| Event Name: | Christmas at the Cupiello-s (Natale in casa Cupiello) |
| Description: | Natale in Casa Cupiello, a play written by the great Edoardo De Filippo in 1931, is now part of Italy's Christmas tradition.
The plot
In Naples, Luca Cupiello and his wife Concetta, try to get ready for Christmas while their children Ninuccia and Tommasino complicate whole the preparations. Ninuccia is in love with Tommasino's best friend Vittorio and wants to leave her husband Nicolino. The plot develops around Christmas eve dinner and the story precipitates when Nicolino understands his wife's intentions. Luca as a stroke caused by the stress and until is last breath tries to save her daughter's marriage and to convince his son Tommasino about the importance of the Presepe tradition on Christmas time.
Luca is preparing the Presepe, explaining this art to his son Tommasino: each pastore has its own place, there are the mountains, the small houses in the back to give depth to the scene, the shack where baby Jesus comes to life, and the real waterfall coming down from the mountains. Tommasino keeps repeating that he does not like the Presepe and his dad gets seriously offended. After various attempts to change his mind, Luca troughs him out of the house, saying that there is no place for someone who does not like the Presepe in his house. In the video, Edoardo De Filippo and his son Luca act respectively as Luca and Tommasino.
Eduardo De Filippo (24 May 1900 - 31 October 1984) was an Italian actor, playwright, screenwriter, author and poet, best known for his Neapolitan works Filumena Marturano and Napoli Milionaria.
Biography
De Filippo was born in Naples to playwright Eduardo Scarpetta and theatre seamstress and costumier Luisa De Filippo. He began acting at the age of five and in 1932 formed a theater company with his brother Peppino and sister Titina. Peppino left the troupe in 1944 and Titina departed by the early 1950s. De Filippo starred in De Sica's L'oro di Napoli with Totò and Sophia Loren in 1954. His translation of Shakespeare's The Tempest into Neapolitan was published in 1982. In 1981, De Filippo was appointed life senator of the Italian Republic. He died four years later in Rome. His artistic legacy has been carried over by his son. |
| Type of Event: | Theatre - Opera - Ballet - Shows |
| Event Agenda: | In Neapolitan with English subtitles (2h12) |
| Event Location: | Italian Cultural Institute |
| Event City: | London |
| Type of Venue: | Cultural Center |
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| Directions: | |
| Event Start Date | 09-Dec-11 |