media kit - BellaLuna Productions

MEDIA KIT
MAY 31 – JUNE 7, 8PM
FREDERIC WOOD
THEATRE, UBC
Media Contact: Stefano Giulianetti 604-321-1080 [email protected]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: press, Press, PRess, PREss, PRESs, PRESS; RELEASE! May 8, 2008 - VANCOUVER, (U)BC.
BellaLuna Productions + Theatre at UBC Present
MAY 31 – JUNE 7, 2008, 8PM - FREDERIC WOOD THEATRE, UBC
WARNING: BOLD MANIFESTATIONS, ABSURDIST COMEDY,
AVANT GARDE EXPRESSION, PROVOCATIVE REALISM.
THE RETURN OF FUTURISTI brings the Avant-Guard Theatre of Italian Futurism to the modern stage 100 years since its revolutionary
beginnings. With theatre SINTESI [short, explosive playlets] newly translated from the original 1909-1939 Italian texts, BellaLuna takes the
audience on an unpredictable exploration of the modern era.
The Futurists laid the foundation for the modernist movement, influencing every aspect of art:
THEATRE, ARCHITECTURE, FILM, MUSIC, FASHION, DANCE, and even COOKING.
In theatre, the use of the SINTESI enlightened by stimulating the
spirit and imagination without the intervention of reason.
The Futurists created new elements of
astonishments, exposing the truth
and farce of humanity.
TICKETS: 604-822-2678 $20/$12/$8 INFO: www.bellaluna.ca or www.theatre.ubc.ca
-30Media Contact: Stefano Giulianetti 321-1080 [email protected]
THEATRE
23 Theatre Sintesi
in English and Italian from
Futurists including F.T. Marinetti,
Sculptor Umberto Boccioni,
Painter Giacomo Balla
& original creations by
BELLALUNA
POETRY
SOUND
DANCE
FILM
BELLALUNA’S FUTURISTI:
In the spirit of the turn of the century Italian Futurists, an ensemble of
like-minded artists of various mediums with a hunger for excitement and change, Directors Gerald
Vanderwoude (UBC) and Susan Bertoia (BellaLuna Productions) have assembled a prodigious
ensemble of performers, designers and artists to re-create, pay tribute to and experiment with
an art form that had an incredible impact on the shape of art and life as we know it.
It should be noted that the Futurist theatre was the public expression of a movement that involved
every aspect of life. It was not a Theatre movement, or a style;
it was the megaphone of a
changing society. The world was experiencing a great deal of technological advances at an
astounding rate; futurism was the industrial revolution personified in the art world.
While the paintings and sculptures of the Futurists are better remembered due to their lasting tangible
nature, very little is known about the theatre, because many of the theatre scripts were created as
an idea that was impossible to produce...at the time.
The influence of this new way of presenting reality and absurdity is seen in playwrights like
Beckett and continues to inspire artists with its rebellious, even revolutionary style.
In 1909, the theatre was a very traditional and studied craft that was not to be altered…
We can thank the Italian Futurists for breaking the mold.
2 Theatre Sintesi
[Small Explosive Playlets]
SCULPTURE
ARCHITECTURE
The back of the Italian 20 Cent
EURO Coin displays one of the most
well known futurist sculptures by
Umberto Boccioni
Recognize this building? No?
But you agree it could be in any North
American metropolis… This Building
was designed in 1914
at a time when it could never be more
that a dream of the future.
“The Unique Forms of
Continuity in Space”
None of the architecture of the
Italian Futurists was ever actually
built (well, not by them).
FASHION
VISUAL ART
1913 – BIRTH OF THE
V-NECK SWEATER;
Futurism influenced many other
twentieth century art movements,
including
Art Deco, Cubism,
Surrealism & Dada.
a revolt against rounded designs.
THE FUTURISTS EVEN
DICTATED HOW FOOD
SHOULD BE
PREPARED!
THE
FUTURIST
COOKBOOK
)))
When in 1910, a group of Painters
wrote the Manifesto of Futurist
Painting, none had yet completed
a futurist work.
Futurism is the first art movement
to manifest itself in theory before
appearing in practice.
MUSIC & SOUND
Futurist Luigi Russolo categorized noise-sounds into 6 separate groups;
A feat that present day sound effect composers should be thankful for.
