KENT TRUMBULL 'Mambo Italiano' focuses on gay relationship

The story runs through a lot of emotions.
By L. CROW
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
CHAMPION -- In keeping with this year's theme of performing only plays that are regional or national premieres, the theater department at Kent-Trumbull wil present "Mambo Italiano."
Written by Steve Gallucio of Quebec in 2003, it was first made into a film, starring Paul Sorvino. Director Daniel-Raymond Nadon, who is also the director of theater at the Trumbull campus, says he loves this play because it is hysterically funny and takes a very human look at the issue of gay relationships.
The story takes place in Montreal, where the sons of two Italian Catholic immigrant families, Angelo and Nino, move into an apartment together, under the guise of roommates. That is, until Angelo decides to tell his parents that he and Nino are lovers. And that's where the mayhem begins.
"The two mothers, who were family friends back in Italy, get together and decide to throw a party, inviting girls they are trying to match up with their sons," said Nadon. "One is Angelo's sister Pina. They figured, if Nino liked Angelo, he would like Pina better. The other is a girl Nino met in a bar, whom they try to match up with Angelo. It turn into a nightmare, with all kinds of twists and turns."
"One of the things I like about this play is that one scene will have your face hurting from laughing so hard, then will turn to tears onstage, but very quickly has you laughing again," Nadon added.
Not preachy
But the other aspect of this play that appeals to Nadon is that it presents a story and doesn't tell you how to feel about it. "Many stories about gay relationships end up preachy or sad, but this is neither," he said.
"And it is not presented as a political issue either. This one falls in the center. You won't be challenged politically to like it. It is more about human interaction. It is a story about unconditional love and family and the need to be accepted for what we are. In the end, Angelo chooses to be true to himself and is still able to fall back into his family's arms. We are able to see the human side of this story and release all the other junk."
Eric Coulbourne, a senior theater major at the Kent (Portage) campus, plays the role of Angelo, and describes his character's personality: "Angelo is a gay man who wants to be accepted by family and society, looking for the love of his life," he said. "He thinks he has found it in Nino. When things don't work out, he is able to move past it and get on with his life."
Coulbourne also said Angelo's relationship with this mother is interesting. "They engage in playful banter, which is sometimes more vengeful," he said. "Maria is big on guilt trips, so he is used to it. And his father, Gino, basically does what Maria tells him to do. He has an opinion but doesn't verbalize it. But there is growth throughout the play, and the parents choose to accept their son for what he is, rather than lose him."
Donnagene Palmer, who recently impressed audiences in the title role of TNT's "Curious Savage," plays Maria.