Love Of Men Ferocious

About the Play

Love of Men Ferocious investigates the roles of men; those imposed on men by society and those that are self-imposed. It looks at the dynamic of those roles in male/male relationships. What does it mean to be a “man”? Does sexual identity define masculinity? What lies behind the struggle for dominance and simultaneous independence from one another?

Moving back and forth between two stories, one set in the 1950′s, the other set in the present, the play explores sexuality, the struggle for dominance, and the roles of men in relation to aggression and desire.

In one story, we follow a series of scenes distilled from the fourteen- year partnership between Tennessee Williams and Frank Merlo. We watch as they define and redefine their relationship. We see both men struggle with jealousy, lust, resentment, trust and financial dominance over the other.

Concurrently we see a story of a father and his closeted son. The father, while trying to assert a place in his son’s life, is also working to live up to the expectations of his other “family”- the Mafia. Meanwhile, an online lover is manipulating the sexual identity of his son. The son uses this interaction as a means to connect to an outside community, and to escape his homophobic father.

The first draft of Love of Men Ferocious was created and performed at New York University, Tisch School of the Arts, Department of Drama Experimental Theatre Wing. It was written and directed by Joey Merlo with the following cast:

Tennessee Williams/ Son – Joey Merlo

Dad – Nathaniel Peart

Frank Merlo – Jack Falahee

Boy – Kirk Duval