Author: italianamericantheatreofchicago

The Italian American Theatre of Chicago invites you to an afternoon of comedy, fun and games. Join us for Bible Bingo, by producer-playwright Vicki Quade (also Late-Night Catechism), and our own Nancy Greco, starring as former nun, Mrs. Mary Margaret O’Brien, who now runs a Bingo circuit for the cash-strapped archdiocese. But beware! Even without the veil, Mary Margaret’s got your number. Complimentary dessert buffet. Prizes, Silent Auction and Split-the-Pot. Free street parking on Sundays.

Sunday, May 19, 2024 2 p.m. The Greenhouse Theatre 2257 N. Lincoln Chicago, IL 60614

Tickets: $40 – All proceeds support the IATC. (Seating limited – reservations suggested.)

For reservations, tickets or questions, 

email: 

info@italianamericantheatreofchicago.com

or mail:

Italian American Theatre of Chicago

528 N. Ridgeland, Oak Park, IL 60302

(Greenhouse Theatre Box Office will not take questions or orders.)

 

The Dominican University Performing Arts Center and The Italian American Theatre of Chicago

will present a staged reading of

THE FERMIS

by Cathy and Jim Sweitzer Directed by Nancy Greco

Wednesday, October 18, 2023, 7:30 p.m. Dominican University, Mar?n Recital Hall 7900 W. Division, River Forest, IL 60305

On the last day of Enrico Fermi’s life, the architect of the atomic bomb reflects on his life and legacy with his wife Laura. They recall their unlikely courtship; his Nobel Prize; their escape from Italy where Laura, a Jew, was at risk; his first man-made, nuclear chain reacLon; and her isolaLon and loneliness as “just one of the wives.”

This intensely personal drama highlights Chicago’s role in the ManhaRan Project. Part history, part love story, The Fermi’s is about transformaLon: of a couple, of the atom, of the world.

Tickets: $20
Students and Dominican community free with valid ID; in person only ReservaLons requested. Contact: BoxOffice@dom.edu
Students should include name, school, and # of Lckets.

If you do not wish to purchase online, you may call and leave a message on the reservation line at 708-488-5000 or send email to: BoxOffice@dom.edu

The Box Office is not staffed during the week, but voicemail/e-mail messages are checked regularly. Box Office will open at 12 p.m. on performance day. Walk-in tickets may be purchased at the Box Office as long as seating is available. For best seating options, however, purchase tickets online in advance.

For more information, see https://dom.edu/arts-minds/performing-arts-center

Save the date for the IATC’s first performance post Covid. Set on the last day in the life of Italian American (and Chicagoan) Enrico Fermi, architect of the atomic bomb, and inspired by his wife Laura’s memoir, “Atoms in the Family,” The Fermi’s is part love story, part war story, and part science story. But like the Geiger counter clicking between scenes, it is also the story of a man who once held the fate of the world in his hands, now grappling with his own mortality and wrestling with the persistent question: What is the role of Science in society?

More details about the reading will be posted in the coming weeks.

As we watch the news from Italy with aching hearts, I could not help but think of the last play we presented, Dark Passage, by Rosemary Frisino Toohey. As many of you know, it is about the internment of Italian Americans during World War II. I am attaching an audio clip of the final scene of Act One, when Mario (played by Larry Dahlke), a sardine fisherman, is saying goodbye to his wife Antonia (played by Joy Pappas) before he is sent off to camp. It seems to be the right message for the moment. As Antonia reminds her husband, there will be light at the end of the tunnel.

The Italian American Theatre of Chicago regrets to announce the cancellation of its upcoming reading of The Diagonal Trilogy on April 4 and 5, 2020, at Open Door Theatre, Oak Park.

We are taking this precaution to keep our audience and actors safe and out of a sense of responsibility to the greater community. At a time when everyone wants this pandemic to be contained quickly, it is something we can do to discourage communal spread of the virus. We are hoping to reschedule for fall and will be sure to let you know when we do.

If you missed the reading of Rosemary FrisinoToohey ‘s play, here are live recordings of Acts 1 and 2. Enjoy.

Act 1

Act 2

A few photos from our recent reading of Rosemary FrisinoToohey’s Passaggio Oscuro at the Oak Park Public Library on Sunday, January 26, 2020. The audience was spellbound by the play and these remarkable actors: Larry Baldacci, Beverly Coscarelli, Larry Dahlke, Alyse Dionne, Jake Jones, and Joy Pappas.

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Join us for the dramatic reading of PASSAGGIO OSCURO (Dark Passage), by Rosemary FrisinoToohey, when the Italian American Theatre of Chicago kicks off its 2020 season on Sunday afternoon, January 26, at the Oak Park Public Library. The Gold-Medal winning play deals with the little-known fact of the detention of Italian Americans during WWII and its impact on three individuals and their families — a fisherman, a newspaper editor, and a language teacher. The award-winning playwright will take questions after the reading when café e dolci will be served.

When: Sunday, January 26, 2020, 2:00 p.m.
Where: Oak Park Public Library, Veterans’ Room, 834 Lake St., 60301 Tickets/Admission: Free
(RSVP to info@italianamericantheatreofchicago.com is appreciated.)

Some of our followers have been asking about the next Playwriting Competition. We apologize to have kept you waiting.

As you know, we had hoped to make the Competition a yearly event, but that proved to be overly optimistic. We had a lot to learn about the practical realities of production: namely, they take more time, money and human resources than we anticipated. In fact, we are still in the process of presenting our first round of winners.

In broad strokes, here is what we have in mind for our next contest: We envision narrowing the focus to emerging playwrights and works that are still in progress. The winners would be invited to a weekend workshop that might include personalized critiques, table readings by actors, coaching from theatre professionals, and a public reading. We hope to announce a call for submissions in early 2020.

As always, thank you for your interest, your support, and your patience as we grow our little theatre. Like a good marinara, it takes time – and love!

Tanti auguri,

Cathy

 

On October 10, 2019,  Loyola University’s Italian American Studies Program invited the IATC to do an encore reading of August Nigro’s compelling play about the Sacco and Vanzetti case. We are pleased to be able to share a recording of that performance at the link below, as well as a photo of the cast and a copy of the program. Thanks to all who made it possible.

(Left to right: Paul Barile, Antonio Brunetti, Bev Coscarelli, Graziano Marcheschi, David Krajecki, Paulette Cary and Philip Amler — with apologies to Frank Di Piero in David’s shadow and our narrator off camera, Nancy Marcheschi)

LongShadow2ProgramTemp