Ria T. DiLullo
Theater Director - Literary Manager - Line Producer
Holistic Movement & Fitness Coach
REVIEWS OF RIA'S WORK
The Inconvenient Miracle
Book by Emily Claire Schmitt | Music and Lyrics by Emily Rose Simons | Additional Story by Ria T. DiLullo
"DiLullo’s direction is sharp and shrewd getting credibly fine performances from her cast of eight and making the small stage look filled up by the six students representing the entire school... The Inconvenient Miracle: A Mysterious Birth Musical is both entertaining and engrossing. The cast playing 14-15 years old is quite convincing, throwing themselves into their roles, making the mystical story believable and contemporary...
The show is “High School Musical” meets “Angels in America”—a saccharine sitcom turned awry.
Delivering this tongue-in-cheek tightrope is a stellar cast of earnest performances... Ria T. DiLullo’s breakneck direction keeps everyone as tightly on task as a nun with a ruler; the entire cast is nothing if not in line and on point, infusing character quirks and individualism in a true community, ensemble piece..."
"There is an element of sincerity which brings an irreplaceable strength to any show--when it’s missing, it is unmistakable. The Inconvenient Miracle... has that note of sincerity--along with a lot of fun and an excellent cast... an uncomplicated happy miracle for its audience."
"...a sweet and tuneful musical that ponders over significant questions, performed with gusto by an exuberant company."
"...the company did an excellent job with what they had to work with. Choreography was as exciting as it can be on this size stage... Casting was brilliant. Should this production go on to bigger, more substantial stages, the cast can go right along with it... This made the look of the production unique and striking."
Wendell & Pan by Katelynn Kenney
"True to its mission, The Skeleton Rep explores modern myth in a production of Wendell & Pan by Katelynn Kenney. Directed by Ria T. DiLullo, this production utilizes space at The Tank in a way I’ve never seen before... By using levels (and removing a usual section of the audience), they ensure the magic of the space is captured in both design and movement."
"A spirited cast and a talented director... Ria T. DiLullo’s lively staging adds vitality and fine pacing... The actions all play out on [a] great set that skillfully utilizes the minute stage, managing to add a small-scale epic scope."
Devices of Torture by Carolyn Bennett
"Character combinations abound in this play that are both fabulously funny and fiercely sexy, thanks to Ria T. DiLullo’s knowledge of how to best arrange her actresses. There are men in the world of Devices of Torture, of course, but there are no cisgender male actors. Why would there need to be? The four actresses onstage do a seamless job in transitioning between their Mistress roles and their straight male counterparts... In Ms. DiLullo’s world, there’s no room for caricature or clichés."
"Devices of Torture is an enthralling work, performed by a talented and engaging cast. The depravity in Caroline Bennett's darkly humorous script is deeply satisfying, especially for those needing a laugh during the current political climate. Jampol and Poett are particularly impressive during their scenes of dramatic conflict, but each cast member successfully tackles both the dramatic and comedic moments in the script."
Hungry by Lia Romeo
"Lia Romeo’s writing and Ria T. DiLullo’s direction are generous, allowing for both the actors and the audience to play. We not only get to suspend our disbelief, we get to indulge in fantasy and make-believe! We treat ourselves to the mysterious and the mystical..."
Whatchamacallit: A Play About Jesus by Emily Claire Schmitt
"Ria T. DiLullo’s direction blends the play’s quirky relationship between the realistic and fantastical. The set’s main centerpiece is a cartoonish crucifix on the back wall. One of Abigail’s (many) strange habits is before she can deliver God’s message she must be both elevated and facing this crucifix no matter where she is on stage. A character who takes herself too seriously throwing herself at a crucifix devoid of seriousness makes for some hilariously smart moments."
Awake & Love by Britton Buttrill
"Buttrill and his adept director Ria T. DiLullo are too smart to let the period setting become precious. Rather than resting on anachronistic humor via the telling of a scriptural tale in a modern setting, they let the biblical narrative seep into the bedrock of their historic/mythic New York, turning into a landscape as big as ancient Israel."
We Are Samurai by Daria Marinelli
"...beautifully directed by Ria T. DiLullo who has a real propensity for fully utilizing space...the in-tuneness of these performers...is remarkable...The actors are uniformly excellent...We are Samurai is unconventional...striking on many levels."