Tag Archives: Casa Italia

by Jeanette Viehman We have something Italian for everyone on earth and in cyberspace at the Italian Cultural Center at Casa Italia in Stone Park ! You can come to the library in person or you can see some of our over 6,000 items online at www.librarything.com. This includes autographed best sellers, periodicals, slides, CDs, DVDs, and cassette tapes of oral histories, music, dance and drama performances. We regularly videotape our programs in their entirety and put them on YouTube, including a live Skype interview with Pierrino Mascarino, the actor who played the title role in the film “Uncle Nino.” …

by Lionel Bottari When budding young actors and actresses look for inspiration in that mother of all improvised comedy, Commedia dell’Arte, it is inevitable that they will come upon the name and works of Maestro Antonio Fava. In giving this author of “The Comic Mask in the Commedia dell’Arte” (Northwestern University Press), master artisan of the leather half-mask, and teacher of traditional improvised theater it’s hospitality, Casa Italia joined the ranks of world-class cultural institutions that invites Italian artists to work and stay as artists in residence. The Maestro was invited to come as an artist in residence by the …

by Joanne Spata The Italian Cultural Center at Casa Italia surely lived up to its name as nearly 500 of it supporters and friends gathered to celebrate its 41st annual Person of the Year Dinner Dance. The theme “Preserving Italian Heritage and Sharing Italian Culture” permeated the enchanted evening, which took place on Feb. 18 at Alta Villa. From the moment the gala began, there was a new, yet elegant energy in the air, created by Dinner Dance Chairperson Kimberly Palmisano. Through her heartfelt sharing of her time and talent, she made the evening truly special. Through her efforts and …

A half-dozen cinematic standouts will garner their local premieres at Casa Italia in Stone Park at the 2012 Italian Film Festival USA of Chicago. Movies will be shown in Italian with English subtitles in the Chandelier Room of the Community Center at the Casa. Parking is available behind the Italian Cultural Center and at the corner of Division and 37th. The festival runs from April 20 to May 25. Refreshments will be served at 6:30 p.m., with the screening starting at 7:30. Admission is free. The schedule is as follows: April 20 “Noi credevamo” (We Believed) (A 2010 drama directed …

Casa Italia’s 2012 Italian Language & Culture Summer Camp will run Monday through Friday from June 18 to July 13. (The camp will be closed on July 4.) For four weeks this summer, children ages 4 to 13 can immerse themselves in the wonders of Italian language and culture through a wide range of enjoyable and educational activities on Casa Italia’s beautiful grounds. Our morning program will focus on teaching your children the Italian language through songs, games, storytelling, movies and skits. During the afternoon, children can choose from a variety of activities, including soccer, bocce, dancing, cooking, diet & …

by Joanne Spata I can’t believe that this is only my second month as chairperson of Casa Italia. Having been a part of the Italian Cultural Center for more than 30 years, as well as being involved with Casa Italia since its inception, it seems like I have been a fixture here at the Casa forever. Together, these experiences have made my first two months as chairperson feel like a blending of old home week and an exciting new adventure, all at the same time. I am deeply humbled by the fact that I am following in the footsteps of …