Laura Sicignano – Sparks- Author reading & discussion
SPARKS
New York, March 25, 1911. 4:40 PM. In less than a quarter of an hour, the workers of the Triangle Waistshirt Company (TWC), a shirt factory, would have finished their shifts and returned to their homes. Nearly 600 people were in the factory at that moment, most of them young, underpaid, and exploited Italian and Eastern European immigrants. A spark — only a spark — was all it took to set the building ablaze. There were no fire alarms and there were very few exits; in fact, doors and other possible means of escape were obstructed, and the elevator collapsed under the excessive weight of women clamoring to escape. In a matter of 18 minutes, 146 young women were dead. Despite the blatant violation of the most basic safety standards, the owners of TWC were acquitted. A massive protest followed in the name of better working conditions. The Triangle Waistshirt Company fire came to represent the need for better working conditions, especially for the disenfranchised. However, this event in history remains widely unknown and untold to too many. This tragedy was pivotal in the recognition of International Women’s Day; many other stories have contributed significantly to the creation of the March 8 holiday, but none have been quite as instrumental.
In narrative theater, the actor’s body and voice are the fundamental points of stage language. The performer is capable of evoking visions that capture and involve the audience’s imagination. Little known outside the European context, narrative theater is one of the most interesting and lively artistic movements in the world of contemporary Italian theater.
The Italian Cultural Institute is bringing to New York a selection of works that will be performed in the original Italian version with English subtitles. The authors also often perform the pieces.
The wealth and purity of the language make these three performances a particularly interesting opportunity to practice and improve the knowledge of our language.
Curator: Diana Del Monte.