Since 1996, The English Theatre of Rome has been an important hub for Italian and non-Italian directors, playwrights, and actors in the Rome art scene. At least one play per season is performed in both Italian and English (and sometimes a mixture of the two) to reflect the multicultural heritage of the theatre.

Gaby Ford, the theatre’s founder and a patron of the arts in the Eternal City, is proud to provide the English-speaking community with independent theatre and original writing. Her passion and dedication knows no bounds, even offering her vacation house in Bomarzo as an artists’ getaway, which she fondly describes as a “writer’s boot camp.” The Bomarzo residence is a tranquil and nurturing location, surrounded by the fantastic Parco dei Mostri.

In fact, this summer’s production entitled “Five” (directed by the award-winning Dustin Wills, who has studied and lived between Italy and Austin, Texas since 2003) was written in Bomarzo in a whirlwind period of 3 weeks. The organic process of “free writing” involved the collaborative effort of Mr. Wills and his five actresses from around the globe, including Keri Boyd (New York), Amy Briggs (London), Chase Crossno (Angola), Sofia Ruiz (Mexico) and Emily Tindall (Texas).

The final result tells the story of five different women that occupy five different rooms in the Teatro L’Arciliuto (near Piazza Navona). The audience moves from room to room to witness the ladies’ individual lives. After a brief intermission, the audience sees all the women together as the play comes to a conclusion. The most intriguing part is that the five random audience groups experience the production in a different sequence, enabling them to obtain a unique perspective of the story as a whole. “Five” explores many themes including identity, gender, voyeurism and the theatre itself. It is a must-see production influenced by Virginia Woolf and such Italian icons as Luigi Pirandello and Federico Fellini that takes advantage of the intimate space and architecture of the theatre, a decision that Mr. Wills believes “pushes boundaries, putting the audience in close proximity to the theatrical world.”

The opening performance is Tuesday, July 21^st. The show runs Tuesdays-Thursdays from July 21-July 30. For more information on The English Theatre of Rome and “Five” go to www.rometheatre.com.