Queens Theatre's New American Voices and The Apothetae present
Blanche & Stella
Written by A.A. Brenner
Directed by Colm Summers
part of the Forward Festival of the Arts
May 20, 2022 at 8:00 PM
CAST
BLANCHE / McLean Peterson
STELLA / Carey Blackburn
ARMAN / Rakesh Palisetty
THE GENTLEMAN CALLER / A.A. Brenner
STAGE DIRECTIONS / Jorge Guevara
American Sign Language Interpretation provided by Body Language Productions
Open Captioning provided by Sign Nexus
Who's Who
PLAYWRIGHT A.A. Brenner (also The Gentleman Caller) (they/them) is a playwright, dramaturg, and New Yorker. Their writing blends naturalistic dialogue with heightened realism to explore queer, Jewish, and Disability themes, challenging both societal power structures and theatrical form. A.A.'s plays have been presented or commissioned by La Jolla Playhouse, National Disability Theatre, Lincoln Center, CO/LAB Theatre Group, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Young Playwrights Inc., The Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts, Columbia University, Mason Gross School of the Arts @ Rutgers University, and The Hangar Theatre Lab Company; their play for all audiences, EMILY DRIVER'S GREAT RACE THROUGH TIME AND SPACE (co-written by Gregg Mozgala), was featured on the 2020 Kilroys List. Additionally, A.A. was a Finalist for the 2020-22 Apothetae & Lark Playwriting Fellowship, the Platform Presents 2021 Playwright's Prize, and the 2021 Columbia@Roundabout New Play Reading Series, and they have been a writer-in-residence at New York Stage and Film's 2021 Summer Season and The Lark's Beyond the Binary initiative for trans and nonbinary writers. Currently, A.A. lives on Lenape land in Brooklyn, NY, and is a 2022 graduate of the MFA Playwriting Program at Columbia University School of the Arts.
DIRECTOR Colm Summers is an Irish stage director based between New York and Dublin. Selected credits include The Kill One Race, (Playwrights Horizons, NYC), Wednesday (New York Live Arts) La Clemenza di Tito (Grand Théatre de Geneve), Portia Coughlan (National Theatre of Ireland, The Abbey), Love à la Mode (Smock Alley and Trafalgar Square), Gays Against the Free State! (Dublin Fringe), Enemy of the Stars (Dublin & Morocco), God’s Ear by Jenny Schwartz, (Samuel Beckett Theatre). Colm has worked with The Wooster Group, Milo Rau, the feath3r theory, Dead Centre, and Pan Pan. He is a Dublin Fringe Festival Radical Spirit Award Nominee, and was selected for the Next Stage: Forecast cohort at Dublin Theatre Festival and the Pan Pan International Mentorship. He is a Resident Director at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin. Upcoming: Associate Direct The Inheritance at the Geffen Playhouse. His writing is published in Liverpool University Press, Oberon and Brill.
McLean Peterson (Blanche) (she/her) Theatre: IvankaPlay (Edinburgh Fringe) Pop Punk High (les Poisson Rouge), Convention (Irondale), Assassins (Secret Theatre), CRACKS (NY Fringe). Film/TV: "Zero Avenue", "Birdie", "Jessica Jones" (Netflix), and "The Chaperone" (PBS). Upcoming: RIP HER TO SHREDS (Ars Nova) "Summoners" (Terence Krey).
@mclean18 | www.mcleanpeterson.com
Carey Blackburn (Stella) (she/her/hers) is a performing artist based in New York City. Regional and NYC credits include: Persuasion (The Tank NYC), In Absentia (Occupy the Stage) Spring Awakening (Serenbe Playhouse) Robin Hood (Florida Studio Theatre), Macbeth (Thunder Bay Theatre). BFA East Carolina University. www.careyblackburn.com
Rakesh Palisetty (Arman) is an actor and director from New Delhi, India. He has acted in over thirty different productions, and has performed extensively across India. He is about to finish his MFA in Directing from Columbia University.
Jorge Guevara (Stage Directions) (they/he) is a New York based actor and mover. They wrapped their production of the first film they wrote titled doing fine and they have two feature films set to premiere in the upcoming year. Jorge completed their acting training at the Terry Knickerbocker Studio in 2020 and at Cornell University in 2017. @jorgefelipeguevara
Queens Theatre
Staff
Taryn Sacramone, Executive Director
Connie Baker, Rentals and Events Manager
Charles Bennett, Building Attendant
Victor Catano, Production Manager
Jeanmarie Conley, Technical Director
Dominic D'Andrea, Director of Community Engagement
Richard Hinojosa, Director of Education
Tony Lackram, Operations Assistant
Vasilios Leon, Box Office Assistant
Willy Mosquera, Front of House Manager
Bernadette Ott, Development Manager
Angelica Rodriguez, Finance Manager
Gabriel Rodriguez, Box Office Supervisor
Jerry Rodriguez, Sound Associate
Jay Rogers, Director of Operations/GM
Jordi Toro, Box Office Assistant
Jorge Toro, Building Attendant
William A. Smith, Building Attendant
Rob Urbinati, Director of New Play Development
Steve Wolf, Assistant Production Manager/Lighting Supervisor
Marketing and PR: Anat Gerstein, Inc.
Board of Directors
Executive Committee
Gary Kesner, President
Tracy Capune, Vice President
Bruce Levine, Treasurer
Mark Misk, Secretary
Alfonso Quiroz
Members
Jennifer Bai
Georgiana Benatti
Salvatore DiMartino
Cameron R. Hernandez
Susan B. Lipsky
Irene Zoupaniotis
Ex-Officio
Eric Adams, New York City Mayor
Donovan Richards, Queens Borough President
Laurie Cumbo, Commissioner, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs
Jacqueline Langsam, Queens Borough Commissioner, NYC Department of Parks & Recreation
Board President Emeritus: Frances A. Resheske