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*Say Goodnight, Gracie***

by Ralph Pape

Directed by Mickey Pantano

The NuBox @ John DeSotelle Studio

September 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 2026

Play Synopsis

It’s the ’70s in New York City. Set in a shabby East Village apartment, Say Goodnight, Gracie follows five friends from the “first television generation” as they gather before their high school reunion.

Over the course of the evening, they reminisce, smoke pot, joke, and take stock of where life has brought them. Old friendships, stalled dreams, romantic entanglements, and uncertain futures collide—with plenty of laughter along the way. Their conversations move between sharp humor, self-deprecation, and moments of surprising honesty as they confront their careers, relationships, disappointments, and the fading idealism of the 1960s. Beneath the laughter is a generation at a turning point—coming to terms with the distance between the lives they imagined and the lives they are actually living.

Funny, poignant, and wonderfully human, Ralph Pape’s Say Goodnight, Gracie is a nostalgic trip back to 1970s New York—and a timeless look at friendship, growing up, and the sometimes-unexpected places life takes us.

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A Note from the Director

Say Goodnight, Gracie takes place in 1976.

Five old friends — Jerry, Ginny, Steve, Bobby and Catherine — gather in Jerry’s New York City apartment before heading to their high school reunion. They arrive carrying shared histories, old friendships, unfinished business, and the expectations they once had for their lives.

They are part of a generation that came of age during a remarkable and turbulent time — a generation that questioned the rules, challenged convention and believed the world, and their place in it, could be different. Now, they find themselves at a turning point, beginning to look at where they have been, where they are going, and what became of the lives they once imagined.

That is what I love about this play.

It belongs very specifically to the 1970s, yet there is something wonderfully timeless about it. At some point, most of us find ourselves taking stock — of our choices, our relationships, our dreams, and the distance between where we thought we would be and where life actually took us.

Some of what unfolds in Jerry’s apartment is funny. Some of it is ridiculous. And some of it is unexpectedly poignant, honest and revealing. Much like life itself.

Bringing these characters and their world to life with this incredible cast has been an absolute joy.

So, for the next little while, sit back, relax, and allow the magic of theatre to take you back to 1976 — into a New York City apartment, among five old friends who may, in the end, have more in common with all of us than we expect.

Mickey Pantano

Director

A Note From The Artistic Director

Say Goodnight, Gracie represents the final project for these actors as they emerge from our professional training program—a chance to take the work they have developed in the classroom and put it where it ultimately belongs: on the stage, in front of an audience.

But this production has asked more of them than simply playing their roles. They have been involved in bringing the production to life—from the set and costumes to promotion and even the artwork - the countless details that happen behind the scenes.

We believe that is an invaluable part of becoming a professional artist. A life in the theatre is not only about the role you play, but about understanding and respecting the collaborative effort, responsibility, and commitment it takes to create the whole.

My deepest gratitude also goes to director Mickey Pantano for guiding these actors through the rehearsal process and helping them make that important transition from the classroom to the stage.

I am incredibly proud of the work these actors have done, both onstage and off, and of the growth that has brought them to this moment.

And to you, our audience—thank you for being here. Your presence completes the process by giving these actors the most important opportunity of all: to share their work with you.

John DeSotelle

Artistic Director

Who's Who

Brennan Boyle Jerry	Josh Crowder Steve	Janna Erohina Ginny
Amanda Nicole Meade Catherine	Gui Pimentel Bobby

Cast

Brennan Boyle		Jerry
Josh Crowder		Steve
Janna Erohina		Ginny
Amanda Nicole Meade		Catherine
Gui Pimentel		Bobby

Creative Team

John DeSotelle		Artistic Director
Mickey Pantano		Director
Judith Feingold		Scenic Designer, Fight Choreographer
John Rearick		Lighting & Sound Designer
Amanda Nicole Meade		Poster Artwork

Meet the Company

Brennan Boyle (Jerry)

Brennan Boyle is thrilled to perform with this talented ensemble that has grown to be a true family. This is Brennan's New York debut following his completion of the two-year Meisner Program at John DeSotelle Studio. Brennan would like to thank his family and friends for supporting him throughout this rehearsal process and the years that have led up to this.

Josh Crowder (Steve)

Josh is thrilled to put his Meisner training—from the John DeSotelle Studio—to work with this ensemble. His other significant stage work was as Sir WIlliam Catesby in Richard III. On film, he played a supporting role in the independent feature Poetry Night as well as the lead in Spindle Whip.

Janna Erohina (Ginny)

Janna Erohina is a NYC based Meisner actor having just completed training at John DeSotelle Studio. She has gained an experience working with Netflix and CBS productions and continues to build her career. Her role in “Say Goodnight, Gracie” is her first theatrical performance and she is excited to share the stage with her fellow actors.

