Qurrat Ann Kadwani is an award-winning actress, producer, MC, TV Host and philanthropist. She is the first South Asian female to have a solo play, They Call Me Q www.theycallmeqshow.com, produced Off Broadway for which she has won awards including Best Actress, Best Play, NYS Assemblyman, Bronx Borough President, Trailblazer from SAIPAF, Cultural from AAPICC, Dream from SAPNA. Her college tour spans to 200 shows in 35 states. She has a webseries www.youtube.com/theQreview. She is the founding Artistic Director of eyeBLINK (www.eyeblink.org) and the head of the Theatre department. She is a graduate of The Bronx High School of Science and a theater graduate of SUNY Geneseo with a double scholarship recipient for her directing and acting contributions. Ms. Kadwani teaches private classes in Solo Play Creation, Monologue Writing and Performance, Monologue Prep, Audition Prep and Acting Business Plan. She has hosted Desi Jams and 100% Desi on Namaste America.
Some TV appearances also include Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, The Sinner, Luke Cage, The Blacklist, Falling Water, What Would You Do, Brown Nation. Stage work extends to Love Alone (Shaker Bridge Theatre) Blind Angels (Theatre for the New City), Baby Taj (TheaterWorks Palo Alto), Perfect Fit, The Women of the Mahabharata, Sankalpan (New Group), First Language (New Group), Inside Out(Abingdon Theatre Company), The Quaking (Abingdon Theatre Company), Falling Man (NYU), The Greeks (Imua Theatre Company), Beneath the Banyan Tree(eyeBLINK). Film credits include Purge 4, Antigone 5000, The Tailor, One Night Stand, Last Saturday with Morli,Jabeen. She has appeared in print campaigns, industrials, corporate videos and commercials.
Ms. Kadwani coordinates an annual philanthropic project “A Slice of Hope” (www.asliceofhope.org) as well as an annual Echoes Of Love: Suicide Prevention Fundraiser with music. She has been the MC of events for non-profit organizations such as World Womens Global Council at the United Nations, Sapna NYC, Your Dil, Lend A Hand India, LRBT- Free Eye Care Trust, Asha for Education, Chhaya Community Development Corporation, and SOS Children’s Villages India. She has also been the MC for The Set NYC: New Year’s Eve Fashion Gala, NzK Designer’s Studio Store Launch, Broadway Comedy Club, Bronx Fashion Week, Kollaboration New York Music Showcase, Runway Princess The Super Model Pageant, Party at Gatsby by Trendz Entertainment, weddings, and educational videos.
CONSTANCE HESTER is a New York-based director and educator originally from Fort Oglethorpe, GA. Her work mostly focuses in the development and direction of new theatrical work. She recently graduated from The Ohio State University in Columbus, OH. Her regional work includes: Death: Discovering Your Role (Madlab Theatre), The Seussification of Romeo & Juliet (Hilliard-Bradley Theatre), Love Letters (OSU Lab Series), and The Last Five Years (Hester-Harper Productions). Ms. Hester is thrilled to bring such an important and timely story to life.
INTRUSION is a solo play with 8 characters played by Qurrat Ann Kadwani. 20 years in the future, sexual violence has been eradicated until 1 woman comes forward about her rape. Audiences of all backgrounds and ages can see how we all contribute to the perpetuation of rape culture by understanding how this event affects different sectors of our society. The Narrator is a college student who motivates the audience to speak up and finds her own voice. Other characters include Journalist, Prosecutor, Daytrader, Politician, Psychologist, 3rd Grader, Professor who help the audience learn about sexual violence statistics, Title IX history, self defense moves, and the complexity of sexual violence against women.