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The MITF is back and ATA has got them!
The Midtown International Theatre Festival Returns to New York After Decade-Long Hiatus and the Landmark American Theatre of Actors will host the event.
AN HISTORIC EVENT AT AN HISTORIC LOCATION
The Midtown International Theatre Festival (MITF), a respected and influential platform for independent theatre, is set to make its triumphant return to New York City after an absence of nearly a decade. Founder and Executive Producer John Chatterton, a pivotal figure in the Off-Off-Broadway movement, is partnering with Jay Michaels, one of indie theatre’s most visible personalities, to bring the groundbreaking theatrical event back in June/July of 2026.
The new festival will encompass the entire ATA complex of three theatres starting June 15 through July 26, 2026
MITF is accepting applications for productions to be included in the festival until December 31, 2025. Please contact Jay Michaels at info@jaymichaelsarts.com for further details and an application form.
An Ambitious Return at a Historic Venue
The revived festival will be hosted by the prestigious American Theatre of Actors (ATA), marking an auspicious collaboration as the ATA celebrates its 50th anniversary.
“We’re thrilled this event could happen at our theatre—and especially during our 50th anniversary,” says Jessica Jennings, Executive Director of the American Theatre of Actors. The ATA was founded in 1976 by her father, James Jennings, who remains its President and Artistic Director.
The new incarnation of the MITF is planned to be the largest independent theatre festival in history. Already, more than two dozen projects and events have signed on, with plans underway to expand offerings to include:
- A dedicated Cabaret Section.
- A comprehensive One-Act Series.
- A full-fledged Film Festival.
A Legacy of Innovation
Founded in 2000 by John Chatterton, the original MITF was established following the suggestion for a “Midtown Fringe” to complement the downtown scene. It ran for 18 successful seasons before its hiatus in 2018.
The festival quickly became a highly visible and respected launchpad for independent theatre artists. Notably, the MITF pioneered a festival model of theater rental and shared box office revenue that continues to influence theatre festivals worldwide today.
About the American Theatre of Actors (ATA)
The American Theatre of Actors, founded in 1976, is a vibrant repertory theatre company dedicated to fostering new talent. It consists of 50 actors, 15 playwrights, and 8 directors, providing a creative atmosphere for artists to develop their work without the pressures of commercial theatre.
ATA focuses on presenting new dramas and comedies dealing with the social and ethical problems of contemporary society. Over its history, ATA has:
- Presented over 1,000 new works.
- Employed over 11,000 actors, including notable alumni such as Dennis Quaid, Bruce Willis, Danny Aiello, Dan Lauria, Chazz Palminteri, Kevin O’Connor, William Fichtner, Edie Falco, and Kathryn Hahn.
The return of the MITF, in partnership with the ATA, promises to inject a significant burst of energy and opportunity into the New York independent theatre landscape.
Contact: Jay Michaels Global Communications 646-338-5472 // info@jaymichaelsarts.com
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.
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.
Et Alia Theater presents a limited engagement of Blood Orange, a horror play by Abigail Duclos
“One of the most intense plays you will see this season!”
Et Alia Theater presents a limited engagement of Blood Orange, a horror play by Abigail Duclos, at The Jeffrey & Paula Gural Theatre of A.R.T./New York, 502 West 53rd Street, New York City, ADA accessible. Previews begin: 11 September (Invitation Only); Opening: 13 September; Closing: 27 September TICKETS
Performed in Repertory: September 11, 13, 14, 19, 21, 22, 27: Luísa Galatti as Faye, Ana Moioli as Eden, Maria Müller as Georgia
September 12, 15, 18, 20, 25 and 26: Maria Müller as Faye, Ana Moioli as Eden, Giorgia Valenti as Georgia
Doreen Oliver as Mariah for all showings
Blood Orange, by Abigail Duclos and produced by Et Alia Theater, tells the story of Faye, a teenage girl who — feeling abandoned by God and her mother in the wake of her father’s violent death — turns to a nightmarish roadkill creature for salvation. Faye then draws her awkward friend, Eden, into a strange religion filled with prayer, blood, and budding love.
