The Steel Man at 59E59 Theaters in Midtown, NYC: A Holocaust Survivor and His Son, Through Dec. 13

The Steel Man, produced by Penguin Rep Theatre, is running at 59E59 Theaters in Midtown East through December 13. Cary Gitter wrote the play and Joe Brancato directs. The theater bills it as the show's Off-Broadway debut.

The play is inspired by a true story. Jake Gellert is trying to get out from under the shadow of his larger-than-life father, Leo, a Hungarian Jewish Holocaust survivor. Leo remains consumed by the past and by a wish to avenge the family he lost. Jake looks for a way to build his own identity while helping his father find peace. The theater describes it as a powerful drama about legacy, identity and the complicated bond between father and son. The creative team is the same one behind Gene & Gilda and The Sabbath Girl.

Sam Guncler, Amanda Kristin Nichols and Leighton Samuels make up the cast. The theater's page quotes Talkin' Broadway praising Guncler's "powerhouse performance" and BroadwayWorld calling it an "illuminating drama" from a director known for fine-tuning productions. The running time is 85 minutes with no intermission.

The theater lists content notes in advance: discussion of the Holocaust and PTSD, strobe lights, and a visible gun. After the 7:15 PM performance on Saturday, November 21, there is a talkback with Dr. Eva Fogelman, a psychologist and author who specializes in the generational impact of the Holocaust.

Tickets are $54 including a $4 fee, and $40 for 59E59 members. Performances run Tuesday through Sunday: weekday evenings at 7:15 PM and weekend matinees at 2:15 PM. The Sunday matinees on November 15 and 22 are listed as sold out. The show plays in Theater B at 59 East 59th Street. Penguin Rep was founded in 1977 by Brancato as Rockland County's first year-round nonprofit professional theater, and it is a Co-Op Resident Company at 59E59.