The Coffee Culture of Naples

By Publications Manager Dan Rubin

Leading up to World War II, drinking coffee was an important ritual, considered by most to be a basic human right. The city is home to the caffè sospeso, the suspended coffee, in which a customer anonymously pays for the coffee of someone in need. Neapolitan writer Luciano de Crescenzo says, “It was a beautiful custom. When a person who had a break of good luck entered a café and ordered a cup of coffee, he didn’t pay for just one, but for two cups, allowing someone less fortunate who entered later to have a cup of coffee for free. . . . It was a cup of coffee offered to the rest of humankind.” But Italy did not grow its own coffee beans, and as the wartime blockades made importation difficult, the staple became precious—and expensive. Instead of visiting cafés, customers had to visit the black market to get their caffeine fix.

Coffee came to Naples late compared to other major Italian cities. When it first arrived in the late eighteenth century, in fact, the superstitious population considered the bitter drink bad luck. Today, however, Naples is one of the coffee culture capitals of the world. The transition began with the early nineteenth–century invention of the cuccumella—more widely known as the napoletana for the city that made it famous. The napoletana is a domestic coffee maker that is comprised of three sections. The bottom is filled with water; the middle contains finely ground coffee; and the top is an upside-down serving pot. After the water is boiled on a stove, the entire contraption is flipped over to let the water filter through the grounds into the pot. While the 1901 invention of the espresso machine revolutionized the public consumption of coffee in Italy, the technology behind domestic preparation remained basically unchanged until after World War II. For many Neapolitans, it remains the preferred preparation method. Here is playwright/director/actor Eduardo De Filippo reciting a monologue from his Questi Fantasmi! about brewing the perfect cup of coffee.



To read more about A.C.T.'s production of Napoli! in our Words on Plays
click here to purchase a copy.
For tickets to Napoli! visit act-sf.org/napoli.

The Basso Setting of Napoli!

By Publications Manager Dan Rubin

Napoli! takes place in a Neapolitan basso, which literally means the "lows." These windowless, street-level, studio apartments have historically been home to the city's underclass. They are cramped, and their occupants have no privacy from passersby, who can peer through the open door, the only point of both ventilation and light. In 1884, a British journalist described the dwellings as follows:

Imagine a doorway of a cave where on entering you must descend. Not a ray of light penetrates into it except by the one aperture you have passed through; and there, between four black battered walls and upon a layer of filth mixed with putrid straw, two, three, and four families vegetate together. The best side of the cave, namely that through which humidity filtrates the least, is occupied by a rack and manger to which animals of various kinds are tied; a horse it may be or an ass, a calf, or a pig. On the opposite, a heap of boards and rags represent the beds. . . . Multiply it by thousands. Remember that a hundred thousand beings at least have no other shelter; that they only live on fruit and vegetables, on snails and onions; without even changing their rags once in a year; without water except such as flows in a dense impure rivulet winding though those lanes.

A model of the Napoli! set by scenic designer Erik Flatmo

Perhaps unsurprisingly, it is impossible to find photographs of the interiors of bassi apartments. Napoli! scenic designer Erik Flatmo found himself watching numerous Italian movies from the World War II era to understand what, for example, light switches looked like then. He also quickly realized it would be necessary to compromise: much of the cultural identity of Naples is formed by what happens on its streets—and, yet, Napoli! takes place inside. So, to the "cave" Flatmo added two windows looking out onto the Spanish Quarter street.

To read more about A.C.T.'s production of Napoli! in our Words on Plays
click here to purchase a copy.
For tickets to Napoli! visit act-sf.org/napoli.

