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Marlin Thomas’s REPARATIONS Set for Limited New York Run After International Win
Acclaimed Playwright Confronts the “Impossible Moral Debt” of American History at Teatro LATEA
Anya Kai, reporting
New York native and celebrated playwright Marlin Thomas is set to present a limited run of his latest, award-winning work, REPARATIONS, at Teatro LATEA (107 Suffolk St., New York, NY 10002). The production, which recently earned the top honor at the International Theater Script Competition 2024, promises an unflinching and sophisticated exploration of the debt owed for American chattel slavery and its lingering consequences.
A Confrontation at the Door
REPARATIONS centers on William McCrory, a wealthy white man whose comfortable life is shattered by an unexpected visitor—a Black man who shares both his name and his birthday. This mysterious stranger arrives carrying documents that connect the two men through a painful history rooted in slavery.
As the stranger’s intentions unfold, the play dramatically excavates painful histories, both public and private. It forces the protagonist—and the audience—to grapple with an impossible moral debt. The work has been lauded by the competition jury for its commitment to thoughtful discourse on a polarizing subject, balancing challenging political ideas with compelling, character-driven drama.
The production asks, but deliberately leaves unanswered, a host of urgent and contentious questions that resonate deeply in contemporary society, including:
- What does the present owe the past?
- Can historical injuries ever truly be repaired?
- What individual responsibility exists for distant sins?
- Should individuals be held accountable for the actions of their social and racial group?
Playwright’s Journey: From Skepticism to Drama
Marlin Thomas, an academic and writer whose background spans the humanities and the sciences (including literature, philosophy, and computer science), wrote REPARATIONS to satisfy his own curiosity about the issue.
“I was viscerally opposed to reparations,” Thomas explains, “so I was curious to find out how someone could be in favor of them.”
His research led him to gradually shift his perspective, realizing that the arguments presented on both sides of the issue had “as many flaws as merits.” Thomas sought to dramatize this intellectual and emotional movement, expressing his belief that “reasonable people can disagree about an issue as emotional and personal as that of reparations.”
When asked about his message, Thomas states, “History is on nobody’s side. No argument stands without engaging with its counter argument.” The timing of the play’s production, he notes, is not a direct response to current government action, but rather a function of his “slow writing pace and the length of time it took to gain recognition.”
The most significant obstacle in producing the show, according to Thomas, was finding a director who could “acknowledge the complexity of the characters” and approach the script with an open mind. He found this collaborator in DeMone Seraphin, who “broadly appreciates the humanity reflected in the characters.”
The Man Behind the Play
Born in the Bronx and raised in the Queensbridge Houses, Thomas was educated at Queens College (CUNY), Johns Hopkins University, and New York University. His academic work is extensive, with his piece on Alan Turing: The Enigma being named Computing Reviews’ best review of 2015.
As a creative writer, Thomas is also known for his full-length play FreudMahler (published in English and Italian) and The Middleman, a finalist for Best Play in the 2020 New York Theater Festival.
Regarding his unique perspective, Thomas introduces himself as: “An academic who has taught in departments of English and computer science. A writer who is political but non-partisan. An atheist trying to have enough faith to become an agnostic.”
Looking Ahead: The Humanity of Queensbridge
Following the run of REPARATIONS, Thomas will turn his focus to a deeply personal project: a new full-length play titled “Queensbridge.”
Queensbridge Houses, the country’s largest public-housing project, is often celebrated as the birthplace of rap but is also long associated with poverty and violence. Thomas intends to give the community a nuanced treatment, one that recognizes the “humanity and quiet heroism” of its residents. The play will dramatize the experiences of a decades-long resident who recounts his life, detailing the trauma endured by those he lived with, his own complicity in it, and his path toward partial redemption.
Performance Schedule
REPARATIONS will have a limited run at Teatro LATEA on the following dates:
- Thursday, November 20 at 9:00 PM
- Saturday, November 22 at 12:00 PM
- Sunday, November 23 at 8:30 PM
TICKETS for the limited engagement are available now.
History is NOW: Jim Catapano views ZAGŁADA
Richard Vetere Brings t His Gripping Zaglada and the Great Len Cariou to the ATA Stage
“How do you judge human behavior when human life is judged to be worthless?”
Zaglada is a polish word meaning “annihilation, or extermination.” The astonishingplay that takes this nameexplores the moral dilemma faced by human beings in the horrific, life-and-death situation that this describes. What would you do to save yourself, or the person you love most? And how far would you go to render justice, even decades later? Should a person in the last days of their life face punishment for the crimes of a near century ago—crimes that to some eyes, they were forced to commit?
