Salvatore DeLucia
Official Site of the Author, Playwright & Screenwriter
Completed Projects
2010 / Escape Route Productions
Awakening from a near fatal overdose, Chris embraces a second chance at life. Required to enroll into a 12-Step Program, and mandated to state psychiatrist appointments, Chris is forced to revisit his chaotic past; a history that revolves around his friend Ande and her autistic brother Frankie. Follow Chris as his past and present converge revealing a deranged cocktail of addiction, mental disorder and hope. Will Chris surrender to the monsters that lurk deep inside us all?
Projects for your Consideration:
An Unremarkable Failure
of Unparalleled Proportions
(Contemporary Literary Fiction / 108,000 words)
AN UNREMARKABLE FAILURE OF UNPARALLELED PROPORTIONS (Contemporary Literary Fiction / 108,000 words) is a raw, poignant, and, at times, wickedly funny exploration of addiction, abandonment, and the pursuit of redemption in a world where stigma often overshadows success. Inspired by true events, this meta-memoir offers a haunting glimpse into one man’s struggle with both ambition and addiction and the collateral damage left reeling in its wake.
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With an unapologetic voice and sharp wit, the novel will appeal to fans of Matthew Quick’s The Silver Linings Playbook and Luke Davies' Candy. At the same time, its themes of family, shame, and regret evoke the stark realism and brutally honest narratives found in Tweak by Nic Sheff and Beautiful Boy by David Sheff. Readers who appreciate character-driven stories that confront life's darker aspects with a touch of irony, akin to the works of Jonathan Franzen and T.C. Boyle, will find this first-person POV novel resonant.
After his first-ever suicide attempt results in a failure of epic (and embarrassing) proportions, forty-four-year-old former best-selling novelist turned C-list screenwriter Sal DeLucia finds himself stranded, barefoot, and beltless in the bowels of rock bottom. Once considered a rising star among A-list Hollywood scribes, Sal’s less-than-stellar existence is further complicated when the news of his father’s death prompts the recovering addict to flee the sober sanctuary of West Hollywood's Silver Sands Rehabilitation Center on a one-way redeye to Wallingford, Connecticut—a place he hasn't called home in over a decade.
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As his active addiction quickly reclaims control, Sal stumbles through the aftermath of his father's funeral, where he comes face to face with the deep-seated resentment of the family he once left behind. Virtually broke and on the verge of breaching his contract, Sal is left with no choice but to navigate the strange, cold terrain of his former life from the guest bedroom of his childhood home.
Amidst this tension, Sal discovers an unexpected muse in his estranged seventeen-year-old daughter, Stella, whose rebellious yet tortured soul mirrors that of the once-celebrated storyteller. Inspired by a renewed (albeit narcissistic) sense of purpose, Sal enlists Stella’s help as he attempts to complete an unfinished manuscript from his past, a passion project he believes may be the key to unlocking his long-dormant literary career.
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However, not even the promise of progress can save Sal from a self-destructive descent into chaos that drags both father and daughter deep into a dangerous world of drug addiction, the fallout from which forever connects their fates. In the end, Sal is forced to confront the harshest of truths: the only thing more tragic than never achieving success is losing everything in its pursuit.
Stage Play (Drama)
CLUB
(Original Screenplay)
James "Reno" Durante, the 24-year-old, owner/operator of “Italian-American Pizzeria”(located in the historical WOOSTER SQUARE area of New Haven, CT), abandoned his dream of becoming a writer/filmmaker years ago, investing his life's purpose and energy into the legacy of his late father's restaurant.
But in the early Spring of 2020, after his long-time girlfriend/fiancé has a change of heart, a newly-heartbroken Reno finds himself thrust into an unfamiliar world, where an unpredictable romance, a polarized climate of political and cultural unrest, as well as the looming threat of a deadly pandemic, begin to challenge everything Reno has ever believed to be true about life, love and his family’s legacy.
“CLUB” follows three strangers whose storylines intertwine while inside a popular nightclub during the final hours of New Year’s Eve 1999, as the climatic countdown to Y2K connects the characters’ paths, sending each on a collision course with destiny; the fallout of which will echo deep into the early hours of a new millennium.
