Panel 25: Identity patterns and socio-cultural exchanges in the migration of European theatricals to the United States (1850-1930) (EN)

Chairs: Elena Mazzoleni, Anna Maria Testaverde & Giulia Bravi (Università degli studi di Bergamo)

16 April, 2:30 pm | Room D106

The Italian pantomime on the 19th-century American stage. The rise of the show business

Elena Mazzoleni (Università degli studi di Bergamo)

My paper aims to document the artistic career of Marietta Zanfretta, an Italian actress, dancer, and acrobat who emigrated to the United States in the 1850s. Through an analysis of the artist's varied repertoire, her numerous collaborations with famous pantomime companies (Ravel), circuses (Van Amburgh), and prominent impresarios (Tony Pastor), and her constant tours in multipurpose venues (Niblo's and Bowery Theatre in New York), my historiographical contribution outlines the entertainment scene of the post-secessionist era, in relation to both the processes of transmission and stabilization of European mixed theatrical forms, and the origins of the modern entertainment market. Considering the fragmentary historiography on the subject, the references are solely primary sources, i.e. the theatre reviews of the time, such as The Times, New York Clipper, Daily Times, and Sacramento Daily Union.

Keywords: nineteenth-century theatre; migration; mixed performance; Italian cultural heritage; show business

Ettore Patrizi and the Origins of Italian Theatre Criticism in San Francisco

Anna Maria Testaverde (Università degli studi di Bergamo)

In the unexplored history of Italian theatre in San Francisco, the Italian language newspapers that emerged during the mid-nineteenth century constitute invaluable sources for reconstructing the cultural life of the community and identifying the principal agents involved in disseminating Italian performative traditions in America. The tri-weekly L’Italia, founded in 1887 through the merger of La Patria and L’Eco del Pacifico, initially directed by Federico Biesta and later by the lawyer Pio Morbio, one of the founders of Milan’s Corriere della Sera, became, under the direction of engineer and journalist Ettore Patrizi (from 1897), the most authoritative Italian American organ of the West Coast. Patrizi’s leadership was instrumental in promoting Italian cultural values and in supporting local theatrical initiatives, which initially relied on amateur associations, lacking a defined managerial structure and direct links with the homeland. The promotion of Italian artistic excellence on American stages represented a central concern for Patrizi, who capitalized on his cultural and managerial connections in Italy to enhance the dissemination of Italian music and its interpreters abroad. Among the innovations introduced by Patrizi was the expansion of L’Italia to include a fifth page. This section encompassed reports on theatrical events, critical commentary, and cultural essays, with particular attention to developments in contemporary Italian theatre. Notably, it featured the column Arte e artisti. Soon after Patrizi’s appointment, a new section dedicated to opera criticism, jointly signed by Almagià and Patrizi, was inaugurated and later extended to prose and variety theatre. This editorial initiative was an intellectual space of reflection and dialogue, an essential source for reconstructing the history of colonial theatre in San Francisco and for understanding the artistic and cultural dynamics of the Italian American community at the turn of the century.

Keywords: Ettore Patrizi; theatre criticism; italian colonial theatre; San Francisco

Alessandro Salvini: an Italian-American "Son of Art" to the United States (1882-1896)

Giulia Bravi (Università degli studi di Bergamo)

The talk presents research on the American experience of Alessandro (better known as Alexander) Salvini (Florence, 1861-1896), son of the renowned Italian actor Tommaso Salvini. In particular, it examines Salvini's history in the United States through documents preserved at the New York Public Library. These, combined with journalistic accounts, provide an excellent starting point for reconstructing the career of this Italian "Son of Art" in North America. The aim is to identify which distinctive features of the Italian acting tradition may have influenced and permeated American theatre during that period, as well as dramaturgy. His tours will be showcased using the ArTeMIA (Archivio Teatrale Migrazioni Italia-America) database, a digital catalogue employing the ArcGIS mapping and analysis system.

Keywords: Italian-American actor; migration; Italian theatre; 19th century