Richard Maxwell's QUEENS ROW Announced At The Kitchen, January 2020

The Kitchen presents the U.S. premiere of Queens Row, a New York City Players production written and directed by Richard Maxwell (January 8-25).

In an open room, Naz enters and stands on a pedestal. She describes living in a near-future America, after a civil war has left the country reeling. She tells of her town of Queens Row, Massachusetts, and of her only son who went looking for work in Odessa, Texas. He fell in love with a girl, killed a man in a jealous rage, and later, was killed by police. She grapples with her grief and keeping faith.

Antonia enters and takes Naz's place. Antonia speaks to her missing lover, updating him while living out of her car in Odessa. She speaks about their relationship and what independence means in her life. After mentioning the child they have made together, she sees a double of herself who is loyal to a fault. The space goes dark. Antonia exits the pedestal. In the dark, a third woman enters. The third woman is led to the pedestal by the other two.

Soraya, the son and lover's daughter, speaks in a broken way. She acquires communication as she is speaking. She tries to talk about where she stands in Las Cruces, New Mexico. She tries to talk about her parents in the early days, about people abandoning Queens Row, about how her father died, and about her lack of beliefs. She tries to talk about survival, happiness, and finally returning to Queens Row.

Queens Row-the name of a Massachusetts town-came from a dystopian dream Maxwell had. When he woke up from this dream, he discovered that "Queens Row, Massachusetts" did not exist. The playwright had also recently been on a road trip through the flat arid landscape of West Texas, passing through Odessa. These two places, one real, another dreamed, would become the settings of the work he'd eventually write, about three people connected by an absence, across a shattered America.

Maxwell anonymously sought performers by advertising online and built the characters of Queens Row around the actors he chose: Nazira Hanna, Soraya Nabipour, and Antonia Summer. They premiered Queens Row at London's Institute of Contemporary Arts in Fall 2018. Its U.S. premiere marks Maxwell's return to The Kitchen following three acclaimed productions in the bare, interdisciplinary space: 2015's The Evening, 2012's Natural Hero, and 2006's The End of Reality.

Queens Row features set and lights by Sascha van Riel, costumes by Kaye Voyce, produced by Regina Vorria.

Performances take place at The Kitchen (512 W 19th St) January Jan 8-11, 15-18, and 22-25 at 8pm. Tickets will go on sale shortly. nycplayers.org

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