Courtesy Ellen Arrocho
MOHAMED FARGHALY
mfarghaly@queensledger.com
As Queens Centers for Progress (QCP) marked its 75th year of service, a new chapter in creativity and inclusion unfolded with the debut of The QCP Players Theater Program. Over the past 12 weeks, more than 100 participants from QCP’s Day Habilitation program rehearsed Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka Kids, culminating in two free public performances on June 27 at QCP’s Adult Center in Jamaica, Queens.
The initiative, launched just days before Disability Pride Month, integrates individuals with developmental disabilities not only on stage but also behind the scenes. Participants took part in acting, singing, dancing, set design, costuming, ushering, and concessions, bringing the production to life with passion and pride.
The theater program was created through a partnership with AhHa!Broadway, a nonprofit organization focused on inclusive performing arts. Under the guidance of professional Teaching Artists and a full design team, QCP participants developed new skills and boosted self-esteem while experiencing the transformative power of storytelling.
Josie Davide, director of QCP’s 164th Street Day Services, described the program’s focus on joy. “From day one, this program has been about joy,” she said. “We wanted our participants to have a space where they could express themselves, try something new, and shine in every sense of the word.”
Davide, who has worked with QCP since 1989, shared insights on her long career in the field. “I started out with Queens Centers for Progress in our children’s center, and I’ve actually worked my way up to the director of the day program that I currently have now,” she said. Growing up in Corona, Queens, and now living in East Meadows, Long Island, Davide recounted how her family experience inspired her path: “My father had had a stroke when we were younger… he was paralyzed. So I got into physical therapy, and I worked at the hospital, and I kind of worked my way from there. I always, all my life, I loved helping people.”
Reflecting on the evolution of QCP’s day habilitation program, Davide noted, “We started with eight individuals, and now we have over 162 enrolled. We worked with individuals… many of the people that we support, all adults 21 and over, we have gotten many of them jobs. They volunteer throughout Queens.”
The theatrical element grew organically from participants’ love for performing. “They love to act, they love to perform, they love to sing, they love to do all this giving this fun stuff that they see on TV,” Davide said. “We’ve done fashion shows, open mics, musical numbers, and always wanted to do a theater program.”
Choosing Willy Wonka Kids was a natural fit. “We picked Willy Wonka, because Willy Wonka has some of the individuals who auditioned fit the parts of Willy Wonka perfectly,” Davide explained. After 12 weeks of twice-weekly rehearsals, 27 performers embraced their roles. “I was in tears the whole time. They really, really did a great job.”
The backstage crew also contributed, working on set painting and design with guidance from AhHa!Broadway artists. “The collaboration between the individuals and my staff and the director and the set design was just amazing,” Davide said.
The performances drew enthusiastic audiences. “They were in shock,” Davide said. “They didn’t think they can do as well as they did, memorizing everything and learning all the lines and singing and just being happy and really bringing to life Willy Wonka.”
Following the success of the debut, QCP plans to continue offering creative opportunities. “We’ll be doing open mics on Fridays, probably in a month or two,” Davide said. “Next year, we’re gonna put on another production. It’ll be a musical number coming next year… We find that the individuals love to sing, and they sing their lines so great, so that we want to do it more, more musical than line.”
Davide encouraged community support for QCP’s mission. “Donations are always accepted,” she said. “You can come and support the shows when we have them, that’s wonderful. And just if there are any volunteer sites in the community that need volunteers, let us know. They could even contact me directly.”
The QCP Players Theater Program’s inaugural performances at 81-15 164th Street in Jamaica offered a glimpse of the power of inclusion and the joy of artistic expression, highlighting the organization’s enduring commitment to empowering individuals with developmental disabilities.
Courtesy Lorraine Heaney
