Cast and Team Set For AWAKE AND SING! at Sea Dog Theater

Following its award-winning 2024 production of Tuesdays with Morrie starring Len Cariou, Sea Dog Theater will present a 90th anniversary revival of Awake and Sing! by Clifford Odets. Director Erwin Maas and production designer Guy de Lancey return to Sea Dog Theater with a contemporary vision of Odets' timeless play of economic struggle and generational conflict. Running October 14 – November 8, 2025, at Sea Dog Theater (209 East 16th St.), with an opening night set for Saturday, October 18.

Awake and Sing! is a 1935 drama set in the Bronx during the Great Depression, centering on the working-class Berger family. Three generations share a cramped apartment where money is scarce, ideals clash, and dreams often collide with reality. Within this close-quartered household, love and loyalty are tested by resentment, sacrifice, and the pressure to survive. Odets paints a vivid portrait of a family bound together yet divided by their conflicting visions of the future. The play captures the desperation and resilience of ordinary people trying to find dignity in a harsh world.

The ensemble cast for Awake and Sing! includes Juan Carlos Diaz as Myron Berger, Christopher J. Domig as Moe Axelrod, Alfred C. Kemp as Uncle Morty, Trevor McGhie as Ralph Berger, Sina Pooresmaeil as Sam Feinschreiber, Gary Sloan as Jacob, Debra Walton as Bessie Berger, and Daisy Wang as Hennie Berger.

“Sea Dog Theater is dedicated to producing intimate, thought-provoking works that engage with urgent social issues and explore questions of alienation and reconciliation” said Christopher J. Domig, Sea Dog Theater's Artistic Director. “When it first premiered on Broadway 90 years ago, Awake and Sing! challenged audiences to wrestle with themes of survival, sacrifice, and the pursuit of the American dream—questions that remain as pressing today as they were during the Great Depression. Just as Odets sought to give voice to the marginalized, Sea Dog Theater continues to bring to life stories that highlight the struggles and hopes of those too often overlooked in our society.”

The creative team for Awake and Sing! includes Guy de Lancey (production design - scenic, lighting, projection), Hanxiao Zhang (costume design), Fan Zhang (sound design), and Abby Fry (production stage manager).

Sea Dog Theater will host weekly post-show talkbacks following Wednesday performances of Awake and Sing! on October 15, 22, 29, and November 5. Audience members can join members of the cast and special guests while enjoying complimentary hors d'oeuvres and drinks.