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Cu'Fu? (So who did
it?) Stories from a Sicilian
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Cu'Fu?
(So who did it?) is a Sicilian response to bad salami or the origin
of the universe and most everything in between. "Who stole my purse?"
"Why is my son smoking Mario Lanza?" "Who plugged me into these
machines when I was ready to die three days ago?" The new world is
one challenge after another, and before confronting these challenges
a Sicilian must ask: Cu Fu? Through storytelling, singing and
harmonica playing, Calogero unfolds his Sicilian-Canadian reality
full of warmth, tragedy and humour.
ARTWORD BRINGS BACK HIT SHOW
After a sell-out run in April, and a very warm response from the Sicilian and Italian communities in Toronto, Artword Theatre remounted the show in the fall for an extended run beginning September 20,1996.
ARTWORD'S SICILIAN SHOW EXTENDS RUN
Artword Theatre's production of Cu'Fu?, by Calogero
(Charly) Chiarelli, was held over until December 15, 1996. The
one-person show about growing up Sicilian in Hamilton, Ontario has
developed a strong grass-roots following that has been filling the
tiny 60-seat theatre since September.
The
show, performed in English with some Sicilian dialogue, has a very
strong appeal to first and second generation immigrants to Canada,
particularly of Italian and Sicilian background.
"People
are coming three and four times, bringing a bigger group each time."
says Judith Sandiford, managing director of the theatre.
On
Saturday, November 9, a special one-night performance of
Cu'Fu? is opening the Ontario Workers Arts and Heritage
Centre in Hamilton, a few blocks from where the play is set.
The
author and performer, Calogero (Charly) Chiarelli, grew up in the
industrial north end of Hamilton where, in the words of the show,
"there are 10,000 Sicilians all from the same town of Racalmuto. And
back in Racalmuto, there were only 8,000 left."
Charly
now lives in Kingston, where he works as a social worker. He commutes
every weekend to Toronto to do the show. Charly is an expert blues
and jazz harmonica player. His blues songs with Sicilian and English
lyrics are a high point of the show.
Artword
Theatre, now in its fourth season, is putting its full energy behind
the show. "We want to take Cu'Fu?' as far as it will go," says
Artistic Director Ronald Weihs. "Charly is a very talented writer and
performer. And we think that Cu'Fu? has something very important to
say about what it is to be Canadian. Right now, that's the most
critical issue we face in this country."
Calogero (Charly) Chiarelli is an accomplished performer,
storyteller and musician who has had several appearances on CBC's
'Cloud Nine' and the Toronto Festival of Storytelling. He has
recently appeared at the Yukon International Storytelling Festival
and as Dan Yashinsky's sidekick at the Festival Interculturel du
Conte de Montréal. Charly is also quite adept at the lost art
of setting up pins in a bowling alley, but that's another story.
Now,
with credentials in psychology, linguistics and a Master in Social
Work, Charly lives and works in Kingston, Ontario. Recently he and
his family went to Italy for a year where he gigged as a jazz/blues
harmonica player. Charly claims audiences are probably still
scratching their heads at his rendition of blues tunes sung with
Sicilian lyrics.
