NJ Theater Alum Lands Role In New Netflix Movie

RED BANK, NJ — Long before Red Bank Regional alum Dylan Pitanza would go on to work on a Netflix film alongside stars like Sunny Sandler, Melanie Lynskey, Max Greenfield, Bebe Neuwirth and Steve Buscemi, he was a local teenager discovering his passion for acting on local stages.

Now, the world that first inspired him has become the setting for his latest work.

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Pitanza appears as Alan Fishman in Netflix's new coming-of-age dramedy "Don't Say Good Luck."

The film celebrated its New York premiere on Monday at the Paris Theatre, followed by a reception at The Plaza Hotel, and is set to premiere globally on Netflix on Friday.

For Pitanza, his role in the movie is particularly meaningful because "Don't Say Good Luck" brings him back to the world of high school theater.

The film follows Sophie Birenbaumn (played by Sunny Sandler), a high school theater student preparing to star in her school's musical while navigating a life-changing family situation.

The movie explores adolescence, friendship, first love and family, while capturing the ways theater can provide connection, escape and a sense of normalcy during a time of profound change.

Alongside its ties to the high school theatre experience, the movie was also shot at a New Jersey high school, including in its theater.

Additional New Jersey filming locations included Jersey City, Cranford, Paramus and Livingston.

"'Don't Say Good Luck' is such a personal film, for Julia Hart, for Laura Hankin, and for myself and theater kids," Pitanza said. "It feels like a window into the world I lived in when I was in high school."

"There was something really special about shooting in a real high school theater not very different than the one I used to perform in at RBR," he continued. "Being able to share that experience, on film to such a large audience, feels really full circle."

Born in Manhattan, Pitanza grew up in Old Bridge before moving to Red Bank at the age of 14.

He attended Red Bank Regional High School, where he studied as a drama major through the school's Visual & Performing Arts program.

During his senior year, Pitanza was nominated for a Count Basie Award for his performance as Mitch in RBR's production of "A Streetcar Named Desire."

While living in Red Bank, he also performed in three Shakespeare productions at Two River Theater.

Those early experiences became the foundation for a career that has since taken Pitanza from New Jersey stages to New York theater, television and now a Netflix feature film.

"Growing up in New Jersey, theater was such a huge part of my life," Pitanza said. "There was this incredible community of young people supporting each other. So much of who I am as an actor came from those experiences."

For Pitanza, Actors Playground School of Theatre in Freehold has been a constant throughout his theatre journey.

He began taking classes there as a child and continued training at the school throughout high school and into his professional career.

Today, he is also an acting teacher at Actors Playground, giving back to the community that has been part of his development as an actor from the beginning.

After graduating from RBR, Pitanza continued his training at the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute, where he participated in the Young Actors Program before entering the One-Year Conservatory.

His screen credits include Apple TV+'s "Your Friends & Neighbors," CBS's "FBI," "Skate Kitchen," and the feature "If That Mockingbird Don't Sing," in addition to his role in "Don't Say Good Luck."

Pitanza is also a director, writer and producer, and co-founded the theater company Utopia for Losers, continuing his commitment to the theatrical community that shaped him.