“Alive in a beautiful and mysterious way...packed a powerful emotional punch.”
Inspired by an old folktale of a half-boy half-fish from Messina who sacrifices himself to save the island, La Storia di Colapesce is a fantastical, physical journey through the kingdoms of land and sea.
Our story takes place in a time of disasters: earthquakes, tidal waves, storms, and volcanic eruptions. In the harbor city of Messina, there lives a young boy named Nicola, the son of a fisherman who swims so much and so deep that he earns himself the nickname “Cola the Fish”. Nicola spends all his days in the sea, much to his mother’s dismay and despite her constant warnings that “too much water will turn you into a fish!” The Princess of Messina goes out in search of this mysterious Colapesce, hopeful that he may be able to help her discover what dark secrets lie beneath the Strait of Messina, causing the quakes and tsunamis that have devastated the city.
As Colapesce dives deeper and deeper to the bottom of the Strait, he encounters horrors and wonders like never before—sirens, sea monsters, and a mysterious, crumbling column that somehow seems to be on fire, even underwater. It seems as though this column might be the key to the dangers facing Messina…but in the depths of the sea he also finds himself in another kingdom and ruled by a different king, facing a new and more terrible danger than Colapesce could have ever imagined.
La Storia di Colapesce was devised by an ensemble of 8 multidisciplinary theatre artists over a period of 4 weeks spent in immersive creative residency in Sicily. It is a bilingual production filled with live music, imaginative physicality, and a strong clown element. The production was designed to tour to outdoor, public spaces (such as piazzas, courtyards, churches, schools, museums, parks, etc.) and can be performed without any electricity or other technical elements. In August 2016, La Storia di Colapesce toured to five different locations in Messina, three locations in the Greater Boston Area, and NYC.
Past performances
August 16 - 27, 2016
CREATED by
Josephine Cooper (vocals)
Sean Devare (violin)
Quinton Kappel
Elena Kritter
Mariagrazia La Fauci
Kathleen Lewis
Dario Ladani Sanchez (guitar)
Max Sklar (mandolin)
press & Reviews
New England Theatre Geek: "Colapesce: Giving Life to Myth," by Travis Manni
Meridio News: "Il mito di Colapesce nei teatri di New York e Boston «Per dare immagine diversa della Sicilia negli Usa»," by Andrea Castorina
Scirokko: "Colapesce sbarca nei teatri di New York e di Boston" by Sonia Bucolo
Buone Notizie dalla Sicilia: "Il mito di Colapesce in tournée nei teatri di New York e Boston"
Pippo Galipo News: "Rappresentazione al Museo del Costume e della Moda Siciliana di Mirto"
media
Illustration by Quinton Kappel, title design by Sean Devare
Highlights from rehearsals for and performances of La Storia di Colapesce. Filmed by Quinton Kappel & Eva Gomez, edited by Quinton Kappel.
Trinacria Theatre Company featured on RAI Italia's "Community," first aired Nov 14th, 2016. Interview by Stefano Salimbeni, filmed and edited by Luis Goncalves.
Sicily tour
Piazza San Nicolo di Bari
Villaggio Pezzolo, August 16
Mirto, August 17
Chiesa di San Giovanni
Santo Stefano di Briga, August 18
Il Monastero
San Placido Calonerò, August 20
Castello Rufo Ruffo
Scaletta Zanclea, August 21
USA tour
Sons of Italy
Watertown MA, August 26
Langone Park
Boston's North End, August 27
St. John's Episcopal Church
Gloucester MA, August 27
Audience responses
“If you consider yourself a fan of theatre in any way, do whatever you can to see Trinacria Theatre Company’s La Storia di Colapesce...it was, quite simply, breathtaking. The craftsmanship on display from this ensemble represents everything that theatre should be about. I sat with my mouth agape in joy through the performance, astonished at the artistry on display. Bravissimo!”
“An amazing, inspiring, and one of a kind performance.”
“An inspiring night of theater. Colapesce was enchanting.”
“An outstanding performance...truly beautiful, funny and fantastical.”
“Cannot get over how impressed I was with the show...spectacular. Loved that it transcended language...what an amazing story to bring to life.”
“A truly beautiful piece of devised theatre, ethically created by collaborating Sicilian locals, that will take your breath away...an incredible production.”
“La Storia di Colapesce is clever, funny, thoughtful and touching all at the same time.”
production photos
Click to enlarge. Photos taken by Lee Bader Photography.
sicily rehearsal & performance photos
Click to enlarge and for photo details.
