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A Delightful Double Feature at the Delightful American Theatre of Actors, reviewed by the Delightful Jim Catapano
A Delightful Double Feature at the American Theatre of Actors
Tango in the Rockies and The Rubber Band Company Bow at the Beckmann
The 50th year of the American Theatre of Actors continues to go from strength to strength, as evidenced by the coupling of two compelling new works to kick off November. Tango in The Rockies is written and directed by ATA Artistic Director James Jennings, while The Rubber Band Company is written and directed by Meny Beriro.
Following the strains of Marty Robbins’ classic ballad “El Paso,” Tango begins as a two-hander, as mature couple Albert (Tom Crouch) and Millie (Ginger Kipps) seek refuge in a cabin from an as-yet unseen adversary that has been following them in a car after Albert’s initial evasion of them. “They want us to sign some papers,” is all Albert knows, revealing that they had come to the house and “tried to force me to do it there”. Millie’s imagination regarding their identity runs from bill collectors, to CIA, and even ICE “They’re certainly trying to get something from us,” says Albert, “and I don’t know what the hell that can be.” When Millie realizes that the cabin is the one they used for a family trip years ago, some emotional memories come to the surface—skiing with the kids, cooking them eggs, and Albert’s time as a baseball player.
“Time slipped by so fast,” she says sadly, noting that their time with family is now near non-existent.
“And now here we are, trapped in a cabin,” Albert sighs. “Victims of the current times.”
“Victims of our age,” Millie adds.
“Maybe victims of some AI program that we’ve had nothing to do with,” Albert speculates ominously, grounding their dilemma in the here and now.
Crouch and Kipps display fantastic chemistry as they go from reminiscing wistfully to raging against the forces outside their makeshift sanctuary. Their depiction of a decades-long relationship facing perhaps its greatest crisis is stunningly genuine. The sound design is well utilized to create the sense of impending doom, until Millie bravely goes outside and returns with Charles (Josh Bartosch), an amiable real estate agent who reveals what he needs from the couple. The denouement of the tense situation is well played and functions as a deep exhale followed by a laugh of relief. The three actors deftly deliver Jenning’s witty dialogue, and it’s all held together by his expert direction.
The Rubber Band Company is heralded by the sound of the Spinners’ hit “The Rubberband Man”, setting a very different mood in a very different setting, but continuing the darkly humorous vibe. It’s the office of the company revealed in the title, and it opens on veteran rubber band salesman Bill (Ken Coughlin) shooting samples of their product across the room. He’s having no luck getting them in the cup he hs placed to catch them, which he dismisses as “too small.” He later decides to blame the rubber bands instead: “They don’t stretch like they used to.”
The losing streak is interrupted by Ann (Stephanie Andujar), a young go-getter who is trying to make her way up the ladder and feels she has the perfect idea to propel her.
“I knew when I walked in here that rubber bands was the reason God put me on this earth,” Ann announces with a very amusing earnestness.
The uneasiness of the reluctant colleagues makes for some very funny dialogue; equally humorous is the varied types of rubber bands the company boasts about. There are the 540s, that are supposed to glow in the dark (but don’t, according to a customer Bill speaks to on the phone). “They just ruined some family’s whole camping trip,” Bill tells Ann, explaining that he sent them a free box of the renowned “1280s” as an apology.
“That was a bit extravagant on your part!” says Ann.
She suggests that Bill pick up the dozens of rubber bands on the floor as their boss Connors (Derek Donnellan) is coming to give an important presentation on a “whole new concept” that she expects will be a game-changer. The agitated (and apparently unwell) Bill dismisses the notion: “He wouldn’t know a 1280 from a 1690! The only knew concept he’s going to introduce to this company—is Chapter 11.”
The tension is further escalated when Tom Luke DiCostanzo arrives as Gary, the slimy lead salesman trying to get his Westchester territory back from Ann (despite having famously remarked “f—ck Westchester” in a previous rant). His kid has asked for free rubber bands for his whole class, but to Gary’s sadness a “new policy change” makes this impossible.
The slick and money-minded Connors finally arrives to give his presentation. After announcing the new line of “industrial-strength super-sized outdoor rubber band—the 2559,” he adds that he wants to give the brand an identity by selling rubber bands in only one color—but it’s not the one that Ann envisioned, to her hilarious chagrin.
The situation escalates to a series of fight sequences, initially comedic and of course involving some of the company’s famed product. These are fantastically executed by the cast under the excellent direction of Fight Director Juan Carlo Castillo. Then it takes an unexpected very dark turn that will you leave you gasping, and yet is the perfect ending to the piece and a strong indictment of power-grabbing and greed. You’ll neber look at a rubber band the same way again.
