An Award-Winning Off-Broadway Production Based on the Extraordinary True Story of Anthony C. Acevedo
He survived Berga. Then his own government ordered him never to speak of it.
For sixty-three years, American Army medic Anthony C. Acevedo obeyed that order. He said nothing about the Jewish American soldiers singled out by the Nazis. Nothing about the underground tunnels where American prisoners of war were worked as slave labor. Nothing about the men who starved, collapsed, and died beside him.
But Anthony remembered every one of them. He had written their names secretly in a diary he risked his life to keep. Now, at last, he tells their story.
One Actor. One Extraordinary Life.
Written and performed by award-winning playwright and actor Dr. Rodolfo Alvarado, Undesirable Secrets transforms a nearly empty stage into a childhood home in Mexico, the battlefields of Europe, Nazi cattle cars, the slave labor camp at Berga, a brutal death march, a PTSD meeting of veterans, and finally the quiet living room of an aging veteran who has carried one impossible burden for more than six decades.
Through more than thirty characters, the audience experiences Anthony's journey as a son, soldier, medic, prisoner, survivor, husband, father, and witness. This is not simply the story of how one man survived war. It is the story of how he survived silence.
More Than a World War II Story
At its heart, Undesirable Secrets asks a timeless question: What happens when the secret you were ordered to keep becomes heavier than the truth itself?
Anthony survived imprisonment. Forced labor. Starvation. A death march. Yet his greatest battle began after he returned home. His story reminds us that some wounds remain hidden long after the body has healed—and that healing often begins the moment silence ends.
A Story That Follows You Home
The impact of Undesirable Secrets does not end when the curtain falls. Audience members have described leaving the theatre thinking differently about their own parents, their own families, and the hidden burdens carried by those who survived war.
Longtime Broadway actress Kathleen Conry, who attended a New York performance with her brother, Ken, later reflected that the play forever changed the way she understood her own father—a physician who served in New Guinea during World War II.
"Watching this play, I found a completely different viewpoint of my dad's experience and became a much more compassionate and understanding daughter."
She described the production as: "A true healing experience."
And concluded with words that perfectly capture what so many audience members have expressed: "This kind of theater is life-changing, and I am forever grateful for having been able to witness it firsthand."
What Critics Are Saying
"...An extraordinary achievement of writing, acting, and storytelling. I cannot recommend this play highly enough. Undesirable Secrets is worthy of Broadway."
Bob Wicke
Theatre Critic & Professor Emeritus of English
"A powerful and necessary piece of theatre. Alvarado's performance is magnetic, grounded, and emotionally unforgettable."
Juliet Morrison
All About Solo
"A gut-wrenching, moving performance that tugs at your soul. You lose track of time because Alvarado puts so much passion and emotion into every moment."
Ramona Logan
Frisco Lakes Lifestyle
Why Audiences Respond So Deeply
Undesirable Secrets is more than a story about World War II. It is about fathers who could never explain what they had seen. Children who grew up wondering why. Families forever changed by silence. It asks us to consider not only the cost of war—but also the cost of carrying its memories alone. Whether you have a personal connection to military service, the Holocaust, immigration, family, or simply the human need to be heard, Anthony's journey speaks to something universal.
Every audience member leaves carrying part of his story.
Coming Off-Broadway
Actors Temple Theatre
339 West 47th Street
New York, NY 10036
February 25 – March 21, 2027
Running Time: Approximately 90 minutes
No Intermission
Recommended for ages 13 and older
Contains mature themes involving war, prejudice, antisemitism, childhood abuse, violence, and the Holocaust.
Sunday Conversations
Sunday performances will be followed by conversations with veterans, historians, Holocaust educators, descendants, and community leaders exploring the themes raised by Anthony's extraordinary journey.
Is Undesirable Secrets Based on a True Story?
Yes.
Every major event portrayed in Undesirable Secrets is rooted in Anthony C. Acevedo's wartime diary, military records, published historical research, and years of collaboration with the Acevedo family.
While certain conversations and transitions have been dramatized for the stage, the production remains faithful to Anthony's extraordinary life, the forgotten American prisoners of Berga, and the remarkable courage it took for one man to finally break more than sixty years of silence.
