Dr. Cynthia Hsiung and Nick Milodragovich bring John Patrick Shanley’s two-hander to the Sargent Theatre for three performances.
What began as a small workshop staging in Anaconda, Montana will arrive in New York next month as a limited revival of John Patrick Shanley’s Danny and the Deep Blue Sea. The production, executive produced by Dr. Cynthia Hsiung and co-executive producer Nick Milodragovich, will run December 5–7 at 7 p.m. at the American Theatre of Actors’ Sargent Theatre at 314 West 54th Street.
Initially conceived as an invited arts event, the project captured the attention of Hsiung, a native New Yorker and veteran TV and film executive who identified the work as a strong candidate for an off-Broadway engagement. This marks her first venture into theatrical producing. Tickets are available online.
The one-act play follows Danny and Roberta—two isolated strangers who meet in a Bronx bar and form a volatile, unexpectedly tender connection. Their conflict-driven conversations gradually give way to honesty, empathy, and the possibility of healing.
The production features James Liddell and Tashia Gates and is directed by Tessa Welsch. Gates, who also produces, has appeared in Yellowstone, the feature Somewhere in Montana, and the Austin Comedy Film Festival–nominated Hindsight. Liddell’s screen work includes Two Ways to Go West, Hell House LLC: Origins, First Contact, Island Escape, The Tomorrow Job, and stage performances including Shanley’s The Dreamer Examines His Pillow at the Odyssey Theatre in Los Angeles.
Welsch is a director and intimacy coordinator whose recent credits include Arcadia, Stand Stark Still: A Collection of Beckett Shorts, The Rope Trick, and The Humans. She is co-director of the Livingston Fringe Festival.
Milodragovich is a former Hollywood editor turned author and digital creator, currently writing a book for Simon & Schuster for publication in spring 2027. His past credits include editing for Netflix, NBC, CBS, Paramount+, and AMC, as well as roles in The Three Musketeers, Dracula, and Hamlet.
Hsiung, whose background includes producing Emmy-nominated series, directing feature films, and teaching at UCLA Extension, views this project as a return to her early artistic influences in New York’s theatre world.
A portion of proceeds will benefit survivors of domestic violence. The production is presented by special arrangement with Broadway Licensing, LLC, servicing the Dramatists Play Service collection.
The American Theatre of Actors, founded in 1976 by James Jennings, continues its mission to support emerging playwrights, directors, and actors, including through its Women in Theatre (WIT!) program.
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