(((
DIRECTORS
Susan Bertoia
Gerald Vanderwoude
CAST & CREW
HIGHLIGHTS
STAGE MANAGER
Marijka Asbeek Brusse
PERFORMERS
Shaun Aquiline
Kerry Allchin
Beverly Bardal
Susan Bertoia
Jamie Desjardins
Stefano Giulianetti
Tony Koelwyn
Joe Procyk
Marco Soriano
Astrid Varnes
Nathan Vass
+ More
SELECTED CAST HIGHLIGHTS*
*In no particular order
Susan Bertoia: Artistic Director of BellaLuna and Adjunct
Professor, UBC. Arts Club’s ‘Enchanted April’, Boca Del Lupo
and Various with Western Canada Theatre. Jessie Richardson
Award Nominee for ‘Over the River and Through the Woods.’
Beverly Bardal: UBC’s ‘The Beckett Cent Festival and ‘The
Beckett Birthday Bash I-V’, Scary Stories with Actors
Anonymous.
Marco Soriano: Currently also performing in Theatre
Replacement’s ‘BIO BOXES’. ‘Hosanna’, Boca Del Lupo’s ‘The
Suicide’, Various with Arts Club, Western Canada Theatre’s
‘Beauty and the Beast.’
Stefano Giulianetti: Jessie Richardson Award winner for Axis
Theatre’s ‘Emperor’s New Threads’, Carousel Theatre’s ‘The
Hobbit’, Various with Western Canada Theatre, Upcoming in
Axis Theatre’s ‘The Number 14.’
SOUND & VIDEO
Shaun Aquiline: UBC’s ‘A Dybbuk’ and ‘Learned Ladies.’
Louis Chirillo
Martin Ritter
Farshid Samandari
Flick Harrison
Astrid Varnes: ‘Other Freds’ by The Only Animal, Transit
Lounge’s ‘Village of Idiots’, UBC’s ‘Under Milkwood.’
DESIGN
Carmen Alatorre
Morgan Carrier
Ali Sohrabzadeh
+ More
Kerry Allchin: United Players’ ‘Volpone.’
Joe Procyk: UBC’s ‘Endgame’, ‘Rough for Theatre II’, ‘A Lie of
the Mind’, ‘Sexual Perversity in Chicago.’
Nathan Vass: Regina Little Theatre’s ‘Rope’ and a gangster in
the Tunnels of Moose Jaw.
COMPANY NAME:
BellaLuna Productions
ORIGINS:
Established in 1998. Name means ‘beautiful moon’ in Italian, inspired by
American/Italian film “Moonstruck.”
MANDATE:
To produce entertaining work that transcends language barriers and challenges
the audience to engage in the performance.
SPECIALTIES:
Commedia Dell’ Arte, Physical Theatre, Comedy, Original Work.
CORE MEMBERS:
Susan Bertoia – Artistic Director & Performer
Stefano Giulianetti – Managing Director & Performer
Marco Soriano – Movement Director & Performer
Louis Chirillo – Musical Director & Performer
PAST SHOWS:
The Best Italian Variety Show – Ever! (Variety Show, 2005-08)
Roving Characters (Various Events and Festivals, 1998-Present)
El Tango Del Leche (One-Act, 2006)
Indiretta Dal Cuore (Variety Show, 2004)
Violins (One-Act, 2003)
Are You There? (Comic Monologues, 2002)
The Rapture Of the Ladle (Commedia Show, 2002)
PLUM, Susan Bertoia (Solo Physical Theatre, 2000-02)
This is how you came into the world (One-Act, 2000)
Befana (Christmas Folktale, 1999-2000)
Teatro Italiano (Variety Show, 1998)
FESTIVALS ATENDED:
Theatre Under The Gun (2000, 2003, 2006), Kamloops Fringe (2006), Festa Italiana Trail (2006),
Vancouver Intl Comedy Fest (2002), Whistler Street Festival (2004,2005,2007),
Vancouver Intl and Pender Island Fringe Festivals (2000)
REVIEWS/COMMENTS:
“Moved the audience to laughter and tears”
- Ian Forsyth, Arts Services Mgr – Shadbolt Centre For the Arts
“So wild and funny! You guys were just great!”
-David Jones, Artistic Director, Rock Paper Scissors
“The Vancouver International Comedy Festival was thrilled with the spontaneous, quick witted
street performances of BellaLuna. The audience […] really enjoyed the humour and skills of
these talented artists.”
