Happy Holidays!

One of the production designers on The Cottage this fall wrote the loveliest opening night card, thanking us at APAC for the experience, and saying that she had “finally found the artistic home in New York she was looking for.”

APAC has been my personal artistic home these past six years, but it’s still such a wonderful surprise to hear the same from others. Of course, when I stop and think about 2013, it’s obvious.

There’s Arun, a Summer Stars alum, who has taken part in the program every summer since he was eight. Although he was too old to perform this summer (the program is open to kids ages 8-13), he asked to come back and be an intern.

APAC’s theater program for kids, Summer Stars. That’s Arun in yellow.

Then there are the usher volunteers who come back for every show. We look forward to catching up with all of them, and most importantly, value their support.

There are people like Gus, an actor who tends bar at 5 Napkin Burger in Astoria, where we had our end-of-season party last May. Gus is also an accomplished actor and I look forward to the day we get him to perform on our stage.

There’s the cast of last spring’s Blood Brothers, many of whom decided to come to the first preview performance of The Cottage this fall, filling the house with supportive laughter and energy.

Cast members from last spring’s Blood Brothers.

There’s APAC casting director Gayle Seay (of Wojcik | Seay Casting) who introduced me to The Cottage and playwright Sandy Rustin, suggesting that APAC might be a good “home” in which to present the world premiere of this hysterical new play, which is now slated for regional productions around the country next year.

APAC’s world premiere of The Cottage.

Of course there’s Flavia, one of the many Senior Stars who attends every performance through the year, and who came to a show wearing her Senior Stars T-shirt, which she had styled fabulously.

Flavia wearing her Senior Stars T-shirt.

Tony Bennett makes a surprise visit at last year’s APAC Gala.

And of course, there’s YOU, our loyal audience.

We hope you know how much your continued support has meant to APAC over the past thirteen years. I hope you will consider APAC in your end-of-year giving. Individual donations help make all of these programs possible and allow APAC to continue to provide a home to so many artists and audience members.

You can make a tax-deductible donation to APAC online, or mail a check payable to “Astoria Performing Arts Center, Inc.” to:

APAC
c/o Kaufman Astoria Studios
34-12 36th Street, MB 40
Astoria, NY 11106

Happy Holidays! We look forward to seeing you at the theater in 2014!

Tom Wojtunik

Artistic Director