Astoria
A family drama set in a Queens apartment: a writer chronicles his grandmother's past as she faces a move to a nursing home.
During their weekly dinner conversations at his grandmother Helen's apartment, Michael, a writer, chronicles the family history. But when Gram breaks her hip Michael must face facts: it is time to move her to a nursing home.
As Michael prepares Helen, Walter, his estranged father, shows up. They confront old issues. Otto, Helen's bachelor neighbor, a Greek waiter, provides comic relief while Venus, Michael's girlfriend, complicates the mix with her demands for a commitment.
ASTORIA takes place in Helen's long-time apartment in Astoria Queens. There we also meet Mr. Kodura, her upstairs neighbor, in the midst of a mid-life crisis, and a young blind cellist who lives across the courtyard.
It's the story of Michael's seeking resolution to the traumas in his family's history by shaping them into a play. Can he recreate the past with the present changing around him and demanding his intervention. CAST *David Leeper (Michael) Mary Ruth Baggott (Venus/Blind Cellist) ReW Starr (Helen) *Steve Hauck (Walter) Gary Ray Bugarcic (Otto/Mr. Kodura) *AEA PRODUCTION Playwright: Richard Ploetz Director: Mark Finley Production Manager: Devorah Shubowitz Stage Manager: Mathew Seepersad Sound Design: Joshua J. Groth Set Design: Mark Marcante and Lytza Colón Light Design: Joshua J. Groth