RADIATOR

Synopsis

In the basement of a worn-down Bronx apartment building, two very different neighbors – volatile, financially struggling Lou Brunazzi and analytical, newly separated André Cooper – clash over a perpetually hissing radiator on the landing between their apartments. What begins as a turf war over noise and heat gradually shifts into something far more layered, as late-night arguments give way to shared drinks, uneasy humor, and deep personal revelations. Beneath Lou’s bluster lies a complicated past tied to a partner thousands of miles away, while André wrestles with divorce, identity, and a longing for purpose. As the seasons change, the landing transforms from battleground to refuge, and the stubborn radiator, by turns aggravating and essential, becomes a symbol of survival, pride, and the fragile warmth that can grow between two people who never expected to need each other.

Inspiration Set

Playwright Note

I began writing Radiator in 2017 in heated response to the political climate in the United States, particularly the sharp rise in ICE immigration arrests, and that anger remains embedded in the play’s foundation. While immigration is still a vital thread, the work evolved into a deeper meditation on isolation, masculinity, race, shame, and the unexpected bonds that emerge from them. Set on a basement landing in Hunts Point, where a hissing, temperamental radiator functions as a kind of third character, the space becomes both battleground and refuge, embodying the tension between survival and irritation, pride and dependency. At its center are two men, Lou Brunazzi and André Cooper, whose sexualities resist easy labels and whose guarded, self-effacing natures complicate any attempt at definition. Both navigate racial, sexual, and emotional identities in a culture that demands clarity, yet neither fits neatly into prescribed categories, revealing themselves gradually as assumptions fall away. Ultimately, Radiator asks what it means to keep one another warm in a hostile, mechanized world where systems fail and authority overreaches, suggesting that connection is rarely graceful, often costly, and sometimes the only thing keeping us alive.

Production History

None to date.

Development History

RADIATOR received a public staged reading on Sat, Nov 9th, 2024, in the Lower East Side of NYC, produced/presented by Desmond Dutcher and Christopher Borg. The reading was directed by Christopher Borg and featured Dontonio Demarco as André Cooper and Desmond Dutcher as Lou Brunazzi. Stage directions were read by Carol Monda.

RADIATOR received public staged readings on Fri, Sep 29th and Sat, Sep 30th, 2023, as part of Anacostia Playhouse's Theater After Dark/Art All Night program. The reading was directed by Craig Houk and featured Joshua Prescott as André Cooper and Matty Griffiths as Lou Brunazzi. Stage directions were read by Karey L. Hart.

RADIATOR received a public staged reading in Chautauqua, New York on Tue, Jul 25th, 2023. The reading was hosted/produced by Mike Thornton and Stephen Stout and the cast featured Mel Johnson, Jr. as André Cooper and Mike Thornton as Lou Brunazzi.

RADIATOR received a public staged reading on Mon, Sep 2nd, 2019, as part of The Kennedy Center's Page to Stage program. The reading was directed by Carl Randolph and featured Jared Shamberger as André Cooper and Matty Griffiths as Lou Brunazzi. Stage directions were read by Elle Emerson.

Awards/Recognition

2020 Dominion Stage Playwrighting Competition One-Act Honorable Mention.

Reviews/Recommendations

"Excellent two-hander from Houk; typically twisted Houkian characters, conflict and tension expertly delivered, and quite a bit of humor keep the steam rising with consistent energy. Great fun and well done."

"Craig Houk has given us a touching and highly theatrical story of two men whose lives intersect briefly but profoundly."

"Craig Houk's "Radiator" rises effortlessly above the fray of banality and cliche like a tortured songbird. Someone once stated that an intelligent heart and a compassionate mind are the gifts that nature bestows upon its artists. Mr. Houk posses these in abundance, and they are well demonstrated in this play."

"Underneath Houk's acid and bite lies a kind, humane heart, and in this exquisitely calibrated two-hander, you'll find it - even if the play itself doesn't want you to get all mushy about it."