September 4th, 5th and 6th
Interview with Matt de Rogatis Below
By Melissa Griegel…
Edward Albee’s The Zoo Story opens tomorrow night, Thursday, September 4th, 2025, at the Jersey Shore Arts Center (66 South Main Street, Ocean Grove, NJ). Thursday’s show begins at 7:00 pm, with additional shows Friday, September 5th at 8:00 PM and Saturday, September 6th. Tickets are priced at $40 and are on sale now at www.ruthstage.org and at Event Brite.
Christian Jules Le Blanc
This searing one-act revival stars three-time Emmy winner Christian Jules Le Blanc (The Young and the Restless) and acclaimed Off-Broadway actor Matt de Rogatis, best known for his explosive turn as “Brick” in Ruth Stage’s Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Directed by Oxford-trained filmmaker Theo Devaney (Supernatural, Netflix’s A Christmas Prince trilogy), this intimate staging promises to strip Albee’s early masterwork down to its raw, unnerving core—where civility erodes, isolation festers, and words become weapons. Known for reimagining the classics with psychological edge, Ruth Stage brings its signature intensity to this modern American classic, reigniting The Zoo Story with urgent relevance.
Theo Devaney
Albee’s first play, The Zoo Story launched his career and established him as a bold new voice in American theater. Set on a Central Park bench, the story follows a tense encounter between two strangers—reserved Peter and volatile Jerry—that escalates into a shocking confrontation. With razor-sharp dialogue and searing themes of isolation, class, and human disconnection, The Zoo Story remains a haunting exploration of the human condition.
The show is being produced by Ruth Stage. Founded in 2017 by Bob Lamb, Ruth Stage is a bold nonprofit theater company reimagining the classics for modern audiences. For more information on Ruth Stage, go to www.ruthstage.org. We had a chance to sit down and chat with Ruth Stage Chairman and Creative Director Matt de Rogatis.
Theater Pizzazz: Why did you choose The Zoo Story? What was it about the play that made you want to bring it to audiences?
de Rogatis: My mentor, Bob Lamb, who founded Ruth Stage, naming it after his mother Ruth, taught me so much about acting and running a theater company. He was also a brilliant actor. He and I had always wanted to do The Zoo Story together, but he got sick and it never happened. So it was sort of a project that I always wanted to do, but because it had this special connection to my mentor, I never thought of doing it with anyone else. Then after Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Christian and I became such good friends and the closer we got, the more it seemed right that he might be the one to play opposite me in the role of Peter. I floated the idea to him at the beginning of the summer and he said, yes, and now here we are just days from the first performance. In terms of why I wanted to bring it to audiences, I get asked this question a lot. To be truthful, I never choose a play with the audience in mind. I know that doesn’t come across the right way, but I choose a show based on roles that I hope to play that are aligned with the mission of Ruth Stage. And then we build it from there. Of course I hope that audiences love it and believe it. I’m so thankful for anyone and everyone who comes and supports me, but I’m never trying to make any kind of societal or political statement with anything I do. I am drawn to plays that are deeply psychological and The Zoo Story is just that! I guess it just seemed like the right time to do it..
Theater Pizzazz: You played opposite Christian Jules Le Blanc when he was Big Daddy in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and you were Brick. What has it been like to work with him again?
de Rogatis: Christian is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met and he’s a good friend and joy to work with. He lives in LA and I’m in Asbury, so the bulk of the rehearsals have been over Zoom. Like, the entire summer. At the time I’m answering these questions it’s September 2nd, we go up on the 4th, and we started rehearsing in person today! It’s nerve-wracking to try and put this show together in just two days. But honestly, if there’s anyone I’m comfortable enough to do this with, it’s Christian. We have developed great chemistry both on the stage and off. It’s really interesting because in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof we both play such different, different characters. So it’s really cool to be able to perform with him in roles that are just the polar opposite of what we have come to know each other for. He’s every bit as good as Peter as he was as Big Daddy, if not better.
Theater Pizzazz: Many of your shows are staged in New York City at venues such as The Theater at St. Clements. As a resident of Asbury Park, what does The Jersey Shore Arts Center mean to you?
de Rogatis: When I first started acting, my mentor cast me in all of his shows for several years. I got used to working exclusively with him and with his theater company. But then I started to question myself and I wondered, “Can I get cast somewhere else? Am I good enough for another director to put me in his show?” Well, this was many years ago, but I branched off, briefly, from his company and auditioned for a role in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Where? The Jersey Shore Arts Center for an entirely different theatre company. So really the Jersey Shore Arts Center holds special meaning because performing there gave me the confidence to know I can succeed in other places. Fast forward to now, so many years later, and Ruth Stage has had great success in New York. But we are a New Jersey nonprofit. A great opportunity came for Ruth Stage to become a resident performing arts company at the JSAC, and I’m now working closely with their executive director to bring three to four productions each year to Asbury. The goal and the hope is that some of them find their way into New York with Asbury serving as sort of a breeding ground—a way to work out kinks in productions and then streamline them into NYC. The Zoo Story will be our first show with this vision and concept in mind. It’s exciting.
Theater Pizzazz: What is next for Ruth Stage?
de Rogatis: Lots of fundraising! That’s the way we keep the train moving. Thankfully, we’ve got so many amazing supporters. We’ve got golf outings and raffles and galas and cigar nights planned. There are several shows in Asbury in the works, as well as an off-Broadway run of Richard III planned for New York City in 2026. I’m also working on a television series that’s been in development for a couple of years now. There are lots of attorneys and legalities involved, but it’s definitely the end game for me and Ruth Stage. Once we get this thing sold and on a streaming service, it’s going to be a game changer. “Things take time” as my mentor used to tell me, and he’s right. But I believe that if you stay with it, things do come together. I’m excited for the present and the future while also being proud of the past.