The Marvelous Len Cariou, a 65-year veteran of the stage and a Tony winner renowned for his performance as Sweeney Todd, isJerzy Kozlowski. He is a 93-year-old Polish Queens resident who has been arrested for shooting at Danielle Hooper (Jes Washington), a woman of color and a journalist. Danielle has discovered that Kozlowski was a kapo in a Buchenwald concentration camp in World War II, a prisoner who became an enforcer in the camp in exchange for his own life…and more. The arresting officer Frank Napoli (Salvatore Inzerillo) finds himself in an unexpected conflict with Sonia Sakalow (Maja Wampuszyc), a Homeland Security Officer who is hellbent on finally bringing Kozlowski to justice.
Powerfully directed by Wampuszyc, Zaglada is a fiction based on a very real reality—a history that is in danger of being forgotten, which creates the very real possibility that it will be repeated.
Napoli takes pity on the dying Kozlowski, giving him his pills and making sure he’s comfortable. He appears to be on the side of “moving on” from history.
“We spend most of our time worrying about things, dealing with things that happened when we weren’t even here,” he says to Hooper.
“Like Kozlowski?” she asks.
“Like Christopher Columbus, like Confederate statues, like reparations for slaves,” he replies, adding that his family wasn’t even in the country when the events transpired.
“That is the usual argument,” she notes. “But it is history, isn’t it?”
“Yours, maybe,” he dismisses, “not mine.”
Hooper, who is writing a book getting a PHD in International Human Rights, sees a parallel between the atrocities of the War and the persecution of African Americans, and seeks to make the world see it as well.
“The economy of this country was built on slavery,” reminds Hooper. “Now whether they were here or not, your people certainly benefited by the time they got here. Slavery was also a crime against humanity if you ask me, and there’s no statutory limit on that.”
Wampuszyc also sees no statute of limitations on Kozlowski’s actions in the latter days of WWII. She looks upon the old man with contempt and hatred that feels unusually personal, and is determined to see him be extradited and tried. Napoli is not on board; he sees Kozlowski as having been coerced into his actions.
“An elderly man, forced to work for the SS in a war that nobody thinks about anymore, needs to be punished?” Napoli protests.
“I am well aware that he did not volunteer to be a kapo at Buchenwald,” Wampuszyc retorts, dismissing that aspect as irrelevant. “…He is guilty, those are the facts.”
“I’m not sure that I would survive in a camp,” acknowledged Napoli. “But I know one thing…I would do all I could to survive.”
“You don’t know what you would do, nobody does,” says Wampuszyc. “Not until you are there, and it is real.”
The legendary Cariou is a wonder to behold; the experiences of a near-century are all in his eyes. You can literally see him putting himself back in 1945 as he gazes into the middle distance in agony. His fellow actors are also remarkable in their intensity, each suffering from their own form of PTSD that manifests in their passionate resolve and in the haunted, pained expressions on their weary faces. As circumstances unfold there are revelations that paint a vivid picture of why these particular people have found themselves battling in a small police station in 2018; every moment is riveting as more and more comes to the surface to create deeper shades of gray.
Zaglada is a masterpiece that is a must-see from both a creative standpoint and due to its undeniable relevancy in a time when humanity is at a moral crossroads and is already beginning to repeat the atrocities of the past.
Zaglada is performed at the American Theater of Actors through November 2.
At the American Theatre of Actors: “In the Wilderness of Demons,” a Ukrainian Folk Thriller by acclaimed American playwright Don Nigro.
Premiering at the American Theatre of Actors: In the Wilderness of Demons, a Ukrainian Folk Thriller by acclaimed American playwright Don Nigro. 314 W 54th St, New York City, October 23 – November 2, 2025 (Wednesday–Saturday 7 PM · Sunday 3 PM) TICKETS
In the Wilderness of Demons, a world-premiere play by DON NIGRO (among the most frequently published & produced playwrights in the world), opens October 23 at the American Theatre of Actors’ Cullum Theatre for a limited run through November 2.
Intertwining Ukrainian folklore, mysticism, and movement, a witch and a folklorist meet in a remote village — where myth collides with reality. Giving fresh eyes and thoughts to ancient legends, this production is designed to be a new paradigm in stage drama.
THE STORY: Deep in the woods, a Ukrainian cottage filled with handwoven, faceless dolls, a witch lives between worlds. When a young folklorist arrives to record her tales, their encounter unleashes secrets buried beneath water and memory. Drawing on ancient ritual, wild dance, and dark humor, In the Wilderness of Demons merges elements of thriller, folklore, and surreal comedy to create something both eerie and mesmerizing.
A CROSS-CULTURAL COLLABORATION: The production features an international all-female cast, each artist sharing a personal connection to Ukraine. Some born there, others have Ukrainian roots or have lived and worked there. For the ensemble, this project is both deeply personal and profoundly timely.
