Our local commedia troupe, i Firenzi, has had a thrilling time celebrating International Commedia dell’ Arte Day!

This year, we rented a room at a local community center and opened our audience up to the whole town of Cary, NC!

See more pictures in our Google Photos Album here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/ySvSqC98dJD9Z3DQ6 

This is the 10th year i Firenzi has participated in International Commedia dell’ Arte Day celebrations. The cultural department of the Italian government sponsors this event annually. See this amazing website for the themes of each year: https://www.commediadellarteday.org/Annunci.asp?lin=eng 

i Firenzi is part of dozens of troupes around the world participating by producing performances and classes during February. The day of Commedia Day is February 25.

Our scenario this year was an original work written by Lara Coutinho-Dean and Dina Turnello mashing up commedia with Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream. Capitano is now King of the Fairies and fighting with his Queen of the Fairies, Vittoria. Arlecchino is trying to do the job of Puck and finding it challenging!

Check back here for an announcement when we get the video processed and posted!

For the 7th year in a row, i Firenzi is thrilled to announce that we are performing a show as part of the international festival celebrating International Commedia dell’ Arte Day!!!

I Firenzi will perform IN PERSON for the 2022 International Commedia dell’ Arte Day!

An original scenario “The Dog Servant” written by Michael McAfee will take you on a ride of comic delight in the style of Italian 16th century improvised Commedia dell’ Arte!  Pantalone’s servant Arlecchino has decided to live life as a dog because they get table scraps and belly rubs – what could possibly go wrong?!

Show starts at 4:00pm (US Eastern Time) and lasts about 50 minutes.  Rated PG – enjoyable for most kids.

To see the show in person, please sign up here to get the address:

https://forms.gle/LjqHfjS3L2JwRufG6

No tickets necessary, but we need sign ups to ensure we don’t exceed the attendance cap for the room. So, please sign up at the link above.

We request that attendees wear a face mask for lowering the risk of spreading COVID. 

Sign up to subscribe to this blog for more updates via email on i Firenzi style Commedia dell’ Arte!

International Commedia dell’ Arte Day is a global celebration organized by SAT (The Italian government agency for culture) and recognized by the Italian UNESCO Commission, the various UNESCO Commissions in the world, the various Italian Cultural Institutes, the Embassies and the Italian Center of the ITI  (International Theater Institute).

Please click below for the official press release by SAT.

PressReleaseCdADAY2022

i Firenzi will also perform the same show again at the SCA’s Atlantia Kingdom Arts & Sciences Festival on March 5 at 11:30am US Eastern Time. See this link for details: https://kasf.atlantia.sca.org/ 

I Firenzi presents a panel discussion in online webinar format on how to produce semi-pro and volunteer Commedia performances. Panelists come from experience in various community theater organizations and the Society for Creative Anachronism. Questions regarding specific projects are welcome. For technical assistance, please email the coordinator, Lara Coutinho, at orangesophie AT gmail DOT com.

We will hold TWO webinar sessions! First session is at 4:00pm – 5:00pm US Eastern Time which is 9:00pm – 10:00pm in England (UTC time zone) Please click this link to join the first webinar session:   https://zoom.us/j/342796018   Panelists for this session include Olly Crick, Paul Adams, Paula Brinkman, and Lara Coutinho.

The second session will be held from 8:00pm – 9:00pm US Eastern Time which is 1:00am – 2:00am in England (UTC time zone). Please click this link for the second session:  https://zoom.us/j/250962655   Panelists for this session include Paul Brinkman, Lara Coutinho, and Amanda Catherine.

At the Atlantia Kingdom Arts and Sciences Festival on March 5, 2016, Their Majesties Christoph and Adelhait awarded each member of the troupe i Firenzi an Augmentation of Arms, a commedia mask proper.  This was a very special public acknowledgement of the accomplishments i Firenzi has achieved in bringing to life the art of Commedia dell’ Arte in the Kingdom of Atlantia.

The badge for i Firenzi is currently being reviewed by the Laurel King of Arms. It includes a charge of a “commedia mask proper.” The rendering below was created by our good friend and herald Justin Eiler:

The members of i Firenzi send grateful thanks to Their Majesties for their thoughtfulness and thanks to their many audience members who have shown up, laughed, and often pitched in to our hat for helping with gas money that got us all to the A&S Festival!  Thank you all for your support!

Sincerely, all the members of i Firenzi!

The members of i Firenzi are in no particular order:

1. Lord Manus MacDhai – Scott Dean
2. Lord Aedh Ua Ruairc – Rory Cullen
3. Lord Jaume de Monçó – Craig Daniel
4. Lady Tessa de Spina – Jan Harris
5. Lady Geneviefve d’Estelle – Elizabeth Turner
6. Lord Saxi þunnkárr – Michael Poynter
7. Lord Ibrahim bin Ilyas bin Mustafa al-Haddad – Carlos Arteta
8. Una Gyldir – Suzanne Stacy
9. Lord William Garrett – Garrett Hudson
10. Lord Giovan Donado – Tom Hudson
11. Lady Genefe Wölfelin – Mary Pruitt
12. Lord Charles Fleming – Brian Towey
13. Mark of Windmasters’ Hill – Mark Walvoord
14. Master Dunstan le’ Herringmonger – Keith Nealson
15. Mistress Margaret Wolseley – Challe Hudson
16. Lady Marie Aoibeall – Carolyn Poynter
17. Lady Catarina Caravello – Laura Cormier
18. Lady Isabela de Lovaine Bourchier – Bonnie Helmink
19. Lord Edward Bedevere – Gary Helmink
20. Uberto de Spina – Hugh Mace
21. Master Efenwealt Wystle – Scott Vaughn
22. Master Ruaidhri an Cu – William Fleming
23. Lady Sophia the Orange – Lara Coutinho-Dean

The International Commedia dell’ Arte Day is a wonderful event organized by anamazing group of people called the Faction of Fools!  This is one of the most amazing acting troupes I’ve ever seen!  They’re based out of Washington DC, specifically from Galludet University,and they put on hillarious commedia style shows!

Check them out here:  http://www.factionoffools.org/cdaday

Then checkout the amazing list of commedia events happeningon February 25th – International Commedia dell’ Arte Day!   http://www.commediadellarteday.org/

We’re hoping that iFirenzi gets approved for thelist of awesome events included in the CDAD vetted list of commedia activities.  Wedid make the list last year, and hope to again this year!

Check out the amazing variety of commediashows and workshops happening this Wednesday… and in so many countries!!  http://www.commediadellarteday.org/eventi