Dietrich BONHOEFFER-Full Stage Production: “Bonhoeffer-Last Days,” Theologian and World War ll Dissident! Performances: April 20, 21, 22, 28 and 29th: 8-10 pm, April 23: 3-5 pm, 2023
The playwright: Tom Romano; the director & co-producer: Alan Baxter; co-producer: Frank Romano Sr.
Stage Production website:
Place: Saint John’s Lutheran Church on 81 Christopher Street, Manhattan (Off-Broadway).
The Cast:
Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Frank Romano Sr.
Eberhard Bethge: Trevor Crane
Maria Von Wedemeyer: Emily Pazik
SS Major: Dillon Sibilla
Adam Clayton Powell: Rick Reid
Hans Von Dohnanyi: Rich Evans
Sgt. Heinrich Fredrich: Benjamin Danielsson
Bishop George Bell : Robert Berlin
Shadows- Figure 1: Don Hampton,
Figure 2: Shelby O’Brien
TECHNICAL STAFF
Rich Evans Stage Manager
Ronald Gaither, sound technician
Johnny Deznye lighting technician
Frank Romano Jr. Chief Lighting Technician and Chief Videographer of performances
Vitaly Volodin: Assistant Videographer
Anne Moss Costumes
John Fulton Door Attendant
LIVE video (BELOW) of one of the last performances of the OFF BROADWAY play: Bonhoeffer-Last Days.
The play was very successfully performed on April 20-23, April 28 and 29, 2023, at St. John’s Lutheran Church on 81 Christopher Street, an Off-Broadway location in West Village, New York City.
Frank Romano Sr was lead actor and co-producer, Alan Baxter, director and co-producer, and Tom Romano: playwright.
This Full Stage Production showcased an intriguing true story relating the final days of Dietrich Bonhoeffer: a Theologian, double agent and conspirator against Hitler during WWll! More specifically, this play covers the last few days of the life of German dissident theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Bonhoeffer had previously stood up to the Nazis and was told to stop giving lectures. He refused. He also helped form the “Confessing Church” which opposed the German Lutheran Church which collaborated with the Nazi government. In addition, he was instrumental in helping many jews escape the Nazi regime.
For the above reasons, Bonhoeffer was arrested and imprisoned. After several months in prison, a letter was found by the Gestapo tying him into a plot to have Adolf Hitler assassinated, and he was moved to Flossenburg, maximum Security Prison and condemned to death by hanging.
Frank Romano Jr was in charge of the lighting and the video during the theatrical production. He also prepared and edited this final video.
Trailer of the Above Performances
A article published in Broadway World about the play:
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Dietrich BONHOEFFER-Full Stage Production: “Bonhoeffer-Last Days,” Theologian and World War ll Dissident! Performances: 8-10 pm, Nov. 4, 5, 11 and 12, 2022 in Manhattan
Place: Producers’ Club, 358 West 44th Street, New York, New York, USA
The playwright: Tom Romano; the director & co-producer: Alan Baxter; co-producer: Frank Romano Sr.
The cast:
Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Frank Romano Sr.
Eberhard Bethge: Gus Ferrari
Maria Von Wedemeyer: Julia Genoveva
Adam Clayton Powell: Devon Brooks
SS Major: Dillon Sibilla
Hans Von Dohnanyi: Kevin Schivcharran
Sgt. Heinrich Fredrich: Trevor Crane
Bishop George Bell : Kevin Schivcharran
Shadows- Figure 1 & Figure 2: Francine Mancini
TECHNICAL STAFF
Ronald Gaither, sound technician
Johnny Deznye lighting technician
Frank Romano Jr. Chief Lighting Technician and Chief Videographer of performances
Anne Moss Costumes
John Fulton Door Attendant
HUGE SUCCESS Controversial play about Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Manhattan-Off Off Broadway. Entitled: “Bonhoeffer-Last Days” About Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Theologian and conspirator vs. Hitler during WWII. The play was either sold out or over-booked at every performance!!
See the below Video of one of the performances:
Frankie Romano and dad, Frank Romano, father and son team, (BELOW) taking a break at Producers’ Club, Manhattan, New York City.
Regina Romano and dad, Frank Romano, daughter and father, (BELOW) after one of his performances in the play: “Bonhoeffer-Last Days,” at Producers’ Club, Manhattan, New York City.
LIVE video DRAMATIC READING of the play: Bonhoeffer-Last Days, about German World War ll Dissident Dietrich BONHOEFFER, August 11th, 7:00 pm, Carpenter Room, Medford Public Library, Medford, Oregon
To view it, just click on the image below:
Dietrich Bonhoeffer: German theologian who helped plan the assassination of Hitler during WWII.
The script writer and producer: Tom Romano; actor and co-producer: Frank Romano Sr.
A cast of 8 actors include:
Frank Romano Sr.-Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Joe Suste-SS Major
Jeannine Grizzard-Maria Von Wedemeyer
Bob Brazeau-Adam Clayton Powell & Sgt. Fredrich
Todd Lowenberg-Bishop Bell & Eberhard Bethge
Joshua Falchion-Von Dohnanyi
Donna Boehm-Figure 1 & Figure 2
Pam Ward will be the narrator
Videographer and Editor: Frank J. Romano Jr.