“Ukraine belongs not only in the news, but also on the stage,” the company states. “In this moment of war and resilience, Ukrainian art is not just storytelling — it’s survival.”
PERFORMANCE DETAILS
Venue: American Theatre of Actors’ Cullum Theatre, 314 W 54th St, New York City
Dates: October 23 – November 2, 2025
Showtimes: Wednesday–Saturday 7pm and Sunday 3pm
Tickets: https://movatheater.com/
Creatives & Cast:
Written by Don Nigro
Directed by Eduard Tolokonnikov
Produced by MOVA Productions NYC
Starring: Tatyana Kot and Iryna Malygina
Visit the WEBSITE for further details.
ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT: Don Nigro is one of America’s most produced living playwrights. His works — including Ravenscroft, Seascape with Sharks and Dancer, and The Actor’s Nightmare — have been performed in over 40 countries. Known for his gothic humor and psychological depth, Nigro’s writing combines mythic imagination with dark lyricism. “Don Nigro writes like Edgar Allan Poe dreamed of writing for the stage.” — Andrew Cortes, Stage Whisper
ABOUT THE PERFORMERS
Tatyana Kot is a NY-based theatre and dance artist, movement choreographer, and multi-festival award winner. Her credits include Don Nigro’s The Chaplin Plays and John Patrick Shanley’s Candlelight.
Iryna Malygina, actor and producer, has appeared in over 40 Ukrainian TV roles and multiple New York theatre productions. She brings a blend of cinematic intensity and stage craft to her work.
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR: Eduard Tolokonnikov is a New York–based director known for emotionally immersive productions that merge intimate actor work with bold visual storytelling. His notable NYC credits include Baudelaire’s Passion (Off-Broadway, 2023) and Five Evenings (Off-Off-Broadway, 2025).
For more information, press materials, or interview requests, please contact Jay Michaels at info@jaymichaelsarts.com or at 646-338-5472.
Jim Catapano goes to the Other Side of Sondheim with Barry Joseph’s New Book
Around 2016, an 86-year-old Stephen Sondheim participated in his first Escape Room in Midtown New York City. The lifelong lover and prolific creator of games of all kinds was in his element. The director of the actors who were working there that day say that he even crawled through the tunnel that was an optional part of the game, emerging to see a puzzle that he himself had designed in 1968 with Anthony Perkins.
Sondheim was said to have grinned with glee. The puzzle was a built-in regular feature of the Escape Room; the surprise appearance of Sondheim himself was an unanticipated, delightful coincidence. (Sondheim continued to participate in Escape Room Adventures with famous friends like Mia Farrow and Bernadette Peters.)
Writer, Sondheim expert, and cofounder of the Games for Change Festival Barry Joseph recounted this in a Drama Book Show podcast recorded at the Drama Book Shop, as part of a talk and Q&A discussing his new book, Matching Minds with Sondheim. Joseph appeared before a rapt audience alongside acclaimed playwright and songwriter Michael Mitnick (whose works include Fly by Night, the Drama Desk-nominated Best Musical, Playwrights Horizons). Mitnick is also a Sondheim authority, whose insights contributed greatly to the book.
“This project started in April 2022, a few months after Sondheim passed away,” noted Joseph. “…I had just read three books (on Sondheim)…and I learned this idea that he once said he wanted to go into video game design. And that got me to start exploring.” Joseph spent two years doing research, “…contacting research institutions and finding out if they had anything related to his games and puzzles; talking to people who played games with Sondheim; who party-managed some of the events that he was at; and people who had co-designed some with him.”
As this was just a few months after Sondheim passed away, it was a time when the legend was on everyone’s minds as they both mourned the loss and celebrated his life and their connection to him.
“It meant saying ‘hi, you don’t know me, but would you be willing to open up your memory box and trust me with this piece?” said Joseph. “You can imagine many of these people had been spending months talking about, ‘this is what it was like to work with Stephen Sondheim’…but no one was asking what I was asking: ‘What was it like to play with Stephen Sondheim? And so for many of them, it was an opportunity to explore an aspect of their relationship that they never had a chance to do publicly—and maybe not even privately—for years.”
Joseph explained that once they got going, the recollections of Sondheim’s colleagues became joyfully vivid. “Not only would their memories flood back, but the memories would overwhelm them in a way where they were so excited and passionate to share them, and so that created not only an honor for me, but also a responsibility to own those stories until I could shape them together for the book.”
The search for examples of Sondheim’s game and puzzle design work became a hunt for treasure in itself. “Someone who was in the cast of A Little Night Music had saved her winning sheet from a treasure hunt that Sondheim designed—from 1973; people who had party-managed his last treasure hunt at City Center still had all the print materials and could make them all available.”
