New Jersey Stage logo
New Jersey Stage Menu



 

Luna Stage announces a Black Community Performance of "Queen of the Night" followed by conversation with the playwright

originally published: 05/10/2024


(WEST ORANGE, NJ) -- Luna Stage is honored to announce a Black Community Performance of Queen of the Night by travis tate on Sunday May 19, 2024 at 3:00pm, to be followed by a conversation with the playwright. The special afternoon performance is focused on celebrating and amplifying Black voices and access to Black theatre for all audiences. The performance will be followed by a conversation with playwright travis tate.

Billed as “a story of queerness, Blackness, masculinity and the challenges of camping with family,” Queen of the Night is an honest, funny, heartwarming play exploring themes of family, history, and reconciliation. The play runs Thursdays-Sundays May 16-June 9 on Luna’s MainStage.

tate (they/them) is a queer playwright, poet, and performer living in Brooklyn. Their poems have been published in Southern Humanities Review, Vassar Review, The Boiler, among other publications. Their first collection of poetry, Maiden, was published in June 2020 by VA Press. Their first collection of short stories, UNTENABLE MYSTIC CHARM, will be published by Stanchion Book Press in early 2024. Their plays have been produced by Dorset Theatre Festival, Victory Gardens, Theatre East and Breaking The Binary Theatre Festival. They earned their MFA in playwriting and poetry from Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas at Austin.

Save $10 with code BLKCOM off full-price tickets (regularly $40.) Luna’s sliding scale ticket options will also be available.

As Luna Stage describes the production, “Ty would prefer to go ‘glamping’ but his father has taken him to the middle of the woods. The night before Ty’s mom remarries, the two men fight bears, their past, and one another in playwright travis tate’s exploration of masculinity and queerness through the lens of multi-generational Blackness.”




Please support the advertisers at New Jersey Stage!
Want info on how to advertise? Click here



Queen of the Night plays Thursdays at 7:30pm, Fridays at 8:00pm, Saturdays at 8:00pm, and Sundays at 3:00pm, with an additional matinee on Thursday, May 23 at 1:00pm. Tickets are $10-$40 and available for purchase online.

Luna Stage is a professional regional theatre dedicated to developing and producing vibrant plays about local and global experiences. Firmly rooted in New Jersey's Valley Arts District – a crossroads of cultures – Luna brings its communities together for artistic events that spark conversations and create understanding and change.

Luna received the JerseyArts People's Choice Award for Favorite Small Theatre in New Jersey and has contributed to the development of over 100 new works for the stage, many of which premiered at Luna and have gone on to be produced in New York, regionally, and internationally.

As producer, innovator, and educator, Luna is dedicated to eliminating barriers to participation and allowing all community members to nurture their own creativity and vision. Luna offers classes for children and adults, as well as opportunities for early-career and established theatre artists to develop and incubate new work.

All programs at Luna are pay-what-you-choose to support equity and access to professional arts experiences in our region.




Please support the advertisers at New Jersey Stage!
Want info on how to advertise? Click here




 

EVENT PREVIEWS

Cape

Cape May Stage presents "Love, Loss, & What I Wore"

(CAPE MAY, NJ) -- Cape May Stage presents Love, Loss, & What I Wore from July 5-11, 2025. Based on Ilene Beckerman's bestselling book, this tender and witty play weaves together monologues and ensemble pieces to explore the deep connections between clothing and memory, touching on themes like mothers, prom dresses, bras, purses, and the timeless appeal of black clothing. Showtime is 8:00pm each night.



Classic

Classic American Tales presents "The Specialist" and "The Wizard of Oz" this week

(CAPE MAY, NJ) -- This week, Classic American Tales presents two different events in two different Cape May locations: The historic Dormer House B&B and Rea's Farm.



East

East Lynne Theater Company presents Ken Ludwig's "Dear Jack, Dear Louise"

(CAPE MAY, NJ) -- The award-winning, Equity professional East Lynne Theater Company (ELTC) – now in its 45th year–will present its first show of the company's Mainstage Season, Ken Ludwig's "Dear Jack, Dear Louise," from June 19 to July 12, 2025 with a special performance to honor Veterans on June 27. The heartwarming love story features Liz Mattera, an East Lynne veteran, as Louise, and New York-based actor Xander Furman as Jack, with Mark Edward Lang (ELTC's "Possessing Harriet") directing and lush period costumes by NYC designer Travis Chinick.



Montclair

Montclair Township Declares 'Montclair Theater Day' Ahead of Vanguard Theater's Inaugural Festival

(MONTCLAIR, NJ) -- Known for its vibrant and lively arts scene, the town of Montclair continues to find new and meaningful ways to celebrate creativity within its community. One of the town's newest initiatives includes the inaugural Montclair Theater Festival, presented by Vanguard Theater and The Essex County Board Of Commissioners. This eagerly anticipated event is set to take place on Saturday, July 12, 2025, at Glenfield Park in Montclair's historic Fourth Ward.



Dragonfly

Dragonfly Multicultural Arts Center presents Thornton Wilder's "Our Town" in Metuchen and Plainfield

(METUCHEN, NJ) -- Not long after a revival of Thornton Wilder's play Our Town closed on Broadway, New Jersey audiences will have the chance to see the classic drama close to home. Dragonfly Multicultural Arts Center will present the classic play in both Metuchen and Plainfield in July. Directed by Dragonfly's Artistic Director Catherine LaMoreaux, Our Town invites audiences into the heart of small-town America through the everyday lives of the residents of Grover's Corners, New Hampshire.



FEATURED EVENTS

ART | COMEDY | DANCE | FILM | MUSIC | THEATRE | COMMUNITY

To narrow results by date range, categories,
or region of New Jersey
click here for our advanced search.


A

A Broadway Tour of America

Thursday, July 10, 2025 @ 7:30pm
Grunin Center - Black Box Theater
1 College Drive, Toms River, NJ 08754
category: theatre


 

The

The MAC players at the Middletown Arts Center present "Hairspray"

Friday, July 11, 2025 @ 7:00pm
Middletown Arts Center
36 Church Street, Middletown, NJ 07748
category: theatre


 

A

A Broadway Tour of America

Friday, July 11, 2025 @ 7:30pm
Grunin Center - Black Box Theater
1 College Drive, Toms River, NJ 08754
category: theatre


 

The

The Wizard of Oz

Saturday, July 12, 2025 @ 2:00pm
Algonquin Arts Theatre
60 Abe Voorhees, Manasquan, NJ 08736
category: theatre


 

A

A Broadway Tour of America

Saturday, July 12, 2025 @ 7:30pm
Grunin Center - Black Box Theater
1 College Drive, Toms River, NJ 08754
category: theatre