An APAC Update

One of our favorite local arts organizations, The Astoria Performing Arts Center (APAC), has some updates—they have a new Executive Director and a new season upcoming!

Their new Executive Director is Astoria resident Jesse Marchese. He’s got a solid theater background—he was Associate Director of Off-Broadway’s award-winning Mint Theater Company, where during his six years there he helped produce 15 productions, and focused on artistic programming and institutional development. He also directed two of them, The Lucky One by A.A. Milne and The Fatal Weakness by George Kelly (nominated for two 2015 Drama Desk Awards). And on the topic of directing, his work as a director has also been seen at Village Light Opera Group, Gallery Players, Theater for the New City, New World Stages, and Marymount Manhattan College.

“I couldn’t be more excited to work with APAC, an organization that I admire in a community I love, and call home. I look forward to working side by side with APAC’s Artistic Director, Dev Bondarin, and the APAC staff to strengthen community partnerships and offer high-quality professional theater to the residents of Western Queens and beyond.”

We also want to recognize Jessica Bathurst, who served as Executive Director of APAC from 2015 to 2017, and did great things for the organization while she was there.

As for the upcoming APAC season, there will be two Mainstage productions, including Veil’d in November and Follies in May. 2018 heralds the arrival of their community program with the young people at IS 10, Astoria Playmaking, and in February APAC is collaborating with Beehive Dramaturgy Studio for their Developmental Reading Series, Intersecting Identities. The 13th season of APAC’s annual Senior Stars program ends the season in summer 2018. There’s really something for everyone.

For Mainstage shows, tickets are very reasonable: Adults are $18 and Students/Seniors are $12. There are also opportunities to get involved with APAC’s productions as a volunteer, which you can read about here.

Congrats all around to APAC on their new Executive Director and their exciting 2017-18 season!