ROSEMARY PARRILLO'S SPAGHETTI WESTERN Staged Reading is Coming to Cranford Community Center

Set in the waning days of the first Trump administration, "Spaghetti Western" is a dark comedic exploration of family legacy and the fading promise of the American Dream. When Olivia Forte learns she has inherited a plot of land in El Paso, Texas, following her father's death, her eccentric mother insists she bury dad's ashes there to fulfill his lifelong desire to "Go West." While mom continues to slow-walk the sale of the family's decrepit Philadelphia pizzeria, Olivia discovers that her father's land is far from the idyllic retirement haven he envisioned. As Olivia confronts the abomination that is the Texas-Mexico border, she wrestles with what it means to honor the past and make sense of the future.

After the reading, members of the audience will have the chance to offer their feedback to the playwright. Mark Spina, artistic director of The Theater Project said, “Our series offers audiences the rare opportunity to perform an active role in the development of dramatic works. They, in effect, help the playwrights hone their plays before they reach the stage.”

Large-print programs and scripts are available with advance request.

Spaghetti Western explores the fragility of the American dream," says the playwright. "Olivia struggles to accept the disconnect between her father's idealization of America's promise and the difficult reality of what it often doesn't deliver. In the end, she learns that we all need to make peace with who we are and where we belong."

Olivia Forte, whose last name means ‘strong' in Italian, wrestles with this issue in Rosemary's play. Following her father's death, Olivia discovers she has inherited a worthless plot of land in El Paso, Texas. Her mother, Josie Manfredi, insists that she bury his ashes there. As Josie continues to slow-walk the sale of the family's decrepit Philadelphia pizzeria, Olivia encounters physical and psychological barriers to fulfilling her

Parrillo is a New Jersey playwright and journalist. Her works, which center on people caught in the crosshairs of calamity and self-doubt, have been staged at festivals and community theaters across the country and in Canada. Her post-9/11play, The New Normal Trilogy, was selected as a 2017 semifinalist by the National Playwrights Conference at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center. The Nature of Stars was a 2024 finalist in the Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival One-Act Contest, marking Parrillo's fourth finalist placement in the competition.

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