And as Joseph noted, though the book is now complete and available, the research continues today. He revealed that Mitkin had brought him a new piece of literal treasure right before the event—from Sondheim’s 1998 musical Putting it Together. “The stage manager had prepared as the opening night gift, a collection of logic puzzles,” explained Joseph. “It traces the narrative and production of the show, but all in puzzle form.” Thus, Sondheim’s two greatest passions are now seen to dovetail beautifully. And in a sense, both musical theatre and game playing have the same intent—to create among people, as Joseph put it, those “moments of connection” that are so integral to the human experience.
Case in point: The game Among Us, which became a sensation as it brought people together on Zoom during the 2020 pandemic, was based on Sondheim’s own murder mystery design. In Rian Johnson’s film Glass Onion (2022), Sondheim is seen playing Among Us with (fittingly) Murder She Wrote’s legendary Angela Lansbury. (Fun fact: Sondheim’s username is “FleetST,” while Lansbury’s is “MSheSolved” (Funner Fact: Lansbury was in a 1980’s production of Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd as well. It all comes together. Add to this Sondheim’s time as a cryptic crossword master for New York Magazine in the late 60s; the story of the two board games he developed in the ‘50s that were presumed lost, and the collection of jigsaw puzzles found after a half-century, and the journey just gets more compelling.
“When I started looking up where (the games) fell in his life, they actually had a chronology,” said Joseph. “As I started structuring the order of those chapters, they actually had an organic feel to them…you have a sense that you’re moving through the eras of Sondheim’s life.” Joseph exclaimed that the majority of the book is indeed a biography of Sondheim, but told through looking at his games.” “I study games, that means I’m a ludologist; this is a ludological biography.”
The rest of the book spotlights the creations themselves—“the games and puzzles of Stephen Sondheim that you can do yourself, and—more interesting to me as a ludologist—the design values. What are the things that we can learn from Stephen Sondheim’s game designs and puzzle designs?”
Matching Minds with Sondheim does even more than the title suggests. It actually allows the reader to live inside the mind of the icon and live through the eras marked by the games he was passionate about at the time. It takes them on an adventure through puzzles and parlor games, crosswords and anagrams, murder mysteries and escape rooms, giving them a fascinating glimpse into the thought process that leads to joyful creation.
Joseph noted that there is a structure to the book—and tantalizingly, that there are two puzzles hidden in the book related to that structure. Good luck solving!
To learn more and get your game on, go to matchingmindswithsondheim.com
Star Power and Seasoned Talent: The Cast Bringing Richard Vetere’s “ZAGŁADA” to the ATA Stage
Richard Vetere’s new psychological crime thriller, ZAGŁADA, is set for its New York City premiere at the American Theatre of Actors (ATA), supported by a powerhouse team of Broadway veterans, acclaimed character actors, and an experienced director. The production, running from October 16 to November 2, features the formidable talent of Tony Award winner Len Cariou, leading an electrifying cast to confront a chilling piece of history.
The play, which centers on the arrest of an elderly Maspeth resident—a former kapo in a Nazi concentration camp—demands a cast with the gravitas and skill to navigate the story’s dense layers of historical trauma, moral ambiguity, and high-stakes confrontation.
The Headliner: Len Cariou as Jerzy Kozlowski
Leading the cast is the internationally recognized, Tony Award-winning, and Emmy-nominated Broadway icon, Len Cariou.
Cariou is perhaps best known for his legendary, Tony-winning performance as the title character in Stephen Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. His extensive, 65-year career spans regional stages, Broadway, off-Broadway, film, and television, earning him membership in the Theatre Hall of Fame. A master of the classical repertoire, he has twice assayed the title role in King Lear.
While his stage career is monumental—recently honored with the 2024 John Willis Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre—Cariou is also a beloved figure on television. For 14 seasons, he played the patriarch ‘Pop’ Reagan on CBS’s hit show Blue Bloods. His recent work includes the award-winning off-Broadway role of Morrie Shwartz in Tuesdays With Morrie.
In ZAGŁADA, Cariou takes on the central and challenging role of Jerzy Kozlowski, the 90-year-old former kapo arrested for shooting a journalist. His casting ensures the character, though morally dark, will be portrayed with a depth and humanity that forces the audience to grapple with the play’s central questions of justice and self-preservation.
The Electrifying Supporting Cast
The veteran performers joining Cariou are charged with portraying the three New Yorkers who must confront Kozlowski and his past: Danielle Hooper (the journalist), NYPD Officer Frank Napoli, and Homeland Security Officer Sonia Sokolow.
