Roman Candles was a trip down memory lane for its co-authors Charles Messina and Paul Gonçalves. The two friends grew up in lower Manhattan and were quite familiar with the rites of passage and modes of behavior within that Mafia-influenced, crime-ridden subculture. However, the friends were determined not to reduce the piece to silly tough guy cliches. Roman Candles became a profoundly humorous look at urban street life.

The story follows four friends through five days from July 1st through the 5th, as they pass their time selling fireworks for a local gangster. Their stories and lives unravel as the long, hot summer days drag on. Roman Candles ultimately becomes a cautionary tale of wasted youth and broken dreams.

The play was noted for its set design--an imaginative recreation of a barroom, a city park, a bedroom, and a guiderail along the Holland Tunnel, all of which co-existed simultaneously onstage.

The show ran in March of 1995 at Studio Theatre 4A in NYC.