Major Barbara Scene Shop to Stage: A Web Fellow's Perspective

posted by Victoria Flores, A.C.T. Web Development Fellow

An actor's view of the house with techies installing scenery. When the lights dim and the grand drape goes up, you see a polished, in the current moment, put together stage. Scroll back a few days and imagine the actors, designers, stage hands, and scene shop crew filling the stage—weaving around the scenery and each other. A.C.T.'s production of Major Barbara exemplifies the intricate process of implementing a set design. During a performance it can be easy to glaze over the tiny pieces that make-up a design. For this reason, as the web development fellow, I took a step behind the scenes to help illuminate the depth of thought surrounding some of the tech process for Major Barbara. Coming from a computer science and theater background my perspective of the design process is multifaceted. I see the descriptive metadata of the set's components alongside its process details and artistry. Wielding a camera instead of a keyboard for a few days, I saw firsthand how attentively A.C.T. works with its set designers and scene shop. December 10, 2013 (scene shop: a few days into build) Draft of stage right frame section. Click here for more photos from the scene shop. Tripping over my shoelaces from looking through the camera, I see frames piled up all around the shop. It is clear to see how Dan Ostling's notion of 'lived-in' is being incorporated into the nature of the materials; the frames have been resourcefully salvaged from around the Bay Area. The scene shop employs some of the most talented makers in San Francisco—these artisans are the last to say something is not practical. Their tenacity makes the construction of the one hundred and fifty window and door frame main background piece, a reality. The shop foreman hints at the complexity of determining the curve needed for the metal posts in each section of the concave frame structure. Shop Foreman Mark Luevano; Asst. Production Mgr. Jeff Williams In the main pathway of the shop, a section of the frame unit sits askew atop sawhorses due to its curvature. To the right, carpenters are putting together the oversized "BLOOD AND FIRE" Salvation Army emblem (now hanging downstage center). Further up the path, scenic artists are cutting out a medley of stencils for the Persian style rug. I see the soon-to-be set take up most of the floor space, the paint deck holding a newly scumbled (a particular way of painting), haze flooring. January 2, 2014 (tech week: focus) The stage during focus. Venturing into The Geary Theater, I see the set awash with color and hear random sound tests. Standing in the wing, the concave structure of frames looms overhead. The set seemed a facsimile of the renderings and model. Smaller parts of scenery are sitting on the side lines while lighting assistants focus lights from all areas of the theater, from the Genie (a lift) onstage, to stage hands precariously leaning over the balcony railing.  Behind the set of frames hangs a backdrop bearing strategically arranged and, at first sight, striking words. Soon I see lighting assistants twirling a spiral stair unit stage right, posing as actors in order to focus the lights. While walking among seats of the orchestra and sitting awkwardly on steps and rails on upper tiers for photos, I notice stage hands and run crew flying in new scenery, quickly zipping them back up to the grid as operators finish lighting them—causing me to have awkward lighting and blurs galore in most of my shots. I count about seven different linesets being used to hang faux weaponry, gilded frames, the now fully painted emblem I had seen half-constructed, and a peculiarly shaped chandelier. January 3, 2014 (tech week: placing scenery and director's notes) Scenic Charge Jennifer Bennes During such a busy day, being one of the last before runs, I met with the assistant production manager. This time I walk in to find three times as many people bustling through the theater, onstage, backstage, and under the stage (trap). Touring downstairs momentarily to see the spiral stair continuation of the trap, I return to see candy-striped settees, side tables and a velvet armchair (they work fast!). Circumambulating the set is the director, Dennis Garnhum, giving notes to the techies, while furniture is being secured. Only one day has passed since my last visit and the set has become rich and cohesive. I notice the Scenic Charge Jennifer Bennes examining the set for paint touch-ups from the wing. It is not always the case that a set is complete when installed, some parts of a set design (like the balusters) have to be done in situ because of the transportation and install process. Noticing the intricacy of the finished rug, she explains to me the process of creating it. The rug used four hand-mixed silk dye hues (cranberry, gold, olive, and peacock), eighteen stencils, and a slurry of cutout petals—about fifty hours of work with two other scenic artists (B.J. Fredrickson and Letty Samonte). Detail shot of Persian style rug. Click here for more photos from tech. Because design motifs of the rug repeat, the stencils were reused after each spray. The painters also used shapes for hold-outs. Jennifer explains: "a hold-out is when you put a shape onto the rug, in [this] case, stickers and shapes cut from craft punches with glue applied to the back, and then spray a color over the area with the hold-outs. When you remove the hold-out, you have a shape like a flower or a leaf within a color field." January 7, 2014 (in office while rehearsals take place in theater) With three-hundred photos accumulated to sift through and process, I double back to confirm the details of what I had seen onstage and in the shop. A.C.T. is a fairly small company for the quality of theater it produces, which leads to one of its best qualities—accessibility. Soon I'm emailing across departments to confirm deatils of the set, painting and lineset schedule. Because some photos were taken during focus (a stage in the tech process), most of the phrases were occluded by the foreground of the set and lighting. After piecing together parts of images I discovered they are actually notable lines spoken by Undershaft in Act III Scene II of Major Barbara. The lines reveal how the governing perspectives of the previous Undershaft owners of the munitions factory, changed with time. Pay attention and you will notice the lines are actually out of sequence! I also discovered that my lineset count was slightly off. From the house I had seen seven linesets used, when in fact there are around ten. These details are just some of the few, one would not notice during the timespan of the show. A view from the mezzanine shows the set in contrast to the theater. As a computer science student and web fellow, the set seems an arrangement of measures and dimensions, the metadata of the objects in time and space. As an architecture student it boasts unfathomable form and structural integrity. (Note: theater is one of the most strict in following safety guidelines.) As a painter, it displays a combination of precise technique and patience. As a set design assistant, it's a magical and precarious arrangement of inventions which create an environment for each performance of the show to live. Major Barbara is indeed a set to inadvertently enthrall from countless perspectives giving you the chance to imagine what this show is actually about.

