The Cry of the Butterfly

 The Cry of the Butterfly
Theater for the New City
February 6, 2026 

Photo courtesy of Cry of the Butterfly

The Cry of the Butterfly is a beautifully written play by Nicca Ray.  It is full of raw emotion and stark reality.  Ms. Ray bravely tells the Hollywood story of her mother and father, their addictions, their infidelities, and their emotional inaccessibility.  Director Joe John Battista stages powerful cinematic moments that illustrate the relationships and heighten the emotional impact of story.  The cast skillfully portrays complex characters, who are suffering and searching for love and understanding. 

The play opens as a Podcast Host (played by Roger Gonzalez) is interviewing Nicca Ray (played by Mari Blake).  She has just published her book, Ray by Ray, which tells the story of her father and movie director Nicholas Ray (played by Tom Martin).  When the Podcast Host shifts his questions to a highly personal nature, Nicca refuses to answer and walks out.  This brings us back to the day her sister, Julie (played by Alexandra Laliberte), flew her across the country to celebrate the birthday of their mother, Betty (played by Penny Balfour).  Her daughters are concerned about their mother’s trance-like moments and emotional outbursts, but not having been together for a number of years, they push through as best they can.  All three women face their demons, but Betty has the roughest time.  The affair her husband had with James Dean (played by Michael John Gross) during the filming of Rebel Without a Cause created a severe rift in their marriage.  Nicholas never recovered from the sudden death of James Dean, which Betty has never fully accepted.  She faces this with urgency, as it is revealed that she recently received a diagnosis of terminal cancer. 

Alexandra Laliberte, Penny Balfour, & Mari Blake
Photo courtesy of The Cry of the Butterfly

Penny Balfour captures the essence of legendary movie star glamour as Betty.  She carries herself with grace, yet has a piercing directness.  Her ability to gloss over her daughter’s emotional experiences is juxtaposed by her skill at deeply cutting them down.  Mari Blake portrays Nicca with a stamina that comes from years of introspection and recovery.  Even though Betty pushes her buttons, she regains her strength and bounces back.  Alexandra Laliberte plays Julie with drive and moxie.  She has been witnessing her mother’s declining mental and physical health, and put great effort into bringing her sister in for this much-needed visit.  These three women are survivors, determined to keep moving, and these three actors portray them with grit and vigor.  Their scenes together are a constant battle for power, yet they each take on the role of caregiver when one of them is knocked down. 

Tom Martin, Michael John Gross, & Penny Balfour
Photo courtesy of The Cry of the Butterfly

Michael John Gross’ physical and vocal portrayal of James Dean is spot on.  His scenes with Penny Balfour are strong and impactful.  The stakes are high, the conflict is strong, and their connection is visceral.  Tom Martin plays Nicholas Ray with sleek elegance.  You can feel the power he has over Betty, and the love she feels for him.  It is ethereal and borderline psychotic.

The tone is set in the opening scene by Roger Gonzalez as the Podcast Host.  The audience expects the brutal truth, and that is exactly what is delivered.  The scenes between the three women are beautifully written and skillfully directed.  You can feel the isolation they are each experiencing as they relive their memories and try to connect.  They are all present in the room together, yet emotionally separate, incredibly alone, and yearning for connection. 

The Cry of the Butterfly is playing at Theater for the New City through February 22.  It is a uniquely structured and carefully crafted telling of a highly personal story. 

Domenick Danza

A Shift of Opinion

 A Shift of Opinion
Theater for the New City
January 2, 2025 

Photo courtesy of A Shift of Opinion

Playwright Vadim Astrakhan pays homage to Jacob Schiff in his play A Shift of Opinion.  By telling the story of this Jewish American philanthropist, we see the powerful effect one man can have when he uses his influence and wealth to make positive change.  Director Joe John Battista gathered a strong cast to portray well known personalities from American history, all of whom were contemporaries of Jacob Schiff.  This story is relevant to our present-day politics and atmosphere of hate.  History repeats itself, yet if stories such as this are not told, we remain in the dark.

In 1903, a pogrom took place in czarist-era Russia, destroying a Jewish community and killing 49 residents.  When Jewish New York banker Jacob Schiff (played by Michael Donata) hears the news, he is outraged.  He immediately meets with his friend, President Theodore Roosevelt (played by Roger Gonzalez), who writes a letter to Russian leadership.  Unhappy with Russia’s response, Jacob meets with another friend, William Randolf Hearst (played by Michael Meth), who informs him of the impending war between Japan and Russia.  Jacob sees this as an opportunity to take down the Russian czar.  He meets again with President Roosevelt, who allows Jacob to individually fund the Japanese army, leaving the United State out of the conflict.  Japan is triumphant, yet it is not until the Russian Revolution in 1917 that the imperial government is overthrown.  In 1920, US Congressman Albert Johnson (played by Andrew Ryan Perry) pushed for strong anti-immigration legislation, prohibiting immigration from Asia and imposing quotas on the number of immigrants entering the United States from easter and southern Europe.  This had a disastrous effect on the Jewish community.  By this time, Jacob Schiff had passed away. 

Michael Donato as Jacob Schiff
Photo courtesy of A Shift of Opinion

Michael Donato solidly portrays Jacob Schiff as a determined man of high principles.  He is steadfast in his beliefs, which includes that the United States is a Zion for the Jewish people.  He did not support the development of a Jewish nation, for which his colleague, Nathan (played by Alex Notkin), tries to seek his financial support.  Towards the end of his life, Jacob changes his view on that possibility.  This “shift of opinion” is evidence of his ability to change his fervent convictions based on events in present time.

Some of the more humorous scenes are between Mark Twain (played by John Barilla) and O. Henry (played by Brian Sheppard).  These two characters voice their perspectives on Jewish culture, and freely share their opinions on Jacob Schiff’s philanthropic activities.  Mr. Sheppard is bold and daring in his physicality and characterization of O. Henry, while Mr. Borilla is witty and biting as Mark Twain.  Michael Meth’s stoic portrayal of William Randolph Hearst keeps these scenes grounded in fact, highlighting Jacob Schiff’s contribution to historic events.   

Other strong performances are delivered by Christian Neal as librarian Bella Greene, Roger Gonzalez as President Theodore Roosevelt, Andrew Ryan Perry as Jack London and Congressman Johnson, Shuhei Kinoshita as Baron Takahashi, and, with impressive presence and command, Alex Notkin as Ambassador Cassini. 

A Shift of Opinion is playing at Theater for the New City through January 5. 

Domenick Danza