Jes Washington
A New York actress, writer, and singer, Jes Washington brings a compelling resume of stage and screen work. A Lifetime Member of the Actors Studio, her dedication to in-depth character work is clear. Her stage credits include off-Broadway productions such as Coping Mechanism and White Woman, Black Boy, and her acclaimed international one-woman show Who Will Sing for Lena. Washington is also known for her television appearances on HBO’s The Gilded Age and CBS’s The Equalizer. Her involvement in workshops directed by figures like Estelle Parsons and Steve Broadnax III further speaks to her commitment to developing challenging new work.
Salvatore Inzerillo
Salvatore Inzerillo is a respected New York-based actor, director, and artistic director, with deep roots in the city’s theatre scene. A member of both LAByrinth Theater Company and The Actors Studio, Inzerillo has worked extensively at The Public Theater and developed over a hundred new plays with leading American playwrights. His stage credits include originating roles in early works by Stephen Adly Guirgis, all directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman, such as In Arabia We’d All Be Kings and Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train. He also appeared in The Iceman Cometh with Nathan Lane and Brian Dennehy at BAM. On screen, he is recognizable from roles in Boardwalk Empire, The Deuce, and various Law & Order franchises. Inzerillo’s history with gritty, character-driven material makes him an ideal fit for this psychological thriller.
The Creative Vision: Director Maja Wampuszyc
Guiding the production is director Maja Wampuszyc, who has a close working relationship with playwright Richard Vetere, having directed the development process of ZAGŁADA at the PDW at The Actors Studio.
Wampuszyc is an accomplished actress herself, known for her appearances on Broadway in Irena’s Vow, as well as off-Broadway and regional productions. Her film and TV credits include The Immigrant (with Marion Cotillard), Mona Lisa Smile, The Knick, and Madam Secretary. As a director, her work is recognized for its bold approach, having previously helmed productions in Krakow, Poland, and throughout the U.S. Her deep familiarity with the script and Vetere’s writing ensures an interpretation that is both true to the playwright’s intent and dramatically compelling.
The Creative Home: The American Theatre of Actors (ATA)
The production is staged at the American Theatre of Actors, a venue founded in 1976 by James Jennings. The ATA continues its mission of spotlighting socially and historically resonant works, having produced over 1,000 original plays and served as an artistic home for figures like Dennis Quaid, Edie Falco, and Chazz Palminteri early in their careers. The ATA’s legacy provides the perfect institutional support for a drama that grapples with weighty historical and moral questions.
John Stillwaggon & Carolyn Dellinger celebrate the works of BERNARD J. TAYLOR with a special private showing of TENNESSEE WILLIAMS: PORTRAIT OF A GAY ICON
John Stillwaggon & Carolyn Dellinger celebrate the works of BERNARD J. TAYLOR with a special private showing of TENNESSEE WILLIAMS: PORTRAIT OF A GAY ICON plus other presentations. This event is dedicated to the EMERGENCY FUND OF SAVE THE CHILDREN (All donations go to Save the Children) and the 50th anniversary of the AMERICAN THEATRE OF ACTORS, the host venue of the original New York production. Doors open at Noon; Program begins at 12:30 p.m. on Monday, November 3, 2025 at the Jerry Orbach Theatre, 210 West 50th Street on Broadway, New York City.
This event is produced by JAY MICHAELS GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS, LLC (Contact Jay Michaels at info@jaymichaelsarts.com for further info or to RSVP)
Tennessee Williams: Portrait of a Gay Icon an exploration of playwright Tennessee Williams’ “private” life.
After acclaimed national performances, Bernard J. Taylor’s play made its NYC debut to sold-out showings at the historic American Theatre of Actors before garnering the same kudos in the United Kingdom.
Join us for one last showing tributing playwright Taylor and raising funds for the Emergency Fund of the
Save the Children Foundation.
PLOT: Williams is chatting with “old friends” in his home and becomes increasingly inebriated during the course of the visit. The author launches into myriad diatribes about life, love — or the lack and abuse of it, his viciously cruel father, his sister — who received the brunt of that cruelty, and his work in the theatre — or more likely — his work with actors.
Mr. Stillwaggon and Ms. Delinger appear courtesy of The Theatre Authority
Playwright Bernard J. Taylor had more than 100 worldwide productions of his plays and musicals in more than a dozen countries. His early works were chronicled in the Encyclopedia of Film and Stage Music. In 2013, he was made an Honorary Fellow by the Victoria College of Music and Drama for “services to music and the performing arts.” Recent years have been the most prolific. Six productions of his stage works in San Antonio won eleven awards at the 2015, 2016 and 2017 ATAC awards (San Antonio’s version of New York’s Tony Awards).
Jim Catapano notes that the Prince Clowns so the Bat Can Fly: Joshuah Patriarco’s Brilliant Merging of Shakespeare and Batman Rises at the ATA.
“I am vengeance.
I am the night.
I am…HAMLET!”
