About us
Grassworks Productions is a theater company that presents innovative performances of classical music for social impact.
Founded by Abagael Cheng, an opera singer, organizer, and creative producer, Grassworks is guided by the belief that we can change the world one community at a time, and that storytelling is a powerful force for transforming culture.
At Grassworks, change begins with shifting the spaces where our art is made. We put people – our characters, our audiences, our performers, and our creative teams – at the center of everything we do. Our interdisciplinary productions create opportunities for multi-hyphenate artists to bring their whole selves to their work. We primarily collaborate with BIPOC, queer, and other historically marginalized artists because we value their lived experience as expertise when engaging with the critical issues of our time. In every project, Grassworks is committed to providing our artists with opportunities to co-create the vision, contribute to the execution of goals, and see themselves as a valued member of the team.
Why We StartedMeet our founder
Chinese American soprano Abagael Cheng is an opera singer, creative producer, and organizer who strives to move audiences toward social activism through storytelling. Cheng has received recognition for both her impactful productions and her skills as a vocalist, receiving artist grants for her productions from Flushing Town Hall, NYFA, the Puffin Foundation, and The Anna Sosenko Assist Trust.
In addition to her musical pursuits, Cheng is a world champion ultimate frisbee player. A representative of the U.S.A. National Team, she has won gold medals in the sport at the national and international levels.
After self-producing theatrical performances in New York for five years, founder Abagael Cheng decided to put all her artistic work under one umbrella. With a passion for team sports, she wanted to create opportunities for artists to collaborate on new productions together. Her vision is to build Grassworks into an artistic space to share bold stories and create caring communities.
Our ValuesOur work is grounded by
Teamwork
Our artistic process is collaborative from the ground up because we believe in the power of teamwork.
Activism
We believe every person can be an agent of change and advance social justice through mutual action.
Compassion
We see every gathering as an opportunity to understand each other better and learn through listening.