The play delves deeply into grief and depicts it as an ugly, intricate, and biting experience, examining the complexities of modern teenage girlhood and sexuality. The play asks, “how do young women navigate a culture that hypersexualizes them while demonizing their desires?” “What happens when the hunt for pleasure intertwines with pain?”
Production Directed by Vernice Miller with Amelia Estrada as Associate Director/Choreographer; Scenic and Property Design by Ningning Yang; Costumes Designed & Associate Props Design by Whitney Fabre; Sound Designed by Laura Pereira; Lighting Designed by Hayley Garcia Parnell; Fight and Intimacy Direction by Leana Gardella.
For Et Alia Theater: Production and Box Office Management by Covi Loveridge Brannan; Stage Management by Isabel Criado; Deck Management by Thais Fernandes.
The play runs about 90 minutes with no intermission.
CONTENT WARNING: explicit scenes of violence and of self harm.
Production design support provided by the Edith Lutyens and Norman Bel Geddes Design Enhancement Fund, a program of the Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York (A.R.T./NY).
Established in 1972 by an innovative collective, A.R.T./New York has matured into an indispensable cornerstone for over 475 theatres and more than 150 individual producers and artists throughout all five boroughs of New York City and across the state. As the singular membership organization dedicated to encompassing New York’s entire not-for-profit theatre sector, A.R.T./New York’s reach extends from playwriting collectives and developmental labs to producing organizations and pioneering independent artists. A.R.T./NY continues to serve the field through four essential service areas — Funding, Space, Professional Development and Advocacy — in order to help theatremakers put their creative ideas on stage.
BRAVO to Parmeet Singh in Sense & Sensibility
Parmeet Singh delivers a charismatic and nuanced performance as John Willoughby in Hudson Classical Theatre Company’s adaptation of “Sense and Sensibility.” Singh’s portrayal stands out for its depth and complexity, successfully transforming the widely known villain of Jane Austen’s novel into a “grey antihero.” His performance is described as charismatic, intelligent, and electric, capturing the audience’s attention from his “bombastic and robust” entrance.
A Masterclass in Character Transformation
What distinguishes Singh’s performance is his ability to create a fully realized human being, rather than a one-dimensional character. He moves beyond the archetype of a villain, crafting a version of Willoughby that we initially want to love but ultimately end up despising, though not without a hint of pity. This depth is a testament to his artistry and his philosophy of acting, where he aims to have “abundant discoveries with limitless exploration and complete surrender.”
Versatility and Craft
Singh’s talent is further highlighted by his impeccable command of received pronunciation (a British accent), which adds authenticity to his classical performance. The provided text also emphasizes his versatility, noting his seamless transitions between vastly different roles. His recent work includes playing Romeo in “Romeo and Juliet” and Lysander in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” with The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, as well as a lead role in the premier of “Haunt Me” and an indie film. His diverse background, which includes training at both The American Musical and Dramatic Academy and the National School of Drama, India, and work in both classical Western and contemporary Indian productions, underscores his commitment to nurturing his artistry as a whole.
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Hudson Classical Theater Company unlocks the vitality of Classical theater. It is our mission to delight our diverse audiences with intimate and accessible interpretations of classical literature.
In addition, our Education and Outreach Programs provide performances and theater training to audiences who don’t usually have access to theater, including the Incarcerated, Veterans, Seniors, and Community and Educational Centers.
Broadway Icon, LEN CARIOU to star in New York Premiere of RICHARD VETERE’s riveting new drama, ZAGŁADA
Broadway Icon, LEN CARIOUto star in New York Premiere of RICHARD VETERE’s riveting new drama, ZAGŁADA. Production directed by MAJA WAMPUSZYC
October 16 — November 2 The AMERICAN THEATRE OF ACTORS 314 W. 54th Street. New York City Contact info@jaymichaelsarts.com for further info
ZAGŁADA is a Polish word meaning annihilation used within Poland to refer to the HOLOCAUST, particularly in the context of the systematic, state-sponsored genocide of six million European Jews by the Nazi German regime and its allies and collaborators.
