DOMINO EFFECT Will Premiere at A.R.T./New York Theaters

This spring, People’s Theatre Project, LatinX Playwrights Circle, and Boundless Theatre Company will debut the world premiere of Domino Effect, a new play written by award-winning playwright Marco Antonio Rogriguez, and devised by immigrant artists. Gonzalez-Leiba Jr joins Domino Effect as Producing Partners and for Audience Development. Performances will take place at A.R.T./New York Theaters in Manhattan from April 4 through April 20, 2025. 

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 needs today more than ever, and leave you feeling hopeful,” said Mino Lora, Executive Artistic Director of People’s Theatre Project and the play’s director. “We hope audiences of all ages will see themselves reflected in the characters and recognize the importance of community, intergenerational connection, and the immense power that lies in listening and understanding, especially to those who see the world differently than you.”

“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 PTP 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 immigrant 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 Project 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), and directed by Mino Lora (Missing Socks and a Line Of Coke by Rachel Lynett, The Goodbye/Rock On, by Andrew Rincon). 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 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. 

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