LEO Reading Set for Queens College, 3/3-5

LEO written by Rosa Laborde and directed by Susan Einhorn is described as "a lyrical but ultimately tragic story about three childhood friends – Leo a romantic poet whose memories unravel the action of the play in flashbacks, Rodrigo, an idealistic socialist, and Isolda a maladjusted young woman adrift in life.

"Set in 1973, Santiago Chile, these three adolescents journey from innocence to understanding. Their triangular love story explores the tensions emanating from their maturing views on sexual identity, politics and arts as their country collapses into fascism. With a haunting epilogue that brings the story full circle, LEO speaks to contemporary audience also struggling to square their ideals in the world around them."

LEO will be performed at Queens College's Goldstein Theatre on Saturday March 3 at 7:30 pm and on Sunday, March 4 at 2:00 pm. For reservations for this free event call 718.793.8080.

LEO will also be performed in New York City in the Studio at Playwright Horizons, 416 West 42nd Street on Monday, March 5 at 7:00 pm. For reservations call 212.279.4200.

The readings both at Queens College and Playwrights Horizons will feature talkback with the playwright Rosa Laborde.

LEO written by Rosa Laborde is inspired by the experiences of her family in Chile during the tumultuous Allende years. Leo was mounted twice in Toronto before touring Canada. It was nominated for five Dora Mavor Moore Awards including Outstanding New Play and was also finalist for the Governor-General's Literary Award for Drama.

Queens College students will be performing LEO under the direction of Susan Einhorn head of the acting program. Thomas Stagnitta will read the role of Leo; Stephen Winburn will read Rodrigo; Rosanny Zayas will read the role of Isolda and Irmaris Sanchez will read for Mami as well as the stage directions. These students study theater in the Drama, Theatre & Dance Department at Queens College. Susan Einhorn, head of the acting program, is committed to bringing new plays and original works to the college for its theatre students.

Kupferberg Center for the Arts proudly showcases Queens College's student actors, dancers and musicians throughout the season. Trained by Queens College's critically acclaimed Department of Drama, Dance & Theatre and the Aaron Copland School of Music Queens College student artists are given a platform to perform and work on their craft. The Kupferberg Center for the Arts invites the community to these performances to become an integral part of the artistic process for these students, the audience.

TeatroStageFest, a production of the Latino International Theater Festival of New York, Inc., is New York's main artistic and cultural celebration of Great Theater for All Audiences! Since the inaugural festival in 2007,TeatroStageFest has presented 670 local and International Artists and 167 performances and events citywide by renowned companies from New York, Latin America, the Caribbean and Spain. TeatroStageFest's year-round series of multicultural and multi-generational Theater, Dance, Music and Puppetry productions, workshops, panel discussions, and readings are curated by Susana Tubert, LITF/NY's Producing Executive Director.

TeatroStageFest is an Official Event of the NYC Latin Media and Entertainment Commission, and counts with support from the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, NYSCA, American Airlines, and Principal Media Sponsors NY1, El Diario/La Prensa and Telemundo 47.

Major sponsors of the Kupferberg Center for the Arts Play Reading Series: The Natalie Bailey and Herbert J. Kirshner Foundation and The New York Community Trust.
Funding for the Kupferberg Center at Queens College is also provided in part by Milton and Sally Avery Arts Foundation, Council for Cultural Affairs Taiwan, Harkness Foundation for Dance, Max and Selma Kupferberg Family Foundation, Music for Youth Fund of UJA Federation, New York Community Bank, Sam Ash Music Stores, Taipei Cultural Center of TECO in New York, The Kupferberg Foundation.

Additional funding is provided, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council. Public funds are also provided by the Queens Borough President Helen M. Marshall and New York City Councilmembers Daniel Halloran and Elizabeth Crowley.