La Lezione di Teatro | The Acting Class

This 45-minute play is a joyful lesson in theatre and a tribute to the theatrical talent of Italians for connecting to anyone, transcending language barriers. Set partly in English and partly in Italian (and without subtitles), the show ironically demolishes preconceived notions of the difficulty of theatre language and highlights how communication problems can be solved with theatrical bodywork

The plot is simple enough, set in the tradition of the comedy of errors: an Italian actress (Francesca Bizzarri, who also developed the piece) receives a student (played by Goffredo Puccetti) for a private drama lesson in her apartment; he is eager to learn the tricks of the trade, she is thrilled at the idea of making him fall in love with Italian theatre. She sits him down and searches through her library, preparing the ideal acting class for him – from Plautus to Pirandello via Dario Fo. The lesson falters on language problems, and communication breaks down until the universal language of commedia dell’arte comes to the rescue …