Journalist Danielle Hooper goes to interview 90-year-old Jerzy Kozlowski, in a quiet residential neighborhood in Queens for her book on World War II; he fires a gun at her, prompting his arrest. This gets the attention of Homeland Security Agent, Sonia Sokolow and NYPD Intelligence Bureau Officer, Frank Napoli.
Apparently, not only did Kozlowski lie on his immigration application when entering the United States after World War II; but he is suspected of collaborating with the Nazis at BUCHENWALD CONCENTRATION CAMP where he himself was a prisoner.
Agent Sokolow has 48 hours to prove Kozlowski’s collaboration so she can charge and extradite him to a country willing to try him for International War Crimes.
Sokolow must not only win the race against time but confront her own personal history through the mirror of Napoli’s mission to hunt down radical Islamic terrorists and White supremacists and Hooper’s righteous defense of the truth. What is a human being capable of doing to protect themselves and the ones they love and will justice prevail?
The play ZAGŁADA is inspired by history. All characters are fictional.
LEN CARIOU gained prominence for his Tony Award-winning title role in the original cast of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (1979). Prior to that, he earned nominations for Applause (1970) and A Little Night Music (1973). Cariou has had supporting roles in films such as The Four Seasons (1981), Thirteen Days (2000), About Schmidt (2002), Flags of Our Fathers (2006), Prisoners (2013), and Spotlight (2015). On television, Len was nominated for an Emmy for Into The Storm (2009) and is known for recurring roles in the shows Murder, She Wrote (1985–1992), Brotherhood (2005-2006), and Damages (2010) and his starring role in Blue Bloods (2010–2024).
RICHARD VETERE, a Lifetime and Current Member of the Writers Guild of America East since 2012. His prolific career allowed him the opportunity to work with Oscar, Emmy, Tony, Grammy and Golden Globe award winners and nominees like Francis Ford Coppola, Walter Matthau, Carol Brunett, Robert Forester, Phil Ramone, Agnieszka Holland, Ed Harris, Elisabeth Shue, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Danny Aiello, Len Cariou and Jason Alexander. Recently, his stage play, Black & White City Blues, had an extended run and recieved rave reviews some critics calling his play a “masterpiece” at the Amrican Theatre of Actors. His screenplay, Caravaggio won the Golden Palm Award for Best Screenplay at the Beverly Hills International Film Festival 2021. His adaptation of his own stage play The Marriage Fool is now streaming on Amazon starring Walter Matthau, Carol Burnett and John Stamos. Mr. Vetere co-wrote the screenplay adaptation of his own novel The Third Miracle which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival in 1999, produced by Francis Ford Coppola, directed by Agneiszka Holland and starring Ed Harris and Anne Heche. It is considered by critics to be one of the best movies about faith ever filmed.Mr. Vetere’s first feature film Vigilante is an original screenplay, starring Robert Forester and Fred Williamson. Vigilante, released in 1983, became a blockbuster movie overnight making it the 20th highest grossing picture in 1983 and was just now re-released in Blu-Ray. It was named “a cult classic” by critic David Denby in the New York Times and one of the “best indies of the 1980s” by BAM. Over the years Mr. Vetere has written screenplays and adaptations for Paramount, Warner Bros, New Line, Zoetrope and CBS. As a member of the PD Workshop Unit at the Actors Studio he has developed several plays including ZagŁada
MAJA WAMPUSZYC has worked with Tony & Oscar Award winners. Film & TV credits include: The Immigrant (Cannes & NY Film Festival); Mona Lisa Smile; Going Shopping; The Knick; Madam Secretary; Search Party; and Law & Order: SVU. Broadway: Irena’s Vow. Off-Broadway, NYC, & regional credits include: Irena’s Vow; Lady Macbeth & Her Lover; House of Connelly; Foggy Bottom; An Oak Tree (Obie Award Winning Production); The Pearl Theatre; Precious Stones, and pool (no water) at The Barrow Street Theater. March 2020: Anna Akhmatova in Night Shadows Or: One Hundred Million Voices Shouting at Irondale. In 2021: Wampuszyc played the title role in Clytemnestra in Hades; and most recently played Ayn Rand in The Disciple for Thirdwing, LTD. PDW member of the Actors Studio, she has collaborated with Vetere as a director on developing six new plays; and with Lanie Robertson on his new play, a reimagining of the early years of Marie Curie, Unknown Objects of Desire. Member of The Actors Gym. Maja is Represented by Bret Adams, LTD.
