An Introduction...

Buonasera (Good Evening)

I would like to actually start by introducing my blog, and myself a little. I have been working in Rome as an intern now for.. let me see.. 7 months. (Wow). Living in another country lands you in experiences and situations you would never have expected for yourself - and it's really, really so interesting.

Alora, I want to share with you these adventures, escapades and general day to day happenings of my life here on this blog.

Expect some back dating - 7 months has gone by so there's a fair bit to catch up with...

Baci!

Period Clothing and A day at Cine Citta - The Famous Italian Film Studios

Period hats and costume in Costumista Scenigrafo

Recently, us at The English Theatre of Rome have been working with Pop-up Rome on a fundraiser for Save The Children. The event, which I assisted in organising, was a theatrical rendition of Shelly's poem about the Italian noblewoman Beatrice Cenci held at the the Cenci Palace. 

The theme was 16th Century, as the performance was this era, so everybody was required to be in full costume. We had a small budget for the costume this time so Gaby and I went to the Costumista Scenigrafo at Giacomo Ponzio, a costume shop that specializes in period clothing. This was another great opportunity for me to learn more about period fashion and whilst there the shop owner told me which styles were from what years and how to pick out certain characteristics from the decades. 

Rails of voluminous period skirts and underlays

Eve and Nikolai were actors in the show and were being fitted for their costume. I was a little envious of them being able to dress up in the extravagant clothing to be honest, I would have really liked to join in. Their costumes look great!

Eve and Nikolai in the dressing room.. Smile guys!

A costume from the period just after the Revolution

Spanish costumes from the 15th Century

Cenci Event

The costume below is inspired by the African fashion that would have been worn by black people during the 16th Century - I wanted the challenge of designing something different from the Italian medieval theme which I knew everybody else was focused on. 

African costume designed by me

A typical servants/peasants costume from the century. Leggings and shoes hired from the costumista, the top resourced from Gaby's wardrobe (budget was very limited as always!) - I am pleased with the combination created here.

Anthony in a one of his best Medieval poses

There was a trip to Venice up for grabs for best dressed. These are the lovely couple that won and it's clear why. Unfortunately I cannot take credit for these absolute masterpieces, the attention to detail and embellishment in these made them stand out from the rest. The hours of hard work that went into these costumes is astonishing. Even the masks.. just wow. 

This week I also had the lucky opportunity to visit Cine Citta (Cinema City), a large film studio here in Rome considered to be the hub of Italian cinema. Gaby is hosting a casting for an upcoming film 'Everest' so I had the pleasure of joining her whilst seeing the sites at the same time. There were some striking fascist buildings - I have noticed they are quite popular here in Rome.

The studios were closely associated with Frederico Fellini, and his office was here at Teatro No.5. As the musical Nine, which we are working on with the University students is based on a film by Fellini, it was fantastic for me to be able to make that link and get a feel of the director and see his work space from many years ago.

Taa daaa!

Cine Citta also has model cities - Rome, New York, Paris. It was so interesting to see how realistically these can appear in film and even in real life - it was hard to believe these buildings are mostly made from plastic and light wood!

'Fake Rome'

The view from behind of the scaffolding - the big give away!

LA Jail... GUILTY

La Paris.. capturing how perfectly my hair can match my handbag...

Whilst having lots of fun at the film studies, Gaby suggested that I should have a go at my own casting for a place an as extra. I heard back later in the week from the production crew and they have indeed selected me for the extra cast! I have a costume fitting on Monday.

I later found out there may be some issues with the payments as the company pay by direct debit into your Italian bank account - which I do not have. These are the sort of problems you are faced with when living abroad. I found a simple solution in that they are happy to send the money into Gaby's account.

The shifts will long, full days, but it will be great chance to meet directors, actors and make a bit of money!

I haven't heard back from NutKase, the company who I applied for a position within. Upon reflection I was probably a little over ambitious. It hasn't knocked me though - I have enough on my plate already and I am learning and achieving so much working at the theatre.

Bomarzo - A Beautiful 16th Century town in Italy - You Must Visit!

Once 'Under the Overcoat' was finished and we had completed post-production, I was lucky enough to spend a few days in Gaby's country home. I've learnt that almost everybody in Rome has a second home - a vice and escape from the city life - usually in the country or by the seaside.

The old fort at the top of the hill, Bormarzo

Gaby's escape is in a darling 16th century town called Bomarzo. Being from the UK I had never seen a place with such obvious age that was still in tact and with no obvious renovation.

The 16th century homes of a small community

 It was actually quite amazing the good it can do for personal well-being. After spending a few days their I was relaxed, had cleared my mind and would be returning to Rome refreshed, rejuvenated and revitalised.

Not a bad view to eat your breakfast, eh?

Just before I headed home though.. there was one place I had to check out. It's called 'Parco Dei Mostri' which literally translates to The Monster Park. It is also 16th Century, built by a man called Vicino; a patron of the arts and so devoted to his wife that he built the gardens in her memory when she died. 

These statues in the gardens were not your average white stone statues of Gods and Goddess and such that you find in Rome. I have pictured some of my favourite parts of the park. I received a map which was excellent as it gives you information on each piece.

Il Drago

"For Ligurio, the dragon was not a symbol of destruction but rather of time and wisdom. Here, it is fighting a dog, lion and wolf - symbols of spring, summer and winter - the present, future and past. Some say they are 3 lions? The dragon is curiously adorned with butterfly-like wings, indicating its solar spirit."

