SASKATOON – A love letter to family, Italian culture and the Italian-Canadian experience is coming to the Persephone Theatre stage.
Made in Italy, written and performed by Farren Timoteo, will be on the Persephone Main Stage March 12-23.
Timoteo was inspired to write Made in Italy from the stories he grew up hearing from his family. He explained the story focuses on the relationship between his grandfather and his father, exploring not only the father-son relationship, but also a young man struggling to find his place in Canada as a child of immigrants, against the backdrop of pop culture in the 1970s.
“I was inspired to recreate a million joyful memories of family that would be – were it not for the sheer magic of storytelling – impossible to experience now that so much family has grown up, moved on, or passed away,” Timoteo said.
“I wanted to go back to the table where we used to gather together and share it with an audience
craving the laughter and connection my family always had to offer.”
At the heart of the story is Timoteo’s father and his real-life experiences. Although he knew a lot of his father’s story, Timoteo said learning more about his life was also a gift he experienced when writing the play.
“It was clear to me there was no engine for this play without exploring aspects of his journey, so I asked for his consent to share his stories,” Timoteo said. “What followed was a time I'll always treasure.”
The father and son would meet at The Old Spaghetti Factory, where Timoteo would sit with his notebook and his father would share memories with him – both hilarious and painful. He said the time was more than research – it was a beautiful connection between them.
“It brought us closer together and helped create a piece of theatre that genuinely speaks to others with similar experiences,” he said.
Although Timoteo has written other adaptations before, this project was different because it was about his family.
“The weight of it was appropriately significant, and I wanted to be sure I was using these stories to create something that would genuinely elevate audiences,” he said. “But, in other ways, it wasn't any different than my previous experiences as a writer. The goal was the same as it had always been for me: to write something very funny, energized, fast-paced, and theatrical with the sole purpose of providing an entertaining experience.”
He decided to make it a one-man play, as the format was compelling to him. He explained the format had the opportunity to create a different type of meaningful relationship with audiences, while making it a challenge to create a spectacular and entertaining experience.
