On this episode of La Befana’s Table, I welcome Chiara Durazzini — Florentine native, actor, director, educator, founder of Boston’s Pazzi Lazzi Troupe, and the beloved (and slightly mischievous) Befana di Boston. In celebration of Commedia dell’Arte Day (February 25th), Chiara brings us into the vibrant, irreverent, deeply human world of Commedia — a 16th-century Italian theatrical form that gave us archetypes still alive in today’s sitcoms, satire, and street performance. Together, we explore: * Why February 25, 1545 marks the birth of professional Western theatre * How Commedia introduced women performers to the stage * Archetypes like the Capitano and the clever servants that still show up in modern comedy * The political satire and improvisational spirit at the heart of Commedia * Why exaggeration, masks, and “being too much” can be deeply healing * The evolutionary joy of improvisation and play * And of course… how La Befana found her way to Boston (and YouTube) This conversation is about folklore, embodiment, creative courage, and the radical act of not taking ourselves too seriously — especially in absurd times. 🎭 About Chiara Durazzini Chiara Durazzini (she/her), a native of Florence, Italy, moved to Boston in 2000. She is the founder of: * Pazzi Lazzi Troupe — a Boston-based Commedia dell’Arte and Italian Renaissance music troupe for which she performs, teaches, and directs. * All’italiana – Boston Italian Theatre Company — staging works by Italian playwrights and offering acting labs in Italian for both native and non-native speakers. Chiara has written, acted in, and directed original works including: * Isabella Unmasked – The Legacy of an Italian Renaissance Woman (2017) * Pinocchio – A Commedia Adventure (2020) She has also staged celebrated plays including: * Oh These Ghosts by Eduardo De Filippo * La Giara – The Oil Jar by Luigi Pirandello Her performance credits include work with Company One Theatre and Apollinaire Theatre Company. She trained with actors of Odin Teatret and studied extensively Commedia dell’Arte with Master Claudia Contin Arlecchino in Pordenone, Italy. These days, she also dances with Salmadanse (directed by choreographer Joanie Block), works as an Italian voice-over artist and teacher — and, in secret (or not so secret anymore), she is the renowned Befana di Boston. She holds a Master’s degree in Art, Music and Theatre from the University of Bologna. 🔗 Connect with Chiara 🌐 www.pazzilazzitroupe.com📘 https://www.facebook.com/PazziLazzi📸 https://www.instagram.com/pazzilazzi/ If you are in the Boston area, look out for upcoming workshops, Commedia labs, and performances 💬 Table Talk Where might exaggeration, play, or improvisation soften something in your life right now? Upcoming Happenings Festa Della Donna is a Variety Show kicking off Women’s History Month celebrating Italian-American Female contributions to the Arts. It continues its 7th Year Tradition featuring the most talented Donne in Music, Dance, Comedy & Beyond. Don’t miss it! Doors at 2:30pm. Show at 3 Approx Running Time: 75 MinutesGenre: Classic Music, Italian Heritage, Storytelling Please Note: The venue has a 2-beverage minimum per person. #BeBefana Always be yourself. Unless you can be befana. Then #BeBefana Epiphanies, don’t arrive all at once. They arrive gently over time. They whisper to us—if we are paying attention. The #BeBefana campaign was born from listening to that whisper. Inspired by the ancient Italian legend of La Befana and my real life experience animating a puppet of this folkloric figure through the streets of New York City during the pandemic, the #BeBefana campaign is a quiet signal to ourselves and to others that another way of being—and doing—is possible. To #BeBefana is to believe that small, faithful acts matter. To sweep the floor, light the fire, offer welcome, leave a gift—and trust that in the darkest of days love persists, that our stories are never fully written, and that there is always room for a whimsical & wondrous plot twist. 10 percent of profits will be donated to the Young Center For Immigrant Children’s Rights. La Befana's Table is a reader/listener-supported publication. To receive new posts and support the work of La Befana’s Table consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit labefanastable.substack.com/subscribe