For sixty-three years, American Army medic Anthony C. Acevedo obeyed that order. He said nothing about the Jewish American soldiers singled out by the Nazis. Nothing about the underground tunnels where American prisoners of war were worked as slave labor. Nothing about the men who starved, collapsed, and died beside him.
But Anthony remembered every one of them. He had written their names secretly in a diary he risked his life to keep. Now, at last, he tells their story.
One Actor. One Extraordinary Life.
Written and performed by award-winning playwright and actor Dr. Rodolfo Alvarado, Undesirable Secrets transforms a nearly empty stage into a childhood home in Mexico, the battlefields of Europe, Nazi cattle cars, the slave labor camp at Berga, a brutal death march, a PTSD meeting of veterans, and finally the quiet living room of an aging veteran who has carried one impossible burden for more than six decades.
Through more than thirty characters, the audience experiences Anthony's journey as a son, soldier, medic, prisoner, survivor, husband, father, and witness. This is not simply the story of how one man survived war. It is the story of how he survived silence.
More Than a World War II Story
At its heart, Undesirable Secrets asks a timeless question: What happens when the secret you were ordered to keep becomes heavier than the truth itself?
Anthony survived imprisonment. Forced labor. Starvation. A death march. Yet his greatest battle began after he returned home. His story reminds us that some wounds remain hidden long after the body has healed—and that healing often begins the moment silence ends.
A Story That Follows You Home
The impact of Undesirable Secrets does not end when the curtain falls. Audience members have described leaving the theatre thinking differently about their own parents, their own families, and the hidden burdens carried by those who survived war.
Longtime Broadway actress Kathleen Conry, who attended a New York performance with her brother, Ken, later reflected that the play forever changed the way she understood her own father—a physician who served in New Guinea during World War II.
"Watching this play, I found a completely different viewpoint of my dad's experience and became a much more compassionate and understanding daughter."
She described the production as: "A true healing experience."
And concluded with words that perfectly capture what so many audience members have expressed: "This kind of theater is life-changing, and I am forever grateful for having been able to witness it firsthand."
What Critics Are Saying
"...An extraordinary achievement of writing, acting, and storytelling. I cannot recommend this play highly enough. Undesirable Secrets is worthy of Broadway."
Bob Wicke
Theatre Critic & Professor Emeritus of English
"A powerful and necessary piece of theatre. Alvarado's performance is magnetic, grounded, and emotionally unforgettable."
Juliet Morrison
All About Solo
"A gut-wrenching, moving performance that tugs at your soul. You lose track of time because Alvarado puts so much passion and emotion into every moment."
Ramona Logan
Frisco Lakes Lifestyle
Why Audiences Respond So Deeply
Undesirable Secrets is more than a story about World War II. It is about fathers who could never explain what they had seen. Children who grew up wondering why. Families forever changed by silence. It asks us to consider not only the cost of war—but also the cost of carrying its memories alone. Whether you have a personal connection to military service, the Holocaust, immigration, family, or simply the human need to be heard, Anthony's journey speaks to something universal.
Every audience member leaves carrying part of his story.
Coming Off-Broadway
Actors Temple Theatre
339 West 47th Street
New York, NY 10036
February 25 – March 21, 2027
Running Time: Approximately 90 minutes
No Intermission
Recommended for ages 13 and older
Contains mature themes involving war, prejudice, antisemitism, childhood abuse, violence, and the Holocaust.
Sunday Conversations
Sunday performances will be followed by conversations with veterans, historians, Holocaust educators, descendants, and community leaders exploring the themes raised by Anthony's extraordinary journey.
Is Undesirable Secrets Based on a True Story?
Yes.
Every major event portrayed in Undesirable Secrets is rooted in Anthony C. Acevedo's wartime diary, military records, published historical research, and years of collaboration with the Acevedo family.
While certain conversations and transitions have been dramatized for the stage, the production remains faithful to Anthony's extraordinary life, the forgotten American prisoners of Berga, and the remarkable courage it took for one man to finally break more than sixty years of silence.