Montclair Resident To Appear On CBS Early Show Wednesday

The cast of How Alfo Learned to Love Women, currently playing at The New York International Fringe Festival 2010, has been invited to appear on the CBS Early Show on Wednesday, August 18 from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m.

Montclair resident Francesca Federico, 18, plays the role of Alfo's sister, Amelia, and Cedar Grove resident Adam Mandala, 16, plays the role of Alfo's friend, Tony. An audience favorite at the festival, How Alfo Learned to Love Women is the story of a young man from a large Italian family who is addicted to women.

Says Brooklyn playwright Vincent Amelio: "Alfo explores how people learn to love, and what they do when they can't find love. It explores these questions in a warm, humorous way."

How Alfo Learned to Love Women is the first play in Amelio's largely-autobiographical trilogy, about a young boy growing up with six sisters, working in his family-owned bakery and pursuing his dream of becoming a professional baseball player.

Speaking recently to Patch, Amelio had nothing but praise for his 14-member cast. "As Young Alfo, New York resident Erez Rose brings a joy and versatility to the role as he searches to find his identity in a world with six sisters," says Amelio.  

"His charming innocence almost steals the show in the comic scene with his tough friend Tony (Adam Mandala), who teaches him to 'read the signs' when meeting girls," says Amelio.

Francesca," he adds, "captures that time in adolescence, when life is almost too much, like bubbles escaping from a champagne glass."

Tickets for How Alfo Learned to Love Women are $15 online (www.fringenyc.org) and by phone 866-468-7619 or $18 at the door.  Showtimes: Wed., August 18, 4 p.m.; Sat., August 21, noon; and Thurs., August 26, 9:30 p.m. Show is at the Connelly Theater, 220 East 4th St, NYC 10009. For more information go here.