UIC alum’s play to be shown on main stage

The Fontano name is not unfamiliar to the UIC community. For the first time, though, it will be in lights on a part of campus not connected to local deli Fontano’s Subs.

Aniello Fontano wrote “summertime, an interlude,” the first play by a former Flame selected to perform on UIC’s main stage. It debuted in Los Angeles, but this will be its first run in Chicago, where it opens April 19 and closes the university’s theatre season. 

The playwright is the grandson of Aniello Fontano, who, in the 1960s, turned his parents’ Little Italy grocery store into the Fontano’s Subs it is today. The show, “summertime, an interlude,” is set on the hottest day in summer in a tight-knit Chicago community, and audiences will recognize the porch on the stage, the community feeling, the characters and even the dialogue. 

Faculty director Bonnie Metzgar said she was looking for a production that fit themes highlighted by UIC’s full season of plays: community, class, race, labor, family and friendship.  

“I did not read more than 10 pages, and I thought, ‘Oh, I want to do this,’” Metzgar said. 

“My job is to make sure that these kids get on stage with a show that makes them feel confident and empowered and shows off their skills so they can leave here with an agent and a career,” Fontano said.  

Sophomore Angel Harris, who plays the character of David in “summertime,” said his experience in this performance emboldened him to move from Houston to Chicago to attend UIC. 

“It’s reassuring to know that, as intimidating as it may seem to step into the real world of professional work, it’s not that scary when you have people like Aniello who come back and reach out a hand to you and tell you, ‘This is what it’s like,’” Harris said. “They say, ‘Let me help you because I was in your shoes.’” 

Fontano wrote “summertime, an interlude” as the third in a seven-play series centered around a character named Windy. Though she’s not the main character in any of the plays — yet — audiences that see all seven shows follow key moments that define her life. The first two plays in the series cover themes of death and addiction. 

“One of the big things that I’m always questioning is: What do we owe each other and what do we owe ourselves?” Fontano said. “You look at my dad and my grandpa, two guys who sacrificed a lot to make sure that the store stays open and reliable. They work tirelessly to ensure college kids have a reliable job, people have a spot to grab an affordable lunch, the community has a friendly gathering spot and the store never loses its heart. And in every neighborhood around Chicago, there are community leaders like them.” 

He added, “‘summertime’ is a love letter to those people. What do they mean to us? What do they sacrifice to give us opportunities, fuel our passions and inspire joy? What do they owe us? What do we owe them? And ultimately, what happens when they’re gone?” 

Fontano, who graduated from UIC in 2014 and then earned his master’s degree in dramatic writing from the University of New Mexico, met the UIC cast, directors and student crew as they prepared their show. He said he gave little direction and answered questions. 

“I’m a writer. That’s my job,” Fontano said. “Especially in a collegiate production, once the script is locked, I believe it’s my responsibility to take a step back and let the team work. We’ve got dedicated student actors working alongside a production team made up of students and professionals. This is their show now. I just wrote the words.” 

Omar Fernandez, a senior majoring in theater and the production’s student director, said cast selection was based, in part, on each actor’s ability to relate to the neighborhood and community. He encourages the actors to remember their roots as they prepare for their roles. 

“Sometimes, out in the lobby, they sound more like their characters than they do in our rehearsal room,” Fernandez said. “So, we tell them, ‘You know, we picked you and selected you in these roles because of who you are. Just throw away the Shakespeare voice. We don’t need a Shakespeare voice because, look at the text. These characters are talking how you talk when you go pick up a sandwich for lunch at Fontano’s. These characters are you.’” 

Santino Leone, a sophomore who plays the character of Vince, said his family also planted roots in the Little Italy neighborhood, like the Fontanos. He grew up on nearby Oakley Avenue, and his grandfather was raised on Taylor Street. 

“It’s nice being in a play about the area your family has lived in for generations,” Leone said.  

Fernandez challenged assistant directors Mahitha Shridhar and Ahaaz Hassan to make a documentary about the play’s character development and process. 

“The documentary is taking everyone inside the world of ‘summertime: an interlude,’ and Ahaaz had this great idea of not just making it about the play, but connecting the people to it by learning more about the cast,” Shridhar said. “It’s about being inside the world of the play and our point of view while working on it.” 

Though this is the first play in the series fully titled “windy’s cycle, or how to carry immense weight” to be performed in Chicago, Fontano continues to work on the script for the fourth play in the series. He is also developing other projects in Hollywood, like a television series based on the book “Three Ordinary Girls.” When he’s home, he volunteers at BUILD Chicago, a youth development program based on the West Side where he can help other young people find their passions. 

“There’s a certain heart in this play that is obviously present,” Fernandez said. “It’s a rare opportunity to bring a UIC alum back into this play, and for the first time, but also to bring the play home. You know, a block away is Aniello’s childhood, and these people are all inspired by people from his life. Even their personalities translate from real life to the people in this character or in this world. Because of that, it’s so evidently clear that this world is real and full of heart.”