Caribbean in Queens

Caribbean in Queens: a Podcast featuring Audio Plays and interviews about Caribbean-Americans living in New York City during the COVID 19 Pandemic. This is a project of Braata Productions: a Caribbean non-profit arts organization dedicated to preserving Caribbean Heritage.

Written by Janelle Lawrence

Directed by Antonio Miniño

Featured Voices:

LUCIA/COMP 2       Gyana Mella

ROBERTO/PERSON 1      Ian Blanco

EDUARDO        Kervin Peralta

RAUL/COMP 3/ROOMMATE 2/HOMIE 1/CHAR  Ana Lia Arias Garrido

PERSON 2/CUSTOMER 1/ROOMMATE 1/HOMIE 2  Rigo Vindiola

AMI 1/CASS        Pilar Gonzalez

Music by Janelle Lawrence & Joel Edwards

Production by Joel Edwards

Narration by Julene Robinson

Sponsor

Funded in part by the Venturous Theater Fund of the Tides Foundation.

Caribbean in Queens: a Podcast featuring Audio Plays and interviews about Caribbean-Americans living in New York City during the COVID 19 Pandemic. This is a project of Braata Productions: a Caribbean non-profit arts organization dedicated to preserving Caribbean Heritage.

Episode 3: AISLE 5, HOME SUPPLIES

Written by Janelle Lawrence

Directed by Antonio Miniño

Featured Voices:

ABUELA/COMP 1        Jessica Carmona

LUCIA/COMP 2       Gyana Mella

ROBERTO/PERSON 1      Ian Blanco

EDUARDO        Kervin Peralta

RAUL/COMP 3/ROOMMATE 2/HOMIE 1/CHAR  Ana Lia Arias Garrido

PERSON 2/CUSTOMER 1/ROOMMATE 1/HOMIE 2  Rigo Vindiola

AMI 1/CASS        Pilar Gonzalez

AMI 2       Leonardo Gonzalez Dominguez

Music by Janelle Lawrence & Joel Edwards

Production by Joel Edwards

Narration by Julene Robinson

Sponsor

Funded in part by the Venturous Theater Fund of the Tides Foundation.

Caribbean in Queens: a Podcast featuring Audio Plays and interviews about Caribbean-Americans living in New York City during the COVID 19 Pandemic. This is a project of Braata Productions: a Caribbean non-profit arts organization dedicated to preserving Caribbean Heritage.

Episode 2: AISLE 3

Written by Janelle Lawrence

Directed by Antonio Miniño

Featured Voices:

ROBERTO/PERSON 1      Ian Blanco

EDUARDO/POLICE      Kervin Peralta

RAUL/COMP 3/ROOMMATE 2/HOMIE 1/CHAR  Ana Lia Arias Garrido

PERSON 2/CUSTOMER 1/ROOMMATE 1/HOMIE 2  Rigo Vindiola

AMI 1/CASS        Pilar Gonzalez

Music by Janelle Lawrence & Joel Edwards

Production by Joel Edwards

Narration by Julene Robinson

Sponsor

Funded in part by the Venturous Theater Fund of the Tides Foundation.

Caribbean in Queens: a Podcast featuring Audio Plays and interviews about Caribbean-Americans living in New York City during the COVID 19 Pandemic. This is a project of Braata Productions: a Caribbean non-profit arts organization dedicated to preserving Caribbean Heritage.

Episode 1: The Origin

At Bodega De la Sol, COVID hasn’t stopped the doors from opening; which keeps the Sol family somewhere in-between safety and illusion. With 4 generations in one home, the diversity of realities becomes blaringly loud when they have to sit with each other & live with big personalities. Welcome to Bodega De la Sol, choose your own story.

