#PickoftheWeek | New Film Depicts Queens Residents During COVID Pandemic
BY QEDC It's In Queens
COVID hit Queens hard, but the borough responded with tremendous benevolence, creativity, kindness, and voluntarism.
This community spirit is reflected in I See You And You See Me, which will make its world premiere via Queens Theatre on Thursday, April 22, at 7 pm.
Described as a “filmed theatrical event,” the Madison Square Films production is based on oral histories and source material that were submitted to the Queens Memory Project at Queens Public Library. It stars 11 actors whose monologues give life to the local residents and their real-life pandemic experiences. Shot remotely in the actors’ homes and on a QT stage, some episodes are sad, while others are angry, frustrating, funny, and hopeful.
I See You And You See Me will stream via QT’s YouTube channel with a live talkback at the end. Admission is free, but viewers should register beforehand.
“This exceptional, moving film shares the stories of hope, of pain, and of promise,” stated QT Executive Director Taryn Sacramone. “By presenting these beautifully scripted stories ─ all based on true accounts ─ we hope to show that we are not alone, that we all truly are in this together, and that we will prevail.”
Harris Doran, a professional actor who grew up in Flushing, wrote, adapted, and directed the feature-length movie. (His credits include “Beauty Mark” and “Bleeding Love.”) QT Director of Community Engagement Dominic D’Andrea and QT General Manager Jay Rogers produced it.
The stories come from the following Queens residents, who are listed in alphabetical order: Kaffy Abdul; Hector Biaggi; Seo-Young Chu; Tanya Fiebert; Karen Fisher; Emily Hepding; Sto Len; Douglas Lyons; Carrie Marino; Natalie Milbrodt; Demetries Morrow; Sheena Pachon; and Sarah Pousty.
Here are the actors in order of appearance: James Seol (“KPOP,” “The Flight Attendant”); Deirdre Lovejoy (“The Wire,” “The Blacklist”); Khalid Rivera; (“Pose,” “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”); Kate Rigg (Mile 22, “Oz”); Pooya Mohseni (“Law & Order: SVU,” “Madame Secretary”); Carol Mazhuvancheril (“The Inheritance”); Rocky Vega (“On That Day in Amsterdam”); Kevin Smith Kirkwood (“Kinky Boots”); Deborah S. Craig (“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” “The Blacklist”); Brittany Vicars (“I Didn’t Come Here to Make Love”); and Alana Raquel Bowers (“Chicken and Biscuits”).
Image: Queens Theatre