Countless plays are set in New York––mostly in Manhattan and occasionally in Brooklyn, but very rarely Queens. Narrowing down even further, Theatre 167 focuses their theatre work on Jackson Heights, Queens. Created by seven playwrights and directed by Artistic Director Ari Laura Kreith, Jackson Heights 3 AM weaves multiple story lines together that encapsulate life in the multicultural neighborhood during the course of a single night.
The various story threads include a drag queen that injures her ankle during a performance and ends up in the emergency room. The punk kid who caused the injury wants to get into entertainment by joining the drag queen’s act. A gay cop from Long Island is in the neighborhood drowning his sorrows after a botched internet hook up with a meth-head, but meets a sweet Latino man in the local gay bar who helps him to salvage the evening. An Indian car service operator makes a connection with a customer who loves her voice. A doctor is busy juggling her personal life as the inhabitants of the neighborhood intersect at the emergency room during her shift as she does her best to soothe their wounds. A pair of cops, each with very different ways of engaging with the public, try their best to keep the peace. All these stories and more are blended with surprising clarity. For all the hard luck stories the play depicts, there is an over all charm to the people and a great sense of hope that emerges by the end.
The cast of twenty actors play the myriad of characters, some playing multiple roles. Each actor is remarkably perfect for his part as if the writers had written specifically for the talents at hand. Although some of the actors participated in the writing of the piece, the majority were cast in the usual manner and so it is truly impressive how each actor fits their character like a glove. This well acted, beautifully conceived portrait of a complicated neighborhood is well worth an evening out in Jackson Heights.
The production is produced in two spaces, first at PS 69 at 77-02 37th Avenue in the very heart of the neighborhood and later in the run the show will move to Queens Theatre in the Park, Corona Park. The latter venue might be more comfortable and seemingly raise the level of the theatrical experience, but catching the show in the actual neighborhood, while partaking in a little local cuisine to compliment an evening might make the experience all the more complete. Either way, this original work is worth the trip.
Now through February 5th. Check out www.theatre167.org and www.queenstheatre.org for details.
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