-Wayne Specht, Artistic Director, Vancouver International Comedy Festival.
FAVORITE SAYING:
“If They Ain’t Crazy, We Don’t Want’ Em”
Italian Futurism (1909-39)
was one of the 20th century's first and most
influential avant-garde art movements. Founded February 20th 1909 with Filippo Tommaso
Marinetti’s publication in the Paris Newspaper “Le Figaro” of THE MANIFESTO OF FUTURISM.
It exclaimed: “Today we establish Futurism, because we want to free this
land from its smelly gangrene of professors, archaeologists and
antiquarians.”
20th Century Italian Futurism was (and is) a refreshing contrast to the weepy sentimentalism of
Romanticism. The Futurists loved speed, noise, machines, pollution, and cities; they embraced the
exciting new world that was then upon them rather than hypocritically enjoying the modern world’s
comforts while loudly denouncing the forces that made them possible. Fearing and attacking
technology has become almost second nature to many people today; the Futurist manifestos show
us an alternative philosophy.
Futurists sought to bring movement and chaos to the theatre world, to create a theatre of
mechanization and movement, a theatre which captured the true spirit of the future.
Futurists: Theatre. No other art could better demonstrate the movement's concept of 'art as action',
propagate its anti-traditionalist stance and demonstrate its modernist aims and aesthetics. Ironically,
the writers of the pieces are NOT writers but sculptors, painters and poets. The entertainment would
'symphonize' the feelings of the public, exploring and revealing them in every possible way.
The dramatic 'synthesis', which will take the place of the traditional play,
will be 'autonomous, unreal, and alogical'. With color, forms, sounds and
noises, it will, like the works of Futurist painters and musicians, assault the
nerves.... The spectators will be made to 'forget the monotony of everyday
life' through a 'labyrinth of sensations'.
The Futurists created new elements of astonishments, heightening the theatrical experience while
exposing the truth and farce of humanity. The beginning of the Second World War would mark the
end of Futurism.
THESE PHOTOS + MORE AVAILABLE at
WWW.BELLALUNA.CA
ACCOLADES FOR
FUTURISTI!
Just wanted to congratulate you on a great show! I took my husband last night to see FUTURISTI and he loved it and he is very picky so big
kudos there. We loved it all but especially the vacuum cleaner dance (of course I would love this) and the scenario with the 2 servants- keep it up!! Very
refreshing… and while I was waiting in line for the women's room a woman struck up a conversation with me about how she regretted not making her son come with
her as it was such a great show. […] Kudos and keep this kind of theatre alive. […] So happy for you and it was great for our students to see it! “
“
- Catherine Burnett (Movement Professor Department of Theatre, UBC)
marvelous
“It was
! I very much enjoyed the selection of playlets, the humourous Italian script, and the excellent acting. Congratulations… I hope you were as
pleased with Futuristi as was your audience, which, by the way, was very energetic and engaged. “
- Nancy Gallini
weird, but the good type of weird
“I had a blast last night. Lots of energy, tons of fun, yes,
…fabulous cast... “
- Lisa Ann Beley (Sessional Instructor Voice, Department of Theatre, UBC and SFU)
I had no idea what was going to happen next.
Everyone was brilliant. Strong cast, direction and
What a great evening in the theatre last night!
hilarious! […] one of the most exciting evenings of theatre I've seen in a long time. It was crazy and an event with some very funny performers. […] It was unlike anything I've
seen.
- David MacKay (Director and Adjunct Professor, UBC Theatre)
I hadn’t seen anything like it
“it was so GREAT!
live before. There was laughing, bits of contemplation, a little translation, occasional head scratching and
mainly just being really well entertained by it all. So creative. You were amazing. You have so much energy and character on stage that radiates out. It was a sold out
performance –
I’m sure you could have played for weeks and had a full house.”
- Danae (Audience member)
It was amazing!
…it was so funny and interesting, really absorbing, and the staging with the projections and use of the curtains and sound was great. i really liked
“
the plain sets and costumes, the audience was really able to concentrate on what was going on in each piece, rather than being distracted by embellishments. […] I loved
Best I’ve seen in forever
the whole thing. […]
.”
-Maryke and Ian (Audience members)
“FUTURISTI” was first produced by BellaLuna October 11-13, 2007 at the Frederic Wood Theatre at UBC
with the support of the Italian Cultural Institute as part of Italian Language Week 2007.