Silverback Mountain at AMT

“THEY JUST WANTED TO SEE THE GORILLAS”: SILVERBACK MOUNTAIN SETS NYC PREMIERE

New York, NY - March 10, 2026: Mickey Gooch, Jr’s Silverback Mountain, comes to NYC, directed by Rachael Meyers is a darkly comic adventure about love, identity, and survival, set against the absurd collision of gay culture and anti-gay persecution. SILVERBACK MOUNTAIN will play a three-week limited engagement at Off-Broadway’s Theatre AMT Theater (354 West 45th Street, New York, NY 10036). Performances begin Saturday, May 30, and continue through Sunday, June 21. Opening Night is Friday, June 5 (8 p.m.). Tickets are $25-$85 and available at www.SilverBackMountainPlay.com.

Silverback Mountain is a darkly comic adventure about love, identity, and survival, where outrageous comedy collides with real-world consequence.

When Mickey, a tightly wound New York artist, and his flamboyant, larger-than-life husband Andy set off on a “bucket list” safari to see mountain gorillas, they expect breathtaking views, Instagram moments, and maybe a little marital bickering along the way. Instead, their romantic escapade spirals into chaos in Uganda, where being openly gay is not just taboo, it’s illegal.

What begins as an absurd vacation comedy quickly turns into a high-stakes fight for freedom, forcing the couple to confront not only a hostile regime, but their own fears, flaws, and devotion to one another. As the jungle closes in and danger mounts, love becomes both their greatest vulnerability and their fiercest weapon.

Blending sharp satire, theatrical spectacle, and unexpected heart, Silverback Mountain is a wildly entertaining journey through the upside-down logic of a world where laughter and horror coexist, and where two men discover that survival is not just about escaping the jungle, but about standing boldly in who they are.

They just wanted to see the gorillas.

Casting and creative team will be announced subsequently.

SILVERBACK MOUNTAIN plays the following regular schedule through Sunday, June 21:

Wednesdays at 7 p.m.

Thursdays at 7 p.m.

Fridays at 8 p.m.

Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Sundays at 2 p.m.

There is an added performance on Monday, June 1 at 7:00 pm.

Tickets are $25-$85 and available at www.SilverBackMountainPlay.com. Tickets can be purchased in person at the box office ½ hour prior to the performance.

Website: SilverBackMountainPlay.com

Media Kit with Photos

MICKEY GOOCH JR. (Playwright) is a New York–based actor, producer, and writer working across theatre, film, and television. As a producer, he was part of the producing team on The Trial of the Chicago 7, the Academy Award–nominated and Golden Globe–winning film written and directed by Aaron Sorkin. He also served as a co-producer on the Broadway musical The Heart of Rock and Roll, which ran in Spring 2024.

As an actor, Gooch has appeared in studio and independent films, including How to Single, The Clapper, and Deported. His work often centers on complex, flawed characters, blending dark comedy with emotional realism.

Across his work on stage and screen, Gooch brings an actor’s sensibility to producing and a producer’s perspective to performance, with a focus on character-driven storytelling grounded in lived experience, vulnerability, and humor.

RACHAEL MEYERS (Director) is an award-winning director, writer, and producer. Meyers began directing and producing theatre in Colorado before moving to LA and expanding her work into film and television. The recipient of 15 international awards, she’s tackled a wide range of genres, from high-concept to character-driven. Most notably, her LGBTQ+ dramedy Zoe + Ari toured 30+ festivals, won 4 awards, and screened at the 2018 Cannes Court Métrage. Favorite regional stage credits include Cabaret, Little Women, and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. As a performer, Meyers has appeared on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Veronica Mars, Champions, All Rise, and more. Regional stage credits include Chicago, FAMOUS, The Elephant Man, the world premiere of Brynn Thayer’s Let Me In opposite Jorge Garcia, and most recently Vanda in Venus in Fur. Meyers is currently developing several projects, including a dystopian sci-fi fantasy trilogy for which she is also penning the book series.

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