Stratford’s Antoni Cimolino serves up a delicious final production as the Festival’s artistic director.
Antoni Cimolino must have had mixed feelings watching last week’s opening night of his 31st production as a director at the Stratford Festival—sadness knowing it was his last production as artistic director but also joy in knowing he has directed such a superlative production of Eduardo De Filippo’s comic masterpiece, which he co-adapted with Donato Santeramo into a new English translation.
De Filippo was arguably one of the most important Italian playwrights of the 20th century, best known for his classic tragicomic works. Cimolino has poured himself into this sparkling contemporary commedia dell’arte, and the result is triumphant, riveting, world-class theatre. The characters are so well-defined and the staging so natural that we truly feel like flies on the wall of a spacious 1959 Naples apartment, silent witnesses to a family in crisis.
Told in three acts, the play follows a bustling postwar Neapolitan household as long-simmering tensions come to a boil over the course of a single weekend. Patriarch Peppino Priore (a simply excellent Graham Abbey), feeling unappreciated and misunderstood, suspects his wife, Rosa (a remarkable Rose Napoli making an impressive Stratford debut), of infidelity.
Meanwhile, Rosa broods because she feels neglected and unloved. Tensions run high, and miscommunication extends to other family members and friends who come and go. Peppino’s jealousy comes to a head at the Sunday feast as he explosively accuses his wife of an illicit affair with his friend Luigi.
Quirky characters, hilarious interruptions, revelations, and arguments abound. Ultimately, this clamouring clan exposes their insecurities, finds truth in their relationships, and begins the process of reconciliation through humour and love.
You’re immersed in everything Italian the moment you walk into the theatre. Italian folk music rings out from every speaker while the enticing aroma of traditional ragù sauce wafts through the house. As a brilliant marketing coup, patrons are invited to enjoy authentic samples of pasta, sauce, and freshly baked bread in the lobby during intermission.
The gorgeous 3-D set by Douglas Paraschuk is a feast for the eyes, a masterwork of design and functionality. Supported by props from Dona Hrabluk, he presents a fully realized period kitchen, complete with an authentic Ignis fridge, cutting boards, boiling pots, simmering stock, running water, and an abundance of fresh vegetables. The kitchen table and chairs, family photographs, knick-knacks, and dishes reflect careful, meticulous attention to detail. Large windows reveal a quaint balcony offering a view of the exterior apartment block, with Mount Vesuvius rising beyond. The entire space feels authentic, warm, and convincingly lived in. Oh, and the cast really do eat the meal they prepare during the show.
Michael Walton’s lighting is beautifully evocative, enhancing the mood of each act, from the warm afternoon glow of the busy family kitchen to the muted, dimmer tones of supper hour, and finally to the cold, harsh shadows of the moonlit wee hours of dawn.
Costumes by Francesca Callow are period-specific and perfectly reflect the distinct personalities of the characters who wear them. From bright jackets to floral dresses to sombre suits, Callow’s careful attention to 1950s fashion is fantastic!
In addition to the superb leading actors, the supporting cast offers richly drawn characters with colourful, compelling performances. The grown Priore children—Roberto (Jakob Ehman), Rocco (Emilio Viera), and Giulianna (Katarina Fiallos)—not only look like siblings, but they also perfectly nail the squabbles, insults, threats, and ultimate forgiveness. Even Giulianella’s fiancé, Frederico (Maher Sinno), and Roberto’s wife, Maria (Celia Loma), easily fit into the family unit.
The guest list of extended family and friends is filled out by some of Stratford’s most venerable performers. Theatre legend Seanna McKenna shows off her comedic chops as Peppino’s interrupting and doting sister Amelia. Josue Laboucane has wonderful comedic timing as Attilio, Amelia’s slow-witted son, while Geraint Wyn Davies is a hoot prancing around the stage as Peppino’s brother Raffaele, a part-time actor with a penchant for commedia dell’arte. Gordon S. Miller and Michelle Gioux, as accountant neighbour Luigi Ianniello and his wife, Elena, are both flawless as catalysts for much of the family’s Sunday-evening tumult.
The smaller supporting roles are no less entertaining. Rod Beattie, as the eccentric grandfather and former hat seller Antonio Piscopo, is both doddering and doting, while Jenna-Lee Hyde, as the long-suffering maid Virginia, shows her absolute devotion to the family. Liam Tobin, as Virginia’s brooding brother Michele, makes the most of his limited stage time, while David Collins, as tailor Catiello, has a grand time trying to fit Grandpa Antonio for a new suit. Michael Wamara is solid as the family doctor and confidante.
Saturday, Sunday, Monday has a comparatively short run, so you have until the end of October to see the crowning achievement of Cimolino’s extraordinary Festival career. He leaves some very big shoes to fill.
Running time: Approx. 3 hours with two intermissions
The production runs until October 24 at the Avon Theatre, 99 Downie St., Stratford.
For tickets, call the Box Office at 1-800-567-1600 or email www.stratfordfestival.ca
The Stratford Festival Presents
“Saturday, Sunday, Monday” by Eduardo De Filippo in a new English version by Donato Santeramo and Antoni Cimolino
WORLD PREMIERE TRANSLATION
Directed by Antoni Cimolino
Set design by Douglas Paraschuk
Props by Dona Hrabluk
Lighting by Michael Walton
Costumes by Francesca Callow
CAST: Rose Napoli, Graham Abbey, Rod Beattie, Jakob Ehman, Emilio Viera, Katarina Fiallos, Geraint Wyn Davies, Seana McKenna, Josue Laboucane, Celia Aloma, Maher Sinno
