Sonny is the only brother in the Smaldone family, his brother Johnny having been killed in World War II. In It’s My Brooklyn, Too!, he sees himself as a defender of the family’s Italian roots, and yet he has married an outsider, Stella, who the family generally shuns.
Oliver Palmer plays Sonny while Caroline Cassidy plays long-suffering Stella who yearns to get away from Sonny’s over-bearing family. Read what they ahve to say about their characters, then click here to buy tickets for one of our six performances.
Stella (Caroline Cassidy)
- What would you say is your character’s most endearing trait
I would say Stella’s most endearing trait is how much she adores her husband, Sonny. Despite the family’s clear feelings about Stella, she continues to fight for the life she wants with her Golden Gloves Champion.
2. What about his/her most obnoxious trait?
Stella is certainly a bit difficult to deal with – whether she’s verbally disagreeing with the Smaldone family or walking in the room with an attitude; she does not shy away from letting people know how she feels.
3. Will people leave loving or hating her/him?
I think a little bit of both – or at least I hope! As an audience you can’t help but fight for the Smaldone family and Stella certainly is not on the top of their list of favorite people – for that reason, definitely love to hate. She does offer some pretty fun moments of comic relief – whether or not it’s to her detriment, I hope she inspires a smile or two.
4. What are you drawing on in your personal life to help master this role?
I find that when faced with opposition or uncertainty in relationships we sometimes opt to be defensive or instigative rather than open and adaptive. I hope to highlight that the root of this can really come from a deep desire for belonging.
Sonny (Oliver Palmer)
1. What would you say is your character’s most endearing trait?
Sonny cares deeply about his family and his community of Italians within his neighborhood. He is a fierce guardian of the right to retain all of what it means to be an Italian in this new country.
2. What about his most obnoxious trait?
Sonny has a bounding confidence that is endless, but when he’s not careful it over extends. Ultimately, his bravado hides a deeper insecurity about himself and his identity as a family man and a warrior.
3. Will people leave love/ hating him?
I believe ultimately that is for the audience to decide. However, I find myself forgiving Sonny for his oversteps and cheering on his fiery nature.
4. What are you drawing on in your personal life to help master this role?
My father’s side of the family is Italian- my family came to America, specifically Quincy, Massachusetts in the early 20th century. My grandmother would tell me stories while she cooked her Sunday sauce and puttered around the kitchen. So much of what my family is involves food. I feel proud to be representing my ancestors with this piece.
2ND ACT Players 