Improving the World... One Interaction At A Time.
A Performers Guide to Cultural Interactions
By William Draven
As an actor at a major motion picture studio, and theme park in Hollywood, as well as a magician I frequently get the opportunity to entertain for from all over the world. A year ago or so a document was released within our entertainment department that outlined different countries, and some good information you can use to create meaningful, lasting encounters with their people.
I immediately saw the advantage of this information for the magician community because what are we if not entertainers? We can use just about any tool at our disposal to help create that one magic moment with our audience that can make it even that much more memorable. So I got permission to share the information with you. Of course this project will take some time to post up, so I'll be updating this based upon two factors. The first being how well received, and appreciated it is from you the community, and the second how relevant the community feels this information is as applied to their lives. That is to say if not encouraged, I won't keep it up. Otherwise, I'll post new threads titled: "Improving The World: {country name}" that that specific file relates to.
Without any further delay, I bring you our next country: Italy
Country: Italy
Continental Location: Southwestern Europe
What They Call Themselves: Italians
Primary Language: Italian (Italiano)
Prominent Cities: Rome [Roma, capital], Florence (Firenze), Venice (Venezia), Milan (Milano), Palermo, Vatican City, Pompeii, Naples (Napoli)
Well Known Historical Sites: The Pantheon, The Colosseum, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain (all in Rome), The Vatican, St. Peter’s Basillica, home of the Sistine Chapel.
Currency: The Euro
Starter Phrases:
Hello: Ciao! (CHOW), Buongiorno (Bon Jee-YOUR-no)
Welcome: Benvenuto (BEN-ven-oo-toe)
Yes: Si
No: No
Thank you: Grazie (GROT-see-ay)
Please and You’re welcome: Prego (PRAY-go)
Good bye: Arrivederci (Ah-REE-va-DARE-chee)
Children/kids: Ragazzi (RAH-got-zee)
Cultural Notes:
Prominent People/ Celebrities: Silvio Berlusconi (Prime Minister); Roberto Benigni (Oscar winning actor); Sophia Loren (Oscar winning actress); Pope Benedict XVI (16th); too many New Yorkers to mention!
-A few films shot in Italy: “Roman Holiday” (Audrey Hepburn, Gregory Peck); “La Dolce Vita” (Marcello Mastroianni); the “Godfather” movies, “Angels & Demons” (Tom Hanks).
-Famous Italian artists: Michelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci, Raphael, Titian & Botticelli.
-Mount Vesuvius (near Naples) erupted in 79 AD destroying the city of Pompeii.
-Julius Caesar and the other Roman Emperors lived in the Forum in the heart of Rome where ruins of their palaces, the senate and more still exist.
-Turin (Torino) hosted the 2006 Winter Olympics.
-Soccer (or Calcio, pronounced CAL-chee-oh) is the most popular sport in Italy. Italy won the most recent World Cup in 2006 by defeating archrivals France. The national team is referred to as the “Azzurri” (or the Blues, in reference to Italy’s former royal color). The most popular professional teams are AC Milan, Juventus, Inter Milan & AC Roma.
-Italy is the home of Renaissance and lots of great museums. Michelangelo’s David is in Florence’s Galleria dell’ Accademia.
-Milan (along with New York, London & Paris) hosts Fashion Week annually with the top designers and models showing off the next years clothes and haute couture.
What To Avoid:
Mention of Mussolini and WWII. Editorializing about the Papacy.
A Performers Guide to Cultural Interactions
By William Draven
As an actor at a major motion picture studio, and theme park in Hollywood, as well as a magician I frequently get the opportunity to entertain for from all over the world. A year ago or so a document was released within our entertainment department that outlined different countries, and some good information you can use to create meaningful, lasting encounters with their people.
I immediately saw the advantage of this information for the magician community because what are we if not entertainers? We can use just about any tool at our disposal to help create that one magic moment with our audience that can make it even that much more memorable. So I got permission to share the information with you. Of course this project will take some time to post up, so I'll be updating this based upon two factors. The first being how well received, and appreciated it is from you the community, and the second how relevant the community feels this information is as applied to their lives. That is to say if not encouraged, I won't keep it up. Otherwise, I'll post new threads titled: "Improving The World: {country name}" that that specific file relates to.
Without any further delay, I bring you our next country: Italy
Country: Italy
Continental Location: Southwestern Europe
What They Call Themselves: Italians
Primary Language: Italian (Italiano)
Prominent Cities: Rome [Roma, capital], Florence (Firenze), Venice (Venezia), Milan (Milano), Palermo, Vatican City, Pompeii, Naples (Napoli)
Well Known Historical Sites: The Pantheon, The Colosseum, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain (all in Rome), The Vatican, St. Peter’s Basillica, home of the Sistine Chapel.
Currency: The Euro
Starter Phrases:
Hello: Ciao! (CHOW), Buongiorno (Bon Jee-YOUR-no)
Welcome: Benvenuto (BEN-ven-oo-toe)
Yes: Si
No: No
Thank you: Grazie (GROT-see-ay)
Please and You’re welcome: Prego (PRAY-go)
Good bye: Arrivederci (Ah-REE-va-DARE-chee)
Children/kids: Ragazzi (RAH-got-zee)
Cultural Notes:
Prominent People/ Celebrities: Silvio Berlusconi (Prime Minister); Roberto Benigni (Oscar winning actor); Sophia Loren (Oscar winning actress); Pope Benedict XVI (16th); too many New Yorkers to mention!
-A few films shot in Italy: “Roman Holiday” (Audrey Hepburn, Gregory Peck); “La Dolce Vita” (Marcello Mastroianni); the “Godfather” movies, “Angels & Demons” (Tom Hanks).
-Famous Italian artists: Michelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci, Raphael, Titian & Botticelli.
-Mount Vesuvius (near Naples) erupted in 79 AD destroying the city of Pompeii.
-Julius Caesar and the other Roman Emperors lived in the Forum in the heart of Rome where ruins of their palaces, the senate and more still exist.
-Turin (Torino) hosted the 2006 Winter Olympics.
-Soccer (or Calcio, pronounced CAL-chee-oh) is the most popular sport in Italy. Italy won the most recent World Cup in 2006 by defeating archrivals France. The national team is referred to as the “Azzurri” (or the Blues, in reference to Italy’s former royal color). The most popular professional teams are AC Milan, Juventus, Inter Milan & AC Roma.
-Italy is the home of Renaissance and lots of great museums. Michelangelo’s David is in Florence’s Galleria dell’ Accademia.
-Milan (along with New York, London & Paris) hosts Fashion Week annually with the top designers and models showing off the next years clothes and haute couture.
What To Avoid:
Mention of Mussolini and WWII. Editorializing about the Papacy.