It’s cold out, but it’s warm inside. In other words, it’s the perfect time to kick off the winter theater season in Queens.
First up is Genesis, which is at Queens Theatre from Feb. 2 to Feb. 11.
Produced by the resilient, borough-based Titan Theatre Company, this Mercedes White masterpiece is a de facto prequel to A Raisin in the Sun. Set during the 1918 race riots in Chicago, the play centers around a couple dealing with a tragic, life-changing loss. As they grapple with their grief and societal pressures, they must choose whether their loss will drive them apart or bring them together.
General admission is $27, and the show goes on at 7:30 pm on Feb. 2, Feb. 3, Feb. 8, Feb. 9, and Feb. 10 and at 3 pm on Feb. 4 and 11. Queens Theatre is located at 14 United Nations Ave. S. in Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
Jump over to Middle Village, and Steel Magnolias is at Maggie’s Little Theater from Feb. 3 to Feb. 11.
Famous because it was made into a Hollywood feature film in 1989, this Robert Harling comedy-drama follows a group of women in a small Southern town who welcome a newcomer into their close circle of friends and then cope with the sickness and death of another member.
Tickets cost $22 for adults, but seniors and children under age 12 can attend for $20. Showtimes are Feb. 3 at 8 pm; Feb. 4 at 2:30 pm; Feb. 9 at 8 pm; Feb. 10 at 8 pm; and Feb. 11 at 2:30 pm. It all takes place in St. Margaret Parish Hall’s auditorium at 66-11 79th Pl.
For one night only, Kupferberg Center for the Arts presents a staged reading of Mississippi Land on Feb. 4 at 3 pm. Presented by Gina Keys Productions, this powerful play explores the challenges facing African Americans in Mississippi in 1945 with a focus on attempts to build generational wealth amid the threats of government land theft and family drama.
General admission is $5, and the venue is Queens College’s LeFrak Concert Hall at 153-49 Reeves Ave. in Flushing.
Another great option is Working: A Musical at LaGuardia Performing Arts Center from Feb. 15 to Feb. 24. Based on Studs Terkel’s, best-selling book of interviews with American workers, this musical paints a vivid portrait of workers who are often taken for granted, including schoolteachers, phone operators, waitresses, millworkers, masons, and housewives. The cast is a blend of professional actors and local community members.
Tickets are $20, and shows are Feb. 15 at 2:30 pm, Feb. 16 and Feb. 23 at 7 pm, and Feb. 24 at 2:30 pm and 7 pm. LPAC is at 31-10 Thomson Ave.
Family-friendly fun gets a bit romantic with Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch at Flushing Town Hall on Feb. 17.
Vancouver-based Axis Theatre presents this puppetry extravaganza based on the eponymous children’s book by Eileen Spinelli. Mr. Hatch lives a colorless, ordered life. He works at the shoelace factory, eats lunch alone, reads the paper, and goes to bed early. Then on a Valentine’s Day, Mr. Hatch receives a candy-filled heart with a note that whispers, “Somebody loves you.” With his world turned upside down, he begins to make friends and enjoy all the fun parts of life he once ignored.
There’s a $5 puppetry workshop at 1 pm. Tickets for the 2:15 pm show are $15 for adults and $8 for children. Flushing Town Hall is at 137-35 Northern Blvd.
Parkside Players, a community group that’s been associated with Grace Lutheran Church in Forest Hills since 1981, presents Shakespeare in Hollywood from Feb. 17 to March 3.
Set in 1934, this Ken Ludwig play is about Oberon and Puck, two of Shakespeare’s most famous fairies, who magically materialize on the Warner Bros. Hollywood set of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
General admission is $22, but students and seniors can attend for $20. The 8 pm performances are on Feb. 17, Feb. 24, March 1, and March 2. The 2 pm shows are on Feb. 18, Feb. 25, and March 3. Grace Lutheran Church is on the corner of Union Turnpike and 71st Road in Forest Hills.
Last but not least, City Gate Productions offers Twelve Angry Men at The Stone Circle Theatre in Ridgewood from March 1 to March 10 with a special performance at the Sullivan Center at American Martyrs Catholic Church in Bayside on Saturday, Feb. 24.
Adapted by Sherman L. Sergel and based on the Emmy-winning television movie by Reginald Rose, Twelve Angry Men tells the story of a 19-year-old man who has just stood trial for the fatal stabbing of his father. It looks like an open-and-shut case-until one of the jurors begins opening the others’ eyes to the facts.
Top image: Steel Magnolias at Maggie’s Little Theater;
Bottom image: Mississippi Land at LeFrak Concer Hall