Laughter is Good for the Soul

In the busyness of life, we often abandon our passions. I wrote this comedy over the course of several years. It first made it to stage in 2018 and was a resounding success. It has since run on three additional stages, also successfully. Plans to bring a group of off-Broadway actors together for a read-through while under consideration by a professional theater were upended by you-know-what in 2020. This week I met a theater enthusiast on a Zoom conference; she offered to connect me to an artistic director in her city. I wonder how many professionals on LinkedIn are also theater enthusiasts or who may have ties to community and professional theaters. If this is you, please consider sharing this information about my stage comedy, "La Famiglia." I am confident each of us can always use some laughter!

La Famiglia?is a series of one-act plays that author Lorraine Ranalli describes as moment-in- time scenarios based on her 2009 humorous narrative?Gravy Wars| South Philly Foods, Feuds & Attytudes. Family dynamics and stereotypical Italian-American idiosyncrasies are brought to life through the fictitious Scamorza family.?It’s a?fast-paced, comical look into a family of highly charged, strong yet loving personalities and their frequently outlandish behavior. Peer in the?window of most any family and you’ll recognize the Scamorzas right away. You may evenrecognize yourself.

Act I: AGITA

A typical Sunday dinner goes awry when Nona, who claims to be suffering from multiple ailments, conveniently forgets her daughter offered to bring dinner. Son Vinnie capitalizes on the mother-daughter cooking rivalry and taunts both while Grandpa referees. The mood shifts when grandson Petey arrives with a pot of gravy made by his Polish neighbor.

Act II: CREPE HANGERS

Patriarch Sal tries to arrange a family intervention in the back of a church while Cecilia sits among strangers congregating to mourn the loss of their loved one. Daughter Gina thinks her?mother is crying for attention but that doesn’t stop her from possibly pursuing a romance with the deceased woman’s grandson. Nor do Cecilia’s antics prevent Sal from a little street betting on hallowed ground.

Act III: MALOIKS; BEWARE THE EVIL EYE

Cultural eccentricity is in the family's DNA. Gina doesn’t have just a migraine; surely someone has put a curse on her and the family! Sal thinks it’s the unsavory character Gina met online.?He leads the family into general hysterics, Vinnie fuels the fire and an unwitting Meghan stokes it further. The family's volcanic eruption is interrupted by a surprise visit from Sergeant Kelly.

EPILOGUE: LA SEQUENZA DEL SOGNO (THE DREAM SEQUENCE)

Like a fine after-dinner liqueur, Gina’s deepest desire for her relationship with her dear brother is delivered in a soothing yet dramatic style. Cold ice literally crushes the dream in a surprisingly bitter but hilarious ending.