Domino Effect Extended to April 26

The People’s Theatre (previously known as People’s Theatre Project), LatinX Playwrights Circle, and Boundless Theatre Company presents the world premiere of Domino Effect, a compelling new play written by award-winning playwright Marco Antonio Rodriguez, and devised by immigrant artists. Gonzalez-Leiba Jr serves as Producing Partners and for Audience Development.

Performances, which take place at A.R.T./New York Theaters in Manhattan, are extended through April 26, 2025 due to sold-out shows through the original end date. Tickets are available at www.thepeoplestheatre.org.

Domino Effect offers a poignant exploration of identity, resilience, and connection.

On a warm summer night in Washington Heights, four generations of New Yorkers find themselves at a domino table, each with something to prove. In a world pulling them apart, will the game be their bridge - or their breaking point? The game itself becomes the unexpected bridge between generations, delving into themes of family, authenticity, and the intrinsic need to forge new connections across diverse, queer generations of immigrants.

“This world premiere production of Domino Effect speaks to what we recognize our city and country need today more than ever, and leaves audiences feeling hopeful,” said Mino Lora, Executive Artistic Director of The People’s Theatre and the play’s director. “The overwhelming response from audiences, leading to an extension through April 26, demonstrates how deeply this story resonates. We hope audiences of all ages will continue to see themselves reflected in the characters and recognize the importance of community, intergenerational connection, and the urgency that lies in this.”

“This play captures so many facets of our shared humanity,” said Janio Marrero, Executive Director of Latinx Playwrights Circle. “From queerness and grief to gender identity and Latinidad, Domino Effect weaves a rich tapestry of themes that resonate deeply across audiences. It’s a love letter to the immigrant experience and the vibrancy of Washington Heights.”

“This story highlights the beauty of connection,” said María-Cristina Fusté, Executive Artistic Director of Boundless Theatre Company. “In a world often divided by labels, Domino Effect reminds us that love, friendship, and understanding are universal desires. We are thrilled to bring this powerful story to the stage.”

"At this moment, it’s more important than ever to share stories rooted in our communities," said Jiawen Hu, Creative Producer of TPT and the play’s lead producer. "Domino Effect speaks to the heart of our shared struggles and resilience, offering a powerful manifesto of the strength we find in community. This play is not just a story—it’s a call for connection, understanding, and the power of healing together."

The play unfolds in Fort Tryon Park, when four lives intersect in unexpected ways. Mandi, a 60-something wrestling with regret and identity, finds himself drawn into a dominoes game with Pepper Malveaux, a 40-something Black American trans woman and voodoo pageantry queen; Atash Hesam, a millennial Iranian refugee seeking safety and belonging; and Gisel Fortuna, a Gen Z Dominican overachiever navigating familial expectations. Together, they discover the strength of intergenerational bonds and the shared humanity that transcends their differences and brings them the freedom they so desperately seek.

Commissioned and developed by The People's Theatre with a devising ensemble of immigrant artists, Domino Effect is written by Marco Antonio Rodriguez (In the Name of Salomé, Barceló on the Rocks, Oscar Wao), directed by Mino Lora (Missing Socks and a Line Of Coke by Rachel Lynett, The Goodbye/Rock On, by Andrew Rincon), and stage managed by pau. It is brought to life by much of the same cast engaged in the devising process two years ago: Shadi Ghaheri, Tony Macy-Perez, WILLIE the GENIUS, and Angela Reynoso.

Tony Macy-Perez (Armando); Actor: Contrary Mary (Dramatist’s Guild); A Bicycle Country (INTAR); Boys in the Band (Promethean Players); Director: Off-Broadway: Days of Wine and Roses (Lion Thtr.); Social Security (Clurman Thtr.); Off-Off-Broadway: El Atrapado Lenguaje del Amor (Producer’s Club); Sex on Trial (The Duplex); Title Fight (Gene Frankel Thtr.); All About Sneakers (Wings Thtr.); Rose & The Mind of God (ATA); Writer: Requiem for a Life and 90 Miles of Separation (Merkin Hall at Lincoln Center). Training: HB Studios.

Angela Reynoso (Gisel Fortuna); Off-Broadway/Regional credits include: La Gringa (American Stage); Vámonos (INTAR). Web-series credits: #30s (WolfBun Productions). Film credits: Alone With My Demons (Best Bronx Film Award, 2020 NYC Quarantine Film Festival). Writing/Directing credits: Ready or Not (Lehman Art Gallery); The Lambs of the Bronx (Concept grantee for the Bronx Cultural Vision Fund) Over the Wall (Labyrinth Theatre Intensive). Training: M.F.A in Multimedia Performing Arts at Lehman College (CUNY); Unit 52 member at INTAR Theatre; 2021 Labyrinth Theatre Intensive Ensemble. More information www.TheAngelaReynoso.com.

