Italian theater festival brings 2 acclaimed productions back for special winter edition.
February 4 - 7 at Bernie Wohl Center
Lovers of Italian theater won't have to wait until 4th annual IN SCENA! ITALIAN THEATER FESTIVAL NY premieres in May. Beginning February 4th, Kairos Italy Theater (KIT), the preeminent Italian theater company in New York, will present IN SCENA! WINTER. The program will feature encore performances from two past festivals: Francesco Foti's NIUIORC NIUIORC (seen in 2013) and Compagnia Ragli's ITALY HAS RISEN by Rosario Mastrota (seen in 2014). Performances run through February 7th at Bernie Wohl Center at Goddard Riverside (647 Columbus Avenue between 91st & 92nd Streets). Tickets are $15, $12 seniors and students at www.kitheater.com and at www.inscenany.com.
NIUIORC NIUIORC is a journey across the Big Apple, based on a true travel diary. A 'young' 40-year-old 'boy' finds himself disoriented in the big city. He gets lost in the streets, avenues and parks of Manhattan while meeting a unique collection of characters. A funny, tender and original story about finding yourself in a foreign city. According to I-Italy, "Francesco Foti is fascinating, acting out all of the chapters of his journey while involving the audience, which laughs and follows him through it." This 75 minute solo show is written, directed and performed by Francesco Foti and performed in English and Italian. Performances are Feb. 4 & 6 at 7:30pm and Feb. 7 at 3pm.
ITALY HAS ARISEN (“L’Italia s’è desta”) tells the story of Carletta, a Shakespearean village fool, who witnesses Calabrese mafia kidnap the Italian national soccer team. She’s the only person who knows where the team is hidden, but nobody believes her. Eliza Bent of TDF noted that "Sly word play is never far off in their conversation, and along with heady jokes, L’Italia has a remarkable amount of lightness and heart." Titled after a lyric from from the Italian national hymn, ITALY HAS ARISEN has been awarded numerous prizes in Italy, including the Teatropia 2012 award, the Restart Award at the Politically Incorrect Festival 2013, and Antimafie Dirittinscena Award 2013. It was also a finalist for the prestigious Hystrio Stage Writing award 2012. Written and directed by Rosario Mastrota, it is performed by Dalila Desirée Cozzolino. With a running time of 70 minutes, it is performed in Italian and Calabrese Dialect with English Supertitles. Performances are Feb. 5 and 7 at 7:30pm and Feb. 6 at 3pm.
After training at the Accademia d'Arte Drammatica Paolo Grassi in Milan, Francesco Foti worked in the theater for many years as actor and a playwright in the famous Italian company Cavalli Marci Company (which debuted on Italian TV in 1996. Well-known for his work in Italian TV, he has also appeared in several movies including "Baaria" by Oscar-winner Giuseppe Tornatore. NUOIRC NUIORC debuted in Catania, Italy, in 2011 and has toured Italy since then including a sold out run in December, 2015 at the Palco Off Festival in Milan.
Compagnia Ragli was founded by author and director Rosario Mastrota, who trained and worked with famous Italian theater personalities including Motus and Emma Dante, among others. The company takes it name from the word ‘raglio,’ meaning a donkey's bray.
Dalila Desirée Cozzolino trained at the Centro Internazionale Formazione delle Arti in Cosenza, Calabria, and the Accademia Corrado Pani in Rome. She was awarded the 2012 ‘Premio Centro’ Best Actress Award for her performance in ITALY HAS ARISEN.
IN SCENA! ITALIAN THEATER FESTIVAL NY was founded in 2013. That year, it was chosen as an official event representing Italian culture in the US under the auspices of the President of the Italian Republic with the Patronage of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Embassy of Italy in Washington, D.C. For more information on IN SCENA! ITALIAN THEATER FESTIVAL NY visit www.inscenany.com or www.kitheater.com.