Click here to buy tickets and learn more about Major Barbara.
Click here to see more photos from tech week.
Click here to see more photos from build in the scene shop.

A.C.T.'s Scene Shop builds Major Barbara

A.C.T.'s Scene Shop builds Major Barbara, a set on Flickr.

The fourth show in our 2013–14 season, Major Barbara features a complex scenic design by Tony Award-nominated Daniel Ostling. A visit during the early stages of build, reveals the bricolage of mullions and stencils being pieced together at A.C.T.'s Scene Shop. Locally sourced piles of window and door frames are seen throughout the shop ready to be installed on the concave oval curve that makes up the structural backbone of the design. While scenic artists work on the scumbled deck and intricate custom rug, carpenters piece together a large Salvation Army emblem. For more info and to buy ticket go to http://www.act-sf.org/majorbarbara #ACTBarbara

Meet Elke Janssen, who plays the role of Martha Cratchit in A Christmas Carol.

Elke Janssen
A Christmas Carol
Showing Dec 6 - 28.
Learn more about the production
and order tickets.

Meet Elke Janssen, who plays the role of Martha Cratchit in A Christmas Carol.

How many times have you been in A Christmas Carol?
I was Belinda last year, and now I'm Martha Cratchit. I am really part of the family!
 
What are your favorite holiday traditions?
Saint Nicholas day, a German tradition, where we place a shoe in the window the evening of December 5th with a carrot or apple for Saint Nicholas' horse, and the next morning it's filled with old time candy and a wooden toy! I also love going downtown and looking at all the Christmas windows, especially the SPCA puppies, then picking out an ornament at Macy's.

What's your favorite thing about the Bay Area during the holidays?
Everyone is smiling and I love the smell of the air....you know Christmas is coming.

What is your favorite moment in A Christmas Carol?
When Christmas Past appears, up in the air...oh yes, and when it snows.

Who is your favorite character in A Christmas Carol?
Beautiful Christmas Past.

What is your favorite holidary food/treat?
Marshall Fields' Frango Mints

What is your favorite Christmas movie?
A Christmas Story, I crack up every time. It is so funny..

The cast of A Christmas Carol (during the finale) at A.C.T.’s Geary Theater.