Thomas Muccioli gets Connected off-Broadway in a play exploring social media.
By Brandon Voss
Thomas Muccioli has been on Grindr a lot lately — you know, strictly for research. In the New York premiere of Lia Romeo’s Connected, a play about social media opening March 8 at 59E59 Theaters, the actor plays Scotty, a gay teen seeking connection on hookup apps.
“Throughout the play he takes pics for his Grindr profile,” says Muccioli of his character, the more extroverted younger brother of a World of Warcraft gamer. “For someone who doesn’t ever take selfies, it’s been very interesting to look up all these profiles of guys. One of the themes of the play, which shows how games and apps can cut people off from real relationships, is how we see ourselves and how we try to create a more attractive version of ourselves. I’ve been learning a lot, like how you take a selfie from a little higher to give you a better jawline. I don’t have a six-pack or anything, so I try to maneuver my phone and make my body look muscular.”
Muccioli may not have the same supercharged social media presence as Scotty — “After doing this play, I may delete my Facebook,” he says — but he can relate to the character’s commitment to being his authentic self. “When I was first starting out, I never felt the need to lie to anyone about my sexuality,” recalls the actor, who was born in Flushing and currently resides in Sunnyside. “I saw people at acting school staying somewhat closeted for professional reasons, but, no judgment, I didn’t want to go that route. I promised myself that I would never not be authentic in order to thrive in my career. Now, I don’t think I could be an actor, do all these great parts I’ve gotten, and still be closeted. The majority of roles I get are bisexual or gay, and it just feels appropriate. I’m happy to represent who I am onstage.”
Those queer roles also tend to be teenagers, thanks to his being, as he puts it, “scrawny and baby-faced,” so it’s only natural that some teen habits would seep into his smartphone. “I use a mixture of hearts and kissy faces, but I’ve also been using a lot of food emoji,” he says. “I like the shrimp tempura.”
Next, March 2016.