The classic Italian comedy Miseria e Nobiltà (Misery and Nobility) was presented at the Marygrove Conservancy and Liberal Arts Theater in Detroit on Saturday, March 9. The play was written in the Neapolitan dialect by Eduardo Scarpetta in 1887. The play was produced by the Dante Alighieri Society of Michigan, supported by the Consulate of Italy in Detroit through the ongoing LoveITDetroit project. 

It was presented in Neapolitan, with English supertitles, created by members of the cast based on their translation. A talented, and passionate group of amateurs made up the cast and crew, known as TeatriAmo. Miseria e Nobiltà highlights the social differences between the two opposing worlds of poverty and nobility. The sets, representing a shabby dwelling for the first act, and a regal home for the second act, were created and assembled by a dedicated crew. 

The hilarious plot begins with the Marquis Eugenio, who is in love with the beautiful stage dancer Gemma, daughter of a cook who has inherited money.  Gemma’s father will not allow her to marry Eugenio without first meeting his parents, but Eugenio knows they will not accept the marriage.  So, he convinces some penniless friends to play the part of his aristrocratic relatives in Gemma’s house.  Gags, twists, and turns follow continuously throughout the play as the fake relatives do their best to appear as members of the Neapolitan aristocracy.  The exposure of the plan is imminent, but in the end, everything ends better than expected.

The cast received an enthusiastic standing ovation from the audience of over 300 spectators, who were clearly delighted by the evening’s entertainment.

CAST:

Felice:             Giovanni Mastrangelo

Pasquale:        Massimo Risi

Gaetano:         Fortunato Cappelleri

Concetta:        Consiglia (Lia) Adelfi

Eugenio:         Miro Marcelli

Luisella:          Mena Abagnale

Gioacchino:     Tonino Corsetti

Vincenzo:        Mario Sancineto

Ottavio:          Pierluigi Erbaggio

Pupella:          Anna Pedalino

Bettina:          Sandra Marinelli

Luigino:          Massimo Fulfaro

Peppeniello:    Riccardo Aloi

Gemma:         Erika Caturegli

Biagina:         Sandra Tornberg

Customer:      Marco Piovesan

Passerby:       Ryan Newcom

Waiter 1:        Gianluca Di Stefano

Waiter 2:        Pierluigi Lantieri

Directed By: Massimo Risi

Costumes/Scenography/Light & Sounds/Supertitles: Lia Adelfi, Gianfranco Cataldo, Erika Caturegli, Gianluca Di Stefano, Pierluigi Erbaggio, Daniela D’Amico Henderson, Michael Hopper, Giovanni Mastrangelo, Alessia Risi, Federica Risi

Translation of play into English: Lia Adelfi, Erika Caturegli, Pierluigi Erbaggio

Back Stage Crew: Pasquale Aloi, Franco Bevione, Guido Borgna, Gianluca Di Stefano, Daniela D’Amico Henderson, Michael Hopper, Pierluigi Lantieri, Jack Manganiello, Ryan Newcom, Marco Piovesan