Villa Charities 2018 Annual Report VC19_AnnualReport_Interiors_Apr29_FNL2 | Page 22

BY THE NUMBERS
cultural
programming
profile
471
Number of attendees
27
Number of
performances
Villa Charities and the Columbus Centre
broke new ground in 2018 with the world
premiere theatre presentation of “If on a
Christmas Night…”/ “Se una notte a
Natale…” The production was a tremen-
dous success with audiences and critics,
and demonstrated Villa Charities’ leader-
ship in the celebration and promotion of
Italian heritage and culture in the Greater
Toronto Area.
More than 470 patrons attended the
production, which was created
specifically for the Columbus Centre
by internationally acclaimed theatre
company DopoLavoroTeatrale (DLT),
in collaboration with Istituto Italiano di
Cultura Toronto as well as promotion from
media partners TLN and Mediaset Italia.
“If on a Christmas Night…” presented a
series of adventurous and comical
situations around the celebration of
Christmas, through the lens of Italian and
Italian-Canadian culture. It offered a
unique, immersive theatrical experience in
which audience members were invited by
the actors to gather, meet one another
and build a new community.
Written and directed by award-winning
director, playwright, producer,
installation artist and performer Daniele
Bartolini, the show featured long-time
DLT collaborators Danya Buonastella,
Rory de Brouwer and Vincent Leblanc-
Beaudoin and others, as well as
community members.
“Daniele Bartolini, with his unique vision
of interactive theatre, shone a light on
the distinctive atmospheres and rituals
nurtured by Italian-Canadians around
“If on a Christmas Night…”/ “Se una notte a Natale…”
22
VILLA CHARITIES
ANNUAL REPORT
family celebrations,” said Emanuele
Lepri, Executive Director, Cultural
Programming, Villa Charities. “We were
proud to bring this production to the
community we serve.”
The production highlighted traditions
from the old country and intertwined
them with ideas from Bartolini’s adopted
home in Canada to create an emotional
and at times hilarious journey through
the small and big things that hold
families together.
A portion of proceeds from ticket sales
for the production, which ran from
December 7 to 23, 2018, were directed to
support the Villa Charities Foundation. A
total of 27 performances included an
exclusive presentation to Villa Colombo
Toronto residents.
MEDIA REVIEWS
“Once again, DLT has created a beautiful
piece of theatre full of warmth and charm
that allows its audience to move away
from the excessive sentimentality of
Christmas and affords them that space to
be contemplative while still having a great
time. I encourage you to check it out.”
– Wayne Leung, Mooney on Theatre
(December 9, 2018)
“Heart-bursting, joyful, collaborative,
wonderfully immersive, beautifully
produced…Daniele Bartolini, writer-
director-theatre creator extraordinaire,
is at it again. This is a wonderful show.”
– Lynn Slotkin, Lynn Slotkin & The Slotkin
Letter (December 12, 2018)
23