Around Queens with Luchia Dragosh

In this episode, Luchia sits down with Richard Mazda - actor, director, musician and founder of The Secret Theatre in Queens. They talk about his journey from the UK to New York, what it takes to build and sustain an independent theatre, and the many roles he’s taken on, both behind the scenes and on stage. Luchia and Richard also explore what continues to drive his work - storytelling, community, and the future of the arts in Queens.

In this episode, Luchia sits down with Charline Mitchell, lactation consultant, doula and founder of what could become Queens’ first birth center. They talk about Charline’s journey from school counselor to maternal health advocate, the moment that pushed her to leave the system and why she’s now building something entirely new for families in Queens. Luchia and Charline also get into what’s ahead - the barriers, the vision and what it will take to create real change in maternal care.

In this episode, Luchia sits down with Julia del Palacio, Executive Director of Queens Theatre, to talk about the moment she left the path she thought she had to follow - and built something bigger. Julia and Luchia also discuss the real work of sustaining the arts, why access still isn't equal and what it takes to keep culture not just alive, but essential.

In this episode, Luchia sits down with Karesia Batan, Founding Executive Director of the Queensboro Dance Festival, to explore how she turned a lack of access into one of Queens’ most powerful cultural platforms. They talk about the real story behind QDF, the mission to bring dance out of institutions and into the streets and what it means to build community through art in a city that often overlooks it. And, finally, they dive into what’s ahead - how Karesia is reimagining the future of culture, access and belonging in Queens.

In this episode, Luchia sits down with Dr. Edgar Hobbs Jr., a Queens native, licensed mental health counselor and longtime guidance counselor who spent 26 years supporting students with emotional and developmental needs in New York City's District 75. Now the founder of Strategies & Solutions for Life and Director of the Hope & Grace Mental Health Wellness Center at First Baptist Church of Corona, Dr. Hobbs works to bring open and honest conversations about mental health into the community. They discuss his personal journey, the growing awareness around mental health and why he is especially committed to helping Black and Brown men access the support they deserve.

In this episode, Luchia speaks with Thom Harmon, performer and co-founder of City Gate Productions, an independent theater company supporting the performing arts scene in Queens. Originally from Philadelphia, Thom built a career in fundraising for academic medical research before rediscovering his passion for theater later in life. That path eventually led him to help build a growing theater community in Queens. They discuss collaboration in the arts, the challenges independent theater companies face and why Queens' diversity makes it a powerful home for creative expression.

This episode explores the world of Balkan music and dance with Michael Ginsburg, a musician, teacher and founder of the Golden Festival. Ginsburg has spent decades sharing Balkan music traditions through performance and community events. His band, Zlatne Uste Balkan Brass Band, founded in 1983, has performed across the United States and internationally - including at Serbia's renowned Guca Brass Festival. The conversation looks at how traditional music builds community, why Queens is the perfect home for a festival celebrating global culture and how events like the Golden Festival bring music, food and dance together.

In this episode, Luchia sits down with Leslie A. Ramos, Executive Director of the 82nd Street Partnership in Jackson Heights and Elmhurst. Leslie has built her career at the intersection of public policy, economic development and community leadership. Under her guidance, the 82nd Street Partnership has become internationally recognized for culturally responsive programming, creative placemaking and initiatives supporting immigrant and minority-owned small businesses. They discuss how Main Streets are becoming the center of community life again, how the arts can serve as an economic engine and how local organizations translate community needs into policy and action.

In this episode, Luchia speaks with Rob MacKay, Deputy Director of Community at the Queens Economic Development Corporation and Director of the Queens Tourism Council. If you've attended Queens Taste, Restaurant Week or discovered something new through the “It's In Queens” brand, you've likely experienced Rob's work. Since 2011, Rob has helped shape how Queens tells its story - promoting events, supporting small businesses and highlighting the borough's cultural life. They discuss storytelling in economic development, how the internet has transformed tourism and media and why artificial intelligence raises new questions about the future of work. Most of all, they talk about the food, events and community energy that make Queens unlike anywhere else.

In this episode, Luchia sits down with Jonathan Forgash, founder of Queens Together, whose work began with a deeply personal request: cooking for a friend undergoing cancer treatment. What started as an act of care grew into a community response to food insecurity during the pandemic. Today, Queens Together connects volunteers, restaurants and organizations to provide meals to people in need. This conversation explores how simple acts of care can evolve into systems of support, how COVID reshaped community response and why quality of life - not efficiency or scale - guides Jonathan's work today.