The Italian in Me

[NoHo Arts District] – The award-winning comedy “The Italian in Me” returns to the stage for two performances only as an Official Selection in Theatre West’s festival of solos shows, “Solopalooza 2.022.”

WINNER- Best One-Person Show- Valley Theatre Awards.

“One of the truly funniest nights I’ve spent at the theatre.”—Mel Brooks

In “The Italian in Me,” a doe-eyed aspiring actress from Canada – who has been raised on a heaping dose of old-fashioned values and Roman Catholic guilt – upends her life by moving to Italy. With her, she brings a tiny bit of cash and grandiose dreams of working in Italian Cinema. Once in Rome, she quickly discovers that things in the Eternal City are not quite as holy or as romantic as she had imagined. Her days are filled with countless fruitless encounters with perverts, priests, producers and statues of saints in old churches, to whom she pleads for help. But help does not come. Not even a chance sighting of the Pope at St. Peter’s brings her any closer to her dream. When all hope seems lost, she meets the cinematic Maestro himself, Federico Fellini at Cinecitta Studios for what turns out to be a very illuminating encounter,. But. will it be the ‘Dolce Vita’ she was searching for? 

Dina Morrone is the writer-performer. Dina also wrote and acted in the long-running hit stage comedy “Moose on the Loose.” You’ve heard her voice before; She’s one of the busiest voice artists in Hollywood, lending her voice to dozens of films and TV shows (Oscar® winner “Dune,” Oscar nominated “Luca,” Emmy® winner “The Morning Show,” and soon to be released Dreamworks’ “The Bad Guys”), video games, and as the Announcer of several awards shows. The graduate of Ryerson University (Toronto) has also appeared on screen in numerous films and television shows in the U.S., Canada and Italy. She is the Executive Editor and Contributing Writer of The Eden Magazine. Previously, she produced “It Happened in L.A.,” an evening of Storytelling, and “Portraits of Humanity,” a series of solo shows. She is the producer of Theatre West’s new festival of solo shows, “Solopalooza 2.022.”

Reviews

“Her scene with Federico Fellini is written and rendered to perfection.”—Backstage West

“One of the Top Ten Actresses of Los Angeles.”—ReviewPlays.com

“Morrone is a skillful, attractive comedienne.”– L.A. Weekly

“It abounds with wit and humor, and Dina’s characterizations are superb.”— Entertainment Today

“A compelling, comic, poignant and riveting exposition.”— ReviewPlays.com

“A brilliant comic talent with echoes of Lucille Ball and Gina Lollobrigida with a touch of Tracey Ullman. I absolutely loved “The Italian in Me.” Bravo! Highly Recommended.”—NoHo Arts Magazine

“This show is worthy of seeing more than once…The immense talent of Dina Morrone makes us wanting more. Recommended.” –Metro L.A.

“Morrone is attractive, convincing and captivating as each character and has a real feel for dialog and comedy as anyone with an Italian background will attest.”— Beverly Hills Courier

Peter Flood directs. His directing credits include shows at Manhattan Theatre Club, Playwrights Horizons, Lincoln Center, and the Public Theater (NYC) and locally at South Coast Rep, the Odyssey, and Theatre West, where he directed Dina’s play “Moose on the Loose.”

About Theatre West

Established in 1962, Theatre West is the oldest continually running professional theatre company in the city of Los Angeles. It is a membership collective of actors, playwrights, directors, and technicians. Theatre West’s alumni members include Ray Bradbury, Beau Bridges, Richard Dreyfuss, Sally Field, Betty Garrett, Martin Landau, Lee Meriwether, Jack Nicholson, Carroll O’Connor, Sherwood Schwartz, Joyce Van Patton, and Paul Winfield.   Theatre West has produced more than 300 plays and musicals.  Of these plays, nearly 70% are original works developed in its workshops and many have led to Broadway, regional tours, and feature films including A Bronx Tale by Chazz Palminteri and A Very Brady Musical by Lloyd Schwartz and Hope Juber.  Our season continues with WestFest (a festival of new works), a new play by one of the company’s resident playwrights in September 2022, and  Moose on the Loose by Dina Morrone in March 2023.  Storybook Theatre’s Goldilocks and the Three Bears is running Saturday matinees until June 2022. Theatre West is supported in part by The Ahmanson Foundation, California Arts Council,  Peter Glenville Foundation, Kaplan-Loring Foundation, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture, Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, National Endowment for the Arts, and Lloyd E. Rigler- Lawrence E. Deutsch Foundation.

COVID

Covid-19 safety protocols in effect on performance dates will be observed. As of this writing, that means that audience members must wear masks and be vaccinated (and able to show a vax card or digital record).