MADE IN ITALY

In 1983 I decided I wanted to become a radio host. To that end, I first attended diction classes at Iginio Bonazzi’s school Centro D (D Center). I then went on to attend Ernesto Cortese’s acting school for two years. Mr Cortese was then the theater company director at the Turin (Italy) branch of the national Italian television broadcaster RAI, while Mr Bonazzi was an actor in the same company. Both conveyed to me their deep passion for drama, although radio remained my “first love”.

Unfortunately, becoming an actor in Turin was very difficult in those years. Since I didn’t want to be a burden to my family, I gave up acting and became a sales representative.

I worked as such for twenty years, selling all sorts of goods and services, from advertising to child care products and from medical accessories to pet welfare items. In 2000 I joined an IT company and I became a Website designer, first as an employee, then as a free-lance professional.

In order to capitalize on my field practice experience, I wrote three books on selling and became a sales technique coach. During one of my workshops, I met my current business partner, who is a privacy consultant. Under his coaching I moved over from IT communications to personal data protection, and joined his consulting firm, Applicando srl, where I am currently working as an associate partner.

The call of the stage, however, remained strong all along. I never stopped reading drama and novels by major Italian, French, Russian and American authors - both classical and contemporary. In 2009 I staged the comedy “Una donna per nemico” (A Woman as Enemy), which was written by a friend who is a high-school Latin teacher. I then realized that, far from vanishing, the “instinct of the stage” my teacher, Mr Cortese, had “diagnosed” to me many years before had become more intense. So, I started working on a piece of drama of my own, based on an idea I had many years before but I had never dared writing. The actual opportunity came to me through a friend who is a producer of fundraising shows, in particular for health care grassroots groups. I suggested to him that I may stage my piece for a charity supporting the families of children suffering from Epidermolysis Bullosa (the so-called “Butterfly Children”), and he accepted right away.

Thus, in April 2018 I staged “La valigia” (The Suitcase), a fouract drama of my own. The main character is the suitcase itself, and four separate and unrelated stories revolve around it. Although the director was a capable professional and worked at her very best, I decided I’d rather direct my pieces myself. So, I registered as a theater author at the Italian Society of Authors and Publishers. To date, I have registered with the Society four pieces of drama, and I am writing a few more. I also started studying drama direction under a renowned director based in Turin. In this framework, I staged “L’ultimo giorno” (The Last Day), a reading of a text I wrote in 2011. I am currently also attending various classes, courses and workshops on theater direction, improvisation and acting practice.

My readings have changed, too. I’m now studying works by Ejzenstejn, Grotowsky, Jouvet, Katie Mitchell and Stanislawsky, and next year I’m planning to study Lee

Strasberg.

My passion for the radio didn’t vanish, though. Using the opportunities offered by the Internet e by current technology, I set up my own podcast channel (www.almicrofono.it), which has four sections: Audioclassici, Audioracconti, Audiodrammi and Audioteatro.

Section Audioclassici (Audio Classics) is dedicate d to the interpretative reading of such classical authors as Shakespeare, Brecht, Hesse, Leopardi, Foscolo, Pavese, etc. Section Audioracconti (Audio Shorts) is dedicated to short stories written by myself or by actor friends. Section Audiodrammi (Audio Drama) focuses on noir and tragedy, with texts by myself. Section Audioteatro (Audio Theater) features readings of theater pieces of my own or belonging to the classical repertoire. In this project, I co-operate with friends who are authors and/o actors.

Indeed, the results are exciting. In just over a year, my channel totaled over twelve thousand visits and very favorable feedback. This includes students who like listening to, rather than reading, poetry by the great authors of the past.

I’ve just kicked-off the rehearsals for my second piece of drama, “Una volta ti vengo a trovare” (One day I’ll come to see You), which I intend to stage by the end of 2021. This piece is centered on Man’s and God’s depression. The drama deals with the relationship between Man and God from a lay and sometimes ironic perspective. However, it also features intense moments, which aim at reflecting on subjects that are anything but light.

“I had my first theatrical experience when I was sixteen. Back then, I took part in the staging of Deep are the Roots, a piece by Arnaud D’Usseau and James Gow centered on racial segregation after WWII