Len Cariou Leads NY Premiere of Richard Vetere’s ZAGALDA At American Theatre of Actors
The Holocaust-inspired drama will run October 16–November 2.
By: A.A. Cristi Jul. 28, 2025
Tony Award winner and Broadway legend Len Cariou will star in the New York premiere of Richard Vetere’s new play ZAGŁADA, a suspenseful wartime drama set for a limited engagement October 16–November 2 at the American Theatre of Actors (314 W. 54th Street, NYC). The production will be directed by Maja Wampuszyc.
ZAGŁADA, a Polish word meaning “annihilation” and used to refer to the Holocaust, follows a chilling investigation into 90-year-old Jerzy Kozlowski, a Queens resident and former Buchenwald prisoner suspected of Nazi collaboration. What begins as a simple interview for a World War II book spirals into a race against time as Homeland Security Agent Sonia Sokolow and NYPD Officer Frank Napoli uncover secrets that challenge their definitions of justice, loyalty, and identity.
The cast is led by Len Cariou, best known for his Tony-winning turn in Sweeney Todd, Emmy-nominated performance in Into the Storm, and long-running role on Blue Bloods. The production reunites him with Vetere, a prolific writer whose screenplays and plays have been produced by top studios and artists including Francis Ford Coppola, Ed Harris, and Carol Burnett.
Director Maja Wampuszyc brings a wealth of experience to the production, with credits ranging from Broadway (Irena’s Vow) to acclaimed film and television projects. She has collaborated with Vetere on multiple new works as part of The Actors Studio PD Workshop Unit.
ZAGŁADA is inspired by true historical frameworks, though its characters are fictional. The production marks another milestone for the American Theatre of Actors, which has staged over 1,000 socially conscious works since 1976 and helped launch the careers of Edie Falco, Dennis Quaid, and Chazz Palminteri.