Casa Pendente

 "The strange, leaning house serves as a passage to the upper garden level. The head-spinning unease of standing inside is meant to spur you on to the rest of the garden. The Orsini coat of arms and motto are in-scribed on the facade of the house."

L'Elefante

"Elephants carrying castles were popular symbols in medieval and Renaissance art, standing for both strength and restraint, often with reference to Hannibal's famous use of elephants to invade the Italian peninsular. This elephant holds a wounded or dead Roman soldier in its trunk who, in turn, holds a now unidentifiable object loosely in his right hand. Scholars argue over whether he is being caught or thrown by the elephant - protecting or discarding. Regardless, the elephant represents both the triumphs and defeats of Rome. It is also an african elephant, therefore, likely to be recalling Scipio, an African who according to legend, never left the side of his war elephants."

If ever you are in the area and have a chance to visit this place - I could not recommend it more. It's fascinating, beautiful and a little out of the ordinary. 

Great fabric shop in the heart of Rome - Fratelli Basetti Tessuti

During these weeks I was busy finalising costume, attending rehearsals and working on the head pieces. I also had to make a tradition western wedding veil. So with the need for tulle I headed to what I had read was the largest fabric store in Rome - Fratelli Basetti Tessuti (Doesn't it have a ring to it!)

Inside one of the multiple rooms/floor at Fratelli Basetti Tessuti

Rolls and rolls of brightly coloured material

I hadn't yet had a chance visit the trade fairs in Paris with the fashion department back in Coventry so I was still a little naive to the amount of fabric one place can hold. Oh boy. This place was incredible. It had a double height ceiling, every inch filled with the most amazing fabrics. I took the time to rub a fair few of them in between my thumb and finger, getting a good feel of their luxury.

I also started a part-time job at a tourist restaurant which is a great way for my Italian speaking as most of the chefs do not speak English. Having a job alongside my intern-ship whilst still continuing my job in the UK as the promotional/graphic designer for my local bar is teaching me to manage my time effectively and follow through with my own deadlines that I set. My time keeping skills improved massively and I am now certainly seeing the benefits.

That feeling when you arrive in Italy, your new home

Saturday morning I arrived in bright sunny Rome.

I wasn't nervous beforehand. In fact, I wasn't even really scared - which is surprising when, at this point, I didn't even have a place to live. I was going to a foreign country where I didn't speak the language, I didn't know my way around, or a single person for that matter, and I had no idea how the public transport worked.

The truth is, none of that hits you until you step out of the train station onto the warm concrete, sun beaming down, your 34 kilo grams of stuff in your hand (and on your back, and on your arms) and then you have the thought:

'OK. So what now?'

My actual first step was get a coffee. My first Italian coffee. I could sit at a cafe and plan my day to see what the hell I was going to do. I had three houses to view, and as I did not have the foggiest on how to get around Rome, this was my first challenge.

My view from that little corner cafe

With only a name, address and an Italian mobile number for each house I asked in the cafe I was drinking at for some help. That instantly made me realise how much you take for granted knowing your way around somewhere - or at least how the transport works. I was lucky, the man spoke some English and actually lived about 5 minutes away from one of my addresses. He gave me directions that required me to use the metro and the bus and off I went.

Leaving my life in the train station luggage hold, my day continued with a clueless exploration of Rome and some of the grotty apartments it had to offer. 

That evening I met my boss, Gaby, at the theatre - I hadn't spoken to her until I arrived in Rome due to the fact the Erasmus placements are applied for through the university rather than student to employer. I actually think this is a little strange, I think it would be more beneficial for students to have a chance to chat with their future boss first and present themselves.

The was a show on the night I arrived at the theatre - this really was the best possible to instantly throw me into the theatre and give me an idea of how it all worked. I was introduced to lots of people that night - which, at the time, was quite a nerve-racking experience for me. Previously, as silly as this may sound, I hadn't had much interaction around adults on a same-level kind of way. They had always been parents, or teachers.

My first day was packed with challenges. Sussing out a new city, practising a new language and meeting lots of new people. I learnt that the best way to tackle things is without the worry and too much planning. The most important thing for me on my first day was communication. Asking for directions, asking for help and asking how to read the metro maps. The challenging aspect of this was the language barrier.

I was sleeping at Gaby's bohemian flat until I found my own place - needless to say I slept well that night.

My first week of work started on the Wednesday, 2nd October. As I expected I began with email work and database. It was my duty to send out mass emails to the theatre contacts regarding a show change. This was a really long process however it taught me the fundamentals of the companies mailing system and the importance to the company of promoting through the mailing list. It was their primary advertising method.

The next Saturday, a week after arriving, we had another showing at the theatre. My responsibility was to meet and greet the guests and ask them certain questions to gain market research. We wanted to know how they had heard about the theatre most importantly as this is key to knowing your target places to advertise. It was also important to take down the emails of any new customers so that they could be added to the mailing list. 

My first night I was a little shy, approaching a group of people to ask them questions was not something I had done before. I did my job, yet I can't imagine I was exactly exuberating confidence.

During the show I conducted a head count of the audience. The number would be used later when looking at the financial aspects such as profit and turnout.

I ended with seeing the guests out, thanking them for coming and also slipping in a little advertisement for the upcoming show. This role really helped to improve my people skills and the next night (Sunday we had another showing) I was already beginning to feel more relaxed. I learnt the importance of knowing your clientèle and how they know about you. This is vital for targeting promotion as accurately as possible.

I would just like to note that these are being re-written from progress logs I kept from my arrival here. This was written the week commencing May 12th 2014. 

(Well done self for dramatically improved writing skills)