Independent English Theatre (IET)is a professional, English-speaking theatre company based in Rome, with a commitment to producing high quality theatre, encouraging diverse genres of theatre, integrating and exploring cultures, offering audiences plays in their original language, and developing knowledge of the English language.
OUR PATRON
PUPI AVATI
Patron
We are honoured to have as our patron, Pupi Avati, one of Italy’s finest and most respected directors, screenwriters and producers. Some of his most successful films were Impiegati (1985), Christmas Present (Regalo di Natale 1986) and The Last Minute (Ultimo minuto 1987). He received the David di Donatello Award for Best Director for Il Cuore Altrove. Currently he has just finished working on his 52nd film.
THE STAFF
SANDRA PATERNOSTRO
Artistic Director
Sandra Paternostro (Artistic Director) A multi-lingual actress who trained at LAMDA. Inthe UK, whilst working as an actress she also set up a theatre company producing plays such as Sam Shepard’s Fool for Love at Redgrave theatre –Bristol and Dog’s Barking at the Finborough theatre –London. She was part of the original team for Harold Pinter’s adaptation of Proust’s Remembrance of Things Past for Royal National Theatre. In Italy, she acted in Coco Chanel, Under the Roman Sky and in a bi-lingual tv series for RAI for television. Whilst in the theatre she most recently was in La Banda Degli Onesti and Shear Madness at the Teatro dell’Angelo. Sandra played the part of Emma in Independent English Theatre's production of Harold Pinter's Betrayal. www.sandrapaternostro.com
HELEN MURTON
Literary Editor
Helen Murton holds an honours degree in linguistics and philosophy and divides her time between the UK and Italy. She has been involved in authoring and editing since the mid-90's and is also a registered hearing therapist.
THE COMPANY
A new company is formed with every production.
Here are some of the people who have collaborated with us....
Danielle Bearden-Mead
An American producer with nearly 10 years of professional theatre experience. From 2005 - 2009 she was the Director of Individual Giving at the award-winning Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles and raised 4 million dollars towards 30 productions, among them: All My Sons, Some Girls, Farragut North and three world premieres: Carrie Fisher's Wishful Drinking, Donald Margulies' Time Stands Still, and Jane Anderson's The Quality of Life. From 2001 - 2005 she was a co-founder and board member of The Garage Theatre. Through her fundraising efforts she helped transition the company from "one-off" productions into a permanent residence and co-produced the company's first official season. Additionally, she acted in Goose and Tomton, The Fourth Wall, Action and directed Side Man and Tape. Most recently she was the production stage manager for the critically acclaimed Rantoul and Die by Mark Roberts at the Lillian Theatre in Hollywood and from 2009 - 2010 she worked on "Two and A Half Men" and "The Big Bang Theory". She has her B.A. in Theatre Arts from California State University of Long Beach.
ALESSANDRO BENTIVEGNA
Born in Rome, Alessandro graduated from art school and proceeded to work in several Roman costumiers, such as "Tirelli's tailor workshop" and in the "Teatro dell'Opera di Roma" costume designer department, to complete his training. After, he worked as a costume designer in theatrical shows and in short movies. In 1996 he worked on his first movie, "Delitto a monte Parioli," inspired by the Italian '70s crime movie, as set and costume designer. He has always expressed his professional and artistic vision both in big and independent productions. Alessandro was the set and costume designer of Independent English Theatre's production of Betrayal by Harold Pinter.www.alessandrobentivegna.it
LYDIA BIONDI
An actress, director and choreographer with vast international experience. She directed The Imaginary Invalid Moliere in Toronto, I due Gemelli Veneziani by Carlo Goldoni in Copenhagen, most recently Studio per un Teatro Clinico at the Cometa Off- Rome. As an actress she has numerous films to her name including Spike Lee’s Miracle at St. Anna’s, Eat Pray Love with Julia Roberts, Letters to Juliet and Figli delle Stella. She has run MTM -MimiTeatroMoviemento school and company successfully for many years. She produced an exciting international festival exploring Avant guard theatre of yesterday & Independent theatre of Today. www.mimoteatromovimento.it
LUCA CALVANI
An American actor and writer who works both in Italy and America. In Italy he was in Ferzan Ozpetek’s Le Fate Ignoranti, on television La Freccia Nera, Due Cuori e un Delitto and in theatre Roman Nights. He was also the winner of the 2006 Isola dei Famosi. His film credit include, "When in Rome", "Maschi Contro", and "Feminine and The International" with Cilve Owen and Naomi Watts.
www.lucacalvani.net
GIANPIERO COGNOLI
An actor and writer fluent in English, Italian, and Serbo-Croat. He was raised in Toronto, has a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and a Master's Degree in Business Administration. He is a writer in both advertising and screen writing. As an actor his TV credits include Don Matteo in Italy and the Jailmate in Canada. On screen his credits include feature films Shadow and Amore 14. Gianpiero played the part of Robert in Independent English Theatre's production of Betrayal.
