Menu

Press

Chicago Shakespeare Theater Partners with Italian Ministry of Cultural Affairs and Italian Cultural Institute of Chicago
To Commemorate the Year of Italian Culture in America with Piccolo Teatro di Milano, Teatro d’Europa Teatro di Roma and Teatri Uniti’s

INNER VOICES

By Eduardo De Filippo
Directed by and Featuring Toni Servillo

June 25–29, 2013 in CST’s Courtyard Theater

Chicago—May 22, 2013—Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) joins the Italian Ministry of Cultural Affairs and Italian Cultural Institute of Chicago to commemorate the Year of Italian Culture in America with the World’s Stage presentation of Inner Voices, a co-production with Italy’s first and best-established theater Piccolo Teatro di Milano, June 25–29, 2013 in CST’s Courtyard Theater. First written and performed in Milano in 1948 by Eduardo De Filippo, one of the most translated and respected Italian writers in modern theater, Inner Voices tells the story of a man who dreams the murder of a friend so vividly that he believes the crime has actually been committed by his neighbors’ family. The gripping production is directed by and features Toni Servillo, hailed by The New York Times as “the best Italian stage and screen actor of his generation.” The Piccolo returns to Chicago for the first time since 2005, when CST presented Arlecchino, Servant of Two Masters, a comedy by Carlo Goldoni that earned critical acclaim. This production of Inner Voices has been co-produced by Piccolo Teatro di Milano-Teatro d’Europa/Teatro di Roma/Teatri Uniti.

Director and actor Toni Servillo (who portrays Alberto Saporito) is an award-winning Italian theater, television and film actor, and a director of theater, opera and film. He is perhaps best known for his appearances in the recent films La Ragazza del Iago, Il Divo and Gomorrah. He has won Best Actor awards at the Venice, Rome and Bastia Film Festivals, the Italian Golden Globe and the European Film Awards.

Eduardo De Filippo (1900–1984) is one of Italy’s best-known and most respected theater artists, working as a playwright, director and actor, as well as a filmmaker and poet. De Filippo wrote Le voci di dentro (Inner Voices) in 1948, which introduces the household of the Saporito Brothers and their Uncle Nicola. The Saporitos live in poverty, their livelihood dependent on renting out the old carpets and furniture that fill their home. Their plight is made bearable by the kindness and sharing of their neighbors, the Cimmaruta family. However, the neighborly love is tainted, and the line between reality and fantasy shifts. Accusations fly, arrests are made, and catastrophe ensues in this tale of toxic relationships, corruption and intrigue.

This production debuted at Milan’s Piccolo Theatre in March 2013 to tremendous critical acclaim. Maria Grazia Gregori, writing for L’Unita, proclaimed, “Servillo’s approach to the text is both faithful and deeply personal. […] Inner Voices is a comedy built on the thin line that divides dream from reality, and also on the refusal of a world that has lost all sense of morality.” Domenico Rigotti in Avvenire called it “Three short acts full of bright ideas and witty remarks.” Renato Palazzi of Il Sole 24 Ore praised director Toni Servillo, saying “In this show, Servillo has attained his full maturity. His highly personal style reconciles tradition and innovation.”

Servillo leads a multi-generational cast of 14 celebrated Neapolitan actors to bring De Filippo’s story to life, including: Chiara Baffi (Maria), Betti Pedrazzi (Rosa Cimmaruta), Marcello Romolo (Michele, portiere), Lucia Mandarini (Matilde Cimmaruta), Gigio Morra (Pasquale Cimmaruta), Peppe Servillo (Carlo Saporito), Toni Servillo (Alberto Saporito), Antonello Cossia (Un brigadiere), Vincenzo Nemolato (Luigi Cimmaruta), Marianna Robustelli (Elvira Cimmaruta), Daghi Rondanini (Zi' Nicola), Rocco Giordano (Capa d'Angelo), Maria Angela Robustelli (Teresa Amitrano) and Francesco Paglino (Aniello Amitrano). The creative team includes Lino Fiorito (Set Design), Ortensia De Francesco (Costumes), Cesare Accetta (Lighting Design), Daghi Rondanini (Sound Design) and Costanza Boccardi (Assistant Direction).

Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s limited five performance World’s Stage Series presentation of Inner Voices runs June 25–29, 2013 in CST’s Courtyard Theater. Performed in Italian with projected English translation. Tickets are on sale now for $50–$70 with special discounts available for groups of 10 or more, as well as CST for $20 tickets available for patrons under 35. All patrons receive a 40% discount on guaranteed parking in Navy Pier garages. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s Box Office at 312.595.5600 or visit the Theater’s website at www.chicagoshakes.com/innervoices.

For more information on events in conjunction withthe Year of Italian Culture, contact the Italian Cultural Institute of Chicago at 312-822-9545 or visit http://www.iicchicago.esteri.it/IIC_Chicago.

ABOUT CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE THEATER’S WORLD’S STAGE SERIES

Chicago Shakespeare Theater is a leading international theater company, known for vibrant productions that reflect Shakespeare’s genius for intricate storytelling, musicality of language and depth of feeling for the human condition. Recipient of the Regional Theatre Tony Award®, Chicago Shakespeare’s work has been recognized internationally with three of London’s prestigious Laurence Olivier Awards, and by the Chicago theater community with 70 Joseph Jefferson Awards for Artistic Excellence. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Barbara Gaines and Executive Director Criss Henderson, CST is dedicated to producing extraordinary classic productions, new works and family fare, unlocking Shakespeare’s work for educators and students, and serving as Chicago’s cultural ambassador through its World’s Stage Series.

Chicago Shakespeare’s presentation of Inner Voices is emblematic of the wide scope of work presented through the World’s Stage Series—a program that brings the world’s most exciting theatrical events to Chicago audiences and presents Chicago Shakespeare’s work abroad. Chicago Shakespeare has collaborated with more than 600 international artists representing 16 countries on five continents, engaging audiences in a dialogue with established and emerging theater artists from around the globe. Strengthening its reputation as a leader in cultural diplomacy, CST regularly partners with respected international affairs organizations, including the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Chicago Consular Corps, Chicago Sister Cities and World Business Chicago. For more information, visit www.chicagoshakes.com.

ABOUT THE ITALIAN CULTURAL INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO
The Italian Cultural Institute of Chicago, founded and directed by Silvio Marchetti, is the cultural office of the Consulate General of Italy in Chicago. Founded in 1985, the Institute is one of five cultural agencies of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the United States and part of 90 institutes worldwide. The Institute serves as a convenient source for information about Italian life and culture and showcases Italy’s classic and contemporary heritage with particular reference to art, music, cinema, design, architecture, science and technology. For more information the Italian Cultural Institute of Chicago visit iicchicago.esteri.it or call 312-822-9545.

 

# # #

 


   

 

Contact Us
 

Hannah Kennedy
Director of Communications
hkennedy@chicagoshakes.com

Emma Perrin
Public Relations & Digital Media Manager
eperrin@chicagoshakes.com
Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Media Office
312.667.4957

Cathy Taylor
cathy@cathytaylorpr.com
Cathy Taylor Public Relations
773.564.9564

Chicago Shakespeare Theater
on Navy Pier
800 East Grand Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611

Additional Pages