Playbill Info
Courting Italians
Fri, Dec 11, in Stratford
86 Abraham Dr, 7 PM
Sat, Dec 12, in Toronto
115 Danforth Ave, 2.30 PM
Sun, Dec 13, in Guelph
River Run Centre, 2.30 PM
No ticketing for these events; no admission charged
Reservations required
If you would like to attend, please email:
dbeattie@execulink.com
Courting Italians is a new comedy/drama set in an out-of-the-way restaurant
not far from Rome during the dark days of German occupation, following Italy's surrender to
the Allies (September, 1943).
The restaurant's proprietor and cook, men in their forties, are preparing to serve lunch
to the local German commandant, their first customer in three years, when a beautiful young
woman, a refugee from the devastated city of Naples, knocks on their door and asks for a
job.
The cook is against the idea. They can't afford her; they know nothing about her. But the
proprietor is won over.
At first the idea seems inspired. The woman is an excellent waitress, eager to
do well. The commandant takes a shine to her; other influential customers are equally charmed.
In spite of food shortages the restaurant is busy.
But then two men from her Neapolitan past show up, and the commandant's attentions turn
dangerously amorous. Before they know it, the cook and proprietor are caught in a web of
intrigue which threatens not just their livelihood but their lives as well.
Courting Italians is a love story played out in a dangerous environment. It's
about the effect of war not just on combatants but on bystanders as well. It's about what
happens to the charity, truthfulness and trust of ordinary people when strained to the
breaking point.
And it expresses the playwright's deep conviction that even in the harshest conditions,
life demands to be lived, that desire is irrepressible, and silliness, unavoidable, even when
agonizing decisions must be made and heroic acts, undertaken.
Re-visit this page soon for information on the seven extraordinary actors who will bring this
play to life.