QED Astoria Celebrates Ten Years and Welcomes New Ownership

Change is in the air, as Kambri Crews moves on from Q.E.D., the beloved Astoria performance space she created over ten years ago. On March 1st, Crews will hand the reins to new owner and Astoria resident Hannah Lieberman. 

Q.E.D. is the brainchild of New York Times best selling author and storyteller Kambri Crews. Opened in Fall 2014, Crews sought to create an affordable and accessible space that represented the diversity of the borough and provided a home base for the neighborhood's numerous resident artists to showcase their work. 

Since then, Q.E.D. has been featured on TV Land's The Jim Gaffigan Show (Season 2, Episode 4), NY1 News, CBS Morning News, and Nightline and has welcomed famous performers including Gary Gulman, Al Franken, Janeane Garofalo, Todd Barry, and thousands of performers with credits including Saturday Night Live, Comedy Central and all the late night talk shows. QED was voted Best Comedy Club in all of NYC by Time Out NY readers, beating out heavy hitters like Gotham and the Cellar. Q.E.D. has also served as a hub for social engagement, donating the space for myriad fundraisers and community events.

Crews, who has worked in the New York City comedy scene for over 25 years as a booker, producer, and promoter, said that after a decade of owning a brick and mortar club she was ready to pass on the baton. “QED has always been a labor of love. I'm so grateful to have seen this passion project through and leave on my own terms. Knowing the legacy I've built will continue on with the new owner is icing on the cake.”

In an instagram post, Crews and Lieberman announced the transition and confirmed that Lieberman will continue Q.E.D. in its current form with Crews as her mentor. Both women view this as not only a generational shift, but also one that embodies the spirit of women uplifting each other. 

“It's almost too perfect that Hannah will be taking over QED on the first day of Women's History Month,” says Crews. “Q.E.D. is Queens' only woman-owned, independently- operated performance venue and with Hannah at the helm, the distinction remains.”

Crews' mission for QED always focused on fostering new talent and creating a welcoming, diverse artistic space. Lieberman says she knows firsthand the impact such an opportunity can bring. “QED was the first place I ever headlined and produced, which is such a gift to give a young comedian,” she said. “I plan to pay it forward.” 

“The Q.E.D. you have come to know and love isn't going anywhere,” Lieberman said. “Q.E.D. is my artistic home and like so many other performers, I simply couldn't bear to see it go. But it will enjoy a new burst of energy and a new slate of events, and return to being open seven days a week. I'm delighted to learn from Kambri and will strive to keep everything that made QED such a treasured space and made it a staple of the community.”

 
For its next phase, expect more of Q.E.D.'s fan-favorite programming like the Adult Spelling Bee, figure drawing, and the all-pro comedy showcase Q.E.D. Presents. Q.E.D.  will stay plugged in to the Astoria community with its Shop Small Astoria Retail Crawl and monthly meet-ups like the book clubs, board game. But it will also offer a new roster of events, from cult classic movie nights to after-school youth theatre classes!