Pink Fang x LPAC: A Partnership Rooted in Community and Storytelling
For nearly two decades, LaGuardia Performing Arts Center (LPAC) and Pink Fang have shared a creative bond built on storytelling, inclusion, and the belief that art can ignite understanding. What began with an invitation in 2008 has since evolved into a long-term partnership that has given voice to communities often left unheard. These are students and immigrants to people living with disabilities and those working on the front lines of care.
How It All Began
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The partnership between LPAC and Pink Fang formerly known as the Ping Chong and Company traces back to 2008, when LPAC’s then–Artistic Producing Director, Steven Hitt, invited the company to be the inaugural resident for LPAC’s new Space Grant Program.
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Out of that residency came Inside/Out: Voices from the Disability Community which is a groundbreaking documentary and theater production that explored the lived experiences of people with disabilities. The piece was developed and rehearsed at LPAC, featuring a work-in-progress showing before heading to Washington, D.C., for its world premiere.
Read the original 2008 blog post here that is featuring insights from Bruce Allardice, who helped spark this collaboration.​
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Milestones and Evolving Projects
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Since that first project, LPAC and Pink Fang have continued to create meaningful work together, each project expanding the reach of community-centered art.
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Inside/Out: Voices from the Disability Community
Developed at LPAC, this project went on to national tours and reached audiences across major venues such as the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, and the World Bank. Learn more
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Beyond Sacred: Voices of Muslim Identity
Commissioned by LPAC, this production premiered on our Mainstage and featured LaGuardia Community College (LAGCC) students sharing their stories. It toured to 13 states, was seen by over 10,000 people, and was featured in NPR, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. LPAC also commissioned a short film to accompany the piece, celebrating the power of social-justice theater.
Learn more about Beyond Sacred
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Ping Chong and Company Training Institute
Hosted at LPAC in 2015, 2016, and 2018, this weeklong intensive brought together local and international artists for hands-on training in documentary and devising practices. It offered LPAC and LaGuardia community members a chance to learn directly from Pink Fang artists and engage in collaborative creation.
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Queens Baddies: Past, Present, and Future
This 30-minute performance devised in collaboration with the LaGuardia and Wagner Archives was inspired by Queens’ LGBTQIA+ history. Created for Queens Pride Day, it featured all LAGCC alumni performers and celebrated the borough’s diverse queer voices. Read more
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Nursing Workshop 2025
The most recent collaboration, Centering Voice and Care with LaGuardia Community College’s Nursing Program and LPAC, was a pilot workshop that explored the experiences of nurses through a storytelling lens. The overwhelmingly positive response has inspired plans for a larger, full-scale documentary-theater production. Learn more
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Over the years, Pink Fang has also offered numerous student workshops and Rough Draft Festival sessions, ensuring that new generations of artists continue to find their voice. See more on Instagram
Lasting Impact
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From Washington D.C. to Michigan to right here in Queens, every project born out of the LPAC–Pink Fang partnership has centered human stories which are often from students, staff, and communities whose voices deserve to be heard. These works have given professional performance opportunities to students and brought national visibility to LPAC’s social-justice programming.
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Looking Ahead
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Following the success of the Nursing Workshop, both LPAC and Pink Fang are envisioning a deeper partnership and collaboration that continues to amplify real stories from Queens and beyond. The next goal is to develop a full documentary-theater production centered on the lives and resilience of nurses — a project with potential for national impact.
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Shared Values
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At the heart of this partnership is a mutual belief in access, empathy, and representation. LPAC and Pink Fang share a mission to make art that reflects the people it serves who are immigrants, first-generation students, and communities of color.
Together, we hope to continue bringing the arts and the public good that comes with it into Queens and to stages across the country.
