Kairos Italy Theater Announces 6th Edition of SCENA! Italian Theater Festival NY

Kairos Italy Theater, New York's preeminent Italian Theater Company, and KIT Italia present the 6th Edition of In Scena! Italian Theater Festival NY, which will feature a record 12 shows, brought over from Italy to NYC, including a Special Opening Night Event, We are Not Alone starring Dario D'Ambrosi.

The 15-day, 5-borough Festival, founded by KIT Artistic Director Laura Caparrotti and KIT Italia Artistic Director Donatella Codonesu, will close with the 5th annual Mario Fratti Awards, created especially for In Scena! to honor excellence in Italian playwriting. This year's winners are Chiara Boscaro & Marco Di Stefano for The City Rises (La citta' che sale).

This year's Fest celebrates women with 7 female authors represented as well as 6 female directors. Also spotlighted are two LGBTQ-themed works. The Fest also boasts many special events (listed below) and continues its tradition of showcasing work in all 5 NYC boroughs at 8 separate venues (also below).

The Festival runs May 7th-21st. All shows/events are free to the public (suggested donations accepted).

The full schedule of shows and events are below, followed by a calendar with dates, times and locations.

RSVP via www.inscenany.com or for more info call 212-254-4025.

Made in the U.S. Shows-Italians Making Theater in the U.S. (in English)

A Mother's Heart by Daniela Dellavalle, dissects the complex relationship between Mary and her mother. Mary has just murdered her father and attempted to kill her mother. A female psychiatrist is tasked with verifying Mary's mental state and holds the girl's future in her hands. Adapted and directed by Tania Kass. With Alice Lussiana Parente, Selamawit Worku and Marianne Goodell.

Federica Cellini's Dhana and the Rosebuds is a dreamlike odyssey involving a young Syrian woman, living in NYC, who sees her estranged grandmother on TV and journeys to find her. Directed by Federica Cellini. With Ali Evarts, Valerie Fenton, Lia Johnson, Lauren Kieler and Natasha Preston. Music composed and improvised by Irene Jalenti.

Official Selections-Italians Making Theater in Italy (in Italian with English Supertitles, unless noted)

The thriller Echoes, written by Lorenzo De Liberato, brings to mind Orwell's 1984 as it delves into a dystopia where one man interviews the person responsible for the murder of a million people. Directed by Stefano Patti. With Marco Quaglia & Stefano Patti. In English.

In Happy Mary, by Lorenza Pieri, an actress plays the role of the Virgin Mary in an Easter procession and begins a quest to discover who she really was, not only a mother full of sorrow, but a surprisingly human, strong and happy woman. Directed by Roberta Lena. With Laura Magni.

The Mejerchold Twins features two distinctly different siblings who continue an eternal struggle for domination on the cabaret stage and in real life. A comedy-musical blend rooted in Vaudeville, variety shows and revues. Directed by Davide Schinaia. With Francesca Airaudo and Giorgia Penzo. Live music by Tiziano Paganelli.

This is My House is Alessandro Blasioli's tragic story of a powerful friendship destroyed in the ruins of the Abruzzo earthquake of 2009. Directed and starring Mr. Blasioli.

Claudia Donadoni's Stria, is inspired by the true story of a Northern Italian girl accused of witchcraft and burned at the stake, in the late middle ages, her punishment for trying to exact revenge after a childhood friend is brutally raped. Translated by Fred Gardaphe. Directed by Sergio Stefini in collaboration with Marco Baliani. With Claudia Donadoni. Live music by Giovanni Bataloni.

My Last Night-Mia Martini, A Life, by Aldo Nove, tells the story of the great singer Mia Martini, whose life was marred by rumors that she brought bad luck. Directed by Michele De Vita Conti. With Erika Urban.

F.M. and His Double, by Fabio Marceddu, challenges notions of sexual identity through the gaze of a restless teenager in love with theatre. This is Teatro dallarmadio's latest non-theatrical theatrical piece. Directed and performed by Mr. Marceddu. Translated by Matteo Luoni.

Another LGBTQ-themed work is Francesca Falchi's Degen(d)eration-The Ghost of the Tribade, which traces the gradual restrictions of autonomous spaces for women-including sexual--under fascism. Directed and performed by Ms. Falchi.

Angela's Wars, written and performed by Giuseppina Facco, examines the lives of four Italian women during World War I, all named Angela. Directed by Annapaola Bardeloni. WWI Historical consultant Andrea Bavecchi.

Special Events

Opening Night: We are Not Alone, written, directed by and starring Dario D'Ambrosi. The piece was first presented at La MaMa in 1980 and is about a psychiatric inmate victimized by neglect in the outside world. The seminal play was written as a reaction to the Italian Mental Health Act of 1978, which was the first law to reform the psychiatric system. In Italian and English.

Conference: On Theater's Changing Relationships with Critics, Artists and Audiences. In partnership with Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimo' and the League of Independent Theater, In Scena! is convening a conference on theater's changing relationships, with critics and artists from Italy and the U.S.

Free Verse Meets In Scena! Led by Dave Johnson. A cultural exchange between In Scena! Italian artists and emerging writers from the South Bronx, Queens and Staten Island. In English, Spanish and Italian.

Infosessions: Four Informational sessions on theater practices. Meet the experts from the US and Italy.

