CLOSE TO HOME When playwright Christina Quintana began volunteering at a Manhattan homeless shelter back in 2013, she knew she needed to write about it. Her interactions with the men and women of The Friends Shelter at 15 Rutherford Pl. translated themselves into “Evensong,” Quintana’s new play that unpacks the trials of homelessness in New York City. The play, directed by David Mendizábal, will make its world premiere at Astoria Performing Arts Center (APAC) starting Nov. 3 and running through Nov. 19. Tickets can be purchased online at www.apacny.org, or at the box office half an hour prior to performances. APAC’s artistic director and Astoria resident Dev Bondarin is ecstatic to be kicking off the center’s 16th season with such a powerful piece. “This show is emblematic of the kind of theater we want to be producing in Astoria and New York City,” Bondarin said. “It’s something that feels close to home, but it’s also something new that, to quote Shakespeare, ‘holds a mirror up to nature,’ asking us, ‘Are we doing the best we can do?’” This next season for APAC in particular focuses on topical social issues, with “Evensong” taking the lead, then a revival of “Raisin,” a musical adaptation of Lorraine Hansberry’s iconic play, “Raisin in the Sun,” opening in the spring. Considering this month’s presidential election and our country’s constant change, Bondarin believes the timeliness of these shows is crucial: “In terms of our social climate, I think theater folk in the city can join the conversation by producing work that is relevant, in ways that are really important.” And “Evensong” gives us just that. The 90-minute play follows the difficult life of Mexican-American Teofilo “Teo” Aguilar, a young, gay, homeless man in New York City. Teo struggles to make ends meet working as BY Estelle Pyper @estie_pyper @estiepyper a bank teller, while also searching for companionship in a world filled with loneliness. A story of human connection, “Evensong” sheds light on the shelter system and the lesser-known working homeless population. “I don’t think a lot of people realize that there are so many people in the shelter who actually get up and go to work each day, trying to make it work,” Quintana said. “Teo is like so many people you find in the shelters who actually have jobs, but they don’t have a support system.” To prepare for such a complex role, Daniel Prado, who plays Teo, felt that research was necessary, and turned to the local neighborhood for inspiration. “I know that there are people who have jobs who also live in shelters, but I never understood the circumstances, so I reached out to a community near Astoria,” the young actor said. “There were some people I talked to who told me about how a lot of them are very positive, but there are also a lot who deal with emotional issues when in the shelter. I think it’s all about being positive.” Prado illustrates Teo’s character as “confident and kind of edgy,” Prado explained. “He has issues underneath that he’s not letting out. I think a lot of what this character is dealing with is coming to terms with being home- Actor Daniel Prado 22 I BOROMAG.COM I NOVEMBER 2016 ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
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