Performances

International Commedia dell’ Arte Day 2024!

In support of International Commedia dell’ Arte Day 2024, i Firenzi is presenting TWO CELEBRATIONS!

  1. Saturday, February 24, CLASS!
    1. A workshop in Commedia called “Iron Commedia!” where we will gather all enthusiastic participants at 12:00noon at the SCA Event called “Ymir”, teach a short intro class to Commedia, then write a scenario, rehearse it, and present it! Participants will get to pick which character they want to play and then play it!
    2. Find the location and admission info here: https://ymir.windmastershill.org
  2. Sunday, February 25, SHOW!
    1. FREE SHOW of our latest original commedia scenario presented at the Cary Arts Center in downtown Cary, NC!
    2. 4:00pm show! Free admission – just show up at the Cary Arts Center ( 101 Dry Avenue
      Cary, NC 27511       (919) 469-4069) and enjoy Commedia dell’ Arte Day!

 

International Commedia dell’ Arte Day is a celebration of Italian culture under the patronage of UNESCO. The official holiday is February 25 and commedia shows, classes, and other activities accepted by the organization are shared on their website here: https://www.commediadellarteday.org/default.asp?lin=eng

I Firenzi has been an approved part of this celebration for the past 10 years! This year’s activities are the show and workshop below:

FREE show: https://www.commediadellarteday.org/eventiDetail.asp?id=32&lin=eng
Workshop: https://www.commediadellarteday.org/eventiDetail.asp?id=33&lin=eng

See the whole events list here: https://www.commediadellarteday.org/eventi.asp?lin=eng

For specific questions, email capo@ifirenzi DOT com

 

by

WTF

i Firenzi performs at the National Women’s Theater Festival! June 23 & 30!

Midsummer Night’s Commedia
Co-Written by Lara Coutinho-Dean and Dr. Dina Ternullo

Historically informed commedia dell’ arte in sixteenth century Italian style with masks, improvisation, and classic stock characters makes Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream even more exciting and hilarious! Arlecchino replaces Puck as the servant to Capitano Oborono, and we find out who the child of the Votress of Titania’s Order really is.

Comic fights, off-label love potion use, and blackmail all lead to true love, but the course never did run smooth!

Who: i Firenzi, The Triangle’s only historically informed commedia dell’ arte troupe!
What: “Midsummer Night’s Commedia” a mash up of Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream with 16th century Italian commedia dell’ arte
When: June 23 at 8:00pm and June 30 at 7:30pm show is approx. 90 minutes
Where: Kennedy-McIlwee Studio Theatre 2241 Dunn Avenue Raleigh, NC 27695
Buy Tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/midsummer-nights-commedia-tickets-625835760607

BUT WHAT IF I CAN’T COME IN PERSON ON THOSE DATES!?!

You can buy a ticket for the “livestream” option of our shows. You will receive a YouTube viewing link to watch the show’s recording starting July 1 at 12:00noon US Eastern time. Viewing links will remain active for 48 hours after that.

Buy tickets for the in-person or recorded shows at this link:  https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/midsummer-nights-commedia-at-wtfringe23-2250689?aff=odclrlmctfte

i Firenzi performs at the National Women’s Theater Festival

Content Warnings: Mentions/alludes to romantic or sexual intimacy and graphic violence. Characters are drugged without consent or knowledge, sexual attraction is displayed, and comic stage fights are loud.

Accessibility: Due to the improvisation used in this play, hearing impaired audience members may have some trouble following the story. Auto-captioning will be used.

This project by i Firenzi is part of the WTFringe 23 and the 2023 National Women’s Theatre Festival!

Below is the program for our show:

Commedia dell’ Arte is an Italian, improvised, street comedy theater style that began in the mid-16th century. I Firenzi creates historically informed theater in the style of 16th century commedia including archetypical stock characters, half face masks, and common story tropes. These common tropes, including young lovers rebelling against their parents for the sake of true love, magic, and everyone getting happily married in the end are concepts seen in early commedia that also happen to show up in Shakespeare’s works. I Firenzi mashes up Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream with commedia characters and concepts for tonight’s play.

For the National Women’s Theater Festival, we added gender fluidity to some characters, the option for same gender marriage, and a definite feminine empowerment theme throughout. These concepts would not have been seen in 16th century commedia. We hope you will enjoy the mix of historically informed theater and modern inclusivity.

For more information about commedia and i Firenzi, see our website at https://ifirenzi.com

Cast for Midsummer Night’s Commedia for the National Women’s Theater Festival FringeFest 2023!

Duke Pantalone – Brian Towey

Queen Hippolyta – Kacey Reynolds Schedler

 

Flavio – Nathan Violette

Flaminia, daughter of Dottore – Amanda Lee Anderson

Oratio – Lara Coutinho-Dean

Isabella, daughter of Pantalone – Ingrid Towey

 

Peaseblossom – a fairy – Kacey Reynolds Schedler

Capitano Oberono – Scott Vaughan

Queen Vittoria – Chris Keffer

Arlecchino, servant to Oberono – Nancy Kramer

Brighella, adopted child of Vittoria – Veronica Yoshida

 

Dottore, a physician and alchemist – Scott Dean

 

Forest Fairies: Diva Yoshida, Malcolm Schedler, Aidan Reading, Elodie Reading, Marigold Reading

Understudy: Ben Nichols

Scenario co-written by Lara Coutinho-Dean and Dr. Dina Ternullo

Directed by Lara Coutinho-Dean   Technical Director – Scott Dean