Queens Theatre to Host Local Author Meet and Greet

It will be a "Page to Stage" day when Queens Theatre hosts a Queens Children's Book Author Meet and Greet along with two performances of the famed musical, Anne of Green Gables, on Sunday, April 28th.

Beginning at 12 noon, various Queens-based children's authors and illustrators will gather at the theater to display their books autograph copies and answer children's questions. At 1pm and 3 pm there will be performances of Anne, a play based on the 1908 L. M. Montgomery book that revolves around the title character's love of reading and the solace it provides when she finds herself living with a new family in a new town. The 3 p.m. show will feature ASL interpretation and will be a sensory-relaxed performance. (The book expo is free;tickets for Anne are $14.)

"Anne of Green Gables is the perfect story for children to see as they revel in the books and authors who will attend this day-long event," said Taryn Sacramone, Executive Director of the Queens Theatre. "We hope the families of Queens can enjoy a Spring day at Flushing Meadows Corona Park and visit the theater for this day of books and theater. I know they'll enjoy it."

Queens Authors Participating in the Children's Book Author Meet & Greet:

Joanne Baker-Smith is an elementary school teacher and author. Her book, Rosie the Reader, is the first in her Little Learner Series to help children beyond her classroom feel confident and excited about learning. In the book, the title character is concerned about an upcoming reading assessment, until her mother helps her see how strategies she uses each day are helping her to become a better reader. Early elementary readers will relate to Rosie's situation and be inspired be her success. Ms. Baker-Smith, a mother of two, lives with her husband and children in Forest Hills.

Katie Dunne has been writing since she was very young. Her first screenplay, short stories and poems were written almost as early as when she began pick up a pencil and spell her first words. "Getting lost in my writing is my happy place," said Katie, who believes her vivid imagination has led to her debut children's book, Inches from Home, the story of, Rick, an inch worm who gets lost in the woods, but finds his way home with the help of those around him. The moral of the story, says Katie, is that we all live on the same tree (Planet Earth) and, although we may look different from one another, are far more similar than we think.

Sharita Manickam grew up in Maryland and, upon graduation from the University of Maryland, moved to New York City and worked in marketing until her first daughter was born. During her first years as a mom, she discovered a passion for writing and co-wrote a television drama script for a major network. Her love of writing, coupled with her love of reading to her daughters, sparked the idea for a children's book. Sharita lives in Forest Hills with her husband, Maurice, and their two girls, Leela and Ella. Sharita's first book, Rad Girl Revolution: Little Girls with Dreams Become Women with Vision!, is meant to empower girls to "rise above doubt and reach any dream."

Daniel J. O'Brien is a Trinidad-born author and illustrator now living in Queens with his loyal and energetic dog, Obbie. O'Brien holds a BFA in illustration from The School of Visual Arts. With that and his love of folklore, nature and science, he is constantly fueling his passion for art and design, using his honed ability to display exuberant and whimsical illustrations full of life and rich colors. Daniel has been published in magazines, books, blogs and web sites and has also exhibited his work at gallery shows. His book, The Carnival Prince, is about a boy with stubby antlers who explores and frolics through Trinidad and Tobago where he befriends animals and ancient mythical creatures. Such friendships are called to task as they try to save the Carnival season for everyone. The author asks: perhaps the clever, yet anxious boy, will find his way in the modern world in the process?

Jane Sanders of Forest Hills is author of a board book series to employ the magic of whispering to children to gently send them to sleep. Her three-book collection, for which she is also the illustrator, are titled Seashore Stroll, Woodland Walk and Nighttime Slumber. All three have a soothing world of lush, colorful illustrations to pique the interest of small children. When their parents whisper the accompanying stories, the voices become a dynamic instrument creating tones and vibrations designed to rock the younger ones to sleep. Accompanied by finger-tapping against the board book's pages in rhythm with the narrative, the voices create an all-encompassing stereophonic experience. Sanders is a graphic artist whose clients include The New York Times, Sterling Publishers, Educational Insights, Easter Seals, Pyrex and Parents Magazine.

Michael Schmidt grew up in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania and started cartooning when he was in the first grade, sparking a desire to become a cartoonist from that early age. After high school, he moved to New York City and attended the School of Visual Arts where he graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2003. The current Queens resident wrote What Will You Be Little Raccoon? about an animal who is upset because he doesn't know what he wants to be when he grows up. For every job he can imagine, he also finds a reason he won't succeed. Firefighter, lawyer... is there anything he can do? With comical rhymes and humorous illustrations, the book is meant to captivate all young readers.

About Ann of Green Gables

Presented by ArtsPower

Matthew Cuthbert and his sister Marilla need a boy to help with the chores around their farm on Prince Edward Island. They are not expecting Anne Shirley, a vivacious orphan with a wild imagination and a breathless fascination to find a place she can call home.

ArtsPower's heart-warming musical, based on Lucy Maud Montgomery's beloved novels, follows Anne on her unlikely journey to find the family she's always wanted. The show runs 55 minutes and is recommended for children aged seven to 12. Tickets, click here.

About the Queens Theatre

The Queens Theatre is located at 14 United Nations Avenue South in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, directly under the iconic towers of the New York State Pavilion. We are easily accessible by car, bus and subway. Queens Theatre is the premier performing arts venue in Queens. Queens Theatre's mission is to provide quality and diverse performing arts activities that are economically and geographically accessible to the 2.2 million residents of Queens, the most ethnically diverse county in the nation, and the surrounding metropolitan region. To foster greater cultural awareness and appreciation, the Theatre presents and produces programs that reflect this diversity and features international, national and local artists.

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