Broken Snow – 28 April 2026

Broken Snow is a chilling new play about the joy and pain that comes with familial bonds we cannot change. The story begins with two break-ins on the same property – James (Michael Longfellow) and Steven (Tom Cavanaugh). Both struggle for moral high ground and, through carefully maneuvered questions, discover that they share a recently deceased father, Kris (Tony Danza). Raised at different extremes – abandonment for Steven and over involvement for James – the play turns to memories and impressions as Steven and James tried to reconcile their world and their competing images of the father that hurt them both in polar opposite ways. Though neither has a fond impression of Kris, both feel an inseverable connection to the man who made them question everything they experienced their whole lives. Towards the end of the show, a cigar box emerges, the contents of which shape and inform the half brothers‘ understanding of why Kris was so erratic. It turns out, he was broken inside from his experiences in the Hitler Youth.

The primary atmosphere of the performance is one of mystery, and it’s largely created through the collaboration of acting, lighting, and sound. Broken Snow it’s about sculpting the image of Kris, so the primary source of information is Tony Danza. Danza performs with an aggressive nuance that gives heavy weight to the script’s (Ben Andron) many instances in which Kris gives others an oppressive lack of choice. Secondarily, we have the treatment of James, the son who knew him personally – the son Kris once poisoned to teach a lesson too. Tertiary knowledge comes from Stephen – the som whose only interactions were focused on Kris’s shifting desire to have or not have a relationship with him. The three actors have strong performances, but it is lighting (Jeff Croiter) and sound (Bill Toles) that truly create the atmosphere in the space. Croiter’s lighting design is truly pivotal, not only moments of memory, but also in sculpting what isn’t is not in view as characters shift their perspectives on what is important. Sound creates a raw, visceral feeling in the space that puts the audience in mind of cold and reinforces the sense of isolation, which is acutely felt by all of the characters.

The experience of watching Broken Snow is intense and suspenseful. The show spends most of its time circling the truth like a vulture, getting closer and closer to the rotting flesh it craves and then swooping back up, as though afraid of what it might find. It’s a format that works well for theatre, as transitions and memories are unfolding almost in real time. James and Steven are hungry to put Kris behind them, yet they know that he will always be pumping through their veins, an inescapable part of who they are. The end turns toward a rather simple question that has plagued every generation of humanity: how can you claim pride in your heritage when your predecessors are guilty of heinous atrocities?

I attended this performance on a press pass from JT Public Relations.