The Portuguese Kid

Oscar and Tony winner John Patrick Shanley returns to the romantic-comedy orbit of “Moonstruck” with “The Portuguese Kid”: 50-somethings Atalanta and Barry, who grew up together in Providence, are mismatched with 20-somethings Freddie and Patty, who once had a disastrous affair. Barry’s overprotective mother, Fausta, looks on as the four would-be lovers bay at the moon, write terrible poetry, and shout the wrong names during intimate moments in their efforts to unravel this hilarious romantic tangle.

GENERAL INFO


by John Patrick Shanley
directed by Bob Kaplan
May 25 –
June 11, 2023
CAST:
 
 
WHO'S WHO
ANDREW BOTSFORD (Barry Dragonetti) has appeared in more than 45 Hampton Theatre Company productions since 1985, most recently as Torvald in A Doll’s House, Part 2. Also a director, his most recent productions were Admissions by Joshua Harmon in 2020 and Ripcord by David Lindsay Abaire in 2022. Other regional stage work includes Round Table Theatre Company’s East Hampton production of Shakespeare’s Scottish play and Noël Coward’s Tonight at 8:30 at Guild Hall’s John Drew Theater. The host of a summer film commentary program at the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center, he is also the host of the annual Hamptons Doc Fest (formerly the Hamptons Take 2 Documentary Film Festival) in December in Sag Harbor. His occasional columns on life in Quogue can be found at AtQuaquanantuck.com.

ESMERALDA CABRERA (Patty Dragonetti) is excited to be in her first show at Hampton Theatre Company. A Los Angeles native, she’s been acting locally ever since her big move. Last year she appeared in NFCT’s The Laramie Project, The Producers and One Christmas Eve at Evergreen Mall. She recently appeared in boots on the ground theater’s production of A Chemical Imbalance and Northeast Stage’s It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play.

DAVID J. CARDALI (Freddie Imbrossi) is a Long Island native who thought he was going to be many things before finding his passion for acting: first an archaeologist, then a chess grandmaster, an architect, an NFL quarterback, a pro surfer, and finally a lawyer. While on a pre-law track at University of San Diego, everything clicked when he got involved with the theater program. He immediately fell in love with the art and community of theater – and his whole life trajectory shifted. After finishing college in 2021 with a degree in Psychology, Philosophy, Politics, and Economics, he moved to Los Angeles, where he has been residing primarily since. This is his first appearance at Hampton Theatre Company and is an exciting step in his career. David aspires to have a career in film and theater as an actor, writer, director, and producer.

ROSEMARY CLINE (Atalanta Lagana) last appeared at the HTC in 2022 as Nora in A Doll’s House, Part 2. A founding member of the company and current Board member, she has had leading roles in over 35 productions. She spent 15 years in NYC performing in theater, film and TV, as well as seven years in summer stock in the tri-state area. More recently she studied directing and acting at Stony Brook Southampton with playwright Lucas Hnath, Mercedes Ruehl, Joanna Merlin, Tony Walton and Rinde Eckert, among others, and is currently pursuing an MFA in Creative Writing at the Southampton campus. Fresh off of 14 years as the theatre director at the WHBHS, she’s excited to share her newest career as an audiobook narrator and can be found at Rosemary Cline | Audiobook Narrator. Heaps of thanks to our amazing director Bob, our beautiful cast and crew, and all of those in our company who make the magic happen on our stage season after season. All love to Christopher, Cashew, Carter, her mother and father, with a wink to Poonie and Jane.

VAY DAVID (Fausta Dragonetti) has earned a living – onstage, on radio, in voiceovers, public relations, writing and editing – with the spoken or written word. This is Vay’s fourth show with HTC, the last as the pot-smoking Silda in Other Desert Cities. “It’s great to return to Hampton Theatre Company and work with such a fine cast and company.” She’s done drama to musical comedy, with companies from Montauk to California. Some favorite roles: Queen Agravaine in Once Upon a Mattress, Mother Miriam Ruth in Agnes of God, the title woman Off-Broadway in Shaw’s Mrs. Warren’s Profession, Duchess Elizabeth in Tina Andrews’ Buckingham, Kate in Taming of the Shrew, Meg in Damn Yankees, Hattie in Follies, and Mrs. Lintott in The History Boys. She and her husband, John Laudando, live in East Hampton and are the J&V of JV Advertising & Design. For several years, their travel column, wryly called Old Dogs, New Trips, appeared in The Independent. “No more column, but we are still traveling, most recently to Puglia, Italy. And we love Portugal and Croatia!”

JOHN PATRICK SHANLEY (Playwright) hails from the Bronx, where he was educated by the Irish Christian Brothers and the Sisters of Charity. His personal biography states: “He was thrown out of St. Helena’s kindergarten. He was banned from St. Anthony’s hot lunch program for life. He was expelled from Cardinal Spellman High School. He was placed on academic probation by New York University and instructed to appear before a tribunal if he wished to return. [He did and graduated.] When asked why he had been treated in this way by all these institutions, he burst into tears and said he had no idea. Then he went in the United States Marine Corps. He did fine. He’s still doing okay.” Shanley’s plays include Danny and the Deep Blue Sea, Savage in Limbo, Italian American Reconciliation, Women of Manhattan, Four Dogs and a Bone, Psychopathia Sexualis, Doubt (which won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Tony Award for Best Play in 2005) and Defiance. Shanley is also the author of a number of screenplays including that for the 1987 film Moonstruck, which won the Academy Award. In 2004 Shanley was inducted into the Bronx Walk of Fame.

