Last week, The Knockturnal enjoyed a reading of Our Hood, an adaptation of the Thornton Wilder play Our Town, at The Center at West Park, a not-for-profit community arts center based at the historic West Park Presbyterian Church on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.
This version of the 1938 three-act play takes place instead in 1990s Queens and was adapted by Tony award-winning actor-comedian John Leguizamo and directed by Aaron Gonzalez.
(left to right) Luna Lauren Velez, Ani Mesa, Xavier Padin, Maria-Christina Oliveras
A dynamic reading is only possible with dynamic actors, which Our Hood boasted in full: Luna Lauren Velez (Dexter), Ani Mesa (Superior), Trey Santiago-Hudson (The Walking Dead), Maria-Christina Oliveras (Hadestown), Jhulenty Delossantos (Uncoupled), Gary Perez (Fatal Attraction), Kim Ramirez (New Amsterdam), and Xavier Padin. Those unfamiliar with the play missed none of the jokes, and those in on the references to Wilder’s original play enjoyed an extra treat.
The reading was part of The Center at West Park’s American Playwrights Series, which began in the fall of 2023 with This Is Our Youth. To learn more about upcoming events at The Center at West Park, click here.