Written by Janelle Lawrence (they/them)

Directed by Antonio Miniño

Featured Voices:

ABUELA/COMP 1       Jessica Carmona

LUCIA/COMP 2      Gyana Mella

ROBERTO/PERSON 1     Ian Blanco

EDUARDO       Kervin Peralta

WAITER       Tori Lanzillo

RAUL/COMP 3/ROOMMATE 2/HOMIE 1/CHAR  Ana Lia Arias Garrido

PERSON 2/CUSTOMER 1/ROOMMATE 1/HOMIE 2  Rigo Vindiola

POLICE        Kervin Peralta

AMI 1/CASS         Pilar Gonzalez

AMI 2       Leonardo Gonzalez Dominguez

Music by Janelle Lawrence and Joel Edwards

Production by Joel Edwards 

Narration by Julene Robinson

Sponsor:

Funded in part by the Venturous Theater Fund of the Tides Foundation.

Interview with “BODEGA DE LA SOL” playwright JANELLE LAWRENCE:

Caribbean in Queens: a Podcast featuring Audio Plays and interviews about Caribbean-Americans living in New York City during the COVID 19 Pandemic. This is a project of Braata Productions: a Caribbean non-profit arts organization dedicated to preserving Caribbean Heritage.

Music & Production by Joel Edwards 

Narration by Julene Robinson

Host - Karl O’Brian Williams

Sponsor

Funded in part by the Venturous Theater Fund of the Tides Foundation.

The lockdown. After returning to Queens from London, Katrina finds herself in a precarious position as her return has prompted a different emotion from what both she and her parents expected. To cope, Katrina is doing what she feels is best for her: therapy. For old-fashioned Jamaican father Toney, therapy isn’t his first option for his daughter. As Meryl tries to keep the peace, a lot is exposed when an argument erupts between father and daughter. Will the family make it through quarantine closer or will they be ripped apart?

Written by Nyanda Cammock

Directed by Teisha Duncan

Featured Voices:

KATRINA   Lydia Eku

MERYL   Julene Robinson

TONEY   Michael Sean Harris

MALE COMPANION  Frederick Philip Jr.

Local News Reporter       Teisha Duncan

Music & Production by Joel Edwards

Music Composition by Mijanne

Narration by Julene Robinson

Sponsor

Funded in part by the Venturous Theater Fund of the Tides Foundation.

Katrina and her co-worker are still trying to make it back to the United States from London; this is proving more difficult than expected. Back in Queens her parents, Meryl and Toney, are praying for her safe return. With the Coronavirus on the rise across the world, it is stressful for this Jamaican family to be apart at such a crucial time and it is also taking its toll individually. Will the world make it through Covid19?

Written by Nyanda Cammock

Directed by Teisha Duncan

Featured Voices:

KATRINA    Lydia Eku

MERYL    Julene Robinson

TONEY    Michael Sean Harris

MALE COMPANION   Frederick Philip Jr.

CSR/London News Reporter Samantha Hudson

Music & Production by Joel Edwards

Music Composition by Mijanne

Narration by Julene Robinson

Sponsor

Funded in part by the Venturous Theater Fund of the Tides Foundation.

Caribbean in Queens: a Podcast featuring Audio Plays and interviews about Caribbean-Americans living in New York City during the COVID 19 Pandemic. This is a project of Braata Productions: a Caribbean non-profit arts organization dedicated to preserving Caribbean Heritage.

Episode 1:  A Jamaican-American in London… and COVID hits!

Katrina Holgate is away from her home in Queens, NY working in London; this is her first time being so far away, which at times takes its toll as she is very close with her Jamaican parents: Meryl and Toney Holgate. While in London, there is an outbreak of the Coronavirus. Katrina and a male coworker find themselves stuck in London after being left behind out of a group of seven people. The race is on to make it home in time before the lockdown starts in London. Will they be able to make it?

Written by Nyanda Cammock

Directed by Teisha Duncan

Featured Voices:

KATRINA   Lydia Eku

MERYL   Julene Robinson

TONEY   Michael Sean Harris

Local News Reporter  Teisha Duncan

Music & Production by Joel Edwards

Music Composition by Mijanne Webster

Narration by Julene Robinson

Sponsor:

Funded in part by the Venturous Theater Fund of the Tides Foundation.