“CLUB” is a fast-paced, comedically relevant, nostalgic drama that calls back to the ground-breaking, gritty-yet-stylistic films of the 90’s era. If Pulp Fiction and Go had a baby, CLUB might be it. The story, set almost entirely inside the brick-walled, black-lit, techno-music-pumping “Gotham Citi Nightclub,” showcases three very different protagonists, each tragically flawed in their own way.
The plot itself is unique, presenting the audience with THREE separate stories, each one dedicated to different protagonists:
“The Hairdresser and the Hamburger Girl" : Meet Nick, a sharp-dressed, well-spoken hairdresser, who hides a mysterious past beneath a thick, yet faulty armor of vanity.
“Tony Tromboli and the Heartbreak Kid” : Meet Robbie, a fresh-faced, heartbroken ICU nurse. Dragged to the CLUB by his overbearing, and over-sexed beefcake-of-a-best-friend Tony Tromboli, Robbie realizes the love of his life has indeed moved on after spotting her, and her new beau, at the center of the dance floor.
“The Ballad of the Bartender" : Meet Christopher, a drug-addicted mixologist, repaying an old-debt by covering a shift at the popular nightclub during the biggest party of the twentieth century. But this night will change everything for the jaded bartender, forcing him to face the truth about his career, his friendships, and his uncertain future.
CLUB is a love-letter to the raving nightlife that rattled our speakers during the tail-end of the 20th century; a screenplay that straps you in for a wild-ride, promising to end with the bang, and not a whimper.
Bare
Original Screenplay / Drama
Logline: Vincenzo “Vin” Galletta,” an aging, newly-sober, former professional prizefighter, finds his solitary existence turned upside-down when a viral video of an unsanctioned bare-knuckle boxing tournament catapults him back into the spotlight, offering the tortured fighter a shot at redemption, both inside the ring, and out.
Synopsis
Aging, and newly-sober, former professional prizefighter Vincenzo “Vin” Galletta has spent the last decade struggling to find some small shred of serenity. Yet, while hiding in plain sight, seemingly invisible inside a self-imposed life of anonymity, Vin’s solitary existence is suddenly turned upside-down when a viral video of a bare-knuckle boxing bout catapults him back into the spotlight.
Navigating through this rediscovered notoriety, Vin traverses the bridges he believed were long burned, reconnecting with a former trainer, Dante Durante, as well as coming face-to-face with the long-lost-love of his life, Arianna, Vin’s former fiancé, who herself understands what it means to be “broken.” But it’s not until the former Olympic bronze medalist crosses paths with the ambitious, and equally unscrupulous lawyer-turned-boxing-promoter, Ms. Paulette Mann, that a path once unthinkable, suddenly becomes undeniable: a second chance at the world heavyweight championship title.
The opportunity isn’t without a price, though, as Vin’s younger opponent is revealed to be the son of Handsome Sam Marci; the same ghost that has haunted the older fighter’s life for a decade. Choosing to move forward, despite the cost, Vin must face the limitations of his battle-worn body, accept the shame buried deep within, and come to grips with the difference between why he fights, and what’s really worth fighting for.
The Writer
Salvatore DeLucia is an inner-city high school Theatre/English educator from New Haven, Connecticut.The first-generation Italian-American father of two inspiring teenage daughters has crafted award-winning short stories, as well has writing and developing projects for the screen, including the independent feature film, This Wretched Life (2010). The film, in which Salvatore is credited as co-writer, and producer, also served as his screen acting debut, portraying the supporting role of “Chip,” the immoral rehab counselor. As a screenwriter, DeLucia has received favorable coverage for his boxing/sports drama screenplay, Bare, from award-winning producer Henri Kessler (Slam), as well as garnering interest in his screenplay, Boys of Wooster, compared to that of Goodwill Hunting and The Brothers McMullen by iconic film producer Mike Medavoy (Phoenix Pictures). DeLucia is currently Querying his debut Novel, American Addict, as well as his stage play, Italian/American.
Contact
For any inquiries, please contact Salvatore DeLucia:
Tel: 475.256.2243 | Salvatore.S.DeLucia@gmail.com
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