Thus proclaims the “Prince of Arkham” (Joshuah Patriarco) as he prepares to avenge his father’s murder at the hands of his “Penguin”-like Uncle Claudius (Thomas Annunziata), who wears his stolen crown over a top hat and brandishes an umbrella. The ghost of the slain king (also Annunziata) prowls the night, with a bat cowl over his skull face, looking for revenge. Hamlet is alerted to the presence of his father’s spirit by his faithful sidekick, the yellow-caped Horatio (Jett Hernandez), and the trench-coated “commissioner” (Joe DeAngelo).
The ghost reveals the truth to Hamlet. But before the prince takes up his cowl for good, he dons clown makeup and a purple coat, in order to make both friends and foes think he’s mad as he plots the downfall of Claudius and his complicit mother Gertrude (Elizabeth Dimon), who slinks about in a latex catsuit and is counting on those other 8 lives.
Hamlet: The Clown Prince, a production of the Epiphany Shakespeare Company,is the astonishingly clever, superbly entertaining brainchild of Joshuah Patriarco. In a tour-de-force, he gives a magnificent performance as the title character, who has the personality of both Batman and the Joker, as well as directing the production and adapting the Shakespeare classic to blend perfectly into the DC Universe. The text and story of Hamlet is all here, from “To Be or Not to Be” to “The Rest is Silence”, but is here joined by “Why So Serious?” “Have You Ever Danced with The Devil…” and “Let’s Get Nuts!”. The quotes are taken from across the Batman Movie and TV Universe and skillfully added to the Bard’s text (almost as if they were always intended to be). And Horatio/Robin does indeed exclaim “Holy___!” with hilarious frequency. His “bring the house” down moment is when he yells, “Holy Nostalgia!” at the site of the late jester Yorick’s skull. And Frozencrantz is quick with the “ice” puns famously delivered by Arnold Schwarzenegger in Batman and Robin.
Hamlet’s duality works beautifully with the notion of the Dark Night and his greatest adversary being two sides of the same coin (and speaking of which, Two-Face appears in the role of Laertes (John Schmitz). The Riddler is also present, fittingly in the persona of the wordplay-loving Polonius (David Bunde). DeAngelo returns as the amusingly named “Frozencrantz” (Mr. Freeze as you might have guessed). Laura Ruth is the orange-haired, top hat wearing Guildenstern (Mad Hatter).
Hamlet’s transformation into a Joker-like figure disturbs the whole kingdom, but none more than his lover Ophelia (in an incredible performance by Epiphany co-founder Samantha Mileski). Ophelia is traumatized by the behavior of her “Puddin’” but remains devoted to him; after he kills her father Polonius she cracks entirely, becoming Harley Quinn in both demeanor and dress.
The soundtrack features Danny Elfman’s stirring 1989 score for the first Tim Burton Batman film, as well as the theme to the 60’s Batman TV show, and even Seal’s haunting “Kiss from a Rose” from Batman Forever. In addition, the tortured Ophelia sings a heartbreaking, appropo “I Started a Joke,” by the Bee Gees. And then there are the fight scenes. Bat-Hamlet and Horatio-Robin take care of the villains in a scene right out of the Adam West series, and the climactic swordfight of the Dark Prince/Knight with Laertes/Two-Face is magnificently realized. Special shoutout to Fight Choreographer Erin Hebert for crafting these stunning sequences.
Overall, the mashup of the deeply serious Hamlet and the grim world of Batman works much better than anyone might have expected; even the addition of elements from the campier versions of the Caped Crusader fit amazingly into the narrative. A smart, winning concept elevated by great performances, it all makes for a can’t-miss masterpiece that will delight both Batman Buffs and Shakespeare Students.
Goodnight, Sweet Bat!
Hamlet: The Clown Prince is performed at the American Theater of Actors through Sept 28 2025.
Jim Catapano at Blood Orange: A Masterful Study of Hurt, Love, and Loss
Et Atalia Theater Presents Abigail Duclos’ Stunning Experimental New Play
How do adolescents survive when all the grown-ups have disappeared? Blood Orange is like a domestic Lord of The Flies, but the abandonment and isolation on display cuts much deeper. The teenagers here aren’t just separated from their parental figures; they have been utterly failed by them.
Maria Müller is astonishing as Faye, a North Carolina high schooler whose father died violently a few weeks before the story begins. Faye’s stepmother has retreated to her bedroom, devastated, and extremely physically and emotionally unwell. The suddenly alone Faye brings over her school friend Eden for company; the lonely outcast Eden is happy for the attention but disturbed by Faye’s manic dark humor, a symptom of the trauma she’s been through. Faye keeps begging the appalled Eden to physically assault her (perhaps deep down to “see if she can still feel,” as Nine Inch Nails suggested).