Holds a PhD in Performance Studies from NorthwesternUniversity. He is Professor of Performance Theory and Theater History at Arcadia University. He has published several articles on Italian theater and a book titled “Intra-cultural Theater: Performing the Life of Black Migrants to Italy”. He is also founder and director of the company Imprevisti e Probabilità, and artistic director of the arts festival Deviazioni Recitative in Formia. His work includes: “Progetto O-felia” from Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” and “Metamorfosi”, plus the original comedy “La Gamba di Sarah Bernhardt” written by Soledad Agresti, winner in 2010 of the best new woman’s dramaturgy. As an actor he has worked extensively, performing in as many countries as Italy, the United States, Japan, Switzerland, Germany, and Senegal
AMELIA NICHOLSON
An English director, trained at LAMDA and artistic director of her own theatre company Iceni in the UK. She has directed various shows in Edinburgh & London and UK repertory theatre. Her plays include, Saved by Edward Bond, Summer Begins by David Eldridge, Dutchman by LeRoi Jones, The Art of Success by Nick Dear, Kvetch by Steven Berkoff, Iraq Innit by Richard Bean, Lettuce Leaf by Ciaran O'Driscoll. Amelia was short-listed for the James Menzies-Kitchen Directors award at The BAC. Most recently she directed Victory at the Arcola Theatre starring Geraldine James. www.iceni-productions.com
DONNACADH O'BRIAIN
Most recently, Donnacadh made a new piece, Between Life and Nowhere with his Company Natural Shocks. He directed the British premiere of Leo Butler's The Early Bird at London's Finborough Theatre, which transfered to Dublin's Project Arts Centre. Other work includes King Lear at Dublin’s Second Age Theatre Company. He worked with Complicité as a collaborator on the development of Endgame. He spent three years as Assistant Director with the Royal Shakespeare Company, working on The Canterbury Tales and with Michael Boyd on the multi award-winning Histories. Other directing includes, Richard III (Southwark Playhouse - Winner of the Better Bankside Shakespeare Award), Hush (Edinburgh Festival and Arcola Theatre) and his adaptation of David Lynch’s Blue Velvet (Edinburgh Festival). In Dublin, Don't Take Your Coat Off (Irish Tour & Dublin Fringe Festival - Award Nominee), Twelfth Night (Dublin Fringe Festival), The Comical Mysteries and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Civic Theatre). Donnacadh was the director for Independent English Theatre's production of Betrayal by Harold Pinter.
TAP R PAYNE
A Professor of Theatre at the University of Minnesota, Morris, in the USA. He received an MFA in Scene Design and Stage Lighting from the University of Oregon. Besides designing lighting, scenery, and occasionally costumes for four university productions annually, Tap has designed for local and regional theatres, and has worked at the Spencer Theatre in New Mexico, and as a scene painter in Minneapolis. Tap was the lighting designer for Independent English Theatre's production of Harold Pinter's Betrayal.
MARCO QUAGLIA
Is an Anglo-Italian actor who graduated from Italy’s national drama school the Accademia Nazionale D’Arte Drammatica “Silvio D’Amico”. Soon after graduating Marco booked a tv series for Rai 1, Incantesimo. He was a regular on the show for five seasons. On film he worked with Anthony Minghella on The Talented Mr Ripley, and in films by Cristina Comencini and Monica Stambrini among others. He moved to New York in 2005 to perform in a stage adaptation of Bartleby The Scrivener by Herman Melville, playing the title role next to the wonderful Gerry Bamman. Marco is currently back in Rome working with the theatre company Psicopompo Teatro and Independent English Theatre on GLBT THE SHOW.
