''Merging'' is a one-act play written by

Charles Messina Charles Messina (born October 21, 1971 in Greenwich Village, New York) is an American playwright, screenwriter, director, and co-founder of NahNotOutsideMyHouse! Productions. He is of Italian-American descent. He attended Xavier High School an ...

. The play debuted at the Players Theatre in

Greenwich Village Greenwich Village ( , , ) is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street to the north, Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the south, and the Hudson River to the west. Greenwich Village ...

on October 25, 2007, during the theater's Shortened Attention Span Horror Festival. It was voted Best Play of the festival.

Plot

An estranged couple is reunited after their child's disappearance, but their reunion resurrects old resentments about Frank's past love affair and Cheryl's resulting emotional breakdown as the two "revisit their relationship and try to unravel the painful mystery of their missing child."

Reviews

In an October 29, 2007 review of the show, Broadwayworld.com said "...(the actors) gave audiences at the Players Theatre's Shortened Attention Span Horror Festival a jolt that they may not have been expecting – one of pure and unbridled acting intensity. Cerbone, Ferranti, and Mingione's performances delighted and horrified audiences and propelled Merging to Best Play in Festival honors by receiving the most audience votes of any other play in the fest."

Cast

Jason Cerbone Jason Cerbone (born November 2, 1977) is an American actor. He played Jackie Aprile Jr. on the HBO series ''The Sopranos'', Lorenzo Desappio in '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' (2012-2016), and Mikey O in '' Paper Soldiers'' (2002). Earl ...

as Frank Yale * Gina Ferranti as Cheryl Yale * Ernest Mingione as the Detective

Film version

A film version of the play, also written and directed by Messina and starring the original cast, was released in 2009. It was co-produced by NahNotOutsideMyHouse! Productions.

References

{{Reflist 2007 plays American plays