Eden’s unease fades as her attraction strengthens. The two begin to connect on a deeper level, but the situation is disturbed by the arrival of Faye’s friend Georgia, who is the polar opposite of Eden; loud, assertive and hyper-sexual, she strides in and dominates proceedings, flirting with Faye and gazing with disdain upon Eden.
Now without a father and essentially without a mother, Faye feels abandoned by God as well. She devises her own deity out of a dead animal she found on the road and placed in a paper bag in a refrigerator, below her stash of frozen dinners. The creature is so mangled they can’t even tell what kind of animal it was (they decide on probably bunny), but Faye and later Eden are entranced by its appearance and even its stench of decay. They suddenly find a tangerine in the bag with the animal and declare it to be a miracle. The grounded Georgia is of course disgusted and condemns the horrific turn of events; she is also clearly threatened by Faye and Eden’s growing bond, which is now being solidified by Eden’s joining Faye’s new religion. Georgia is a Regina George in “Mean Girls”-type but is realized in three dimensions by Giorgia Valenti. The sassy, cynical Georgia can’t hide her insecurity and jealousy; it’s clear that her insults towards Eden are coming from that place. (The cast rotates throughout the run; Müller alternates as Georgia when Luisa Galatti appears as Faye.)
Ana Moioli charms as the awkward, innocent, appropriately named Eden, searching for connection and for an escape from her abusive father. She shows Faye the beloved stuffed animal her father tried to destroy, which foreshadows a climactic moment with Georgia and the “deity” later in the play. Faye prays to her roadkill god to bring her father back; Eden prays for it to make her own father go away. The two become one over their despair, dancing (literally) around their attraction to each other as they chant and pray to their new savior. It is a striking sequence, enthralling and horrifying at the same time, and speaks to the heart of the matter: these are young women who have been abandoned, abused, and cast adrift, and desperately looking for hope, love, and something to believe in.
One of the play’s most surprising moments is the sudden appearance of Faye’s stepmother Mariah in the flesh. If you have not consulted the playbill beforehand it would be understandable to expect her to remain an unseen character, represented only by the sound of footsteps making floorboards creak. But Doreen Oliver arrives to pull at our heartstrings, the loving mother weakened by illness and grief, desperately trying to regain her strength and faculties to make a simple tomato soup dinner for her daughter. It is a glimmer of hope for Faye, but a brief one; Mariah heartbreakingly collapses back into her desperate state, suddenly unable to even recognize Faye. The tomato soup is spilled onto the floor, a puddle of dark red, again foreshadowing the darkness to come. When Georgia returns to put the situation to an end, events spiral to a horrific conclusion that is deeply unsettling—but also excellently staged and acted.
The production is brought to life with powerful direction by Vernice Miller, and meticulously choreographed by associate director Amelia Rose Estrada, with an exceptional scenic design by Ningning Yang. The sound design by Laura Perreira and lighting by Hayley Garcia Parnell contribute so much that they can almost be considered other characters in the play. The compelling group of actors, whose chemistry is electric, stay completely in character even through the many scene changes, keeping the audience immersed in the world of the play. Duclos and the actors have combined to bring us real people that we get to deeply feel for as we hang on their every word and action.
Blood Orange is an absolute triumph for Duclos and the cast, a masterful work that will stay with you long after the lights in Faye’s apartment go out.
The production of Blood Orange is supported by the Romanian Cultural Institute. It runs through Sept. 17, 2025.
Jim Catapano attends A Majestic Production in Celebration of 50 Great Years
King Lear Rises Again to Mark the Golden Anniversary of The American Theatre of Actors
As the curtain opens on its 50th year, the ATA has turned to a signature piece to mark the very special occasion. King Lear, itself enjoying its 420th anniversary, returns to the John Cullen stage after a great run last year, and featuring faces familiar and new.
Alan Hasnas reprises the role of the titular tragic monarch in this energetic rendering, directed with panache by ATA president and founder James Jennings. In a special presentation after the show, Hasnas noted he is celebrating his own anniversary, having debuted at the ATA in the role of Claudius in a production of Hamlet 20 years ago.
Amber Brookes returns as the icy, scheming Regan, oozing malevolence in every scene, such as when she puts her cigarette out on the ill-fated Earl of Gloucester (a heartstring-pulling Tom Corciari in his ATA debut). Dramaturge Jane Culley is grand in her reprise of Regan’s sister Goneril, who tops her sibling’s villainy by tampering with Regan’s ubiquitous goblet. Sam Hardy, who recently excelled as Henry V, brings his powerhouse voice and presence to Edgar. Jake Minter returns to bring a powerful intensity in the role of the villainous Edmund, a part he also played in a recent film adaptation. Dustin Pazar shines, a dashing figure in the pivotal role of Kent. Karolina Larion takes on the role of Cordelia, whose actions at the top of the play start a chain reaction leading to her father’s descent into madness and despair. Larion’s expressive face and performance beautifully portray the punished daughter’s sadness and her later resolve to make things right and attempt to rescue her betrayed father. Sam Cruz is a dynamic Fool, providing the levity to balance out the dark events. However, he is not the only source of mirth—moments of humor are drawn from the text through clever interpretations of the dialogue by the actors, while never betraying the solemnity of the piece. The ensemble’s love of the play is palpable, and they work as a collective to bring it alive with astonishing skill.
