TORONTO, Oct. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Following the success of the Dora Award-nominated show, If on a Christmas Night…, Villa Charities proudly presents The Nonna Monologues / I monologhi della Nonna, the new immersive holiday show experience created by internationally acclaimed theatre company DopoLavoro Teatrale (DLT) and director Daniele Bartolini. A limited engagement of this production will run from December 6 – 22, 2019 at the Columbus Centre, with preview performances on December 4 and 5. Tickets are on sale now.
Italy is a country founded on the love of Nonnas. They are the ones who raised you, kept the family together, adopted mystical solutions to cure every ailment while always putting you first. Nonnas are the true superheroes in the Italian family unit and deserve to be celebrated, which is what inspired Daniele Bartolini to develop his next theatrical presentation.
“We’re incredibly thrilled to create a new production for Villa Charities, after last year‘s Dora Award nominee production If on a Christmas Night...,” said Daniele Bartolini, Artistic Director of DopoLavoro Teatrale (DLT). “This new show is a unique opportunity to celebrate an exceptional generation of strong and funny women who dealt with hard times. I’m also very excited to showcase this cast of young and multitalented performers, Danya Buonastella and Maddalena Vallecchi Williams, who will recount their personal memories of their Nonnas as representatives of a new generation of Italian-Canadian actors.”
According to Bartolini, The Nonna Monologues uses DLT’s signature style of audience specific and immersive theatre, but is like an old-fashioned Varietà, an entertainment genre very popular in Italy, similar to a cabaret.
This new production features three performers who will regale the audience with their epic Nonna stories and secret family recipes, each competing for the honour of being voted as the winner of this hilarious ‘Nonna challenge’ towards the end of the show. This show will entertain family and friends with its cozy and convivial theatrical experience and holiday treats.
“Daniele Bartolini, with his unique vision of community and culture, shines a light on the pivotal role Nonnas play in Italian heritage and our upbringing,” said Emanuele Lepri, Executive Director, Cultural Programming, Villa Charities Inc. “We are proud to bring this production to the community we serve.”
The Nonna Monologues is a way for a younger generation to celebrate their elders. It beautifully weaves heartwarming stories and memories of this special generation of women into an unforgettable show full of laughter, love and the magic of Christmas. At the end of the performance, in an informal-style holiday party, the audience will be given the opportunity to share stories of their grandmothers.
A portion of proceeds from ticket sales will support Villa Charities Foundation.
With support from Istituto Italiano di Cultura
Media Partners: TLN Television and Mediaset Italia
Dates:
Previews: Wednesday, December 4, 8:00pm & Thursday, December 5, 8:00pm
World Premiere: Friday, December 6, 8:00pm
Performance Schedule:
Saturday, December 7 – Sunday, December 22*
Tuesday – Saturday at 8:00pm
Sunday at 2:00pm
*No performances on Monday, December 9 and Monday, December 16
Location:
Columbus Centre, 901 Lawrence Ave. West, Toronto, ON
Columbus Room
Duration:
75 minutes (no intermission)
Suitable for ages 6 and up.
Ticket Prices:
Previews: Pay What You Can (suggested donation $20) – To be reserved in advance in person, by phone or email
General Admission:
Adults: $40.00
Nonnas & Seniors (65+), Students (13 – 25) and Artists: $25.00
Children (6 – 12): $20.00
TO BUY TICKETS:
Online: villacharities.com/nonna
Email: rsvp@villacharities.com
By phone: 437-970-3318
In person: Arts, Youth & Culture Department
Columbus Centre
901 Lawrence Ave. West, Toronto, ON M6A 1C3
Office Hours: Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm
Concept and Direction: Daniele Bartolini
Produced by: Villa Charities Inc.
Written by: Daniele Bartolini with Michele Andrei and the DLT cast
Executive Production and Production Design: DopoLavoro Teatrale
With: Danya Buonastella, Daniele Bartolini and Maddalena Vallecchi Williams
About Villa Charities Inc.
Villa Charities Inc. is a registered charity that celebrates and promotes the Italian Heritage, Culture, Language, Arts, Food and Family Values. For almost 50 years across the GTA, Villa Charities has provided culturally sensitive long-term care for seniors and offered educational and cultural programs in music, dance, visual arts, culinary arts, athletics and more. The Villa Charities family includes Villa Colombo Homes for the Aged Inc. in Toronto; Villa Colombo Seniors Centre (Vaughan) Inc./Di Poce Centre; Caboto Terrace, Casa Del Zotto and Casa Abruzzo apartments for independent seniors; the Columbus Centre; and Joseph D. Carrier Art Gallery. For more information, visit villacharities.com
About DopoLavoro Teatrale
DopoLavoro Teatrale (DLT) is an international award-winning company founded in 2006 in Florence, Italy by Artistic Director Daniele Bartolini. DLT is dedicated to audience specific theatre, a form of interactive theatre developed by the company. DLT has been presented in Canada, England, Germany, Italy and India. DLT highlights include: The Stranger 2.0: Above and Below (presented with Istituto Italiano di Cultura and Community Sponsor Villa Charities Inc.), If on a Christmas Night… (Villa Charities Inc., Toronto), Leonardo’s Last Supper (Villa Charities Inc., Toronto), Haunted Weather for a Stranger – First Experiment (Barfuss Theater Berlin; Germany), An Italian Christmas Carol (Istituto Italiano di Cultura Toronto, Canada) The Invisible City (SummerWorks Toronto, Canada), Off Limits Zone (Luminato Festival, Toronto, Canada) Unfinished (Khoj New Dehli, India) Past highlights: The Stranger (presented in Toronto, Canada at SummerWorks Festival, Mumbai at Thespo Festival, Sansepolcro, Italy at Kilowatt Festival, Vancouver, Canada at rEvolver Festival), That Ugly Mess (In the Soil Festival St. Catharines, Canada) Midway Along The Journey of Our Life (SummerWorks Toronto, Canada), EveryTimeIStretchMyArm (Natura Dei Teatri, Parma, Italy), and K.i.t.e. (International Festival Fabric Europa, Florence, Italy). Daniele Bartolini is a recipient of the RBC Newcomer Art Access Prize and finalist of the Telus Newcomer Artist Award. The Stranger received a nomination for the Critic’s Award “Premio Rete Critica” from the Italian theatre magazine PaneAcquaCulture for the edition at the Kilowatt Festival. DLT is the current resident company at Villa Charities Inc. DLT was recently nominated for Outstanding Performance of an Ensemble at the 2019 Dora Mavor Moore Awards.
For more information, please contact:
Jessica Patriquin
MAVERICK
416-640-5525 Ext. 230
jessicap@wearemaverick.com
Kathleen Sloan, CM
Director, Marketing and Communications
Villa Charities
416-789-7011 Ext. 309
ksloan@villacharities.com
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7354e8e6-100c-4f7e-a114-95bb6114010f