Friday, December 08, 2006

Actor Tony Nardi, Takes Stand vs Italian Stereotypes, Risks Career

The ANNOTICO Report

 

Canadian actor Tony Nardi deserves the FULL and Active support of the Entire Italian Canadian/American  Communities.

 

He RISKS his Career to Fight Negative Italian Stereotypes, by Refusing Roles that perpetuate  Negative Italian Images, and Assails those Prospective Producers and Directors for their Laziness in accepting Mediocrity in material, that relies so much on either Bathroom Humor or ANY offensive stereotype, that they are either oblivious to, or willing to embrace in pursuit of profits, ignoring that they hit far below the belt.

 

Nardi also takes a shot at Italians who limit their knowledge of Italian Culture to the Food or the Azzurri Roster.

 

Talented Actor, Tony Nardi, Takes a Stand Against Mediocrity

 

Nardi's "Two Letters"  biting commentary vent frustration with writers who resort to the three M's of Italian stereotypes - mommas, macaroni and the mafia, and the use of any culture as a "punchline".

 

Infamous Agitator or Society's Conscience ?? 

 

Tandem

Canada's Cosmopolitan News
By John Hanan

Dec 10, 2006 - Dec 17, 2006

Tony Nardi may be talking his way out of show business.

Not that the award winning actor is worried about the repercussions from his one-man, two-part "act of theatre" entitled Two Letters. Unlike many within Canada's entertainment industry, desperately striving for fame at any cost, Nardi holds his chosen craft to a higher standard.
Then again, he might just become this country's most infamous agitator outside of Don Cherry.

Early on in his opening monologue, Nardi confesses he chose his craft as a young man, as a means of exploring greater truths in society.

Two hours later, his message is clear. He wants to see more actors in this country striving to raise the bar, rather than remaining silently complicit in the steady stream of offensive, outdated and mediocre material that is routinely produced for Canadian audiences, said Nardi over coffee at Grano Ristorante, just hours before he was to perform at the midtown establishment.

If you ha p! pened to miss Nardi's Two Letters during the past month, consider yourself fortunate the veteran actor has just added two additional performances, which ironically will also serve as a fundraiser for some of the same Canadian thespians he spends more than two hours tearing a strip off in his opening act.

Don't dismiss this performance as a long-winded rant from a middle-aged actor. Certainly large parts of the opening letter serve as a chance for him to vent his frustration with "doormat Ital-Quebec" writers who resort to the three M's of Italian stereotypes - mommas, macaroni and the mafia.

Interspersed with the anger and frustration are moments of cutting insight and hilarity on Canuck culture. Performed at a kinetic pace, Nardi's opening Letter serves as a stinging indictment of the nation's theatrical soul.

But first, without spoiling the show, some context as to why Nardi is seemingly intent on committing career suicide.

Not too long ago, Nardi was asked by the producers of a Canadian sitcom to audition for the role of a stereotypical Italian character - certainly not the first time in his career, as Nardi reminds the audience of being asked to "scratch himself like an Italian" by a previous director - but this particular script, and one particularly disturbing line of dialogue, was so offensive he rejected the role and began writing a 17-page missive to the show's producers.

Nardi, who considers himself as much a writer as an actor, continued writing his damning report on Canadian cinema. However he isn't presenting himself as a martyr for the Italian-Canadian community. He also rallies against Canadians of convenience ("|ber-Italians...who despite a Canadian home and passport" don't identify themselves as such) and the younger generation, whose ancestral knowledge is limited to the Azzurri's World Cup roster.

From Quebec politicians to Italian explorers to the mainstream press, there are no safe havens from Nardi's biting commentary.

Throughout the opening Letter, Nardi is visited by drama-liturgical ghosts (based on living friends within the industry) who he believes have come to represent the "dead ideas" that permeates Can-content, suffocating it from producing anything noteworthy.

The second half, Letter Two, began as a long essay to a couple of prominent theatre critics in Toronto, bemoaning the state of theatre i n! English Canada (and preference for Elizabethan theatre over exploring new ground) that treats actors like props, producing shows that no longer resonates with audiences.

Demonstrating his commitment to leaving no stone unscathed, Nardi has even incorporated remarks made by his own co-producer and publicist into the show.

But perhaps he's putting too much pressure on Canadian talent - whether actors or writers - who are usually, hungrily looking for work and rarely in a position to turn down a paycheque, no matter how offensive the material.

"Since they're in the same field as I am, they should be just as concerned as I am," he said, adding. "You have to become a mirror for society that normally doesn't have the time to think about such things."

Certainly he holds his professional colleagues up to very high standards, standards in an age of instant-celebrity that may be rapidly changing. Similarly, society's funny bone has seemingly moved from h i! gh-brow to somewhere far below the belt, but isn't one man's offensive stereotype another's punchline?

 

Context is the key, argues Nardi, and the problem is clichid characters that merely mimic our often shallow culture.

"Trendy too often passes for originality," he says near the end of the Letter One. Conversely legendary filmmakers like Martin Scorsese or Spike Lee, create authentic characters that "create masks to reveal, not conceal." Intentionally provoking an audience, to reveal a larger theme isn't what got his blood boiling, but the wafer-thin characters who unknowingly offend, whose lack of originality means a reliance on using ignorant stereotypes by default.

While the theme of mediocrity and how it relates to Canadian drama, onstage or onscreen, has left many with their jaws-dropped and others in tears, Nardi says that many in attendance have walked away from the monologue with their own particular interpretation. A lawyer sees parallels to the world of justice, while another sees connections to the media in this country. Whatever the end result - ! Nardi isn't sure what he'll do with Two Letters once the run is over- the intent was to stir a reaction from what he views as a normally apathetic English Canadian audience. And unlike many bearer of bad news, Nardi stands around afterwards, fielding questions from an often stunned silent audience.

Exactly what has been the reaction from directors, producers, casting agents and all those who could potentially keep him from working as retribution? Nardi says he hasn't received much feedback from those within Canadian theatrical circles (which he hopes will change with the upcoming benefit performances) and while his critique is sure to create animosity and resentment, the important thing for him are the ideas contained within: that culturally, we need to strive for originality, rise above our current mediocrity and stamp out the scripted racism we so often turn a blind eye towards.

 

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