Sometimes a work in progress is exactly where it needs to be to enthall an audience member. That was the case when Theresa Buchheister sat down to watch Diana Ly’s Sex and the Abbey at LaGuardia Performing Arts Center’s 2023 Rough Draft Festival.

108 Notes is a play that I’ve written about two PhD students who are studying different theses, and while looking through the books in their university’s library, they come across little index cards shoved into each of the books. They end up assembling all of them, totaling 108 index cards. They start this project on the side of their research to try and come up with an analysis that can tap into what it means to know a person, just through their words.

LPAC is built around LaGuardia Community College students, not just as audience members, but as emerging artists and future leaders. Whether it’s creating job opportunities, opening doors to professional connections, New York City is the cultural capital of the country, and one could argue the entire world as well.