Photographer (photos): Victoria Romano
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Live VIDEO: DRAMATIC READING of the play:
BONHOEFFER-LAST DAYS
about German World War ll Dissident Dietrich BONHOEFFER! December 11th, 6 :30 pm, 2021 in Manhattan. Dietrich Bonhoeffer: German theologian who helped plan the assassination of Hitler during WWII.
The script writer: Tom Romano; the director & co-producer: Alan Baxter; co-producer: Frank Romano Sr. Video and editing by Ronald Gaither.
A cast of 8 actors include:
Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Frank Romano Sr.
Eberhard Bethge: Gus Ferrari
Maria Von Wedemeyer: Julia Genoveva
Adam Clayton Powell: Marvin Camillo
SS Major: Justin Schilling
Hans Von Dohnanyi: Kevin Schivcharran
Sgt. Heinrich Fredrich: Steven Guardino
Various shadowy figures, part of flashbacks.
Figure 1 Stuart Beinhacker
Figure 2 Lizzy Marcano
To view it, just click on the image below:
It took take place in Studio 353, Studio 1, 353 West 48th Street, New York, New York, USA.
This is a work in progress which means, pursuant to feedback by members of the audience, etc., the script and performances are being analyzed and improved.
However, after expressing that this reading was “highly successful,” many have suggested that it be taken to the next level. As such, the director & co-producer: Alan Baxter and co-producer: Frank Romano, contemplate making this into a full stage production at an “off-Broadway” venue.
To that end, Alan Baxter has formed a non-profit corporation, “Upbeat Performances,” endeavoring to attract contributors needed to take this play to the “Big Stage.”
To view it, click on the image below:
Live VIDEO: Q&A’s, live FEEDBACK from the AUDIENCE of the DRAMATIC READING of the play: “Bonhoeffer-Last Days”
including a heartfelt DEDICATION of the reading to ETHEL MAY ROMANO (Tom and Frank Romano’s mother), a former STAR actress with the Ashland Shakespearean Festival in 1940. She played the role of Rosalind in “As You Like It” and Beatrice in “Much Ado About Nothing.”
To View it, click on the image below:
The play is about a German Dissident Dietrich BONHOEFFER, a theologian who helped plan the assassination of Hitler during WWII. The reading took place on December 11th, 2021, 6 :30 pm, in Manhattan.
The script writer: Tom Romano; the director & co-producer: Alan Baxter; co-producer: Frank Romano Sr.
A cast of 8 actors include:
Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Frank Romano Sr.
Eberhard Bethge: Gus Ferrari
Maria Von Wedemeyer: Julia Genoveva
Adam Clayton Powell: Marvin Camillo
SS Major: Justin Schilling
Hans Von Dohnanyi: Kevin Schivcharran
Sgt. Heinrich Fredrich: Steven Guardino
Various shadowy figures, part of flashbacks.
Figure 1 Stuart Beinhacker
Figure 2 Lizzy Marcano
To view it, just click on the image below:
The reading took take place in Studio 353, Studio 1, 353 West 48th Street, NY, NY.
This is a work in progress. However, due to the reaction to the successful reading, the director & co-producer: Alan Baxter and co-producer: Frank Romano Sr., contemplate taking the play to an “off-Broadway venue.”
Pursuant to that, Alan Baxter has formed a non-profit corporation, “Upbeat Performances,” endeavoring to attract contributors needed to take this play to an “Off-Broadway” venue.
To view it, click on the link below:
Bonhoeffer, the Last Days PLAY READING Q&A.mp4 – Google Drive
PHOTOS FROM ABOVE DRAMATIC READING:
For Conduct and Innocents – dramatic reading (See Video of Performance Below)
October 18, 2015
Join the Congregational Arts Committee of Trinity Church in commemorating the 70th anniversary of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s death with a dramatization of the poetic drama “For Conduct and Innocents.” This verse piece was written by poet and parishioner J. Chester Johnson and depicts the events in Bonhoeffer’s life leading up to his arrest in 1943; he was executed by the Nazis in 1945. This poem-play will not only be dramatically read but also mounted as a multimedia event with poetry, history, music, dance, film, and more.
This performance includes the American premier of the musical setting to the poem “Dream” by Jewish poet Abramek Koplowicz, killed at Auschwitz.
Performers and contributors include: J. Chester Johnson, poet and parishioner,Alan Baxter, director,
Actors – including Robert Scott, Frank Romano, and Emily Kitchens
Marilyn Green, choreographer
Trinity Movement Choir
Trinity Youth Chorus
Paul Knopf, jazz composer
James Markovic, NBC film editor
Diane Abdi Robertson, composer
Byron Singleton, tenor, Metropolitan Opera
James Wroten, composer
Love and Terror in the Middle East, 5th Edition 