Shakespeare on the Rock: A screening of the film by Alessandro Fabrizi and Enrico Parenti about a performance created by the Eco Logical Theater in Stromboli, Sicily. In Italian with English subtitles.

Mario Fratti Award Ceremony and Closing Night: Reading of the winner of the 2018 Mario Fratti Award, The City Rises, by Chiara Boscaro and Marco Di Stefano. In English.

Readings (in English)

In Vino, by Leo Foti. A stage adaptation of the feature film which starred Edward Asner & Sean Young.

The Neighbors by Fausto Paravidino. Part of the Italian Playwrights Project.

Celebrating 5 years of the Mario Fratti Award: Readings of scenes from the winners of the Mario Fratti Award 2014-2017 on the occasion of the English publication of the plays.

FESTIVAL CALENDAR

MAY 7

7pm - Cherry Lane Theatre/Manhattan

TUTTI NON CI SONO / WE ARE NOT ALONE (SPECIAL EVENT)

MAY 8

7pm, Cherry Lane Theatre/Manhattan

ECHOES (SHOW)

MAY 9

4pm - College of Staten Island/Staten Island

THIS IS MY HOUSE (SHOW)

7pm - BAAD/Bronx

DEGEN(D)ERATION - THE GHOST OF THE TRIBADE (SHOW) Followed by

F.M. AND HIS DOUBLE (SHOW)

MAY 10

12pm - NeON/Bronx

FREE VERSE MEETS IN SCENA! (SPECIAL EVENT)

MAY 11

Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimò/ Manhattan

12-4pm Conference: On Theater's Changing Relationships - with critics,
artists and audiences (SPECIAL EVENT)

6pm - ECHOES (SHOW)

8pm - THIS IS MY HOUSE (SHOW)

MAY 12

7:30pm - Bernie Wohl Center/Manhattan

DEGEN(D)ERATION - THE GHOST OF THE TRIBADE (SHOW) Followed by

F.M. AND HIS DOUBLE (SHOW)

MAY 14

The Brick Theater/Brooklyn

7pm - DHANA AND THE ROSEBUDS (SHOW)

8pm - A MOTHER'S HEART (SHOW)

MAY 15

The Brick Theater/Brooklyn

6pm - INFOSESSION N. 1 (SPECIAL EVENT)

8pm - A MOTHER'S HEART (SHOW)

Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimò/Manhattan

6pm - STRIA (SHOW)

8pm - ANGELA'S WARS (SHOW)

MAY 16

NeON/Queens

11am - FREE VERSE MEETS IN SCENA! (SPECIAL EVENT)

Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimò/Manhattan

6pm - "SHAKESPEARE ON THE ROCKS" SCREENING (SPECIAL EVENT)

8pm - MY LAST NIGHT - MIA MARTINI, A LIFE (SHOW)

The Brick Theater/Brooklyn

6pm - INFOSESSION N. 2 (SPECIAL EVENT)

8pm - STRIA (SHOW)

MAY 17

Bernie Wohl Center/Manhattan

8pm - THE MEJERCHOLD TWINS (SHOW)

The Brick Theater/Brooklyn

6pm - INFOSESSION N. 3 (SPECIAL EVENT)

8pm - ANGELA'S WARS (SHOW)

MAY 18

Bernie Wohl Center/Manhattan

8pm - HAPPY MARY (SHOW)

The Brick Theater/Brooklyn

6pm - INFOSESSION N. 4 (SPECIAL EVENT)

8pm - THE MEJERCHOLD TWINS (SHOW)

MAY 19, The Brick Theater/Brooklyn

Noon-4pm - THE NEIGHBORS followed by 5 YEARS OF THE Mario Fratti AWARD (READING)

7:30pm - MY LAST NIGHT - MIA MARTINI, A LIFE (SHOW)

MAY 20, The Brick Theater/Brooklyn

1:30pm - IN VINO (READING)

4pm - HAPPY MARY (SHOW)

MAY 21, 6pm - Italian Cultural Institute/Manhattan

Mario Fratti AWARD AND CLOSING NIGHT (SPECIAL EVENT)

FESTIVAL VENUES

Bernie Wohl Center at Goddard Riverside 647 Columbus Ave, Manhattan, NY 10024

The Brick Theater 579 Metropolitan Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211

Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance (BAAD) 2474 Westchester Ave, Bronx, NY 10461

Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimo' 24 W 12th St, Manhattan, NY 10011

Cherry Lane Theatre 38 Commerce St, Manhattan, NY 10014

Center of the Arts, College of Staten Island 2800 Victory Boulevard, bldg, 1P, Recital Hall, Staten Island, NY 10314

Italian Cultural Institute in NY 686 Park Ave, Manhattan, NY 10021

South Bronx NeON Center 198 East 161st, Bronx, NY 10451

Queens NeON Center 162-24 Jamaica Avenue, Jamaica, NY

In Scena! is presented by Kairos Italy Theater and KIT Italia in partnership with Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimo', Bernie Wohl at Goddard Riverside, BAAD!, The Italian Cultural Institute of NY and in collaboration with Free Verse, Materials for the Arts, LIT, Umanism, IPP, Parity Productions, Gustiamo, Brindiamo Guide and Cherry Lane Theatre.