Vignettes of an I-talian American Girl Plays Fringe NYC

For Maria Baratta, growing up a first-generation American in an Italian household required a delicate balancing act, as she explains in her one-woman show, Vignettes of an I-talian American Girl. Written and performed by Baratta, the show begins performances on August 14th at The Kraine Theater, located at 85 East 4th Street, as part of the 15th Annual New York International Fringe Festival (FringeNYC). 

A self-proclaimed "good girl" who would get up at four in the morning to study for an exam while her rebellious younger sister was trying to sneak home from a date, Baratta weaves a rich tapestry of her life in a traditional Italian household where food is love and becoming too Americanized is not necessarily a good thing. Taking on the personas of a variety of characters, Maria details her relationship with her parents and sister as she struggles to find her own unique identity amid personal upheavals in her life.

First presented at the 2010 Shortened Attention Span Festival, where it was voted Best Show by the audience, Vignettes of an I-talian American Girl is produced by Emily Laochua and Janine Molinari, co-produced by Alicia Adema and Maria Baratta, presented by IAM Productions, and directed by Anthony Patellis. The production is an Equity Approved Showcase.

Show times are:

Sunday, August 14th at 9pm
Thursday, August 18th at 8:45pm
Sunday, August 21st at 3pm
Monday, August 22nd at 2:30pm
Thursday, August 25th at 5pm

Vignettes of an I-talian American Girl will be performed at The Kraine Theater, located at 85 East 4th Street (between 2nd Avenue and Bowery) as part of the 15th Annual New York International Fringe Festival. Subway Info: Take the F or V train to Second Avenue. Running time is approximately 65 minutes. Information: www.maria-baratta.com.

Ticket prices: in advance (24 hours or more before performance): $15. At the door (venue box office where the show is playing): $18. Tickets may be purchased starting July 22nd online at www.fringenyc.org or over the phone at 866-468-7619.

Maria Baratta's New York theatre credits include: Vignettes of an I-talian American Girl, Irena's Vow (original workshop), Tony n' Tina's Wedding, Birdy's Bachelorette Party, The Mayor's Limo, Because I Should, Johnny Boy's Graduation, Dear Old Mother....and other love songs, Aunt Chooch's Birthday, A Night in the Old Marketplace. Film: The Little Red Box, Touchstone, The Gates, Spring First, Deep Impact, Hit and Runway, The Handsome Thing. TV: Parco P.I., Real Life. In addition to Vignettes of an I-talian American Girl, Maria has also written for the Women for Women Project at HERE Art Center. She is a member of the Invictus Theater Company.

Anthony Patellis has directed productions of Tony and Tina's Wedding in Seattle, New Orleans, Providence, Meridian, Newark (NJPAC), and many other cities. Off-Broadway credits include Totie (The life of Totie Fields), Waiting For My Man (DR2), Jews & Jesus and Fiddler-Sub Terrain (La Mama). His production of Pals in East Hampton won the prestigious Harold Pinter Award. He directed Dancing Backwards at the Rhinebeck Theatre, Apootie, That's Snow at Theater For Riverside Church, and Sin, The Musical (original staged reading) at Second Stage. Anthony directed Lobster Tales at The Westbank Café and its encore production at The Barons Court Theater in London. As an actor, Anthony's theater credits include Shear Madness (Kennedy Center), Frankie (Irish Arts), Hamlet, Romeo & Juliet, Twelfth Night (The Globe) and the 50th Anniversary International Tour of West Side Story which spanned 15 countries, on 3 continents, including performances at La Scala Opera House, in Milan, Italy, and Israeli Opera, in Tel Aviv. His films include One Last Things, The Grift, I Think I Do and Lbs.

FringeNYC is a production of The Present Company, under the leadership of Producing Artistic Director Elena K. Holy. In 1997, New York City became the seventh US city to host a fringe festival, joining Seattle, Chicago, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Houston, Orlando and San Francisco. In its first 14 years FringeNYC has presented over 2400 performing groups from around the world. The festival has been the launching pad for numerous Off-Broadway and Broadway transfers, long-running downtown hits, and regional Theater Productions. With attendance topping 75,000 people, FringeNYC is New York City's fifth largest cultural event (just behind New York International Auto Show, Tribeca Film Festival, New York City Marathon, and New York Comic Con). The 2011 Festival runs August 12 - 28, offering programming by 200 of the world's best emerging theatre troupes and dance companies in 20 venues in Lower Manhattan. For more information visit www.FringeNYC.org.