The entire production is an incredibly engaging, high-energy rendering of the classic material; completely unabridged, the three-plus hours of King Lear are continuously riveting as well as moving. The space of the elegant John Cullen theatre is fully utilized, from its balcony to its stairs to its wings. The Fool hovers on the balcony watching events unfold; the increasingly mad Lear strides past the audience to command center stage; Edgar leads his blinded father down the winding staircases. Backdrops showing castle grounds and interiors, the sea, the hovel, an eclipse, and the famous thunderstorm provide a dynamic sense of place and time. The swordfights are beautifully coordinated and executed, and the relationships among the characters well realized, leading to the unforgettable, heartbreaking climax that will break your heart no matter how well you know the story. It’s another terrific success for the ATA, and the perfect way to start its milestone year.
The performance of King Lear on September 14th was followed by a rousing celebration of a half-century of the American Theatre of Actors, and of all who have honed their craft there.
King Lear runs at the ATA through September 21, 2025.
Kevin Davis’ Uplifting Musical Story of Hope in Troubled Times, reviewed by Jim Catapano
Kevin Davis’s Rousing One in A Million Gets an Exciting Sneak Preview atDon’t Tell Mama
In a recent interview with Kelly Wright on America’s Hope, composer, playwright and musician Kevin Davis was asked about his wish for America. He responded that he wanted it to be a place where we can “talk to each other…help each other again. ‘We the people’ has to be all of us.”
In a time when the promise of a United States for everyone, and the teachings of Jesus, have both been co-opted and corrupted by evil forces, this desire for a better future fuels Davis’ heartfelt, faith-based One in a Million. The production, known for its evergreen message of hope and humanity, has been workshopped and performed many times in the last several years, earning a nomination for Best Musical, Off-Off Broadway by BroadwayWorld. The latest incarnation of the ever-evolving show was previewed in Cabaret form to an enraptured sold-out house at the legendary Don’t Tell Mama on August 22, 2025.
The musical sees Wanda and her sister Suzy of Anytown USA invite their church friends (and Wanda’s “archenemy” Priscilla) to their annual Christmas party. The group collectively takes a sharp turn from angelic to avarice, as they decide to combine all their money on a life-changing lottery ticket that could bring them $999 million. When this longshot actually happens, the winnings become a poison that threatens to destroy not only their relationships, but their very souls. In 2025 One in a Million holds a mirror on what’s happening to our country in a time when oligarchic greed and fear of the “other” has turned the American dream into a nightmare.
The dynamic songs in the preview comment on this collapse into selfishness and greed, and advocate for spirituality and community, as Suzy takes a moral stand against events. “Who are you fooling when you lie to yourself? Too much of anything will ruin you,” the lyrics warn as the chorus insists “Give me money.”
The show also poignantly touches on the inhuman horrors that immigrants are facing today, with families being pulled apart by people who claim to be Christians yet ignore the words of Jesus entirely. Matthew 25:40 is quoted as a reminder: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
The preview was narrated by Jenna Lucht as Little Red (complete with riding hood), with songs performed by a diverse cast singing in wonderfully varied musical styles, from jazz to soul to salsa. Dancer Jillian Marzziotti performed an electrifying sequence to a latin beat. The talented ensemble also included Valerie Chamberlain, Karev Vigo, Jayandra Chiluwal, and Ray John.
Davis, who recently directed Stormé at the American Theatre of Actors, joined members of his acclaimed Jazz Catz band on stage on clarinet and saxophone to accompany the performers, giving a dynamic sample of the memorable songs in the production.
“What’s going to happen to all of our friends from Anytown USA?” asked Little Red, ending the show on a cliffhanger. “What’s going to happen to a nation torn apart? And people who act in hate in the name of God?”
“How do you show god’s love? You love your neighbor. Everybody here is your neighbor,” Davis reminded us towards the end of the preview. “Everybody in America is your neighbor. And we are sick and tired of this gospel being corrupted by hate. These folks here come from every background…and I love each and every one of them, because they’re my neighbor. And that’s the message of this show.”
Fingers crossed the characters will return to the stage soon to continue the story, and that they—and the country—will return to the light.
Davis’ Jazz Catz will be performing at Don’t Tell Mama on October 8.
Arts Independent 