THE JOURNEY I NEVER MADE
BY PAOLO BIGNAMI
TRANSLATED BY CARLOTTA BRENTAN
DIRECTED BY LAURA CAPARROTTI
The World premiere was presented at the Cherry Lane November 2017 part of the series AlieNation. Carlotta Brentan played Silvia, Paloma Pilar played Petra.
Set by Sarah Edkins
Set Manager LIndsey Hurley
In The Journey I Never Made two women meet in a mysterious station where all trains have been cancelled. Where do they come from? Where are they going? Complete strangers and yet mirrors of each other, in spite of their fear and suspicion they slowly begin a dialog. Voices of immigrants from different eras and locales fill the station, recalling past journeys. As the voices build to a crescendo, a train approaches.
PAOLO BIGNAMI (Playwright) is an award-winning Italian playwright. Born in Como in 1967, Paolo studied engineering and became interested in theater and theatrical work in the early 90s. He started working in cabaret theater, taking part in “Il Sarchiapone” – Allamagoosa – a comic festival dedicated to Walter Chiari, in 1996 and in 1997. He took courses at the Teatro Città Murata as well as numerous seminars on theater and play-writing, with teachers such as Stefano Benni, Jacopo Fo, Ascanio Celestini and Cesare Lievi. He then decided to dedicate himself to play-writing and the writing of theatrical narrations. In 2003, he was awarded the Fersen Award for his work “Ho perso la mia coda” – I Lost My Tail – and he won the Enea Ellero Award for “Il sogno di Evelina” – Eveline’s Dream – in 2004. Along with his occupation as a high school teacher, he carried on his dramaturgical research. He continued to study theater and Commedia dell’Arte with Michele Monetta, Judith Malina and the Living Theatre, Eugenio Barba and the Odin Teatret, Cesar Brie and Jane Wainwright and Kossi Efoui. He loves to write about contemporary and recent historical topics. He was awarded the Fersen Award in 2012 for his monolog “Temporary sciò” – Temporary show –, the Aenaria Award in 2015 for his work “Lo spazio vuoto” – The Empty Space and in 2017 The Mario Fratti Award in NY during In Scena! Italian Theater Festival NY with his play “The country of the swollen faces”.
Carlotta Brentan (Silvia, Translator) is an actress, producer and theater artist. Recent acting highlights include originating roles in the World Premieres of Erik Ehn’s Clover (LaMaMa E.T.C.), Frank J. Avella’s Lured (Theater for the New City), Cyndy A. Marion’s You Are Perfect (WorkShop Theatre), and Kairos Italy Theater’s The Worth of Women (Access Theater & others.) Carlotta can be seen in shorts, features, commercials & heard in voiceovers of all genres – audiobooks, commercials, industrials, ADR – in multiple languages. Carlotta has been a member of Kairos Italy Theater since 2011. She’s acted in numerous KIT productions and is the Executive Producer since 2013 of their In Scena! Italian Theater Festival. Graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and Academy Company, and Playhouse West BK Lab. www.carlottabrentan.com
