The Italian Consulate in Chicago, School Office, is pleased to present, from March 13 to 15, a new initiative aimed at Italian students of K-8 Schools of the Italian Enrico Fermi School, E. A. Poe Classical Elementary School, La Salle Language Academy and Union Ridge School (click here). 

This is a journey into the culture and traditions of Italian Masks with reference to COMMEDIA DELL'ARTE, through picture books, Italian pantomime and theater workshops. Some of the activities will also include storytelling of Pinocchio's adventures and workshop activities to learn about, color, cut out, and build masks, using a paper theater within which to make them move.

The author of the Project, Valentina Rizzi, and actress and theater trainer Alice Lussiana Parente, an Italian resident in New York from the Kairos Italy Theater, will offer workshops for primary and secondary schools, where children can experiment, in small groups, with various types of characters and characters.

FOR KINDERGARDEN AND FIRST ELEMENTARY CYCLE, a two-voice (bilingual) staged reading of Pinocchio's adventures, an essential adaptation with a focus on Commedia dell'Arte characters presented in the scene of the Mangiafuoco Theater with small puppets and choral stage actions for children to do will be offered.

FOR SECOND CYCLE ELEMENTARY and MIDDLE GRADE, a bilingual workshop activity will be offered, with presentation of the main characters of the Commedia dell'Arte, use and experimentation of the postures and face masks of the Commedia dell'Arte and actor training.