Why Not Theatre’s 2015 edition of the RISER Project continued the final leg of its programming last night at the Theatre Centre with the opening performances of Mahmoud (which I saw on Wed. night – see the post here) and Paolozzapedia.
Written and performed by Adam Paolozza, who co-directed with Daniele Bartolini, and produced in partnership with Bad New Days Performing Arts, Paolozzapedia is described as an “auto-fictional-biography” – a personal, one-man trip across time, space and cultures in the search for meaning.
Paolozzapedia uses a delightful combination of personal anecdote, traditional storytelling and documentary. The performance tool box includes monologue, dialogue, songs accompanied by acoustic guitar, projected images and text (including English subtitles) and commedia dell’arte performance as Paolozza flashes back and forth in time and location, highlighting the moments that resonate. A personal history tour, mined for what the past can say about the present.
Evocative staging and pacing capture the imagination and take us along on this trip, starting with an easy-going, slow groove as Paolozza makes Italian coffee onstage, sending pre-made pots of coffee around the audience. It’s like we’re all hanging out in his kitchen as he sets up the story. A story of how a disillusioned and depressed young man decides to take a journey into the past – to his father’s hometown in southern Italy. Despairing of the present and anxious about the future – ever aware of the fleeting nature of time – he seeks to find some grounding in the present and the ability to move forward into the future. As he travels by train from the airport to meet a family friend who will drive him the rest of the way to his father’s town, the projected image of the moving train window makes us feel like we’re on that train with him.
The storytelling is both moving and fun and; serious and silly. The heart wrenching scene of his father’s family leaving for Canada on a ship – his father a small boy at the time – held up by his father as they stand at the railing, waving goodbye to the loved ones they leave behind. Punchinello makes an appearance, cheeky, full of fun – scrapping with Death by poking fun at seriousness in general and Paolozza’s pensiveness in particular. Even with the recognition of impermanence, Paolozzapedia celebrates life in its acknowledgement of nostalgia, memories of events both big and small – and reminds us to appreciate and cherish the sweet moments as they come.
Paolozzapedia is an entertaining, poignant love letter to roots, family and father. Go sit with Adam, have a coffee.
Paolozzapedia continues its run at the Theatre Centre Incubator space until May 24.
Be sure to check out these last two RISER Project shows; you can get advance tix online here.
life with more cowbell 