast of Queen will be Ben Livingston, Keshav Moodliar, Stephanie Janssen, and Avanthika Srinivasan. Aneesha Kudtarkar directs.
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 will include scenic design by Junghhyun Georgia Lee, sound design by Daniela Hart with assistant sound designers Bailey Trierweiler and Noel Nichols, costume design by Phuong Nguyen with assistant costume designer Kyle Artone, and lighting design by Yuki Nakase Link with assistant lighting designer Jackie Fox.
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.”
“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.”
Visit LongWharf.org. Tickets are not yet on sale for A.R.T./New York run.
