ITALIAN THEATRE AND OPERA IN AMERICA
PgEc ~ Pioneers go East company ~
~ LA COMPAGNIA TEATRALE I PIONIERI DELL'EST~
Founded in 2005 and in residence at La Mama ETC- New York City
________________________________________________________________________________
CREATIVE TEAM
Librettist/Designer & Director - Gian Marco Lo Forte
Composer - in - residence Adam Cuthbert
Composer - in - residence Ryan Carter
Composer - in - residence Sasha Zamler-Carhart
Choreographer - in - residence Philip Montana
Artist - in - residence Mark Tambella
Costume Designer - in - residence Angela Wendt
Lighting Designer - in - residence Jiji Francesca Chang
Projection Designer - in - residence Rocco D'Santi
PRODUCTION TEAM
Artistic Director & Founder Gian Marco Lo Forte
Producer & Italian outreach - Elizabeth Inserra
Development & Marketing Associate - Abby Felder
__________________________________________________________________________________
~ Mission Statement ~
Pioneers go East Collective is committed to enrich American theatre through the creation of intimate and accessible opera and music theatre projects about Italians who led society to progress in art, science and religion.
Pioneers Go East Collective – P.G.E.C. is dedicated to bringing together international artists to create works that use an ensemble-based process and incorporate poetry, music, design and live video to evolve a universal language of live performance & visual installation that pushes the boundaries of theatre and music and engages new audiences.
We are dedicated to bring together artists from around the World.
Pioneers go East co. has collaborated with composers, designers and performers from Italy, France, Germany, Great Britain, South Korea, Colombia, Canada and United States.
_________________________________________________________________________
Projects
___________________________________________________________________________________
I Fioretti in musica- The miracles of Saint Francis
Opera presented by La Mama ETC in collaboration with Pioneers go East Co.-
Libretto, concept & and visuals, direction by Gian Marco Lo Forte
Music Sasha Zamler- Carhart & Ryan Carter
Choreography Philip Montana
Drawings & paintings Mark Tambella
Puppet & mask design Cathy Shaw
Costume Design Angela Wendt
Lighting Design Jiji Chang
Dramaturge George Drance
Upcoming Opera at La Mama ETC- september -october 2010
__________________________________________________________________________________
Caravaggio Chiaroscuro
Project presented by La Mama ETC in collaboration with Pioneers Go East Co. & Magis Co.
Play, concept & visuals Gian Marco Lo Forte
Stage director & dramaturge George Drance
Music composed by Duane Boutte'
Costume Design Denise Greber
Lighting Design Federico Restrepo
La Mama ETC-2007
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Butter Melts Away
Dance/theatre project presented by La Mama ETC in collaboration with Pioneers Go East Co.
Play, concept & visuals, direction & choreography Gian Marco Lo Forte
Music composed by Stefano Zazzera
Costume Design Denise Greber
Lighting Design Momo Parra
additional choreography Stephanie Rafferty
La Mama ETC – NYC - 2005
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
The Seagull
Dance/theatre project presented by La Mama ETC in collaboration with Pioneers Go East Co.
Concept, visuals, direction & choreography Gian Marco Lo Forte
Music score: Italian songwriters
Lighting design Federico Restrepo
La Mama ETC – NYC - 2003
_________________________________________________________________________________
Reviews :
_________________________________________________________________________________
Butter Melts away
''hypnotic thanks to its cast and the force of its attractive choreography”
-The New York Times - Jack Anderson - 2005
Butter Melts away was part of “A selective listing by critics of The Times: New and noteworthy Broadway, Off Broadway and Off Off Broadway shows this weekend ”-
-The New York Times- 2005
Butter Melts away
“The first thing that strikes about La MaMa’s production of Butter Melts Away My Letters, a dance-theatre work conceived and directed by Gian Marco Lo Forte, is the set. A large, two-story frame with curtains in front, it seems almost oppressive on the small, black stage”.
-nytheatre.com – David Pumo -2005
Caravaggio Chiaroscuro
“Lo Forte and Drance and all the others have been working since June to convert La MaMa theater into a Rome street that wraps itself horseshoe style around and into the audience”
-The Villager- Jerry Tallmer- 2007
Caravaggio Chiaroscuro
“this ambitious multi-media work captures the essence of this most controversial figure (Caravaggio)… Part of the dialogue is in Italian: it gives an authentic flavor to the setting and period…the passion with which it is spoken speaks volumes…. Most effective are some of the visual images that suggest Caravaggio paintings… Lo Forte’s wooden scaffolding setting itself which becomes an Italian street, an interior of an artist’s studio, a many roomed tavern, a prison cell, etc., turns the entire theater into an Italian Renaissance environment”.
- Theatrescene.net – Victor Gluck- 2007
Caravaggio Chiaroscuro
“Una scenografia eccezionale, complessa ma funzionale…l’antica Roma delle taverne e dei mercati…azione, energia, collutazioni…uno spettacolo riuscito, ed e’ prevalentemente in italiano…consigliato a tutti , specialmente a chi ama la lingua italiana”. ( “An exceptional set design. Complex and functional…the ancient Rome made of taverns and market scenes…action, energy and fights…a well conceived spectacle with Italian passages. For everyone, and especially to those who love the Italian language”.)
–America Oggi- La Repubblica (Italian newspaper)- Mario Fratti -2007
“Estrema intelligenza per comunicare l’essenza di Caravaggio…I dialoghi sono in inglese ma con numerose battute in Italiano e la musica combina forme moderne e classiche…di straordinaria bravura gli attori…” (“Really intelligent choices to portray Caravaggio…the scenes are in English but with numerous colloquialism in Italian and the music combines classical idioms and modern style composition…the actors are extraordinary”.)
Caravaggio Chiaroscuro
–America Oggi- La Repubblica (Italian newspaper)- Gina Di Meo-2007