HIDE and SEEK is a darkly entertaining play that pits two teenage boys against each other in the face of contagious hatred and prejudice in their small Italian town. Desperate to escape his reality, Gio runs away and hides in a cave. When his classmate Mirko finds him, the boys embark on an unexpected journey towards self-discovery and acceptance, setting in motion a series of dramatic consequences.
Being yourself is still a risky proposition in our society when it comes to sexual orientation and independent thought. HIDE and SEEK explores how vulnerable young minds can be to loud, discriminatory voices in the media and all around them.
What does it take to accept yourself when nobody else does?
HIDE and SEEK won the 2019 Mario Fratti Award at In Scena! Italian Theater Festival NY. The worldwide premiere of the English Translation was presented in May 2022 at the Tank, NYC.
Press & Reviews
Jay Stern, Film & Theater Director
“HIDE and SEEK is chilling, surprising, deeply moving, and beautifully structured, although you don't see it coming. Carlotta Brentan's production highlights its honesty and rawness in ways which are both disarming and challenging"
Frank J. Avella, Screenwriter / Award-winning Playwright / Film & Theater Journalist
"The impressive production of Tobia Rossi's relevant and engrossing play HIDE and SEEK at The Tank in May proved an intense, sometimes funny, ultimately shattering evening. This intimate two-hander, deftly yet affectionately directed by Carlotta Brentan, examines the consequences of ignorance and hatred, especially towards queer people. The play's significant penultimate scene is not something I'll soon forget."
Eric Cotti, Film Producer / Director
"A nuanced and compelling take on the trauma of growing up in a place where you don't feel like you fit in, captured and conveyed beautifully and tragically by Carlotta Brentan's superb translation and dazzling direction."
Elizabeth McGuire, Artistic Director, toUch Performance Art
"HIDE and SEEK delivers a refreshingly grounded and honest take of two young people grappling with societal discrimination. While the plot is driven by timely themes centred on social justice, the story immerses you into the minds of the two teenage characters, connecting the audience nostalgically to their past. It was a revelation and a joy to watch."
Cast & Creative Team Gio: ISSAM AL GHUSSAIN
Mirko: NICO CETRULO
Writer: TOBIA ROSSI
Translator and Director: CARLOTTA BRENTAN
Music Composer: SIMONE MANFREDINI
Digital Content: MARIANO GOBBI
PR: CHLOÉ NELKIN CONSULTING
Casting: LAURA SEABORN FOR HJB CASTING
Producer and General Manager: ZAVA PRODUCTIONS
Co-producer: KAIROS ITALY THEATER