KATIE READ
An acclaimed British director who has produced and directed a variety of plays in London, Dublin and Edinburgh. She directed an adaptation by Simon Day of Turgenev’s The Country Doctor, part of the trilogy, The Coast of Utopia by Tom Stoppard at Olivier Stage at The Royal National Theatre UK. Her own theatre company has won numerous awards including Time Out Critics Choice and at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival -the 2005 fringe first and Katie was offered a bursary at the National Theatre Studio. She has worked with directors in the West End and at The Royal National Theatre in Londonincluding Trevor Nunn, Terry Johnson, Lindsay Posner and most recently Harold Pinter.
RINALDO ROCCO
Graduated from Milan’s Scuola del Piccolo Teatro, directed by Giorgio Strehler, and went on to work in several of their productions, including Faust and The Seagull. In theatre he has worked with Robert Wilson, Jean Paul Denizon and Emil Hrvatim. Fluent in French and Italian, as well as English, Rinaldo works on films across Europe, including most recently Gabrielle, directed by Patrice Chéreau and Diverso da chi?, by Umberto Carteni. Acting has segued into writing and Rinaldo’s currently collaborating on film scripts with the likes of Paolo Franchi and Monica Stambrini. Rinaldo played Jerry in Independent English Theatre's production of Betrayal by Harold Pinter and more recently was co wrote and acted in GLBT THE SHOW.
FERDINANDO SCHIAVONE
Is an Italian actor and film critic. He graduated in History and Theory and Movie Criticism at DAMS in Bologna and received a degree as musical performer at the Bernstein School of Musical Theatre directed by Shawna Farrell, playing lead characters in many musical productions including, "Parade," "Ragtime," and "Assassins." He continued his vocal and acting training with with tenor Alessandro Rinella and Danny Lemmo from the Actor's Studio and won a scholarship to study at the Guilford School of Acting, London. His credits include a cameo as King Herod in "Jesus Christ Superstar" and directing an Italian adaptation of the off-broadway musical, "I love you, you're perfect, now change." From 2006-2009 he worked as an actor for the Operetta Company, "Belle Epoque." Ferdinando was the waiter in Independent English theatre's production of Betrayal by Harold Pinter. He is currently film critic and editor of the website www.loudvision.it
PHILIP STEWART
Is a composer whose recent work includes the Early Bird and Second Age’s production of King Lear both directed by Donnacadh O’Briain. Work at the National Theatre of Ireland – Abbey Theatre, Dublin, includes Ages of the Moon, Lay Me Down Softly, Terminus, A Number and The Big House. He has developed a long-standing relationship with Hatch Theatre Company and created original music and sound design for their critically acclaimed production of Further than the Furthest as well as Cruel and Tender, The Country, Pyrenees and Blood (at Project Arts Centre, Dublin). Other theatre includes Jumping on my Shadow (TEAM), The Last Days of the Celtic Tiger (Olympia Theatre, Dublin), Paranoid and The Licky Rake Show (RedBear Productions). As a freelance composer he has contributed music to a broad spectrum of genres including theatre, dance, documentaries and short films. Philip studied composition at Trinity College Dublin under Donnacha Dennehy and Roger Doyle. Philip was the composer for Independent English Theatre's production of Harold Pinter's Betrayal.
PYSCHE STOTT
Most recently worked with Richard Eyre on A Flea in Her Ear (Old Vic). She trained on the National Theatre Studio Directors programme in 2006 and won the Channel 4 Directors Bursary 2006-07 taking up Director in Residence with Erica Whyman at Northern Stage. Theatre as Director includes Calendar Girls (Australian Premiere 2010; Calendar Girls (Jan - Apr 2010 UK Tour); New Connections Director (National Theatre 2009) Pub Quiz (New Writing North and Northeast Theatre Consortium Tour); Miniaturists 19 (Arcola); New Writing Shorts (Operating Theatre, Newcastle & Liverpool); Felix (Kings Head);The Jewish Wife (Graeae showcase, Clore Theatre) That’s how I’d go (Starring Douglas Henshall, Old Red Lion, Present Tense) Love and Money (Young Vic Walkabout, studio) A Raisin in the Sun (Young Vic walkabout, studio); Four Walls (Kings Head) Everything and Nothing (Arts Centre, Jersey).
PUPI AVATI.jpg)
SANDRA PATERNOSTRO_320x320.jpg)
_danielle.jpg)
Danielle Bearden-Mead
ALESSANDRO BENTIVEGNA 
LYDIA BIONDI 
LUCA CALVANI 
GIANPIERO COGNOLI 
DONNACADH O'BRIAIN 
TAP R PAYNE 
MARCO QUAGLIA 
RINALDO ROCCO 
FERDINANDO SCHIAVONE 
