JCAL is pleased to announce the season premiere of our "Meet the Playwright" theatre series! This curated script-development series serves to introduce and showcase the projects of local Queens theatre artists to the community.

Kicking off the season is playwright Frank E. Robinson with his production "Y?". The play follows the tale of an American soldier on a reconnaissance mission who discovers a mortally wounded “enemy,” and a conflict between duty and humanity follows as what makes “wartime enemies” is put under a microscope.

Robinson's "Y?" is set to take place on Monday, September 26th from 7pm to 8:30pm at the Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning (161-04 Jamaica Avenue). Be sure to RSVP here!

To celebrate the highly anticipated return of our "Meet the Playwright" theater series, here are five standout moments sourced from our great collection of past productions!

Pearls and Swine by WillieAnn Gissendanner

A pregnant woman finds herself being ordered around by the parents of her unborn child's father although she bears no intention of starting a family with him. This play offers insightful commentary into the highly controversial pro-choice vs. pro-life argument that has furthered the divisive nature of today's society.

Queen Bess - The Bessie Coleman Story by Tommie J. Moore

Moore's play recounts the early life of Bessie Coleman, an American civil aviator. Before she became the first African-American woman and first Native American to hold a pilot license, however, she earned a living by working as a manicurist!

A Mouth Full of Flies by Mr. Vauban Júnior

A son attempts to reconnect with his long-lost father, who fell into the temptation of the world and abandoned his family years ago. Júnior's poignant drama depicts the deterioration of a father-son relationship due to the lack of a solid foundation.

Look at Me by Malcolm Boyd

Lester Furious slowly loses his mind when he starts to hear voices but refuses to believe that they are emanating from within him—that is, until he sees his reflection. This scene demonstrates the gradual decline of an anxious, overstimulated mental state.

The Father Chronicles by Krystle N. Adams

Two daughters interrogate their father's whereabouts late at night before bluntly asking whether he loves them or his "other daughters" more. This play is described as a mix of dark and light drama that explores the father-daughter relationship in all of its simple and not-so-simple complexities.

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