The American Theatre of Actors, founded in 1976 by James Jennings, continues its mission of spotlighting socially and historically resonant works. The company has produced over 1,000 original plays and has been a creative home to actors such as Dennis Quaid, Edie Falco, and Chazz Palminteri.
CHAZZ PALMINTERI will appear Saturday, August 2 ONLY for a talkback after the performance of LIGHTHOUSE REPERTORY THEATRE’s production of A BRONX TALE, the musical
CHAZZ PALMINTERI will appear Saturday, August 2 ONLY for a talkback after the performance of LIGHTHOUSE REPERTORY THEATRE’s production of A BRONX TALE, the musical running Friday, August 1 thru Sunday, August 10 AT The Bellmore Showplace, 222 Pettit Ave.Bellmore, NY TICKETS
Based on the critically acclaimed play that inspired the now classic film, this streetwise musical will take you to the stoops of the Bronx in the 1960s—where a young man is caught between the father he loves and the mob boss he’d love to be. Book by Academy Award nominee, Chazz Palminteri, music by Oscar, Grammy, and Tony Award winner Alan Menken, and lyrics by Grammy Award winner and Oscar and Tony Award nominee Glenn Slater, A Bronx Tale is a story about respect, loyalty, love, and above all else… family.
AUGUST 2nd ONLY – your ticket includes an after-show talk back with CHAZZ PALMINTERI.
Bronx-born and raised Chazz Palminteri was a natural choice to continue the Italianate tradition set forth in the 1970s by such icons as director Martin Scorsese and actors Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, John Cazale and Joe Pesci.In 1988 he wrote for himself a play entitled “A Bronx Tale,” a powerful one-man stage commentary in which he depicted his bruising childhood in great detail, which included witnessing gangland slayings. Palminteri brought each and every character to life (18 in all) in this autobiographical piece — his friends, enemies, even his own family. He showcased for years in both Los Angeles and New York, finally sparking the interest of his film idol, Robert De Niro. DeNiro, wanting to direct for the first time, saw the potential of this project and brought both it and the actor/writer to the screen. Palminteri played one of the flashier roles, Sonny, a gangster, in the movie version. An unknown film commodity at the time, Chazz had stubbornly refused to sell his stage property (the offers went into the seven figures) unless he was part of the package as both actor and screenwriter. DeNiro, who became his mentor, backed him up all the way, and the rest is history. A Bronx Tale (1993), which featured his actress/producer/wife Gianna Palminteri, earned strong reviews.
He received a well-deserved Oscar nomination the following year for his portrayal of a Runyonesque hit man in Woody Allen‘s hilarious jazz-era comedy Bullets Over Broadway (1994). He was on the right side of the law in both The Perez Family (1995), his first romantic lead, and then the classic crimer The Usual Suspects (1995). He played the ill-fated brute in Diabolique (1996) and wrote a second screenplay, Faithful (1996), in which he again plays a hit man, terrorizing both Cher and Ryan O’Neal.
Parental Advisory: Contains adult language and mild violence.
Jim Catapano reviews a dying gasp of a senator’s soul with Michael Hagins’ “The Senator Speaks”
Michael Hagins’ Powerful New Play The Senator Speaks Examines the Human Consequences of Playing Politics
“We are all mired in dark times,” proclaims Conservative Republican Senator Calvin Shepherd (Michael J. Whitten). “At a time when the hard left is helping to ruin this country. Liberty is under assault…we are going to arm up and fight back.” Shepherd is spending the morning at home, surrounded by portraits of Reagan, Bush I, a large cross, and an even larger American Flag. He is practicing the Keynote speech he is scheduled to deliver to the National Rifle Association.
“It’s just rhetoric,” he admits to his religious, reserved wife Martha (Mary Sheridan). “I don’t believe any of it.”
