TheatreWorks Silicon Valley Presents High Stakes Environmental Drama “Queen”

    Two women dream of shattering academia’s glass ceiling and saving the bees in “Queen”, presented by TheatreWorks Silicon Valley. Written by San Jose-born playwright and filmmaker Madhuri Shekar (“House of Joy”, Amazon/Blumhouse’s “Evil Eye”, and HBO’s “The Nevers”), this topical and engaging work follows Sanam and Ariel, Ph. D. candidates from India and the U.S., as they research the collapse of bee colonies worldwide. When a flaw emerges in their research, their friendship, careers, and even an arranged marriage are at risk. With ecological disaster on the horizon, Sanam and Ariel debate whether they should withdraw their findings or compromise them to protect the planet. Miriam A. Laube directs this production, which is presented in collaboration with Silicon Valley-based EnActe Arts. “Queen” is currently being presented through March 31, 2024 at Lucie Stern Theatre (1305 Middlefield Road), Palo Alto, CA.

     Director Laube has assembled a talented cast to bring this story to life. Seen in the 2023 TheatreWorks New Works Festival reading of “Nerve”, Uma Paranjpe makes her TheatreWorks main stage debut as Sanam Shah, an applied mathematician and Ph. D. candidate from India.

     Kjerstine Anderson debuts at TheatreWorks as Ariel Spiegel, a Ph. D. ecology researcher and single mother while Deven Kolluri also makes his TheatreWorks debut, as Arvind Patel, an Indian American financier who is a potential suitor for Sanam. Also, Mike Ryan makes his TheatreWorks debut as Dr. Philip Hayes, Ariel and Sanam’s supervising professor.

     “Queen” features scenic design by Nina Ball, costume design by Lisa Claybaugh, lighting design by Kent Dorsey, and sound design by James Ard.

     For tickets and more information the public may visit TheatreWorks.org or call 877-662-8978.

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Photo caption: Ph. D. students Ariel (Kjerstine Anderson) and Sanam (Uma Paranjpe) study a bee hive in "Queen," presented by TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, currently playing through March 31. (Photo Credit: Reed Flores)