Waiting for Ganol
A new comedy. Revealed this fall.
A South Philly backyard.
A gender reveal.
A giant cannoli.
What could go wrong?
The Cosentinos are nearly ready to cut open a giant cannoli and reveal their new baby’s sex to the world. You’re invited into their backyard for WAITING FOR GANOL, a uniquely Philly, uniquely funny new play.
In a site-specific staging at a backyard garden, audiences will become a part of this South Philly family’s dramatic gender reveal in a comedy that explores the shape of parental love and the paths we choose to lay out for our children.
Meet the family
JOE FALCONE (Donnie) is a Philly-based artist. He’s a South Philly native and graduate of the University of the Arts (BFA Acting ‘19). Recent regional credits include I Hate Hamlet (Ritz Theatre Company), Clue, Sweet Charity (Candlelight Theater). Recent screen credits include the upcoming horror feature 825 Forest Road and a Wawa commercial. His play Mars Doesn’t Want Us premieres in Philly Fringe this September! Much love to his family, Tess, Mitzi, and his cats.
SAMANTHA RICCHIUTI (Marcia) is thrilled to be joining the cast of Waiting for Ganol. A lifelong resident of South Philadelphia, Sam is committed to making exciting and engaging regional theatre. Recent work includes storytelling with Historic Philadelphia, The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 (Candlelight Theatre), Sister Act (Candlelight Theatre), Murray the Elf and the Case of the Missing Mistletoe (Pegasus Theatre Company) and The Laramie Project (Ash Theatre Company). Sam would like to thank the entire team for allowing her the opportunity to be silly and play. Love to mom, dad, Jordan, and the fur babies. Follow Sam on Instagram @SamRicchiuti and www.samantharicchiuti.com.
MARIA RIILLO (Maria) is an actor and theatre artist in Philly. She studied at the University of Pennsylvania where she acted in many productions including; Peter and the Starcatcher, Well, Everyman, La Mujer Que Cayo del Cielo, Love Song, and The Government Inspector. During her time at Penn she also interned at the Wilma Theater and studied classic theatre at the BADA Midsummer in Oxford program. Her most recent productions have been Girl in the Machine at Players Club of Swarthmore, Real Women Have Curves at Allens Lane Art Center, and Book of Will with Fever Dream Rep. She currently works in book publishing.
HARRISON ROTHBAUM (Lou) is thrilled to be part of bringing this new and wonderful show to life. He has also performed locally at The Stagecrafters Theatre in Rogues’ Gallery and as Jeff in Lobby Hero, as well as at Narberth Community Theatre as Stu in California Suite and the Telephone Repairman in Barefoot in the Park. Additional credits include Gene in Therapy, Negotiation, and Guile with A Saturday’s Child, Traveller in Poe’s Horrors and Andrew in The Breakfast Club with the Dickinson Community Players, and a cast member in Binghamton Night Live with Hinman Production Company.
STU SKLAR (Frank) is returning to the theater after a long hiatus and one or two hiatals. After studying improv at the Chicago City Limits Theater in New York and acting at the Walnut Street Theater he went home. Not metaphorically. He has played Mottel the Tailor in Fiddler and Mary Sunshine in Chicago. Where you ask? None of your damned business. Other rolls include Kaiser, Italian and a French baguette. His most acclaimed performance is convincing his colleagues that he knows something about the law, and convincing his wife and kids that he has answers.
ARIELLE SOSLAND (Director) is a Philly-based director who is thrilled to be directing Waiting for Ganol in the Cannonball Festival. Prior to her move back home to Philly, she directed predominantly in NYC Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway. Her directing credits include new work, plays and musicals (Adult Stuff, Love/Fantasy, Can Do Duck: The Musical) as well as various community productions (High School Musical, Little Mermaid, Number the Stars). She had her Broadway debut in 2018 where she worked collaboratively with playwright Beth Henley on a staged reading of Impossible Marriage at Circle in the Square. She’s directed a variety of new work and staged readings at the Barrow Group in NYC, where she also completed a one year Master Directing program.
ALEX MARCUS (Playwright) is a writer and occasional performer based in South Philly. He's written nonfiction for The A.V. Club, Slate, and a mix of newspapers and blogs including Philly's dearly departed City Paper. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, he has studied writing and performance at the UCB Theatre, Magnet Theater, Philly Improv Theater, and Primary Stages Einhorn School of Performing Arts. He was a founding member of Sequel: The Musical, which became one of New York’s longest-running musical improv shows, and is currently a fellow at the Alliance for Jewish Theatre. Waiting for Ganol is his first play.
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