Unsure of his own talking points, Shepherd keeps running to his desk to double-check his prepared script; he humorously has trouble saying the word “statistician.” But these are the least of his issues; his liberal activist, liberal arts-studying daughter Corinne (Olivia Whicheloe) is home from college, and they’re destined for another shouting match, which Martha wearily prepares to referee. (The relationship between father and daughter is exemplified by Corinne having thrown red paint on him during one of her many protest outings.)
Adding exponentially to the tension is the presence of Danny Johns (Xavier Rodney/Michael Hagins at Friday performances). Political Machiavelli Danny is essentially Shepherd’s Chief of Staff, and the devil on his shoulder, pulling the strings to advance Shepherd’s career and reap for himself the resulting rewards. (He also boasts that he’s the guy that makes potential “problems” go away for anyone who does what he wants.)
As events unfold, we learn that Shepherd’s voting history—the details of which he often struggles to recall—is coming back to haunt him. His rejection of background checks has put a gun in the hands of a young man who is now an active school shooter, just a few miles away, and ironically, mere hours before Shepherd is to go before the NRA. To the Shepherds’ horror, their young niece Jamie is one of the students trapped inside. Danny reveals that he’d been aware that the gunman was a potential threat to the community for some time, and he had strategically swept the information under the rug. But even now, this “incident” is all a mere inconvenience, and one that can be spun for political gain. “You can be America’s rock,” he later implores Shepherd. “The senator who overcame tragedy to bring this country to a stronger future.”
Amid an agonizing tug-of-war between Danny and the Shepherd family for the soul of the Senator, Corinne reveals that something terrible had recently happened to her at college. It’s indeed a crime against her, but one that she will receive no justice or recompense for—as a result of her father’s earlier political decisions. A further family revelation drives home the hypocrisy at the heart of Shepherd’s very being. Thus, at the urging of Danny and for the sake of some perks hidden in big wordy bills, Shepherd has essentially sold out his own family, to tragic consequences.
Brilliantly written and directed with no punches pulled by Michael Hagins, The Senator Speaks comes at a pivotal moment in history, when the chasm between congressman and constituent has never been greater. Hagins exposes the rot at the center of the politician’s heart; Shepherd is both callous and clueless, and this characterization is far from hyperbole in the turbulent early days of 2025. Corinne refers to Danny as “Rasputin,” and she is not far off; the kingmaker is not only a puppet master, but also so powerful in the political sphere as to be seemingly invincible. A disgusted Corinne asks him what he believes in. “Money,” he replies cooly. Shepherd is caught between Danny and his pleading family in a gripping and heartbreaking battle that singlehandedly sums up all that is wrong with American society.
The actors perfectly embody their roles, to the extent that the audience feels they are eavesdropping on a real family’s despair and disintegration. Rodney/Hagins’ Danny is a supervillain oozing with evil—but chillingly, he’s also completely realistic. The same is true for Whitten’s corrupted Shepherd, a man so consumed with his career and so brainwashed by his puppeteer that he can barely discern right from wrong anymore. Whicheloe’s assertive, fed-up Corinne is at turns defiant and heartbreaking—as is Sheridan’s disillusioned Martha, whose wavering admiration of her husband gives way to complete contempt. Whicheloe and Sheridan are compelling as their characters come to terms with the reality that their father/husband is not a person they can ever again stand with or depend on.
The Senator Speaks is a must-see production in an era when the creative voice is needed more than ever to speak to the troubles of our times, and to be our companion as we navigate the turbulent seas ahead of us.
The Senator Speaks is part of the African American Playwrights Initiative at the ATA. It is playing through March 8 at the Sargent Theater at the American Theatre of Actors.
Jim Catapano reviews (beyond) Doomsday Scrolling: A Timely Tale of Feminist Resistance
(beyond) Doomsday Scrolling Raises a Collective Voice Against Patriarchal Atrocities Past and Present
“One of the convenient afflictions of power is a lack of imaginative extension. For many men it begins in early childhood, with almost exclusively being read and given stories with male protagonists.” – Rebecca Solnit
AnomalousCo’s (beyond) Doomsday Scrolling is a production of protest against the male-led oppressive, destructive course of human history which continues to this very moment, told through the stories of women who were there. It was first realized in 2022, and now returns for a run at the American Theatre of Actors. In the early, frightening days of 2025, its re-imagining is not a moment too soon.
