THE JOURNEY I NEVER MADE by Paolo Bignami 

Paolo Bignami’s poetic, award-winning two-hander, The Journey I Never Made, tells the story of two women who meet in a deserted train station. One is at the beginning of her journey, the other at the end. Cautiously, they overcome their initial suspicions and prejudices to establish a connection - and realize that in spite of what might separate them, they have more in common than they first realized.

The Journey I Never Made was produced in November - December 2017 at the Cherry Lane Theater in Manhattan, as part of a 5-week program by KIT - Kairos Italy Theater titled alieNation. KIT - New York’s preeminent Italian theater company, produced three Italian works in translation, never-before seen on a New York stage.

I was thrilled to be a producer, translator and actor on this ambitious project, originating the role of “Silvia.” My translation of The Journey I Never Made has since been published by La Mongolfiera in a bilingual edition, and the play has continued to be performed internationally.

An incredibly relevant piece in today’s climate, the play is a touching reflection on immigration, our perception of “the other,” and our immense yearning for human connection in the fact of obstacles and prejudice.

Our production of The Journey I Never Made will travel to Washington D.C. in Fall 2019, to be presented at the Italian Embassy and other venues.

alieNation - three new plays from Italy presented in repertory, directed by Laura Caparrotti November 7 - December 3rd, 2017 at Cherry Lane Theater. Featuring The Journey I Never Made by Paolo Bignami, with Carlotta Brentan & Paloma Pilar.

“Adhering admirably to its cultural mission, Kairos Italy Theater is treating downtown audiences to a double bill of smartly written Italian one-acts, each exploring the contentious topic of immigration in their own unique and achingly human ways, as part of its AlieNation repertory. Minimally staged, but with talented actors, the beauty of the plays is largely in the playwrights’ words, which seemingly have lost nothing in translation.” -TheaterScene

“The Journey I Never Made is a hauntingly opaque story about two female strangers marooned on a desolate train platform in an unnamed country… if you give yourself over to the moment, it may start the tears flowing. […] It’s all elegantly effective, and Brentan, doing double duty as the play’s translator, deserves extra credit for helping to pull it off by conveying both Bignami’s message and his poetry.” - TheaterScene

“Carlotta Brentan does an impressive job.” - TheaterChitChat

“Carlotta Brentan and Paloma Pilar work very well together on stage.” - T2C Online