L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2024 www.italoamericano.org 28 L'Italo-Americano " I t ' s n i c e t o h a v e d r e a m s t u c k e d away, but you need t o p u r s u e t h e m ; o t h e r w i s e , t h e y remain just dreams," says F r a n c e s c o B a u c o , w h o pursued his dream and made it come true on May 18th at the Hudson Theater in Hollywood. Bauco made his U S d e b u t w i t h t h e s h o w W h a t A m I D o i n g H e r e ? where he is both director and protagonist. In this one-act play, Elio – played by Bauco, a s s i s t e d b y s i x a c t o r s o n stage – reflects on his life and solitude as he approach- es forty. The show was previously performed in Italy under the title Come Mai Sono Qui, a m o n o l o g u e c o m p o s e d o f phrases and anecdotes from Paolo Silvestrini's book Det- tagli di Dettagli. "What Am I Doing Here? is a theatrical journey centered on a man grappling with his past loves, uncertainties, and the enig- m a t i c c h a r m o f w o m e n , intertwining touching mem- ories and quirky encounters. Elio's interactions with a col- orful range of characters take place on a minimally staged set, mixing humor and intro- spection," explains Bauco, who was born and raised in Rome but who has lived in L o s A n g e l e s s i n c e 2 0 1 5 . "After touring in Italy, in var- i o u s s e a s i d e l o c a t i o n s , Roman arenas, and some archaeological spaces like the splendid ancient Roman theater of Formia, Latina, I felt there was potential to bring it to the United States." H o w d i d t h e i d e a o f bringing an Italian show to a Hollywood theater come about? P e r f o r m i n g i n I t a l y a s both director and protago- nist was a great challenge, but the response from the Italian audience gave me the strength to do something I had long wanted but feared I was not up to: acting in Eng- lish and directing American actors. Then I remembered that in life, we must do the things that scare us, that push us out of our comfort zones, and always challenge ourselves, taking one step further each time. What difficulties did you encounter in adapt- ing the play from Italian to English? American sarcasm is dif- ferent in some respects from straightforward Italian irony. Lauren Waites, one of the actresses in the show, had the difficult task of adapting the text into English without losing Paolo Silvestrini's dry and sometimes cynical tone. You are also the direc- tor of this play. Did you have any particular fig- ure as references? I have always loved direct- ing theater with all my heart. Being an actor, working with other actors while speaking t h e s a m e l a n g u a g e a n d involving them in your vision i s a u n i q u e e x p e r i e n c e , almost a magical process. The references for the adap- tation included Italian and international films, as well as some Broadway shows dear to me. In fact, I included quotes and tributes to Fed- e r i c o F e l l i n i , V i t t o r i o D e S i c a , A l a n A y c k b o u r n , Woody Allen, Mike Nichols, and even Carlo Verdone. T h e A m e r i c a n c a s t includes both Italian and American actors. Was it important to you to have Italian actors as well? Yes, it was very important to me. Although the two Ital- ian actresses, Ilaria Cerini a n d G a i a P a s s a l e r , s p e a k excellent English, having an equal distribution of the two n a t i o n a l i t i e s h e l d s t r o n g symbolic and energetic value for me. So, alongside the three of us Italian actors, t h e r e a r e t h e A m e r i c a n s , Lauren Waites, Alex Mason, and Michael Collins. How Italian and how universal do you consid- e r t h e t h e m e s o f t h e show to be? Elio is all of us, regardless of nationality. With his fears, doubts, insecurities, melan- cholies, and hopes, Elio is universal. His fear of aging, o f n o t h a v i n g t h e s a m e appeal to women as he did at 30, are fears that belong to t h e m a l e s p h e r e , a n d n o t only, worldwide. The show is a sort of magnifying glass on t h e d e c i s i o n s w e m a k e throughout our lives; at the moment, we may not realize i t , b u t t h o s e d e c i s i o n s c h a n g e t h e p a t h w e t a k e , leading us in one direction rather than another. S i n c e m o v i n g t o t h e United States, you have acted with Bruce Willis, Matt Damon, Kathleen Turner, and Christian Bale. Which cinematic s u c c e s s a r e y o u m o s t attached to? Certainly, my cinematic breakthrough came in 2018 w h e n I s i g n e d w i t h 2 0 t h Century Fox to play Lorenzo Bandini, a historic Ferrari driver from the '60s, in the film Ford v Ferrari, known in Italy as Le Mans '66 - La G r a n d e S f i d a . T h e f i l m r e c e i v e d f o u r A c a d e m y Award nominations in 2019, including "Best Picture," and won two Oscars. The follow- ing year, I was a special guest star in the CBS television series Mom, in which I acted alongside actresses such as Kathleen Turner, Oscar win- n e r A l l i s o n J a n n e y , a n d Anna Faris. As an actor, what has cinema taught you that you have brought with you to the theater? Working side by side on set with Hollywood stars has taught me two things that I carry with me not only on stage but in life: discipline a n d h u m i l i t y . B o t h a r e essential for building some- thing while keeping your feet on the ground and not for- g e t t i n g w h e r e y o u c a m e from. How important was it to have help from Sis- tema Italia in Los Ange- les, from the Italian Con- sulate, and the Italian Cultural Institute? Having the support and backing of the prestigious Italian institutions here in Los Angeles was crucial not only logistically but also psy- chologically. Knowing that I had their support gave me a lot of drive and confidence. When people believe in you, the responsibility increases, but so does the enthusiasm and desire to do well. Consul Raffaella Valentini and the director of the Italian Cultur- a l I n s t i t u t e , E m a n u e l e Amendola, were in the front row. What are the future g o a l s f o r W h a t A m I Doing Here? We are discussing with other Italian Cultural Insti- tutes to bring it not only to other venues in California but also to Washington D.C. and New York. I consider it particularly suitable for the latter city, not only because of the theatrical culture that pervades the Big Apple but a l s o b e c a u s e t h e I t a l i a n - A m e r i c a n c o m m u n i t y i n New York is solid and a true institution. Francesco Bauco's play debuts in Hollywood SILVIA NITTOLI Clockwise, actor and director Francesco Bauco (Photo: Ginevra Guidotti) and two scenes from the show (Photos: Stefano Lisci) LOS ANGELES ITALIAN COMMUNITY

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