It all makes for enjoyable evening (or afternoon) of theatre and is another triumph for the ATA in its golden anniversary year.
Tango in the Rockies and The Rubber Band Company run together at the American Theatre of Actors through Nov 16, 2025.
Jim Catapano Wishes for Many Beautiful Hours at “Birthday Candles”
Noah Haidle’s Moving Masterpiece Birthday Candles is Beautifully Realized by the Lighthouse Repertory Theatre Company
Ernestine Ashworth celebrates her 17th birthday with her mom Alice (Alissa Wexler) as per family tradition—a homemade birthday cake. In between anxiously wondering about her place in the universe, she excitedly recruits Alice in helping her rehearse for her school’s production of “Queen” Lear, and then takes an annual turn at the height chart next to the front door of their Grand Rapids, Michigan home. That height chart will be filled with names we’ll get to know over the next century, and we’ll spend pivotal moments of those years with Ernestine and family, but always accompanied by the unseen but always felt antagonist of Birthday Candles: Time.
The idea for Birthday Candles came to Noah Haidle after his friend’s eight-year-old daughter asked her mom if she thought she had wasted her life. That question is also Ernestine’s first line, directed at herself, and thus a profound question from a child led to a profound play.
We get to spend Ernestine’s birthday with her over the course of 90 years; every year she bakes that same cake, and is accompanied by a version of her goldfish Atman (Sanskrit for “essence,”) always sitting in a bowl on the kitchen table. It is noted that goldfish only have 3 seconds of memory before they “start over”, and the other characters wonder if Atman is better off that way, as the years and the memories wear them down.
Kami Crary gives a magnificent performance as Ernestine Ashworth, whose life spans “one hundred years and ninety minutes concurrently.” With no makeup and only very slight costume changes, Crary embodies Ernestine at 17 and 107 and everything in between so convincingly it’s astonishing. Her castmates complement her wonderfully, going on their own life journeys filled with both sadness and joy, sometimes in the same scene.
The 17-year-old Ernestine is aggressively but charmingly courted by Kenneth (usually played by Kevin Russo, but in this performance played by producer Tony Chiofalo, in a stellar “one-night-only” turn). However, she instead marries Matt (Rian Romeo), and they have many happy years together until tragedy leads to a devastating betrayal. But, it also means that Kenneth may have a chance with Ernestine after all, if he waits long enough…
An ominous tickling clock accompanies blackouts that depict time moving forward. Sometimes the scene is brief and humorous (like when Ernestine’s daughter goes from College Senior to College Graduate to Unpaid Intern in a matter of real-life seconds, or when Matt is seen to give Ernestine the same gift three birthdays in a row). But sometimes the circumstances are heartwrenching (one short scene is just of the characters sobbing). Most scenes are longer, depicting poignant life-changing turning points. The fact that Ernestine lives for over a century means that tremendous sadness and loss are inevitable, and this casts a backwards shadow over the events of her life, even the happier ones. Ernestine is determined to keep her loved ones alive through her rituals, even if it means breaking into the house that she no longer lives in to bake that cake one more time, a full century after the tradition began—much to the chagrin of new owner Beth (Julie Lorson) and to the amusement of Beth’s domestic partner John (played by Chiofalo). “Ernestine: Age Eternity,” she introduces herself with pride.
Shea James plays Ernestine and Matt’s daughter Madeline (Maddy), who later wishes to be called Athena, and finally “Anonymous.” She is a troubled soul who is existentially perceptive, lending a perspective that complements the transitory nature of life that the play so keenly demonstrates. Stephen Anastasia is Billy, who rebelliously criticizes his parents for settling and selling out, only to have the same charges leveled at him by his own daughter Alex (Stephanie Curley) decades later. Billy is a musician who is heard practicing the Beatles’ “Let It Be” (a fitting song for this play), and his rendition gets better and better over the years. Liz Spencer is hilarious as Billie’s girlfriend (and later wife) Joan, an anxious person who berates herself in the third person after every faux pas. Amanda Luong and Glenn McKay are Ernestine’s grandchildren Ernie and William, seen rehearsing “Queen” Lear decades after their grandma’s initial triumph.
Birthday Candles is a heartbreaker for the ages, but also incredibly funny; and it is a stunning celebration of all that matters, and a reminder that a life well lived and full of love is worth the tears. To paraphrase Ernestine, let’s all make a wish for “so many beautiful hours.”
Birthday Candles is directed with finesse and poignancy by Kate Russo. It is performed at the Merrick Theatre and Center for the Arts through June 29, 2025. The production benefits Birthday Wishes of Long Island, whose mission is to improve and empower the lives of homeless children and their families. To learn more, visit birthdaywishes.org.
