Page 30 - 2018 Festival Edition

But while Napoli Milionaria! delves into this kind of moral concession – and the systemic corruption at its root – De Filippo also understood how a true sense of community can resist that underlying rot.
“It’s a play that finds humour and humanity and looks at how we’re treating each other, and makes a powerful argument for human decency and taking care of each other with kindness,” Cimolino said. “It’s funny in a warm way. It’s about a community and about the particular individual characters and foibles of that community, but it’s also about a much bigger landscape.”
Amalia and her family are ultimately redeemed through the forgiveness of their community. Finding that balance between Napoli’s weighty underlying message and its sparkling humour will be
NAPOLI MILIONARIA
no decided to explore Naples as part of his extensive research.
“Naples is also a very special part of the world,” Cimolino said. “It’s a Greek town. It’s built on Greek foundations. But it was run by the Normans, the Angevin, the Spaniards, the French.
“It’s just amazing.”
During a recent trip to Europe as part of his role as the Festival’s artistic director, Cimolino decided to take a few days to get a feel for the city’s nearly 2,800-year history.
“I went there just recently, and I was so blown away by it. I had to be in Europe – I had to be in France to see a play – and I had to be in England, so I just took some personal time, paid for my own ticket and went down there for a week and spent time.
His time in Naples helped the director understand some of the idiosyncrasies of the play – some of the jokes and references that were somewhat lost in translation. He also got a feel for the play’s neigh- bourhoods and community, helping create a physical touchstone for this production.
And it’s the sense of community Cimolino keeps returning to.
“In the wake ... of the rising intolerance around the world, I’m leaning more and more to plays that pro- vide light – that provide hope for people. ... There’s always the rebirth of the human spirit – the return of compassion and common sense and decency, and we just have to know that the theatre is a place that not only rea rms the challenges we face but the strength of humanity.”
In the wake ... of the rising intolerance around the world, I’m leaning more and more to plays that provide light – that provide hope for people. ...
another challenge, but one the enormously talented cast of Tom McCamus, Brigit Wilson, Michael Blake, Shruti Kothari, André Sills, Johnathan Sousa and Tom Rooney should embrace.
In addition to the new translation – the original play was written in the Neapolitan dialect – Cimoli-
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“I went to these di erent neighbourhoods. The area where the play takes place is called the Spanish Quarter ... The streets are just tiny. You’re looking up this hill, there’s a set of stairs up to the next cross- street. The poverty in some of these areas is just amazing.”
Napoli Milionaria! Begins previews on Aug. 2 and opens on Aug. 17, running in repertory at the Avon until Oct. 27.