‘Over the River and Through the Woods’ @ Richardson Theatre Centre
—Carol M. Rice
“Tengo famiglia” is an ongoing theme in Joe DiPietro’s popular comedy/drama Over the River and Through the Woods. While simply translated from the Italian as “I have a family,” it goes much, much deeper than that, especially as portrayed in Richardson Theatre Centre’s excellent production, running through May 3.
Nick is a single Italian-American guy from New Jersey who has dinner with both sets of his grandparents every Sunday. They’re all extremely close. When he tells them he’s been offered his dream job in Seattle, they do everything in their power to keep him from moving.
Joe Cucinotti is perfectly cast as the volatile Nick. While he loves his grandparents dearly, sometimes he just wants to get a word in edgewise...or (God forbid) isn’t hungry. Cucinotti’s excellent comic timing is matched only by his dramatic chops, and he covers a full range of emotions beautifully throughout the play. He even sings! (Swoon.) This is one of the finest performances I’ve seen him give.
His maternal grandparents, Frank and Aida Gianelli, are played by Budd Mahan and Karen Jordan. Like Cucinotti, Mahan has to display a wide range of emotions and does so believably – and with a mostly solid Italian accent. His stubbornness about not wanting to give up driving is brilliant, and his speech about his father is especially moving.
Jordan is a lovely complement to Mahan as Aida: always asking “Who’s hungry?” and bustling to and from the kitchen with mountains of food. It doesn’t matter if you tell her you just ate; she’ll make sure you eat some more and leave with leftovers enough to last for days. Jordan is perky and sweet, and her despair at losing her grandson to the wilds of Seattle shows visibly on her face.
Nick’s paternal grandparents, Nunzio and Emma Cristano, are energetically depicted by Shawn Patrello and Sue Goodner. They are the louder, more typically New York Italian grandparents who have no problem saying what’s on their minds (and no filter). As Nunzio, Patrello is funny and caring, with exceptional physical skills that morph from the hilarious into more serious and controlled as the play progresses. When he has to make an important choice about what to tell his grandson, the anguish is real.
Goodner matches Patrello thoroughly as she does her best to set Nick up with her canasta partner’s daughter Caitlin. She is outrageously flamboyant and completely believable as the “fun” grandmother, but she also has a serious side, which Goodner portrays with sincerity and depth.
As Caitlin O’Hare, Alison Schonhoff makes the most of her brief onstage time, appearing in only two scenes. She is able to hold her own at dinner among the powerful personalities of Nick and his grandparents, and she stands up to Nick when she thinks he’s wrong. Schonhoff and Cucinotti have nice chemistry together.
One of the reasons RCT’s production of Over the River and Through the Woods works so well is the casting by co-directors Rachael Lindley and Lorna Woodford. The people onstage don’t seem like actors – they seem like a family. A real family. The kind that loves and protects each other, that yells at each other and hugs each other—and that apologizes and forgives each other.
While there were lots of laughs at the opening night performance I attended, there were also sniffles and tears, and I’m not ashamed to say I was right there along with them. A true family goes through a lot, and the actors onstage made me believe they were really experiencing it, allowing us as the audience to take a peek into their lives. “Tengo famiglia!” Kudos to Lindley and Woodford for their solid direction.
Originally produced Off-Broadway at the John Houseman Theater in 1998, Over the River and Through the Woods ran for 800 performances and has become a staple in community and professional theatres. While I’ve seen many renditions of this wonderful play, Richardson Theatre Centre’s production is one of the absolute best. I highly recommend it.
WHEN: April 10-May 3, 2026
WHERE: RCT, 518 W. Arapaho Road, Richardson TX
WEB: richardsontheatrecentre.net
