Photo Flash: 'Pinocchio' Opens Jan.13 at LaMaMa ETC

Teatro Del Carretto - the renowned company founded in 1983 in Lucca, Italy by director Maria Grazia Cipriani and designer Graziano Gregori, and widely recognized as one of Italy's most innovative theatre companies - makes its long-awaited US debut at LaMaMa ETC with its acclaimed adult adaptation of Pinocchio, now in previews prior to an official press opening January 13, at La MaMa ETC (74A East 4th Street) in Manhattan. The beloved Italian company's US debut is a Watson Arts Project presented by La MaMa ETC.

"Building on the traditional text of Italian author Carlo Collodi, Pinocchio unfolds with contemporary resonance through an imaginative fusion of spoken word, movement, masks, light and shadows, sound effects and music. Presented in the company's signature style, Pinocchio is a dark, surreal adult tale of a wooden boy who becomes a real man and embarks on an adventure of self-discovery in a world full of very real dangers," explain press notes.

Pinocchio stars Giandomencio Cupaiuolo in the title role and Elsa Bossi as Fata, Pinocchio's fairy companion. The ensemble also includes Elena Nene Barini, Nicolo Belliti, Carlo Gambaro, Giacomo Pecchia, Giacomo Vezzani, and Jonathan Bertolai. In addition to the sets and costume design by Mr. Gregori, the production has sound design by HuBert Westkemper and lighting design by Angelo Linzalata. PINOCCHIO will be performed in Italian.

Performances of Pinocchio run January 10-27 at La Mama E.T.C. (74A East 4th Street). Thursdays-Sundays at 7:30pm. Biancaneve will run Saturdays and Sundays at 2:30pm. Tickets are $20 ($15 students/seniors) and can be reserved by calling 212-475-7710. For additional information, visit www.lamama.org.  For more information on Teatro Del Carretto, visit www.teatrodelcarretto.it

Photos by F. Brancoli Pantera