Theater Groups Speak Language Of Queens People
By Juliet Werner and Elisabeth Ponsot

Across the river, far from the flashy lights of Broadway, theater companies are mounting bilingual productions. These performances both accommodate audiences with limited English and promote the borough's rich cultural heritage.

Thalia Theatre presents works in Spanish.

While organizations like Pachamama Peruvian Arts have brought the complex and intricate moves of traditional Peruvian dance to audiences in Jackson Heights - there is only one place in the Borough where Spanish-speaking residents can enjoy plays written by Spanish and Latin American playwrights. This venue is the Thalia Theatre in Sunnyside, which since its inception in 1977 has stood as a testament to the rich Latino culture in the area.

The Thalia has been a neighborhood icon since it was opened by native of Cuba and renowned actress Silvia Brito. The theatre describes its mission on its website as a duty "to celebrate the vibrancy and diversity of Spanish and Latin American culture with unique productions of plays, musicals and dance."

Today, the Thalia Theatre remains the only bilingual Hispanic theatre in Queens. Beyond its contributions to the neighborhood, the theatre has received numerous citations of honor from Mayor Michael Bloomberg and former Queens Borough President Claire Shulman. For more information, call (718) 729-3880 or visit www.thaliatheatre.org.

Astoria's Greek Cultural Center, established more than 30 years ago, presents three plays in Greek every year. The center very recently started projecting subtitles.

"Because now the Greeks are third or fourth generation they were not so familiar with the Greek," program coordinator Fotis Michelioudakis said. "It's better for them to read English and then they understand the plays."

This fall, the Greek Cultural Center will present Lysistrata by Aristophanes.

"We're trying to continue our Greek heritage and promote our culture," Michelioudakis said, adding the center also produces modern plays.

For information, call (718) 726-7329 or visit www.greekculturalcenter.org.

Shikshayatan Cultural Center, which offers classes in Shikshayatan Cultural Center, will also present shows that incorporate dialogue in Hindi.

Shikshayatan Director Purnima Desia said she invites professional performers from India to the Flushing Center.

"My mission is serve humanity," Desai said. "My hope is that by coming to my center they get some peace of mind."

For information, call (718)461-4065.

The Queens Theater in the Park's annual Asian Cultural Festival attracts what manager Willy Mosqueara calls a "very anglo, very mainstream audience."

Mosquera attended the festival last year and most fondly recalls a Korean drumming ensemble performance.

"The person onstage was really upfront," Mosquera said. "He was making people sing in Korean whether you were American or Korean or whatever, you were repeating whatever he was saying. It was awesome. The whole concert ended in the lobby. They all marched out with their drums and they're still playing. It was nonstop."

For more information about QTIP, call (718)760-0064 or visit www. queenstheatre.org.