REBEL WITH A CAUSE to Play South Pasadena Public Library, 1/29

Despite growing up in Los Angeles, actor Dean Ghaffari had never heard of Sal Mineo, until he was in his 20s. One day, he saw the classic James Dean film "Rebel Without a Cause," and something clicked.

Captivated by Mineo's iconic performance as troubled teenager John "Plato" Crawford, Ghaffari was determined to learn more about the movie actor. His research led him to develop a one-man play, "Rebel With a Cause: The Life and Times of Sal Mineo." In honor of what would have been Mineo's 76th birthday this month, Ghaffari will perform the play at the South Pasadena Public Library on January 29. Admission is free.

"Sal Mineo was complex and mysterious," Ghaffari said. "There was this phenomenon called Mineo mania in the 1950s and 60s. He was huge, but after he was murdered in 1976, people forgot about him. When I started reading about him, I felt this need to portray him on stage."

Mineo was born in the Bronx, New York, on January 10, 1939, and appeared on the New York stage before moving to Hollywood. He was nominated for two Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor, for "Rebel Without a Cause" and, later, "Exodus." He was one of the first major actors in Hollywood to acknowledge that he was gay. In 1976, Mineo was stabbed to death during an apparent robbery behind his apartment building in West Hollywood.

Ghaffari, who has appeared in several plays in Los Angeles, as well as films and TV shows, describes "Rebel With a Cause" as a rise and fall story.

"I try to capture the essence of who he was," Ghaffari said. "I can never be Sal Mineo, but I can relate to his passion for acting and some of the struggles he went through. My hope is that when people come and see the show they can relate to him, on some level."

"Rebel With a Cause: The Life and Times of Sal Mineo" will be performed on Thursday, January 29, at 7:00 p.m. at the South Pasadena Public Library, 1100 Oxley Street, South Pasadena, CA 91030. Admission is free. For information, call 626-403-7340. For information about Dean Ghaffari, visit www.deanghaffari.com.