Jim Catapano spies a Glimmer of Hope Amidst the Misery, wallowing in MUD (at the ATA)
MUD, María Irene Fornés’ 1980s social commentary, is reborn at the ATA
“I am a hungry soul. I am a longing soul. I am an empty soul,” laments Mae, an impoverished, illiterate young woman in an old torn dress. “Can’t I Have a Decent Life?”
Mae is living a bleak existence with an unwanted life partner, Lloyd—a man who is a virtual animal in human form. Their toxic relationship is marked by harrowing screaming matches as she goes about ironing and pressing clothes, desperately trying to maintain a civilized demeanor amidst the chaos. Mae finds what appears to be a way out in a possible relationship with the suit-and-tie clad Henry, a seemingly successful neighbor who to her is a symbol of education and escape. “I feel like heaven had come to this place and I still feel so,” Mae proclaims defiantly. But even that brief candle of hope is quickly extinguished due to an unexpected turn of events that leaves Mae in an even more dire situation than before.
MUD is a contemporary groundbreaker by María Irene Fornés’, the late Cuban-American playwright whose work was known for depicting characters who dared to dream themselves out of the dire and unfair circumstances that social and cultural realities imposed upon them. This important and relevant piece is now brought to life in 2025 by Utopia for Losers, “a New York-based theatre company of young actors and directors staging work by a variety of contemporary playwrights.”
Mae explains to Henry that her late father found Lloyd on the street and took him in; he is literally a feral stray that has resisted all attempts at domestication. He is dominated by base impulses of hunger and carnal desire, the latter hampered by an illness that leaves him physically impotent but still craving at a feverish level. “We’re like animals who got together and mated,” Mae admits with disgust. This leaves her forced to care for a person who is essentially an unwanted pet, a burden that hampers her desperate attempts to rise above the unfair cards that have been dealt her.
Chloe Margot gives a stunning performance as Mae, a heartbreaking heroine trapped in an utterly hellish situation; one roots for her to escape while recognizing how tragically unlikely that is. Mae is driven to better herself through education and a firm work ethic; she goes to school and has trouble retaining what she learns, but forges on regardless; she tries to develop her reading skills, narrating aloud (slowly but determinedly) books about starfishes and hermit crabs while trying to ignore the pathetic creature she is stuck in cohabitation with.
Brian Beckerle as Lloyd perfectly realizes the bestial, pitiful nature of the difficult character while never allowing him to tip over into being utterly repugnant. His physical acting is remarkable—Lloyd jumps onto the table repeatedly, exemplifying his subhuman nature, and cartwheels across the stage to demonstrate his virility and vigor. Aiden Castillo as Henry excels at an extremely difficult task of showing the character at first dominating but sinister, and supposedly civilized, until circumstances leave him compromised and forced to a state of dependency similar to Lloyd’s. The trio of actors give a masterclass in the realization of a playwright’s intent, expertly interpreting Fornes’ poetic style and bringing to life her themes of psychological and relationship complexity fueled by poverty. It’s a triumph for the cast, Director/Producer Dylan Pitanza, Assistant Director Christopher Paul Richards, Dramaturg Ava Lamantia, and Producer Sawyer Barth; and a home run production for Utopia for Losers and the American Theatre of Actors.
Content Warnings: Profanity, discussion of sexual acts, simulation of a sexual act, gun violence, discussion of bestiality, misogyny.
MUD was performed by the American Theatre of Actors through June 29, 2025.
The Wit and Wisdom of Felipe Luz as written by Jim Catapano
An Up-and-Coming Cabaret Star Looks at Life, Love, Lust, and Everything Else That Happens Under the Covers
“As tempting as it is, please refrain from opening your dating apps during this show,” requests Felipe Luz in a voiceover at the beginning of their show, dubbed “Men Are Trash and I’m a Raccoon.”
Luckily, Luz is too engaging for that to be a concern. They’re not performing in a one-person show; They are a one-person show.
Luz is a Manhattanite who pursued an MFA in Acting at Ohio University (where they recently brought their show). They are a self-described “Brazilian multi-hyphenate and teaching artist” who believes “we should all live our lives as works of art.” And they are fulfilling this 100 percent in their ongoing theatrical journey, where they regale the crowd with persona life stories and lessons—with plenty of laughs along the way.
A stage is set with Japanese byōbu screens flanking a semi-dressed mannequin behind a makeup mirror and table, and a satin-sheeted bed. Luz emerges, a lighthouse beacon coming to rescue us from our denial of how modern life works (or doesn’t).
“How much will people put themselves into boxes only to get laid?” they observe. “Isn’t Grindr the LinkedIn of Sex”? And thus, the tone is set, and it’s lots of Truth and implied Dare. Luz proceeds to lay down the ground rules that must be followed if anyone wants their attention—no sex with idiots, no politics, no questions asked—while acknowledging that all those rules get dropped if Luz is feeling “super-horny.”