The play is the ever-evolving creation of an ensemble—AnomalousCo is a women-led collective of predominately queer-identifying feminist artists and performers. All the actors are descendants of people who lived through these events; they are literally portraying their ancestors. The actors developed their individual characters themselves, drawing on the stories and experiences of their own families. The reality that the historic horrors they depict are also happening to and around them, here and now, lends a palpable emotional poignancy. You can see it in the actors’ eyes, feel it in their voices. Their work is a unified cry of resistance against the horrors of war and subjugation, caused by a system perpetually run by men.
(beyond) Doomsday Scrolling imagines women from different times and places, taking sanctuary in a theater to escape the horrors they have all faced. We meet refugees of violent conflict and disaster from all over the world; from the Warsaw uprising of 1944 to the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, and right up to the current day horrors of the Altadena fires. It is a tense scene—a siren sound mixes with the pleading cries of a baby; news reports, read matter-of-factly, are heard throughout, depicting tragic historical events from the last two centuries. These reports heartbreakingly intertwine with news from just days ago, in the aftermath of the repressive actions of the new US administration, and the ongoing horrors of Gaza. Quotations from women writers, including Rebecca Solnit (as noted above) Evgeniya Byelorusets and Naomi Klein, appear on a screen to bear witness, and to warn.
Speaking in their native tongues, the women try to communicate; they compare weapons and pass around a bottle of rum. A Red Cross volunteer comes to the “rescue”. The women open his box of supplies only to find that it’s useless: it’s filled with burlesque-type outfits, glittering dresses and feather boas. Through it all the women argue, they bond, they sing (notably a beautiful “Bella Ciao,” an Italian resistance folk piece); they try to escape in sleep, in long stretches of ominous silence. United by their experiences, they ultimately rise above their language barriers and cultural differences to come together in solidarity and understanding.
The initial incarnation of the show debuted shortly after the Russian Invasion of Ukraine, and is as crucial and relevant as ever in the cloud of chaos and uncertainty that is the here and now. Sheets line the walls, and ultimately the women’s clotheslines, listing the historic, patriarchy-caused catastrophes that caused them to flee. They all note the year, and ultimately, about half of them say 2025. The mantra of “it couldn’t happen here” is proven painfully incorrect; and history repeats, and repeats.
It’s noted that shortly before this production, the Doomsday Clock was moved from 90 seconds to 89. As (beyond) Doomsday Scrolling powerfully demonstrates,art—and the voices of women everywhere, from across time and distance—play a large part in slowing that second hand.
The performers/creators are: Alina Mihailevschi (Moldova), Claudia Godi (Italy), Diana Zhdanova (Russia), Jeremy Goren (US), Kikki Lau (China), Lesya Verba (Ukraine), Merve Atabek (Turkey), Simona DeFeo (Italy), Tia Cassmira (US), Wilemina Olivia-Garcia (Cuba), Weronika Wozniak (Poland), Ylfa Edelstein (Iceland).
(beyond) Doomsday Scrolling is directed brilliantly by Kathryn Mederos Syssoyeva, with Dramaturgy by Rhiannon Ling. It runs at the American Theatre of Actors through February 9, 2025.
Content warning: Presence of gun prop, partial nudity, siren sound.
Cleats, Chords, and Connections: Jim Catapano reviews 2 by Ken Couglin
Ken Coughlin’s New Plays Are Love Letters to Two Legendary Pastimes
The award-winning Ken Coughlin has turned his attention to two of the most cherished pursuits of modern times: Baseball and Music. Hang Up Your Cleats, directed by Laurie Rae Waugh, and The Next Audition, directed by Coughlin, are performed together at the American Theatre of Actors, and truly fit like a glove. They are an insightful look at two of the passions that define modern culture, and how they inspire and connect people from all walks of life. Both plays are realized by a cast that brings a fitting charm and warmth to Coughlin’s resonant words.
