THEATER : ‘Italian American Reconciliation’ presents a man’s view of love.

In the world of “Italian American Reconciliation,” life is not all wine and roses. It’s more like spaghetti and meatballs.

The lead meatball is a guy named Aldo, who views himself as somewhat of an Italian stallion. A ladies’ man whose brutish persona sometimes gives birth to surprisingly incisive streetwise philosophy, Aldo is the narrator of a modern folk tale about love, relationships and an ever-present chasm that prevents men and women from understanding each other.

In this comedy by John Patrick Shanley, perhaps best known for his Academy Award-winning film “Moonstruck,” Aldo relates the crisis of his friend Huey, who is still attempting to heal himself three years after a divorce.

The tale is told from an exclusively male perspective and is intended to give insight--to some audience members--into how men love. “It’s a dictionary to the human side of being a man,” said director David DiAngelo. “I wanted to advertise it in the singles personal ads in the paper.”

But while calling “Italian American Reconciliation” one of the best scripts he has seen, DiAngelo said the story manages to confuse some women in the audience.

“The men in the audience are crying and the women either don’t get it or they’re saying, ‘Oh my God, it’s about time,’ ” DiAngelo said.

The confusion seems to be over the play’s depiction of the male need to “take love,” DiAngelo said. See Aldo for further explanation.

DiAngelo, an Italian-American, cast the show with four actors of Italian descent and one who is of Greek heritage. While the show’s sentiments reach beyond Little Italy, the play does evoke “an Italian state of mind.”

“When you read the play you can almost hear mandolins in the background,” he said.

In fact, at the playwright’s suggestion, it is music from Puccini’s opera “Turandot” that helps move the drama along.

The cast of “Italian American Reconciliation” had a drama of its own when the lead actor was replaced just a week before opening night. Paul DiMeo, who had played Aldo in other productions, stepped into the role with just four rehearsals before playing to an audience, said producer Susan Lyon.

The show also stars Theo Pagones as the tormented Huey and Lisa Casillo as Theresa, the girlfriend Huey dumps in order to reconcile with his shrew of an ex-wife, Janice, played by Suzan Ryan-Fairchild. Terri Anfuso appears as the wise and straightforward Aunt May.

The play completes the 58th season of the Palos Verdes Players, the longest running community theater in the South Bay, said group president Betty Schroeder. The troupe spent more than half a century in Palos Verdes and four years ago moved to Torrance.

The Palos Verdes Players theater is at 2433 Moreton St., behind the Palos Verdes bowling alley between Pacific Coast Highway and Lomita Boulevard. Information: (310) 326-2287.