'Over the River and Through the Woods' at HTC

NOTE: Due to COVID-19 exposure among cast members, this production will now open on Thursday, October 27, a week later than originally scheduled, and will run through Sunday, November 13. HTC will reach out to ticketholders for performances originally scheduled for October 20-23 to arrange for exchanges to other performance dates. A “talkback” with the cast, originally scheduled for Friday, October 28, will now be held on Friday, November 4.

“We are making this decision out of an abundance of caution, as our highest priority is to provide a safe environment for our cast, crew, volunteers and audience,” said HTC president Roger Moley. “While we regret any inconvenience to theatregoers, we’re confident they will understand and respect our decision, and we remain excited about bringing this funny and poignant play to live audiences in the weeks ahead.”

For more information, contact info@hamptontheatre.org or call 631-653-8955.

“Over the River and Through the Woods,” a raucous, warm-hearted comedy from Tony Award-winning playwright Joe DiPietro (“Memphis,” “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change”) will be the first production of the Hampton Theatre Company’s 2022-2023 season at the Quogue Community Hall and runs October 20 to November 5.

Set in a suburban house in the not-too-distant past, “Over the River and Through the Woods” puts to the test the concept of “tengo familia” — an Italian phrase connoting the importance of “keeping family first” — through the eyes of two sets of doting Italian-American grandparents and their beloved, if restless, 29-year-old grandson.

Nick Cristano may be living the life of a single young professional in New York City, but his four grandparents — Frank and Aida Gianelli, and Nunzio and Emma Cristano — never let him forget where he belongs: in New Jersey with them, in the bosom of a tenacious, loud and well-fed family. The status quo is upended when Nick announces that he has been offered a big promotion … in Seattle. This bombshell revelation leads his grandparents to hatch a code-red plan to map out an irresistible alternate future designed to keep Nick close to home. At the center of this scheme is Caitlin, a surprise dinner guest who might turn the tables in the elders’ favor.

A boisterously funny and touching story about intergenerational relationships, deep familial love, and the inevitable little heartbreaks that occur as time passes and children grow, “Over the River and Through the Woods” played 800 performances at the John Houseman Theatre in New York from 1998-2000.

The HTC production features a spirited ensemble cast of six, including three HTC veterans: George A. Loizides as Nunzio, Catherine Maloney as Emma, and Patrick Osborne as Nick. Newcomers to the HTC include Amelia Chiaramonte as Aida, Carl DiModugno as Frank, and Meg Hrinkevich as Caitlin.

In addition to acting in the play, Loizides directs, with Roger Moley co-directing.

“Over the River and Through the Woods" will be presented at Quogue Community Hall, 125 Jessup Avenue, Quogue. Shows are Thursdays and Fridays at 7 p.m., Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $36 ($31 seniors, $20 students) at hamptontheatre.org or 631-653-8955.