A work unfinishing: Margin Notes: American, Italian

American, Italian

Seen on: Monday, 5/11/26.

Donovan Counts as Gio and
Dante Palminteri as Vin.
Photo by Grace Romanello.

Plot and Background

SOOP Theatre presents the world premiere of Anthony P. Pennino's new play, as part of The Chain Theatre's 2026 The Factory Series. Pennino's play follows a family of second- and third-generation Italians in the 1980s, focusing on teenager cousins Gio and Vin navigating the expectations of their fathers and their own inner demons. As Vin descends into addiction, Gio tries to keep him from drowning.

Thoughts:

Pennino's play feels deeply personal: a study of an Italian family who still very much feel the invisible wall between "white" America and their relatively new status, not yet allowed past their conditional stage. This is a family afraid of failure but taking pride in the success of Italian Americans like Frank Sinatra and Mayor LaGuardia. While 17-year-old Gio is supported in his academic ambitions by his father Frank, 19-year-old Vin is regularly abused, both verbally and physically, by Frank's older brother Vincenzo. White collar Frank creates space for autistic Gio to exist safely; blue collar Vincenzo refuses to even consider the idea that Vin's academic struggles might be chalked up to dyslexia. Despite their disparate upbringings and support, Gio and Vin remain fiercely close, each thinking they're the one looking out for their "younger brother." But as the play goes on and Vin's addition to heroin worsens, he finds his support structures slip away one by one: a father who turns him out, a sister who won't--or can't--help him, an ex-girlfriend who needs distance, and an absent uncle. Gio tries to be all that Vin needs, but even Vin can see that's not enough, if he is unable to save himself.

It's a hard story. It's a sad story. One can try to look for hope, that Gio at least could have a happy life ahead of him, but he will always carry with him the grief for his lost cousin, his best friend. That grief weighs heaving on the second half of the show, as it moves forward with deliberate steps to its inevitably tragic conclusion. It's hard to know how to support people struggling with addiction, how to protect others from potential harm in the process. Vin is lost, but Vin was lost before he even tried heroin, never able to see any possibilities in his future the way his brilliant cousin can. A challenge with this script is that all the characters remain rather static throughout: each set in his (or, rarely, hers; the women in this play don't have strong stories of their own) convictions about the world, leaving those convictions unchallenged. Vincenzo may regret the death of his son, but he doesn't know how he could have changed his parenting. Gio, though heartbroken, is still basically the same teenager we meet at the beginning of the play, attending a Springsteen concert with Vin. The play could be strengthened by more push and pull across the characters' sense of themselves: rather than the audience just watching them argue points without hearing the other, it would be interesting to see these characters reach a level of persuasion in each other, a catharsis of some sort.

Reilly Rabitaille's scenic design--an abstract painting that covers floor, wall, and panels--plays with the dichotomy of white and black, with streaking threads of red, like fire or hair or kelp drifting through the ocean. This striking visual enters into conversation with Michele Romanello's costume design, which features the color red throughout: from Vin's bandana and flannel, to Lisa's rotary phone and comforter, to Gina's stylish blouse. But at the end of the play I'm not precisely sure what that conversation is. The pops of red are notable, but I don't know if I see a narrative thread among the moments they crop up. Maybe I'm trying to read too much into this, but with such an abstract backsplash, it seems to hint that there should be a deeper meaning. The performers work best when clearly invested in the grounded relationships with each other: Dante Palminteri's Vin able to be his full vulnerable self with Donovan Counts's unfiltered Gio, though he shrinks and cowers when in the vicinity of his father; Marc Romeo's Frank bringing gentleness to his scenes with Gio, but resigned firmness whenever speaking to his brusque brother Vincenzo (Paul Romano). Both Isabella Bertoni (Gina) and Sara Romanello (Lisa) are bringing committed and honest work, but they have much less to work with, their characters serving primarily in the service of the men around them.

***

Running: Now playing at The Chain Theatre (SOOP Theatre Company) - Opening: May 4, 2026. Closing: May 16, 2026.
Category: play
Length: 1 hour, 30 minutes, no intermission.

Creative Team

Playwright: Anthony P. Pennino
Director: Mike Keller
Team: Reilly Rabitaille (Set), Michele Romanello (Costume), Elijah Schreiner (Lighting), Sebastian Gutierrez (Sound), Max Evans (Stage Manager), Katie Rosin/Kampfire PR (Publicity).

Cast: Isabella Bertoni, Donovan Counts, Dante Palminteri, Paul Romanello, Sara Romanello, Marc Romeo.