Daniel Damiano

for ONE WITH THE CURRENT

(Dream Up Festival at Theatre for the New City, NYC, Sept 2022, produced by fandango 4 Art House, Revival at 36th Street Studio Theatre, Sept-Oct 2023, produced by fandango 4 Art House. )

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"Extraordinary - Sharply Written - Beautifully Performed - Dare I say, the Best Solo Play I've seen in a long, long, long time."

- Peter Filichia, BroadwayRadio.com

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"ONE WITH THE CURRENT provides a Duple Tour De Force by Daniel Damiano in playwrighting and performing, ably assisted by the focused direction of Leslie Kincaid Burby......a Tonic for our Times!  ONE WITH THE CURRENT is not merely a remarkable work of art, but a a most valuable public service.”
Charles E. Gerber, Splash Magazine

 

“Mr. Damiano’s masterful writing is exceeded only by his skillful portrayal of this character. - No matter your political point of view, this is an important play to see.  Mr. Damiano explores the gray/human areas of what is a black and white issue for most people.  This play offers a perspective on the vulnerability of our time.”
Dominick Danza, More Than a Play

 

“Terrific Theatre! - Playwright Daniel Damiano has created a whole person, a relatable life in progress.”
Alix Cohen, TheaterLife.com

 

“ONE WITH THE CURRENT should not be missed! – A talented man is Mr. Damiano.”
Laurie Lawson, Electronic Link

 

"Masterfully executed.”
Carmen Burbridge, All About Solo
 

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for AMERICAN TRANQUILITY 

(Downtown Urban Arts Festival/East Village Playhouse, NYC, 

April 2018, Oct/Nov 2018 and Jan/Feb 2019  & Capital Fringe Festival, Washington DC, July 2019, produced by fandango 4 Art House)

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" 5 STARS - Examining the state of affairs in the United States during these volatile and divided times, writer and performer Daniel Damiano paints four very distinctive portraits of men living today and musing on what is wrong and what is right about this wonderful melting pot of a nation. Through each of the well-crafted monologues, Damiano brings a very real perspective to light – each one equally valid for the speaker. His skill as an actor is as strong as his pointed and often humorous writing. "

- Jeffrey Walker, DC Theatre Scene

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“4 STARS - ...a truly impressive performance on the part of Mr. Damiano. Armed with a writer’s ear for capturing dialogue and an actor’s flair for delivery, he makes his characters impressively real and uniquely vibrant. - Stanley, Achmed, Morgan and Ronnie are each so well-defined and engaging on their own, it’s easy to get lost in the performance. - Mr. Damiano’s performances generate enough energy to keep anyone captivated. American Tranquility presents a vertical slice of American society that’s just as messy and complex as the real thing. It’s also a witty and absurd breakdown of both sides of the country’s “great divide". Whether you have a taste for social commentary or just love good old-fashioned character work, don’t miss AMERICAN TRANQUILITY. - …an exceptional piece of theatre. ”

- James Bartholomew, All About Solo

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"AMERICAN TRANQUILITY is probably one of the best one-person shows that I’ve ever reviewed, both in terms of its performance and its concept. The brainchild of the highly talented character actor Daniel Damiano, this show explores many of the social, political and cultural divides that pervade America. - The play does a very fine job at exploring the division in modern American society on a very human level, and Damiano seamlessly pulls off each of the four individual performances of the characters in his show. – I do hope that this isn’t the last we hear of this show."  

- Anthony J. Piccione, OnStage Blog 

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for  HARMONY PARK

(Detroit Repertory Theatre, MI, March/May 2018)

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"4 STARS - HARMONY PARK is the kind of work that demands post-play conversation on the ride home and long after after. - this one is on my short list of must-see works. It could easily find its way to a run on or off Broadway."

- John Monaghan, Detroit Free Press

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"...as the story gets kick-started and changes gears, the strength of the play drives up on the audience like a car that nearly hits you, tapping into powerful, everyday feelings and manifestations of racism that happen in our workplaces. - HARMONY PARK is a place for everyone to gather and think about who they are."

- David Kiley, Encore Michigan

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"This is a story of how race relations aren’t solely determined by face-to-face realities, but also about how held attitudes affect the way we treat one another. It’s a tough play, funny at times, but certainly fodder for thought. And, the Detroit Rep is a great place to see this provocative work."

- Paul Arlon, Downtown Monitor

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for THE DISHONORABLE DISCHARGE OF PRIVATE PITTS

(fandango 4 Art House, IATI Theatre, NYC,November 2015)

 

"This play is a heroic underdog that points a dirty yet necessary mirror back at its viewers. I actually cried in a public setting (something I typically refuse to do). The script made me envious and doubt my own talents as a writer. - This play deserves a longer run and more attention – and while it has a quaint home now in the meager space in which it currently reigns, it’s sad to think of how many plays out there are thriving on half of the valor and entertainment that THE DISHONORABLE DISCHARGE OF PRIVATE PITTS beholds."

