Photo by Grant Kelly
(NEW YORK, NY) -- Wayne natives Joey DeFilippis and Matthew Ferrara take to the page and stage with their latest endeavor: a satirical retelling of the historic trial of Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, two Italian immigrants caught in the web of prejudice and political persecution during America's first "Red Scare". Sacco & Vanzetti are Dead will receive its New York City premiere this July at The American Theatre of Actors. DeFilippis and Ferrara conceived and wrote the play, and will also star as the titular characters.
This is not the first collaboration from the NJ duo. They met in grade school, and “artistically speaking, it all began after we performed in Guys & Dolls together at Anthony Wayne Middle School,” DeFilippis says. “I was in 7th grade, Matt was in 6th and I remember us sitting at a table during the wrap party just riffing and doing bits for a group of giggly middle schoolers. I truly believe that night was when it all began. The duo aspect. People from that point on began looking at us and saying, “yeah, Matt and Joey are always cracking jokes together.” We went on to make short films for school, college thesis films, and then in 2022 we wrote/directed/starred in Hey, That’s My Wife!”
They brought their first show, Hey, That’s My Wife! to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where it was praised as “never outstay[ing] its welcome, and it’s hard not to be completely won over as things get progressively more absurd as this ends up resembling an off-off-Broadway Mel Brooks spoof” (The Scotsman).
Photo by Grant Kelly
Ferrara remembers “we had plans to go right back. We loved Scotland, we loved the Fringe fest, and we loved doing the show out there. But then we took a big step back and looked at where we were from and it was like, 'We live in the epicenter of theatre for most of the world. Our next show should be in New York.' And I think that really informed our writing. We wanted to write something that felt like the down and dirty raw theatre of 70’s, 80’s, 90s New York. Something that’s a little grimey but also wildly accessible to the general public. You used to be able to pop into a random black box theater in a basement in the East Village for 10$ and see some of the most incredible actors and incredible plays being performed. Now some tv star does a revival of one of those plays and it sells out instantly and tickets are $500 a piece. We wanted something that everyone could come to and enjoy.”
That something is Sacco & Vanzetti are Dead! Set in 1920s Boston, both men were victims of a biased justice system shaped by their ethnicity and anarchist beliefs, all of which culminated in the explosive trial that captivated the world. The “absurdity” of it all “was truly one of the biggest, if not the biggest mishandling of justice our country has ever seen,” says DeFilippis. “It’s universal. People from all walks continue to be persecuted and for us, what better way to tell that story than through the lens of a couple of Italians who felt that fire.”
Ferrara adds “it truly rides the fine line of absurd laugh out loud comedy and intense heartbreaking drama. In the end of the day, it’s a true story that I think not alot of people know and it’s insanely affecting what happened to all these people. We take you through all of it in one epic sized story that can legitimately have you shedding tears from both laughter and sadness.”
The show runs from July 17-27, 2025 at The American Theatre of Actors, has already sold out its opening night. Tickets for the rest of the limited run are just $35 and are available for purchase online. The theater is located at 314 W54th Street in New York, NY.
Poster Design by Danielle MacMath & Dylan Wolf Gantz
“For us, it only makes sense to bring this show to New York. Growing up and taking the bus into New York to see Times Sq, or to see a show, was something I was used to as a kid. You don’t understand the multitude of it then,” DeFilippis says. “New Jersey is home. The older I get the more I feel it coursing through my veins. Growing up here was special, we had the mountains 30 minutes away, the big apple 30 minutes away, and the beach only an hour’s distance. I didn’t realize how great I had it.”
