L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2022 www.italoamericano.org 30 L'Italo-Americano I This is the first live event organized by o u r c l u b s i n c e t h e pandemic; an event that certainly stems from the need to offer some- thing live, considering we all need to have a laugh." It is with this introduction that Neapolitan actor Gianfran- co Terrin, who has been liv- ing in Los Angeles for years, tells us about the Italian Comedy Festival "One-ma- bell," which will start on the d a y - t o - c r a c k - a - j o k e p a r excellence, April 1st, 2022, April's fool's Day, and will last for three days. "We are pleased to present an Italian comedy festival in Los Ange- les, with the aim to promote and enhance an industry that is struggling to find distribu- t i o n i n A m e r i c a - T e r r i n explains. The intention is, precisely, that of creating a bridge between artists, Ital- ian producers, and American distributors. A festival that was a necessity in America, even if the most famous Ital- ian actors and actresses in the US are icons of Italian comedy like Marcello Mas- t r o i a n n i , U g o T o g n a z z i , Roberto Benigni, Mariangela Melato and Monica Vitti, only to name a few." W i t h t h e s u p p o r t o f the Italian Consulate in Los Angeles and the Ital- ian Cultural Institute, the festival will be hosted by Ter- rin himself, who is also the artistic director of the festival and has been involved for years in the promotion and enhancement of Italian cul- ture in the US. The Italian Comedy Festi- val - its first edition is enti- tled "One-ma-Bell", (a tribute to the Neapolitan expression "Jamm Bell") - will give the American public a calendar full of screenings of comedy classics, contemporary films, shorts, live shows, and stand up comedy. G i a n f r a n c o , w h a t i s the goal of this festival? This festival comprises cinema, television, and the- ater, and its first aim is to offer live shows here in Los Angeles, but also to create a sort of connection between Italy and America for a mar- ket that finds it difficult to be appreciated abroad, that of Italian comedy. Some time ago, I heard an interview with Totò who, already back in 1966, spoke about the dif- ficulty of Italian comedy to be distributed abroad. Translat- ing movies into another lan- guage meant some original nuances were lost, and the product was no longer the same. What I would like to do is create a sort of bridge, a creative laboratory between Italy and America. What is the program like? T h e p r o g r a m i n c l u d e s shows, feature films, short films, not only Italian: in fact, we had applications from all continents. So it is not a festi- val of Italian comedies but an Italian comedy festival. What language will the shows be in? Both Italian and English, live shows will be mostly in English. The rest will be in the original language with subtitles. Both classic films and unreleased short films will be screened. W h a t a r e y o u m o s t proud of? I am certainly very happy because we will be bringing "My Big Italian Mid-Life Cri- sis," one of the latest shows by Anthony Wilkinson's My Big Italian Wedding fran- chise, to Los Angeles for the first time. At the festival, we will showcase his works, and there'll also be, for the first time on the West Coast, a s t a g e r e a d i n g o f t h e n e w show, a preview. What is the strongest point of Italian comedy? Comedy is very personal, as Totò said. What makes us Italians laugh may not make Americans laugh, because there are differences in writ- ing. Our strength is that our culture is the best-known in the world. This is our trump card. It is one of those mar- k e t s t h a t , i n m y o p i n i o n , deserves and needs promo- tion and stimulation. Benigni was, perhaps, the last Italian comedian who found fame in America, but in general, I think we are very lucky in this respect. Do you think people in LA are keen to have more theater and live shows? Absolutely. People think and say that Hollywood is a city that lives exclusively on cinema, but I don't believe this. It is a city that is certain- ly made up of many people who make films, but perhaps for this very reason there is a great need for live entertain- ment, and consequently a great demand; on the other hand, I believe that what is missing is a good offer. In LA, there are either very large theaters with thousands of seats or very small theaters, and there isn't a season of shows. As an independent producer, you are completely alone. In Italy, there is a the- atrical culture, there are bill- boards, there are people who get season tickets, and so on. What is the magic of theater in your opinion? Just the thing that every- one has been missing during this pandemic: human con- tact, closeness. Everyone can recognize themselves in this need for a hug, for a smile. Theater was the thing that b e w i t c h e d m e a s a c h i l d , when I accidentally started this profession. When you find yourself in front of the public, you remember exactly what prompted you to choose this career: the love the audi- ence gives you. The emotion the audience gives you can- not be found anywhere else. A f t e r t w o y e a r s o f s o c i a l d i s t a n c i n g a n d quarantines, will people appreciate theater more? Who doesn't want to go out and hug other people? Who doesn't want to go back t o w h a t w e h a d b e f o r e ? Everyone does! I can't wait to get back on stage. What do you think will be the most important moment of the festival? I believe it'll be our final evening when we present an American director, Christine Lozano, and also Anthony Wilkinson and Women in The Comedy. It will be an e v e n i n g m a d e o f c u l t u r a l crossover and comedy from all over the world, of artists united by one thing only: laughter. What are the activities o f t h e I t a l i a n C o m e d y Club in general? It's a company of Italian actors here in Los Angeles. Our goal, starting from next fall, is to have meetings dedi- cated to stand-up comedy and to organize a stand-up evening with only Italian actors once a month. We also produce shows by Italian artists or with Italian actors. Another goal, of course, is to put together a production of My Big Italian Mid-Life Cri- sis. We are a permanent lab- oratory, even during the pan- demic, in compliance with the rules and social distanc- i n g , w e f o u n d o u r s e l v e s rehearsing at Roxbury Park in Beverly Hills. I like the idea of giving support to Ital- ian actors in a city as difficult and competitive as Los Ange- les. Any practical informa- tion? The shows will be at The Actor's Company in West Hollywood (916 N Formosa A v e ) , t i c k e t s c a n b e p u r - chased on popular sites such as eventbrite; all information can be found on filmfree- way.com, or on the Italian- comedyfestival.com website. W e a l s o h a v e a F a c e b o o k page. Gianfranco Terrin, artistic director of the Italian Comedy Festival (Photo courtesy of Gianfranco Terrin) Laughter returns to LA with the Italian Comedy Festival SILVIA GIUDICI LOS ANGELES ITALIAN COMMUNITY

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