i Sebastiani in Washington, D.C.

However much belated, I have finally posted photographs of i Sebastiani's April 1st performance in Washington, D.C. at the National Museum for Women in the Arts. We did two shows that day, once in a beautiful marble rotunda on the ground floor and a second time in a fifth floor auditorium which apparently was once a porn theatre. Our performance conincided with the exhibition, Italian Women Artists from Renaissance to Baroque

This was particularly convenient for me as Washington, D.C. is my home town and it just happened to be my father's birthday.



In this performance of "Dressed for Love", I played the role of Pantalone, the father of Isabella (Catherine Crow), for which I had to borrow the costume from Michael Bergman, who is a much taller actor, which meant that I was constantly having to lift my cloak. Like many commedia dell'arte scenarios, the storyline revolved around young people not being able to marry their true loves because of the plans of vecchi such as Pantalone.

Interestingly enough, Only a week before, when we performed this play I had been cast as Flaminia, a lusty inmate of the convent, who was played by Sophie this go around while in December's productions of Dressed for Love I had played the role of Pedrolino, which come March and April was being played by Michael McAfee. However, this being commedia, it is never the same play.



Being that we were performing in the museum, I was able to slip in a line about "this convent's art collection must be worth a fortune!" and complaints that "Saint Margaret's father must have spent many ducats for that dress, and she still refused to marry! How ungrateful!"

You can look at the full set of photographs from the second show here. I hope to post photographs from the first show later.

Pictured: Kristine Page as Reverend Mother Olivia, Carl West as Arlecchino, and Ian Thal as Pantalone. Photography by Jay Thal.

Walt Whitman and I

Last June, Doug Holder, in his review of Alexander Levering Kern's anthology Becoming Fire: Spiritual Writing from Rising Generations refered to my poem "A Child's Trip Through the Underworld" as "...a Whitmanesque romp through Brooklyn...". So I simply could not resist this pairing the following November, as I visited The National Portrait Gallery with my family .


I celebrate myself, and sing myself,
And what I assume you shall assume,
For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you,

Whitman, "Song of Myself"

Photo credit: Jay Thal

Upcoming Performances with i Sebastiani

Buon Giorno, you lucky people!

Over the next three weekends I will be performing with i Sebastiani, the commedia dell'arte troupe I joined this past November. In what amounts to "theatrical hazing" the capocomica and the artistic director have decided to have me play a different character every week. So without further ado, here is the schedule:

Saturday, March 17th, 10am to 6pm:

The Barony of Carolingia presents:

Vision of the Twelve Goddesses Performed by the Carolingian Dancers.

Vision of the Twelve Goddesses was a court masque authored by Samuel Daniel in honor of James I's ascension to the throne of England in 1604.

With an original Anti-Masque by i Sebastiani. (I will be in the role of Arlecchino.)

Music by The Renaissonics.

RSVP and period dress recommended



March 23-25, Framingham, MA: i Sebastiani in Dressed for Love:

Friday, March 23rd, 7:30pm
Saturday, March 24th,7:30pm
Sunday, March 25th, 3:00pm

(I will be playing the role of Flaminia )

Framingham Community Theater
Turenne Auditorium
214 Concord Street,
Framingham, MA 01702
(508) 875-5218

$12 at the door, $10 in advance

Sunday, April 1st, Noon- 4pm, Washington, D.C.: i Sebastiani in Dressed for Love (The shortened version):

(I'll be in the role of Pantalone.)

An opening reception for:

Italian Women Artists from Renaissance to Baroque

National Museum of Women in the Arts
1250 New York Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20005
202-783-5000, 1-800-222-7270

FREE!