Red Dog Howls, at the New York Theatre Workshop, is a haunting new play that will leave you on the edge of your seat every step of the way. Alfredo Narciso plays Michael Kiriakos, a young Armenian man and soon to be father who rediscovers his Armenian heritage. As Michael and his wife, Gabriella (played by Florencia Lozano), anticipate the birth of their new child, Michael learns of a dark past he never knew about. Little does he know, those sins will be reverberated through his own actions.

The play is full of mystery for both Michael and the audience. For no clear reason and with no comprehension of his actions, Michael defies his father’s warning and opens his father’s box, which he finds filled with letters. An address he copies leads him to Rose (Kathleen Chalfant), a strict, yet endearing old lady who he realizes is his grandmother. Rose teaches him to be hard working, tough, and cultured, but she does not reveal why.

Red Dog Howls intrigues the audience with unanswered questions, as it slowly churns out the answers scene by scene. Only at the end can we piece together the fragments and understand the play’s message of maternity and redemption. When we do finally figure out the answers for ourselves, the play becomes an ingenious work of art. An intense and thought-provoking play written by Alexander Dinelaris, Red Dog Howls cannot be missed.

Image from Offbroadway.com