"Daniel P Quinn has captured a bygone era with such detailed, loving, bittersweet accuracy.
Such family memories - and they are rich indeed, considering he hails from two such vibrant, singularly civilized cultures ...
Irish- and Italian-American; no fooling around! The old Newark comes alive in his poignant, celebrating words ...
as does the glory that was Paterson, NJ, birthplace of American industry ...
-- Hey, it/they - still is/are, both these wonderful, bustling, BUSY New Jersey cities! eh, all? in their 20th century heydays ...
Phoenixes now rising from the strong, struggling and WONDERFULLY PERSEVERING "ashes ..."?
- Nope; the people of Newark since the "White Flight," post-WWII,
are every bit as validly vibrant as those who came before, let's face it, eh?
-- It's just a rapidly e'er changing mixture of eras we are so challenged to be negotiating,
we Americans and we globally over-populated, fascinating yet always goofy-enough humans ...
Bravo to all who appreciate the seemingly boundless energy, spirit and enterprise that is Newark.
Thank you, Mr. Quinn, for bringing the pre-21st century Newark once again to such sweet, happy life ... a rewarding, compelling, intensely-personally-felt trip down Memory Lane, indeed".
V. Hammer, Artistic Director
Midlantic Theatre Company
Artistic Director's riff on "Newark, Italy & me." (Lulu ) for 2019.
Douglas Lawless
Apr 8, 2020