Amanda Nicole Meade (Catherine)

Amanda Nicole Meade is pleased to be in her first Off-Off-Broadway play alongside this spectacular ensemble.
She recently graduated the Meisner Training Program at John DeSotelle Studio alongside the rest of the cast, which is sure to make for a uniquely connected set of performances!

Amanda's acting-past includes a fistful of leading roles in comedic musicals, an unintentionally-standout portrayal of Guard in Antigone, a quiet Amish Girl named Sarah in the feature film Elva, and now: Catherine in Say Goodnight, Gracie.
She hopes all who know her outside of her performances enjoy the irony of her portrayal....this time.... and thank you for coming. Truly. ☆

Gui Pimentel (Bobby)

Gui, who has just completed his second year in the Meisner Training Program at John DeSotelle Studio, is mystic, sensitive, resilient, & passionate about his craft. He is committed to the service of acting, through continuous examination, research, and artistic growth. Gui approaches every role as an opportunity to serve the story, so he and his fellow graduate actors can ultimately invite the audience to take a sip of their journey.

John DeSotelle (Artistic Director)

John DeSotelle is an actor, director, educator, and Artistic Director of John DeSotelle Studio and Nuance Theatre Co. Known for his clarity, depth, and keen understanding of the actor’s process, he has earned a strong reputation for his teaching of the Meisner Technique and his work with actors across stage and screen.

With more than 25 years of experience, DeSotelle has taught at the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts, Rutgers University, and the University of the Arts, where he served as Senior Lecturer in the BFA Meisner Studio. He holds a BA in Acting and Directing from USC and an MFA in Acting from Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of the Arts.

Rooted in Meisner and informed by Chekhov, Hagen, Stanislavski, Williamson, and Spolin, his work bridges rigorous actor training and professional theatre. As a director and producer, he has helmed more than 25 Studio Series, festival, and professional productions in New York City.

Mickey Pantano (Director)

Thrilled to be working with the talented cast & crew of "Say Goodnight Gracie"

Representative Directing: "The Meaning of Life" NuBox Theatre; "Balloons" NuBox Theatre; "Burnt Sugar Cake Sande Shurin Theater; "Touch" Grove Street Playhouse; "The Apple Tree" Genesius Players; "Shaw's St. Joan" Genesius Players; "The Chairs" Kraine Theater.

Representative Acting roles NY: LouBee "The Irregulars" New Ambassador Theater Company; Masha "Vanya & Sonia & Masha & Spike" Axial Theater; Gertrude "Hamlet" Nuance Theater; Miss Antrobus "The Skin of Our Teeth" American Bard Theater Company; Violet Weston "August Osage County" Axial Theater

Film: Return; Happy Birthday Lady; Little Man of the House.

Judith Feingold (Scenic Designer, Fight Choreographer)

Judith Feingold is a classically trained Meisner actor, based in New York. She trained at Shakespeare & Company under Dennis Krausnick and Tina Packer, at the Actors' Movement Studio under Loyd Williamson and Janice Orlandi, and at the John DeSotelle Studio, where she now serves as faculty and Studio assistant. She has acted and directed with Nuance Theatre Co. since 2013, debuting in David Auburn's Proof and garnering a nomination in the Innovative Theatre Awards. She received a New England regional Emmy for her work as Jacqueline Brulet in the 2021 feature Not On This Night.

John Rearick (Lighting & Sound Designer)

John is a New Jersey native; he moved to NYC to pursue his acting career. He is a romantic, nerdy guy with a hint of darkness layered within. Notable roles: Joe in “Sylvia", Man in White in "Chamber Music" by Arthur Kopit, Pargaon Shepard in "The Video Games", Jake in "Willa's Wall"

Special Thanks To...

Scott Connor for rolling 100 prop joints

Emily Keller for social media

Caedmon Fair for rehearsal photography

Angela Manfredonia for production photography

About John DeSotelle Studio

The John DeSotelle Studio a (Meisner Technique based acting studio) works with a simple mission: to provide serious, in-depth actor training, to offer a place for continuing practice for actors in all stages of their careers, to create innovative and impactful theatre from Shakespeare to the modern classics and beyond, and to foster a true community and home for actors, designers, writers, anyone with an artistic dream to gather, collaborate, and grow.

Studio Staff

John DeSotelle - Artistic Director

Deborah DeSotelle - Managing Director

Judith Feingold - TA, Studio Assistant

Connor Spring - Studio Coordinator

Emily Keller - Social Media Manager

Studio Faculty

John DeSotelle - Meisner Acting

Mickey Pantano - Voice

Janice Orlandi - Movement

Gene Terusso - Acting

Judith Feingold - Shakespeare Text

The NuBox @ John DeSotelle Studio

754 9th Ave, New York, NY 10019

Sign-up if you are interested in upcoming Studio events, performances, auditions, classes and workshops.