Shadi Ghaheri (Atash); Recent/Favorite credits as a director include: Dido and Aeneas (Notre Dame), Sweat (Queens College), Extinctionist (Heartbeat Opera) In the Stillness of Night (The Tank), English (Alliance Theatre), Tosca (Heartbeat Opera), Selling Kabul (Signature Theatre), Threshold of Brightness (BMP), Memorial (NYU Tisch), Banned, (Broadway Bound), Glimpse (Rattlestick Theatre), Lucretia (HERE), Acting credits: Short Film: Kisses and Bullets (2024). Training: M.F.A. Yale school of Drama. She co-founded/co-curated the Emruz Festival. Shadi was Rattlestick Theatre Directing Fellow 2018, as well as 2016 Paul and Daisy Soros Fellow, and the winner of Robert L.B. Tobin Showcase 2019. Shadighaheri.com

WILLIE the GENIUS (Pepper Malveaux); Favorite credits include starring in Better Than You with The People’s Theatre (then known as the People’s Theatre Project), her award-winning Off-Broadway solo theater show WILLIE GETS NAKED!: Live from Unceded Munsee Lenapehoking Territory, or “Off-Broadway” as a part of the Downtown Urban Arts Festival, and the feature film Sun with DLA Films. She has a B.A. in Mass Communication from the Dan Rather School of Communication at Sam Houston State University and has trained at the Upright Citizens Brigade. She is also the founder and overall house mother for The Ancestral House of Genius, an LGBTQIA+ youth-focused Ballroom house and media production house that provides vital community services. More at www.ancestralhouseofgenius.org/willie-the-genius.html

The production’s all-Latine design team, includes: Scenic Design by Regina García (Between Two Knees); Lighting Design by Mextly Couzin (JOB); Costume Design by Christopher Vergara (El Otro Oz, Here Lies Love); Sound Design by Germán Martinez (Into The Woods, Ohio State Murders); and, Prop Design by Omayra Garriga Casiano.

Gonzalez-Leiba Jr, who join as Producing Partners and for Audience Development are Pierre Jean Gonzalez and Cedric Leiba Jr, established actors, producers and advocates supporting the Latiné and LGBTQIA+ communities. Individually and as a team, they support and contribute their expertise to professional theatrical productions helping to expand and broaden the audience reach.

General admission is $35-$50, and student and senior admission is $22. Domino Effect is approximately 90 minutes with no intermission.

Post-Performance Talkbacks and More!

Following the play, the People's Theatre invites audiences to stay after the show for a series of post-performance discussions designed to deepen the conversation and inspire action. Each event offers space to reflect, connect, and explore themes such as immigration, queer identity, and community solidarity in community with representatives from Hispanic Federation, New York Immigrant Coalition, National Queer Theater, and Immigrant Theatre Makers Initiative.

Highlights include the following:

● An evening - Queer Night - honoring LGBTQ+ voices on April 16

● A Playwright and Director Night on April 18

● Behind-the-scenes conversations with the cast and creative team!

Discussions are free for ticket holders and open to all attendees. For more information on these post-show discussions and guest panelists, visit: https://thepeoplestheatre.org/home/2024-2025-season/domino-effect/?blm_aid=19822.

Production Details:

● Domino Effect is now open through April 20, 2025.

● Performances will take place at A.R.T./New York Theaters in Manhattan.

● General admission is $35; student and senior tickets are $22.

● Tickets are available at www.thepeoplestheatre.org.

About The People’s Theatre (previously known as People’s Theatre Project): Rooted in Washington Heights and Inwood, The People’s Theatre makes theatre with and for immigrant communities to build a more just and equitable world. Now in its 16th anniversary season, The People’s Theatre is Manhattan’s largest performing arts organization north of Harlem. Through multilingual and multigenerational theatre making, its artistic work is a powerful platform for immigrants and members of the Latine, Black, and Queer communities.

Fueled by an investment by the City of New York, People’s Theatre is currently leading a capital project for New York City’s first-of-its-kind performing arts center, The People’s Theatre: Centro Cultural Inmigrante. When The People’s Theatre opens its doors in 2026 in Inwood, the center will amplify the voices of the city’s diverse immigrant communities and cultivate work by local artists and arts organizations, providing an accessible, vibrant, dedicated rehearsal and performance space for residents of Inwood and Washington Heights.

As an immigrant and Latina-led cultural organization, The People’s Theatre is an advocate for immigrant New Yorkers and the arts as a partner with the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, an active member of the Latinx Arts Consortium of New York (LXNY) steering committee, The New York Immigration Coalition’s (NYIC), Hispanic Federation and more. For more info, visit: www.thepeoplestheatre.org.

About Latinx Playwrights Circle: The Latinx Playwrights Circle (LPC) is an artist-led development and production organization for Latinx(é) playwrights. Founded in 2018 by playwrights Guadalís Del Carmen and Oscar Cabrera with the mission to build a network of Latinx(é) and Caribbean playwrights nationwide in order to promote, develop and elevate their work while making their plays accessible to theater makers looking to find the next generation of American Storytellers.

LPC embraces the ever-evolving landscape of Latinidad and the names used to describe this community, including Latiné, Latinx, Hispanic, and the next generation of names to come. Like language itself, this is an ever-evolving name. For more information on our many programs and a full list of our donors please visit www.LatinxPlaywrights.com.

About Boundless Theatre Company: Boundless Theatre Company is a designer-led organization seeking to investigate, push and redefine the boundaries of theatrical storytelling. Spearheaded by women, Latinx theatre-makers and other theatre-makers of color, we strive to nurture cross-cultural voices in our programming, producing aesthetically challenging and visually mesmerizing interpretations of new and existing work. In these ways, we foster a collaborative artistic landscape as richly and authentically diverse as our own communities. For more info, visit: www.boundlesstheatre.org.