Award Winning Comedy THE ITALIAN IN ME Returns Next Month

In The Italian in Me, a doe-eyed aspiring actress from Canada - who has been raised on a heaping dose of old-fashioned values & Roman Catholic guilt - upends her life by moving to Italy. With her, she brings a tiny bit of cash and grandiose dreams of working in Italian Cinema. Once in Rome, she quickly discovers that things in the Eternal City are not quite as holy or as romantic as she had imagined. Her days are filled with countless fruitless encounters with perverts, priests, producers and statues of Saints in old churches, to whom she pleads for help. But help does not come. Not even a chance siting of the Pope at St. Peter's brings her any closer to her dream. When all hope seems lost, she meets the cinematic Maestro himself, Federico Fellini at Cinecitta' Studios for what turns out to be a very "illuminating" encounter, but will it be the 'Dolce Vita' she was searching for?

Dina Morrone is the writer-performer. Dina also wrote and acted in the long-running hit stage comedy Moose on the Loose. You've heard her voice before; She's one of the busiest voice artists in Hollywood, lending her voice to dozens of films, TV shows and as the Announcer of several awards shows. The graduate of Ryerson University (Toronto) has also appeared on screen in numerous films and television shows in the U.S., Canada and Italy.

The Italian in Me is a funny, sexy romp as its beautiful heroine pursues globe-trotting adventures with hints of danger and mystery in pursuit of a dream. She will ultimately encounter...magic.

Peter Flood directs. His directing credits include shows at Manhattan Theatre Club, Playwrights Horizons, Lincoln Center, and The Public Theater (NYC) and locally at South Coast Rep, the Odyssey, and Theatre West, where he directed Dina's play Moose on the Loose.

Lighting designer: Ernest McDaniel.

The Italian in Me is an accelerated full immersion Italian lesson about Cinema, Sex, Saints and Federico Fellini, all set in the Eternal City, Rome. It's filled with laughter, romance, glamor and beauty....much like Italy itself. Come along for the ride, and enjoy.

A portion of the proceeds from The Italian in Me will go to support the ongoing artistic and educational activities of Theatre West, a non-profit organization supporting artists and impacting community for over half a century.

This show is part of Portraits of Humanity 2- A Series of Solo Shows at Theatre West.

WHEN: Saturday, November 10 at 8:00 p.m. Sunday, November 11 at 2:00 p.m.

ADMISSION: $30.

RESERVATIONS: (323) 851-7977.

ONLINE TICKETING: www.theatrewest.org

ESTIMATED RUNNING TIME: 70 minutes.