- Louis DeVaughn Nelson, Center On the Aisle

 

“THE DISHONORABLE DISCHARGE OF PRIVATE PITTS  moves us to reexamine our values of faith and our community in the face of war. It is an intimate character-shifting ensemble epic. - Presenting his harsh criticisms of the war in a cool-headed way, Damiano creates a paradigm of America as a nation struggling to makeover its crooked warmongering image.-MacGowan and team tell Damiano’s story as both an immediate and a cerebral experience.  - The Dishonorable Discharge of Private Pitts leaves a lasting and pressing impression.”

- Artem Yatsunov, Theatre is Easy

 

“Powerful, with captivating scenes that evince emotion and point to the institutional flaws we often blindly accept in the realms of parenting, in religion, and in the military. – THE DISHONORABLE DISCHARGE OF PRIVATE PITTS is heartfelt.”

- ReviewsHub

 

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for DAY OF THE DOG

(59E59 Theatre, NYC - St. Louis Actors' Studio transfer -

 March 2014)

 

"But the real star of the evening is Daniel Damiano’s text. His voice is distinct and refreshing with a tone that reminds me of an Edward Albee with a bit more rooting in reality. - A sharply written and directed tragicomedy peeling off the layers of modern suburban families, with a blurred line between the natural and the bizarre. -

A Playwright to watch!"  

- Greg Solomon, Theatre is Easy

 

"This 2 hour play will keep you laughing and surely prove thought provoking."

- Sandi Durell, Theatre Pizzazz

 

"The show hits the ground running and doesn’t stop for what is a riveting two hours. ...the work is virtually flawless, as is its execution. Mr. Damiano’s play masterfully disassembles the porous foundation of this family. He shows us the humor of a dysfunctional marriage, of a couple living in denial, without ever resorting to caricature. - Organic dialogue flows effortlessly from the mouths of rich, truthful characters."

- Dmitry Zvonkov, Stage & Cinema

 

"Engaging to the end."

- Peter Hemstead, Theatremania.com

 

"A humorous and insightful look at how our relationships to others often form as a result of how we respond to our animals. - Damiano engineers the play’s themes and characterizations with a solid focus on examining human nature’s need to escape the painful truth until it is almost too late. - Above all, the play examines the human need for animals and questions the why of it. In that framework, DAY OF THE DOG achieves the brightest of days."

- Carole DiTosti, BlogCritics.org

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for THE GOLDEN YEAR

(WorkShop Theater Company - Mainstage, June 2013, NYC) 

 

“The fact that Joe and Jean, the 40-year-married protagonists of Damiano’s lovely, very moving new play, THE GOLDEN YEAR, are fully realized, multilayered people who still have passions, desires, pride, vibrant sexuality and true love and affection for one another – is reason for celebration. -  The roles are so rich, in fact, that I can imagine actors “of a certain age” clamoring to play these parts – perhaps on Broadway or in a film adaptation. - …this Golden Year shimmers…“

- Andrew Rothkin, nytheatre.com

 

"THE GOLDEN YEAR is 24 Karat! -  Every once in a while, an off-off-Broadway production jumps up and reminds you that there is some really good Theatre happening up and down the side streets of Manhattan.  Tucked into a tidy performance space onWest 36th Street, THE GOLDEN YEAR, Daniel Damiano’s 90-minute comedy-with-substance is one such example."

- Phil Dorian, Scene on Stage

 

"The plight of the retiree is one you rarely encounter in drama.  But in a world where the aging, trusty systems are coming apart, there are just as many questions on the other side of 65 as there are on the way up. *** Stars! "

- Jenna Scherer, Time Out NY

 

"THE GOLDEN YEAR Shines! -  THE GOLDEN YEARby Daniel Damiano, splendidly directed by Kathy Gail MacGowan, may have been at the Workshop Theatre off Broadway, but this play has Broadway potential. -  Damiano’s insight into a newly retired couple’s approach to life, their supportive relationship and the new predicaments they find themselves in is beautifully crafted."

- Ruth Antrich, Times Square Chronicles

 

“WorkShop Theater has a long list of world premiers to its credit, none more worthy than Damiano’s enjoyably insightful one-act play - … destined for a wider audience...”

- Fred Winship, UPI International

 

 

"THE GOLDEN YEAR is poised for an open-ended run at a suitable New York theater, and is a natural for regional theater. - This warm and funny play, beautifully played by Ellen Barry and Gerry Goodstein - Director Kathy Gail MacGowan has skillfully set the pace"

- Don Collester, WDVR Radio, NJ

 

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