Interview with “Will We Make It?” playwright Nyanda Cammock:

Caribbean in Queens: a Podcast featuring Audio Plays and interviews about Caribbean-Americans living in New York City during the COVID 19 Pandemic. This is a project of Braata Productions: a Caribbean non-profit arts organization dedicated to preserving Caribbean Heritage.

Music & Production by Joel Edwards

Narration by Julene Robinson

Host - Karl O’Brian Williams

Sponsor

Funded in part by the Venturous Theater Fund of the Tides Foundation.

Caribbean in Queens: a Podcast featuring Audio Plays and interviews about Caribbean-Americans living in New York City during the COVID 19 Pandemic. This is a project of Braata Productions: a Caribbean non-profit arts organization dedicated to preserving Caribbean Heritage.

Tito was always the simple boy. The family man. The working class hero, until his jobs dry up, and the world took all his plans away. So what did he do? Become a Tik Tok Star!

Written by Nelson Diaz-Marcano

Directed by Gineiris Garcia

Featured Voices:

FLOR: Jessica Carmona

HECTOR: Cedric Leiba Jr.

TITO: Rigoberto Vindiola

DJ/CHEO: Leonardo Gonzalez Dominguez

MARIANNA/REINA/ENSEMBLE: Michelle Reiss

ENSEMBLE: Joel Edwards & Gineiris Garcia

Music & Production by Joel Edwards

Narration by Julene Robinson

Flor was inspired by interviews with Rosa Mendez

Content Warning: Flor contains Strong Adult Language

Sponsor

Funded in part by the Venturous Theater Fund of the Tides Foundation.

Caribbean in Queens: a Podcast featuring Audio Plays and interviews about Caribbean-Americans living in New York City during the COVID 19 Pandemic. This is a project of Braata Productions: a Caribbean non-profit arts organization dedicated to preserving Caribbean Heritage.

Episode 2: The weight of the pandemic and the BLM protests set in...

After helping his mother Flor find purpose, Hector finds himself in the midst of a cultural awakening he doesn't understand. Questions about culture, love, and communication plague him as a promotion in his job looms and the world gets angrier.

Written by Nelson Diaz-Marcano

Directed by Gineiris Garcia

Featured Voices:

FLOR: Jessica Carmona

HECTOR: Cedric Leiba Jr.

TITO/ROB: Rigoberto Vindiola

MARIANNA/REINA/ENSEMBLE: Michelle Reiss

ENSEMBLE: Joel Edwards

Music & Production by Joel Edwards

Narration by Julene Robinson

Flor was inspired by interviews with Rosa Mendez

Content Warning: Flor contains Strong Adult Language

Sponsor

Funded in part by the Venturous Theater Fund of the Tides Foundation.

Episode 1:

Caribbean in Queens: a Podcast featuring Audio Plays and interviews about Caribbean-Americans living in New York City during the COVID 19 Pandemic. This is a project of Braata Productions: a Caribbean non-profit arts organization dedicated to preserving Caribbean Heritage.

Episode 1: Meeting Flor & Her Family

As she starts to enjoy life again, the whole world shuts down, leaving Flor without her groove back, and worse, without her Karaoke. What does a recently retired Puerto Rican woman do when everything seems to keep changing on her?

Written by : Nelson Diaz-Marcano

Directed by : Gineiris Garcia

Featured Voices:

FLOR: Jessica Carmona

VALENTINA: Jennica Carmona

HECTOR: Cedric Leiba Jr.

TITO: Rigoberto Vindiola

DJ: Leonardo Gonzalez Dominguez

ENSEMBLE: Michelle Reiss

Music & Production : by Joel Edwards

Narration : Julene Robinson

Flor was inspired by interviews with Rosa Mendez

Sponsor:

Funded in part by the Venturous Theater Fund of the Tides Foundation.