46 THE QUEENS COURIER • BUZZ • NOVEMBER 4, 2021 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
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Mother Cabrini musical heading to Forest Hills
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
cmohamed@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
A musical about the courageous life
of Italian-born Roman Catholic nun, St.
Francis Xavier Cabrini, also known as
Mother Cabrini, is coming to Forest Hills.
Th e theatrical production, “Happening
Woman,” by playwright AnnaMarie Prono,
will take place on Saturday, Nov. 13, and
Sunday, Nov. 14, at Our Lady of Mercy
Roman Catholic Church, located at 70-01
Kessel St.
“I think that this show is a wonderful
opportunity for people to learn about the
fi rst American citizen to be named a Saint in
the Catholic Church. I am looking forward
to seeing it,” said Rev. Frank Schwarz, pastor
at Our Lady of Mercy.
Set in the present day through the eyes
of a 13-year-old girl with multiple sclerosis
(MS), Cabrini’s life provides the backdrop
to inspire a young woman to overcome her
own challenges as she comes of age.
Cabrini founded the Missionary Sisters
of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a Catholic religious
Queens Theatre presents fi rst in-person play readings since pandemic began
BY BILL PARRY
bparry@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Queens Th eatre in Flushing Meadows
Corona Park is hosting its fi rst in-person
play readings since the onset of the
COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. Th e
doors will once again be open to the public
with two evening performances.
“SHORTS! An Evening of Short Plays”
on Saturday, Nov. 6, at 8 p.m. and “MORE
SHORTS! Another Evening of Short
Plays” on Saturday, Dec. 4, at 8 p.m. both
feature plays written and directed by artists
who identify as Asian.
“Queens Th eatre has always championed
quality, diversity, equity and inclusion,
making it one of my favorite venues
to see new work,” playwright Lucy Wang
said. “I am thrilled to return there to see
my work performed before a live audience.
Th is homecoming feels even sweeter
aft er the long hiatus imposed by the pandemic
because Queens Th eatre prioritizes
accessibility and I can bring my 93-yearold
father-in-law to the show. What a gift .”
Both evenings’ performances will be
directed by Aneesh Kudtarkar and Dennis
Yueh-Yeh Li, and feature casts that include
Borah Ahn, Subin Kara Ahn, David
Brown, Shan Y. Chuang, Stuart Green,
Nancy Yao Massbach and Yeena Sung.
“I found these plays electrifying,”
Director Dennis Yueh-Yeh Li said. “Th e
playwrights strike an elegant balance
between two great cultures, while meticulously
dissecting the complexity of these
cultures. As a Taiwanese immigrant who
is still looking for a sense of belonging in
this country, these relatable short plays
generously off er me great consolation.”
All performances are free, but advanced
reservations are strongly recommended.
Tickets can be reserved by calling
718-760-0064 or by visiting the Queens
Th eatre website at queenstheatre.org.
All guests 12 years of age and up must
produce proof of COVID-19 vaccination
upon arrival at Queens Th eatre and
patrons over the age of 18 must also show
a valid form of ID. Masks are required,
regardless of vaccination status.
“I am excited to have the fi rst post-pandemic,
in-theater reading of my play at
Queens Th eatre,” playwright Cary Wong
said. “Aft er watching theater on Zoom
and social media for the last 18 months,
returning to the historic building will be
quite emotional.”
institute that was a major support to
her fellow Italian immigrants to the United
States. She was also the fi rst U.S. citizen to be
canonized as a saint by the Roman Catholic
Church in July of 1946.
Prono, a native New Yorker and architect
whose career was cut short by MS, a condition
which aff ects the brain and spinal cord,
had an epiphany to produce a play about
Cabrini aft er Mayor Bill de Blasio refused
to erect a statue of the nun — even though
she received the most “She Built NYC” campaign
votes in 2018.
According to Prono, she was fascinated
and needed to know more about Cabrini.
“She was a woman who refused to take
‘no’ for an answer. As someone with compromised
health, I identifi ed with that and
spent the next year getting to know her. She
accomplished great things and I want to do
the same,” Prono said.
“Happening Woman” is more than a feelgood
musical, Prono’s team said.
“It’s about real people and real-life situations
and fi nding solutions. We aren’t highlighting
the negative, rather we are celebrating
a real life miracle maker, who lived and
worked in New York City,’’ the team said.
“She made a diff erence in the lives of people
who are no longer with us, but today
she continues to motivate and bring positive
energy to all who are receptive. We want
our show to resonate with the youth in our
communities.”
“Happening Woman” was conceived just
before the COVID-19 outbreak in March
2020.
According to Prono’s production partner,
Malini McDonald, despite social distancing
restrictions, Prono continued writing and
collaborating with musician, friend and the
show’s composer, Robert Kaufmann.
Kaufman wrote the theme song and
“Happening Woman” was offi cially born.
“Despite social distancing restrictions,
AnnaMarie continued writing and collaborating
with Bob Kaufmann. Technology
aided us with Zoom and emails, until it
was safe to meet in person again,” said
McDonald, who also has MS.
Th ermApparel, a company that focuses
on technologically advanced and barely visible
cooling vests commonly used by actors,
athletes and individuals with heat intolerance,
is a presenting sponsor of the musical.
Kurtis Kracke, CEO and founder of
Th ermApparel, said their goal is to help
people do more of what they love by reducing
exhaustion and fatigue caused by heat
and exertion.
“You can’t tell, but AnnaMarie was wearing
her cooling vest during her GoFundMe
video,” Kracke said. “Like Mother Cabrini,
she is inspirational to others as an example
of someone living life to its fullest despite
signifi cant challenges brought on by MS. In
addition to sponsoring the musical, we are
featuring AnnaMarie as a #RIPupMS hero
because of her dedication.”
To help bring “Happening Woman” to
other churches and schools, Prono’s team has
launched a GoFundMe page to raise $6,800.
Th e funding will be used for the venue, the
production (set, costumes, props), the technical
team and technical support.
Adult tickets are $15 and tickets for children/
seniors are $12. However, since it’s a
workshop, the team is inviting guests within
the church and theatrical circles at no
charge. Guests are required to wear masks
and show proof of COVID-19 vaccination.
“We hope these professionals will be able
to help us bring ‘Happening Woman’ to
more audiences, especially churches and
schools,’” McDonald said.
Photo credit: AnnaMarie Prono
The musical workshop celebrates the courageous life of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (Mother Cabrini),
a fearless woman breaking barriers and blazing trails long before it was acceptable or “happening.”
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