A former colleague asked me to act in a reading of his new play in December 2024. A full production was then scheduled for July 2025, with the cast reprising their roles. The production team also brought me on as a Marketing Consultant (and ultimately, producer).
Sacco & Vanzetti Are Dead! is a satirical retelling of the trial of Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, two Italian immigrants caught in the web of prejudice and political persecution during America’s first ‘Red Scare’. Set in 1920s Boston, both men were victims of a biased justice system shaped by their ethnicity and anarchist beliefs, all of which culminated in the explosive trial that captivated the world.
My first task was creating a poster. The title came from the actual headline in the Daily News when the two were finally executed. I chose to recreate this newspaper in the poster.
I was also working alongside another graphic designer on the production team, who helped create and enhance graphics. Using my newspaper aesthetic and his designed logo, we created strong branding for the production that was used across mediums (including sold-out social media notices, the showbill /program, and sharing of reviews.
The production team had already drafted a blanket press release. I approached the two writers and stars, Joey DeFilippis and Matthew Ferrara, with interview questions. I used these quotes to compose various press articles. Since the two are both NJ natives, I wrote a NJ focused release to send to my contacts in Jersey.
I also wrote a version of the article focusing on the Italian-American immigrant story, and researched relevant outlets to send that to.
During the process, one of the stars of the show released a comedy special and launched a fundraiser series for local libraries. I interviewed Bret Raybould and wrote a feature on his work, creating cross-promotion.
The show ultimately sold out its 10-performance run, and received rave reviews. But this is only the beginning for the Sacco and Vanzetti are Dead team — keep following along for updates on future runs!