Pending Approval at The American Theater of Actors

RiffRaff and Rogue Theater Present Pending Approval, A New One-Act Play About Love, Immigration, and Finding Home

This August, audiences will have the opportunity to experience Pending Approval, a new one-act play written and directed by Mila Besson Galimberti, as part of the RiffRaff x Rogue Theater Short Play Festival in New York City.

Blending humor, heart, and the realities of navigating life between cultures, Pending Approval explores the unexpected ways bureaucracy can shape our most personal moments. Inspired by Besson Galimberti's own immigration journey, the play examines themes of identity, belonging, love, and the search for a place to call home.

While Besson Galimberti is not performing in the production, she brings this deeply personal story to life as both playwright and director. Through comedy, vulnerability, and emotional honesty, Pending Approval invites audiences to reflect on the challenges of starting over in a new country, the complexity of immigration systems, and the very human stories that exist behind every application.

"Immigration is often reduced to paperwork, deadlines, and legal processes, but behind every application is a person with dreams, fears, and someone they love," says Besson Galimberti. "This play is my way of sharing that experience through humor and humanity."

The production stars Cora Tomaselli as Alice and Matt Loughery as Oliver, bringing to life a couple navigating the uncertainty, absurdity, and tenderness of building a future together while waiting for one life-changing decision.

Pending Approval is presented as part of the RiffRaff x Rogue Theater Short Play Festival, a celebration of original works by emerging theater artists. RiffRaff is an international theater collective dedicated to amplifying diverse voices and fostering cross-cultural collaboration through bold, original storytelling.

At a time when conversations around immigration, identity, and belonging are more relevant than ever, the festival provides a platform for artists to tell stories that cross borders and challenge perspectives. By championing new voices from a wide range of cultural backgrounds, RiffRaff and Rogue Theater create space for work that is deeply personal while resonating with universal themes. Pending Approval joins a lineup of original plays that invite audiences to laugh, reflect, and engage in meaningful conversations long after the curtain falls.

Among RiffRaff's core members is Joe Staton, one of the company's founders, an actor and playwright whose latest production, Snazzy, draws inspiration from his own family history. Written and produced by Staton and directed by Chloe Champken, Snazzy exemplifies RiffRaff's commitment to developing deeply personal stories with universal resonance. Together, the festival showcases a vibrant collection of new plays exploring identity, family, community, and the many ways our personal histories shape who we become.

Performance Dates

Friday, August 14 at 7:00 PM Saturday, August 15 at 7:00 PM

Venue: American Theatre of Actors, New York City

Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/im-in-love-with-an-immigrant-riffraff-nyc-festival-tickets-1994634596773?aff=oddtdtcreator&utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQPOTM2NjE5NzQzMzkyNDU5AAGnojTjp9GW-3l8sO3I1lH0KtLXJbmRQy3YbZYlmrS_0F8d212fumGiqc9LPJQ_aem_eBgNqtN-m8SduHWbGBUHbA

About Mila Besson Galimberti

Mila Besson Galimberti is a French-Italian actress, playwright, and director based in New York City. A graduate of the Stella Adler Studio of Acting and a core member of RiffRaff, her work spans theater, film, and television. Her artistic practice is rooted in stories of immigration, identity, language, and human connection, often blending humor with emotional honesty. Pending Approval is her latest original play, inspired by her own experience navigating the U.S. immigration system and exploring what it means to build a life—and a home—between two cultures.