Love has not been kind to Huey Maximillian Bonfigliano. Bereft of his wife, he has taken to the arts, but bad poetry and worse clothing can't replace his ex. Against the advice of his best friend, Aldo Scalicki, and to the chagrin of his girlfriend Teresa, he decides to win back his ex-wife Janice, even though she killed his dog. Enlisting Aldo's help, what follows is a hilariously over-the-top balcony scene as Huey, a man driven by desires he doesn't understand, fights for a love no one else understands.
 

"Huey feels as though he's lost an inner strength. He feels incomplete. Three years after his divorce, he comes to the realization that he must go back to his ex-wife in order to regain what he has lost." says Bobby Kalathoor, who plays Huey Maximillian Bonfigliano.
 

Playwright John Patrick Shanley, "an ambitious artist working through primal themes, in a language that people actually use," (American Theatre) directed this play in 1988, with a cast including John Turturro. Known for his film and stage work, including his Oscar winning screenplay for "Moonstruck," his Emmy nominated writing for "Live from Baghdad," and his 2005 Pulitzer Prize winning drama "Doubt," Shanley observes that throughout his career he has reflected on the theme of "how to be intimate with another human being."

Italian American Reconciliation marks the eighth major production of Houston based Shunya, a 501(c)(3) non-profit theater troupe that has entertained audiences at venues including DiverseWorks, Ensemble Theatre, Stages Repertory Theater, and the Houston International Festival. Founded by current artistic director Soham Mehta in 2003, Shunya has striven to provide a theatrical voice for the Houston's South Asian community.

"With Shunya's eighth production, we chose to try something different by performing an American play that does not have a 'South Asian theme,'" says Ninaad Vaidya, director of Shunya's production and managing director of Shunya theater troupe. "However, its universal theme is the strength of Shanley's script, along with crisp dialogue. Italian American Reconciliation touches on our ability to truly understand ourselves and our own insecurities. According to Shanley, without this understanding, one cannot have an honest relationship with anyone else."

Italian American Reconciliation will be playing at Gray Wolf Theatre on Friday and Saturday evenings and Sunday matinee from March 10^th through March 19^th. Tickets are $10 through February 25^th, and $15 after and at the door. Information and directions at www.shunyatheatre.org. Tickets can be purchased at www.tickets2events.com.