In a small Sicilian-American community along the Gulf Coast, Serafina delle Rose is a fiery and passionate wife and mother. When her husband Rosario is murdered while smuggling contraband in a banana truck, Serafina shuts herself away from life and love. She ignores the town gossip--especially about Rosario’s infidelity--and lives in a stupor until her daughter Rosa declares herself in love. Frustrated and heartbroken, Serafina angrily attacks anyone who reason with her. That is, until a banana truck driver named Alvaro Mangicavallo arrives at her door. He has the body of her late husband, but the face of a clown. He awkwardly attempts to flirt and seduce--and his earnest and simple actions finally crack through Serafina’s heartbreak.
The play that Tennessee Williams called his “love-play to the world,” The Rose Tattoo is a passionate tale of superstitions, promises, and the possibility of love and passion after a broken heart. Revived on Broadway several times, The Rose Tattoo offers wit and comedy while reminding the audience to open their hearts and find hope where they least expect it.
The Rose Tattoo guide sections
