The Dionysian

How did you get your start in theatre and what brought you to the US?

I have always loved watching American tv shows and films and I knew from a very early age that I wanted to move here to be a part of the industry. Performing in school plays was always my favorite part of the year: my favorite one was in middle school - we read stories of young people in Italy during the Second World War and we turned their experiences into a play. That production really made me want to pursue acting even more: to tell a story, to bring words to life and to make people think. Throughout high school I made some short films with friends and took acting classes until I was accepted at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City. I am so glad I made the choice of moving because the opportunities here are endless compared to the ones in Italy.

What have you been up to since graduating?

I have been in a couple of plays and in February I made my Off Broadway debut in Lord Byron's "Marino Faliero" at Theater 80 St Marks. I finally got to work on heightened language - which I always find challenging since English is not my first language - but extremely interesting. I thrive on challenge because it makes me want to work harder and to try new things. I always try to bring something fresh to every rehearsal and see how it affects the scene. After Marino Faliero, I was part of the Chorus in a Greek production of Antigone by Sophocles. We performed in a private school for kids and it was such an honor! They were very interested in the tragedy and wanted to know what we thought of it. After performing for the school, we opened at Queens Theater in the Park, which was the biggest venue I have ever worked in - 472 seats! It was such a great experience that I got to share with other great artists.

What are your plans now?

I have recently been in cast as the female lead in "Ubu N chains", a parody of the Ubu trilogy by Alfred Jarry. It has been such a fun project so far - it is a comedy so it is perfect for trying out new things and following my instincts. Last January I filmed "Dissonance" - a silent, black and white film about a dystopian future where music is forbidden. My character, the Music Dweller, is holding onto a music box to keep music alive in society. Because of it, she is an outlaw. It was nothing like I have ever done before: we filmed in a real, active prison in Queens and got to experience a little of bit of how that kind of life must be like. The movie is supposed to come out this summer and I could not be more excited. I have a couple of other things coming up but they are still in their early stages - I am open and excited to try new things all the time. I have also been writing in the past couple of years and I soon want to try and make it come to life. The possibilities in this city are endless and with the help of the acting community, anything can happen.