Photo: Q.E.D. Astoria Facebook
Nov. 22, 2024 By Shane O’Brien
The curtains are closing on a beloved performance venue after a decade as a neighborhood cornerstone.
Q.E.D. Astoria owner and creative director Kambri Crews has announced that the popular arts venue will shutter permanently at the beginning of 2025.
Crews opened Q.E.D. at 27-16 23rd Ave. in 2014, and the venue quickly became a neighborhood staple for comedy shows, storytelling evenings, open mic shows, workshops, and movie screenings.
However, Crews announced in a post on Instagram Thursday morning that she plans to close Q.E.D. in January or February next year, stating that the exact closing date is yet to be determined.
Crews said she was “proud” of the legacy that Q.E.D. will leave behind, pointing to the fact that the venue was voted the best comedy club in New York City in 2022, ahead of several iconic New York institutions.
She said Q.E.D. will remain fully operational between now and its closing date and a number of shows and events are planned for the venue over the coming months.
“Personally, I’m looking forward to making some memories at Q.E.D. Astoria over the next couple of weeks (months?) before we say our final goodbyes,” Crews said in a caption accompanying the video message.
Crews also highlighted that Q.E.D. merchandise will be on sale before the venue closes. She may also hold some form of basement sale to sell the venue’s furniture and equipment.
She also encouraged any Q.E.D. patrons with stories, pictures, or videos of the venue from its 10-and-a-half-year run in Astoria to share them on Instagram and invite Q.E.D. as a collaborator.
“I would love to compile all of these and see what you’ve got to share,” Crews said in the Instagram post.
Crews praised anyone who has sent her messages of support since Q.E.D. opened in 2014, stating that support from the community has helped her navigate some “pretty major personal setbacks,” including a cancer diagnosis and the Covid-19 pandemic, which she described as devastating for the arts community.
“Those messages of support and gratitude are what has carried me through some pretty major personal setbacks over the years,” Crews said on Instagram.
She said she was happy to be bowing out on her own terms but added that she is open to receiving offers from anyone interested in taking over Q.E.D.
“Let it live on. Please come and make me an offer.”
Crews noted that she has lived in Astoria for 25 years and added that she is looking forward to exploring the neighborhood again when she is “untethered” from Q.E.D.
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One Comment
Kambri Crews is a true neighborhood hero. She made a space for residents of all ages and walks of life to come together laugh, learn, and form community. Long after QED is gone, it will never be forgotten by the hundreds of people whose lives it touched.