[From Astoria Performing Arts Center]
Astoria, NY—November 18, 2020—Astoria Performing Arts Center (APAC) has announced that it will celebrate its 20th season by establishing a new home in the space formerly known as the Secret Theatre in Long Island City, Queens. APAC will present much of its future programming at the venue and, for the first time in its history, this award-winning Off-Off Broadway theater company will have a dedicated performance space to call its own. APAC presents a full season of plays and musicals annually and also offers a variety of arts education and performance programs for youth, students, and seniors.
“APAC is thrilled to finally put down permanent roots in our own theater space,” says Board President, Shelly Felder. “It affords us an opportunity to bring even more innovative theater to Queens. We are grateful to The Indie Theater Fund and IndieSpace for their assistance in the transition to our new venue.”
Beginning in 2021, APAC will launch a fundraising campaign to provide residencies to local artists and organizations with a specific focus on new and underrepresented voices. The fund will support the development of new works of theater, dance, film, and music. “With the establishment of these residencies, we look forward to providing opportunities to artists to develop meaningful work and also to giving our audience members access to art from an even broader spectrum of creators,” said Dev Bondarin, APAC’s Artistic Director. For more information and to donate to the fund or APAC, please visit www.apacny.org.
APAC’s 2021 season began with streaming performances of American Arcana by Cyndi Williams and will continue with the radio play Stuff by Astoria-based playwright Mrinalini Kamath, as well as the postponed revival of Man of La Mancha in addition to new and expanded community programs.
About APAC
Astoria Performing Arts Center is an award-winning non-profit theater company dedicated to engaging the residents of Astoria, Long Island City, and greater Queens in contemporary social and cultural issues through live performance and arts education. Established in 2001, APAC has produced a diverse mix of new plays and reimagined musicals and developed dozens of new works. APAC also provides a robust array of community and arts education programs that offer writing and performing opportunities to students, seniors, and residents of all ages with and without disabilities. Recent productions include the New York premiere of Marguerite by Michael Cooper and Anton Dudley featuring Tony Award-winner Cady Huffman, Jump by Charly Evon Simpson, the AUDELCO Award-winning revival of Caroline, or Change by Tony Kushner and Jeanine Tesori, and Queen by Madhuri Shekar. For more information, please visit www.apacny.org.
