As we go to press, Sacco and Vanzetti are still dead.
Nicola Sacco and Bartelomeo Vanzetti were at the center of the bombshell trial in the 1920’s during America’s first “Red Scare”.
Joey DeFilippis and Matthew Ferrara are very much alive and have put the Sacco and Vanzetti case back into the spotlight.
Joey and Matt are lifelong friends from Wayne who have written, directed, and starred in an Off-Broadway play called “Sacco and Vanzetti Are Dead”, a dark, absurdist comedy that retells the Sacco and Vanzetti trial. The play had a limited run this summer at The American Theatre of Actors from July 17- July 27th, each to a sold-out house.
According to Andrew DeFilippis, executive producer of this play (and Joey’s brother), they were inspired to write the story of Sacco and Vanzetti from a podcast called “Things You Should Know.” They became fascinated with the absurdity of it all, especially since it was a true - albeit ultimately tragic - story. The more they read up about it, the more they thought that
they could actually make it into a great comedy. So they started working on that about a year ago, which led up to this production.
The friends leveraged the success they had two summers ago at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the largest independent arts festival in the world. There they performed for a month-straight their first play, “Hey, That’s My Wife!”, a Mel Brooks-ian spoof of a post-war, Mad Men sort of situation.
The reaction to their show, especially among such a large, creatively-minded group of peers, reaffirmed to them that they were going in the right direction, says Andrew.
While period-piece history might not be their overall style, writing and performing, especially comedy, certainly is. They’ve also honed their comedy skills performing standup throughout Manhattan.
And while the chance to see the play during it’s Off-Broadway run may have passed, the friends have thought about taking the show to Boston for a run there, to be near where the trial happened in nearby Braintree, Massachusetts. They have also considered adapting it into a screenplay for a movie.
The play has been met with high praise in their reviews. Malini Singh McDonald, from Theatre Beyond Broadway, had this to say about the play: “Joey DeFilippis and Matthew Ferrara embody Sacco and Vanzetti with captivating energy. On top of that, they directed the play. It’s a monumental task for any artist, yet their passion and command of the material thrust them into a unique zone where they juggle writing, acting, and directing with effortless grace. They’re a magnetic duo, bold and unforgettable, who held my full attention from start to finish.”
That’s not bad for a couple of late-twentysomething friends who first met in a Wayne middle school. Their ambition, talents, and dedication allowed them to put together a dynamite young ensemble cast (some have worked with people like F. Murray Abraham and Eric Bedrosian, and have had successful national and touring careers), and showcasing their genius in the grandest theater market in the world. And they’ve done it all without the big financial backing that most Broadway productions enjoy. They’ve done this all on their own.
Some would call that a pinnacle of lifetime success. For Joey and Matt, there’s no reason to think that this isn’t just the start of something bigger.
Let’s just hope that Mel Brooks can find out their phone numbers. He might want to pick their brains about a few things.