BOB KAPLAN (Director) has been acting and directing at various theater companies around Long Island for the last 45 years. He has enjoyed acting in Peter and the Starcatcher, The Price (at HTC), Beau Jest, Don’t Dress for Dinner, Laughter on the 23rd Floor, The Boys Next Door (HTC), Six Degrees of Separation (HTC), Bonnie and Clyde and The Night of the Iguana. Among the plays he’s directed at Hampton Theatre Company: Becky’s New Car (NY area premiere), Desperate Affection, Mauritius, Wait Until Dark and Glengarry Glen Ross. Other directing credits: Sylvia, The Sunshine Boys, Young Frankenstein (The Musical), One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Cry-Baby: The Musical and Born Yesterday. He is encouraged and inspired by Betsy, who supports his passion for being involved in live theater.

LAURIE ATLAS (Producer) is making her producing debut for HTC and is very excited about this new opportunity. She was last seen acting onstage here in March as Emily Penrose in Lifespan of a Fact, and last year as Abby Binder in Ripcord. She holds a BA in Theatre and has been a member of SAG-AFTRA for over forty years, during which time she has been heard on the radio, appeared on stage and in films, and worked behind the scenes in both broadcasting and theatre. She would like to thank Roger, Rosemary, Andrew and George for their help and guidance, and the entire Hampton Theatre Company family with whom she is so proud to work alongside. Congratulations and gratitude to Bob, along with this talented cast and crew on a wonderful production. Love always to her husband Fred and daughter Jamie, as well as her extended family and friends for their unwavering encouragement and support. CATHERINE MALONEY (Rehearsal Stage Manager) is excited to return for her second stint as Rehearsal Stage Manager at Hampton Theatre Company; her first time was this spring’s production of The Lifespan of a Fact. As an actor, she appeared on the HTC stage last fall as Emma in Over the River and Through the Woods. Other HTC performances include Kate in Sylvia, Maria in A Comedy of Tenors, Mrs. Fremus/Mrs. Warren and Clara in The Boys Next Door, Gert in Lost in Yonkers, Betty Chumley in Harvey, and Emilie Ducatel in My Three Angels. Catherine has enjoyed working alongside the renowned Bob Kaplan, who years ago directed her as Becky in Becky’s New Car at North Fork Community Theatre. She sends warm “Break a Leg” wishes to this talented and hardworking cast and crew!

TERESA LEBRUN (Costume Designer) is the resident costumer for HTC. She began helping with costumes in 1986 and has designed the costumes for the company’s productions since 2005. Teresa has also costumed for Westhampton Beach High School. Much love to her sons, Josh and Noah, family and great friends.

JAMES A. PRITCHARD (Set Painter) received an MFA in Fine Arts from Pratt Institute, Brooklyn. He worked for 20 years at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC as a Master Craftsman in the Sculpture Reproduction Studio. Previous to this show, he worked on sets for several Northeast Stage productions of Shakespeare and for productions at North Fork Community Theater. A favorite of his there was a production of Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein directed by Bob Kaplan, where he also acted as part of the Ensemble. He maintains a painting studio near his home in Southold on Long Island’s North Fork.

JULIA MORGAN ABRAMS (House Manager). After retiring from the legal department of Bristol Myers Squibb, Julia began a second career as a volunteer, initially for Literacy Suffolk, HTC, the Southampton Animal Shelter and Early Girl Farm, where she wrote grants and worked in fundraising. She continues to write grants and help with marketing for several local nonprofits. Julia would like to thank all of her dedicated House Assistants for their continued support.
PRODUCTION STAFF
Director – BOB KAPLAN
Producer – LAURIE ATLAS
Set Design – BOB KAPLAN, RICKY BOTTENUS, MEG SEXTON
Lighting Design – SEBASTIAN PACZYNSKI
Costume Design – TERESA LEBRUN
Rehearsal Stage Manager – CATHERINE MALONEY
Production Stage Manager – Amanda Griemsmann, Grace Hygom
Sound/Lighting Technician – Kelly Weresnick
Set Construction – RICKY BOTTENUS, MEG SEXTON
Set Painter – JAMES PRITCHARD
Sound Design – SEAMUS NAUGHTON
Box Office – CAT BRACKSMAYER, DEBORA JACQUES
Production Graphics – JOE PALLISTER
House Manager – JULIA MORGAN ABRAMS
Photographer – Dane DuPuis

DIRECTIONS
FROM SUNRISE HIGHWAY (ROUTE-27):
Sunrise Highway (Route 27) to exit 64S (Rte. 104 to Quogue). Rte. 104 South (approx. 3 miles) to Montauk Highway (Rte. 80). Right onto Montauk Highway to light at Otis Ford (1 mile). Left onto Jessup Avenue. 1/2 mile to theater (on right). FROM MONTAUK HIGHWAY (ROUTE-80):
Montauk Highway to light at Otis Ford in Quogue. South onto Jessup Avenue. 1/2 mile to theater (on right).
PARKING & ACCESSIBILITY
PARKING: There is limited street parking around the theater as well as a parking lot that can be entered just north of the Quogue Community Hall. WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: A handicapped accessible entrance is located on the right (north) side of the building. Please use the driveway on the north side of the theater and ring the bell marked HTC Handicapped at the ramp entrance to the building and a volunteer will assist you; or have a member of your party notify us on arrival at the box office if you’d like to use this entrance. If a member of your party requires a wheelchair in the theater, please reserve one seat at the end of a row. ASSISTED LISTENING DEVICES: The theater does not have assisted listening devices at this time.

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