Reviewed by Amalisha HuEck
In the 1890s, a photographer Baron Wilhelm von Gloeden was persecuted for his photographs of the locals on the Sicilian coast, because of its unique and forbidden activities in the village of Taormina, where the influential men who were attracted to beautiful young men would stop to enjoy the youth.
This true story of artistic prosecution later uncovers a much darker secret of a love triangle involving poet Sebastian Melmoth, photographer Wilhelm von Gloeden, and an 18-year-old Sicilian boy.
That was the time when Benito Mussolini used moral cleansing to gain control of the people in Italy.
Playwright Tom Jacobson, who received the Ted Schmitt Award from the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle for the World Premiere of an outstanding new play in 2024 recalls, ‘When I first learned that Wilhelm von Gloeden’s beautiful and highly-charged photographs of young Sicilian men were confiscated by the Italian Fascist government in 1936, I thought it might be a story I wanted to tell.’ And what an incredible story he told!
A magnificent directing of the Fascist Italian investigation of pornography, is beautifully arranged by George Bamber who says, ‘What drew me to the play, what made it essential for me to direct, is Tom’s unparalleled ability to make issues of complexity more understandable. We are too easily manipulated by headlines that force us to stand either on the right or the left. Tom’s skill is holding our focus so we can contemplate the complexity of art vs pornography, normative vs deviant orientation, sexual agency vs exploitation.’
Produced by Exeunt Productions & BINC and presented at Moving Arts Tasty Little Rabbit with its outstanding cast of such talented actors, as Robert Mammana as Wilhelm von Gloeden/Cesare Acrosso, Rob Nagle as Sebastian Melmoth/Francesco Maffiotti and Massi Pregoni as Pancrazio Buciuni is a play you don’t want to miss. It is different, it is special and brilliant. The skillful casting, combined with the magnificent directing and acting, produces nothing less than brilliance.
The amazing production team members are Mark Mendelson (Scenic Design), Garry Lennon (Costume Design), Jenine MacDonald (Props), Michael Donovan (Casting).
Tasty Little Rabbit runs at Moving Arts, located at 3191 Casitas Avenue in Los Angeles on Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 pm, and on Sundays at 4:00 pm. The performances are from May 2 to June 6, 2025. The added performance on Thursday, June 5 is at 8 pm. 8pm.
Tickets are $33; Student $20 (Must show student ID at the door). You can
Posted By Amalisha HuEck on
May 08, 2025 01:14 pm |
