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ABOUT THE PLAY

MY ITALY STORY

TIME:  1997

PLACE:  Hoboken

               New York

                                        The suburbs of New Jersey

       Italy

My Italy Story will be performed without an intermission.

My Italy Story was originally produced at

Penguin Rep Theatre,

Stony Point, NY

Artistic Director, Joe Brancato; Executive Director, Andrew Horn

Cast

Creative Team

Meet the Company

Michael Notardonato *

Thomas DaGato

Michael is honored to be bringing all of the characters of My Italy Story to life here at American Theater Group. Michael is a New York City-based actor originally from the Chicago suburbs, and is a proud first-generation American, born to immigrant parents from Italy and Romania. In NYC, Michael originated the role of Dino Del Canto in the Off-Broadway premiere of Romeo & Bernadette and can be heard on the soon-to-be released original cast album. Michael recently wrapped filming a new Netflix series in a recurring role that will premier in 2025. He has starred as Tony Manero in several productions of Saturday Night Fever all over the country and internationally, including at The Engeman Theater and Ivoryton Playhouse (Best Actor nomination - Connecticut Critics Circle). Other select credits include Bob Gaudio in Jersey Boys (WPPAC, Ivoryton Playhouse), Danny Zuko in Grease (Royal Caribbean Int’l, The Rev Theatre Co.), and Link Larkin in Hairspray (Wheelock Theatre). He also appeared as Dr. Flores opposite two-time Emmy Award winner Dorothy Lyman in the two-person play, Organic, at the Ivoryton Women Playwright’s Festival. Michael holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from The Boston Conservatory and is a member of Actors’ Equity Association. Many thanks to Jim Vagias, Joseph Gallo, Charlotte Cohn, everyone at ATG, and his agents at Pantera/Murphy. Also, a special thank you to Joe Brancato for first introducing Michael to My Italy Story. Michael sends his love to his friends, Troy, his parents Giuseppe and Adriana, and his sister Lucia. As always, for Mama. www.michaelnotardonato.com

Joseph Gallo

Playwright

A noted playwright, actor, educator and storyteller, Joseph Gallo appeared in the original production of My Italy Story at Penguin Rep, which later had its debut Off-Broadway at the 47th Street Theatre in New York. The play later received a critically acclaimed revival at Hoboken’s Mile Square Theatre starring Emmy Award winner Tom Pelphrey, who was named Best Actor by The NJ Star-Ledger. Gallo’s full-length plays include: Two-Man Kidnapping Rule (New Ohio Theatre); Warning: Adult Content (Theatre 54); Staten Island (Circle Rep Lab); and New York City 523. He is a current member of the Actors Studio Playwrights and Directors Workshop, a New Jersey Council of the Arts Playwriting Fellow, and a recipient of the NJ Council of the Humanities Incubation Grant for New Work. A frequent participant at The Moth in New York City, he has toured with The Moth Mainstage Ensemble, has been featured on The Moth Radio Hour and Podcast and is a four-time StorySLAM winner; he will soon be competing in the NYC Grand Slam event. Gallo is the former playwright-in-residence at Mile Square Theatre where his credits included writing and performing in pieces including Yuppies Invade My House at Dinnertime, The Magic Hour, The Playbill Gallery (a love story), AJ's Book and Long Gone Daddy. He is the founder and director of the Theatre Arts Program at Hudson County Community College and is a recipient of the Kennedy Center Prize for Innovative Teaching in Theatre. He holds an MFA in Playwriting from Ohio University.

Charlotte Cohn

Director

Charlotte Cohn is grateful to return to ATG directing My Italy Story. Following the success of Canned Goods by Erik Kahn last season, she will direct the play again in London for its UK premiere, in January 2025. Other directing highlights include Church & State (Berkshire Theatre Group), The Whole Shebang and Baltimore in Black and White (The Cell Theatre, NYC) and Best Friends (Jazz at Lincoln Center). She has appeared on Broadway in La Boheme and Coram Boy and her producing credits include Here Lies Love (Broadway), Without You (starring Anthony Rapp) and Handle with Care and Church and State by Jason Odell Williams. Ms. Cohn is an Ovation Award Winner and a Bay Area Critics’ Circle Award nominee. Her musical The Sound, based on her father's true story of escaping from Denmark to Sweden during WWII, will be presented at The Museum of Jewish Heritage on November 17th, 2024. To register for tickets please visit - https://mjhnyc.org/events/thesoundanewmusical/

Gabrielle Guagenti

Production Stage Manager

Gabrielle P. Guagenti* is a first generation Italian-American stage manager who graduated from Adelphi University with her BFA in Theatre Design and Technology in 2023. Her previous credits include Vile Isle at The Tank, Bye Bye Birdie & Bronx Tale at The Argyle, Philadelphia Here I Come at Irish Rep, Candy Cottage of Christmas Magic at Rockefeller Center, opened Saw The Musical Off-Broadway, stage manages at The Korean Cultural Center NYC, Billy Elliot, The Impossible Dream, and The Great Leap at the Hangar Theatre, and more. She also event manages and responds for KCACTF! Goditi lo spettacolo!

Catherine Murphy

Production Manager

Cat Murphy is delighted to be working with American Theater Group on this incredible production of My Italy Story.

Paul Hudson

Lighting Designer

Paul Hudson (he/him) is a NYC-based lighting designer, working in live performance and studio television. Credits include: Ashes & Ink (Paper Birch), This is Not a Time of Peace (New Light Theater Project), The Beat Goes On and Dancing in the Streets (Transcendence Theatre), Once (Bristol Valley Theater), Lonely Planet (Keen), Lulu XX (WaxFactory), and over 25 productions at The Juilliard School. He served as Associate to Paul Gallo on Three Tall Women (Broadway), to Mimi Sherin on Judgment Day and The Hairy Ape (Park Avenue Armory), and to Betsy Adams on The Laramie Project Cycle (Tectonic). MFA: NYU, USA829.

Travis Joseph Wright

Sound Designer

Tyler Siegel

Master Electrician

Tyler Siegel is a NYC based Electrician and Designer and is beyond excited to be the Master Electrician for My Italy Story. He is a graduate of Wagner College ‘24 and is extremely grateful to ATG for bringing him on for this production. Past credits include: Electrician (UCPAC), Repertory light plot designer/Master Electrician (Hamilton Stage at UCPAC), You're a Good Man Charlie Brown (Lighting Designer), Seussical The Musical (Asst. Lighting Designer). He hopes you all enjoy the show!

Donors

SUPPORTERS

American Theater Group could not exist without those who have given generously to support quality live theater. We are profoundly grateful to them for their faith and support. If you wish to support ATG, please click here.

or send your gift to:

American Theater Group

c/o  57 Farms Road Circle

East Brunswick, NJ 08816

ABOUT AMERICAN THEATER GROUP

American Theater Group (ATG), founded in 2012, produces new and classic works primarily by American playwrights with an emphasis on the development of new works and the rediscovery of undeservedly neglected older ones. It also provides quality arts-in-education initiatives, including its annual Drama Fest for high school students and its PlayLab program for BIPOC and queer playwrights. ATG programming is made possible in part by an American Rescue Plan Act grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to support general operating expenses in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Programming also made possible by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. More information can be found at         www.americantheatergroup.org.

American Theater Group would like to offer special thanks to
Deanna Hunt and the dedicated staff of the Hamilton Theater. 

A special "thank you" to Pinho's Bakery and Catherine Murphy for their cookie and biscotti donations.

ATG would like to acknowledge that we are on land originally occupied by the Lenape people.