Hang Up Your Cleats follows its characters over the course of over 20 years, beginning in 1931 during the prohibition era. The setting is a Speakeasy in a town with a popular baseball team at its center. The team’s star hitter, Otto Grafton (Kevin Ford), is in a 27-week slump, which he responds to by slumping into the bar to nurse his wounds. He tells the bar’s owner, Bart (Phil Oetiker), a devoted fan, that he is going to quit. The kindly Bart talks him into giving it one more go, promising that he will hang up Otto’s cleats behind the bar as a tribute when he eventually does retire (and giving the play’s title a second, more positive meaning).
This leads to a series of emotional vignettes over the course of the next two decades, segueing to the sounds of many different renditions of “Take Me Out to The Ballgame.” Bart’s son, Bart Jr. (Brian Michael O’ Neill) takes over the bar, Prohibition ends, and soon, the cleats above the bar multiply—a makeshift Wall of Fame for the town’s ballplayers, both famous and under-the-radar. We meet Cliff Samson (Dennis Mullikin), a kid who has just been cut from the local team. Soon we see that Bart Jr. has not only inherited his dad’s bar, but his compassion and love of the game as well—he urges Cliff not to give up.
In the spring of 1943, the bar is host to ballplayers Luke (Daniel Dennehy), Jim (Jacob Ward), and Benny (Luc Mitchell). The trio announce to Bart that they are not reporting to spring training, and due to the year, we immediately know why. Moved by their sacrifice, Bart hangs up their cleats in honor of the men. After the war ends, Women’s Baseball players Shirley (Julianne Lorndale) and Nadine (Sonia Halle) come into Bart’s to lament the end of their league, considered superfluous when all the male stars returned from overseas. Bart gives them both a place on the cleat wall, and starts a relationship with Shirley. Now partners in life and in business, the two meet Calvin Briggs (Will Allen). Calvin is a ballplayer from the Negro Leagues whose team has disbanded. Bart and Shirley welcome and honor him, rebuking former ballplayer Sam (also played by Oetiker) for his bigotry when he encounters Calvin.
The kind heart and compassion of Bart Jr., beautifully portrayed by O’Neill, is at the center of the play, coupled with the magical ability of baseball to bring people together. Bart’s bar becomes the “Cheers” of the town, and as the story progresses into the 1950s, all the characters come together as a kind of family—including Eloise (Aileen Bergin) and Martha (Valerie O’ Hara), sister and mom of one of the ballplayers. The group is united by their support of each other in hard times, shared history, and their devotion to the National Pastime. It all comes together to make Hang Up Your Cleats a moving tribute to human resilience and connection.
The topic shifts to music with The Next Audition. It’s the story of gigging lifelong guitarist Ken (Coughlin), as relayed and debated by Tom (Thomas J. Kane) and Val (Valerie O’Hara). The play is cleverly staged In Ken’s workshop, where he wordlessly tinkers with five guitars in the background while Tom and Val regale us with stories of his misadventures on the local concert circuit over the years—the gig on the boardwalk that lasted one night; the residency at the Italian restaurant that made it to a miraculous three weeks.
“Who wants to hear a bad, loud version of ‘Good Golly Miss Molly’ while they’re trying to enjoy their Risotto alle coste?” scoffs Tom.
Ken is seemingly oblivious to their conversation as he meditatively works on his collection. As opposed to the cynical Tom, Val is generally encouraging of Ken’s goals.
“You never get more unless you demand it,” she proclaims, suggesting that Tom is a dream-destroyer.
“Well maybe he should have spent more time getting the gigs that paid more,” he snarks back, suggesting that each failed endeavor only causes Ken to slide into despair. “He’s just going to get hurt again.”
Tom and Val are our guides to Ken’s journey from one project to the next, including a chaotic turn in one of the infamous Beatles Tribute bands. We hear the stories of Ken battling egos, creative differences, and frequent rejections, and ending up with little money or recognition to show for it. Though Ken never says a word, he’s clearly wondering if he’s wasting his time too by trying again and again. The dénouement, with Ken alone, is poignant, but fittingly, he performs a beautiful song, signaling that the show must go on. The funny and poignant play is a moving and familiar story for all of us in the entertainment business who have been constantly knocked down and always gotten up again.
Hang Up Your Cleats and The Next Audition are performed together at the Sargent Theatre at the American Theatre of Actors through November 3, 2024.
Arts Independent 