Luz’s honesty is refreshing and hilarious, and we laugh as they shine the spotlight back on us, urging us to consider our own motives in life and love. The show is filled with Luz’s astute observations and revelations; they admit they’ve always been a
“manic pixie dream boy,” who often exists solely as a “plot device” for people to learn about themselves before they move on to someone else (a stunning realization that surely hits home for many of us).
Lux is the kind of performer who holds your attention from beginning to end (an end that arrives too soon and leaves the audience wanting more). Their storytelling is rich and poignant, peppered with hilarity and familiarity, emotion and vulnerability. A relationship begins, addictions are addressed and conquered, feelings increase and diminish, restlessness and doubt creep in, and a wondering of what else is out there leads to growing apart and finally, a breakup.
“I’ll be forever grateful to you for showing me that I deserve love,” Luz says to their unseen former partner in a bittersweet, teary moment. Then the mood changes, as Luz, jumping excitedly on the bed, announces a plan to message all the boys they’ve ever dated and call them out— “just for the drama!”
Social media, and its impact on modern dating, gets a turn under Luz’ powerful microscope. In a nutshell, they observe that our addiction to checking on people from our past online means we can never truly turn the page and free ourselves, and our former objects of affection know this. “I’ll start dating someone else in two weeks, and they won’t even be that pretty, and you’ll wonder what’s wrong with you!” Luz proclaims to a past paramour (another shot to the heart).
It’s then that a true shot to the heart is delivered. “We’re always waiting for someone, so we don’t want to get too attached, because there might be someone better waiting around the next corner.” Luz knows themself—and us—very well.
“Men Are Trash and I’m a Racoon” recently ran at Brooklyn’s The Rat, and further NYC shows are coming this year. Follow Felipe on Instagram at @letherebefelipeluz to see what they do next (and where you can see them do it!).
AMT Theater announces opening of UPSIDE DOWN, a new musical — Opening March 8 @ 7:00 p.m. at AMT Theater
AMT Theater announces the new opening of UPSIDE DOWN, a new musical — Opening March 8 @ 7:00 p.m. at AMT Theater, 354 West 45th Street, New York City TICKETS here.
According to a recent Gallup poll, 92.4 percent of the U.S population identifies as straight while the rest considers themselves as part of the LGBTIQA+ community.
Turn that number around, and you have the world of Upside Down.
It’s a world where straights are in the minority, women rule the military, and the Jets constantly win the Super Bowl. This is a world where the majority is gay.
In this topsy-turvy world, two songwriters are creating a new musical — innovative, unique, ground-breaking Broadway musical … about straight people!
The President is outraged! The military is put on red alert! News outlets are all ablaze over this unprecedented event.
Will they succeed? Is the world ready for a [wait for it] …a man and woman falling in love …ON STAGE?
The world of UPSIDE DOWN will put you in the zone … The Twilight Zone.
Upside Down has music and lyrics by Al Tapper, book by Tony Sportiello, directed by Taavon Gamble and music direction by David Wolfson. The cast includes Bernie Baldassaro, Patrick Brady, Mike Ferlita, Jake Foster, Lauren Gemelli, Kira Sarai Helper, Ashanti J’Aria, Matthew Liu, Kelli Maguire, Stephanie Maloney, Stanley Martin, Gina Milo, Brogan Nelson and Josh Powell.
Upside Down will open March 8th and run through April 5th at AMT Theater, 354 West 45th Street. For more information, contact amttheater.org
“What we are doing tech-wise with Upside Down is more ambitious than any show we’ve ever done.says Artistic Director Tony Sportiello. “The set alone is going to be a marvel. You’re going to go from a bar to The White House to an apartment to a television studio all in a flash.
AMT: The MISSION
AMT Theater aims to entertain, educate and inspire people through the arts. AMT Theater shall provide audiences the opportunity to attend and participate in quality presentations of the finest theatrical works available. We are dedicated to enhancing quality of life through art, events and workshops. AMT will create opportunities for hands-on learning experiences in all aspects of theater production and management to adults and children in order to foster and develop their talents. AMT will strive to be an organization which is diverse, inclusive and a leader in our field.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Co-Chairs: Tamara Flannagan & Tony Sportiello; Secretary: Joan Pelzer; Treasurer: Sharon Osowski; Members: Zoë Reeve, Joanne Schmidt, Al Tapper, Eve Tapper, Lynne Tapper
| In just its third year, AMT Theater is the West 42nd Street 2024 Winner for Best Venue. Upside Down is its fifth production, following An Unbalanced Mind, On The Right Track, Bettinger’s Luggage and David the Musical |
Arts Independent 