Originally Published: 2008-10-26

Italian-Canadian playwright and actor Vittorio Rossi’s drama, Paradise by the River, which is about the internement of Italians in Canada after World War II, received rave reviews and has been a topic of great inspiration for the Italian-Canadian community leaders in Canada.
The play’s assistant producer, Grace Stanisci, a first generation Canadian of Italian descent, talks about Paradise by the River, the hardships that Italian-Canadians suffered during the internment, and reminds us that being Italian is not just about pasta, pizza, and soccer.

What was Vittorio Rossi’s objective when writing the play?
“I think he really just wanted the event to be told. The play really shows the Italian-Canadians’ energy when they came to this country and their will to just do the best that they could… and how a lot of this went away when Canada tagged Italians as the ‘enemy alien.’ ”

What makes Paradise by the River unique?
“Firstly, it is performed in three languages: Italian, English and French. Secondly, it is relatable to everyone and it also speaks to a lot of nationalities; it wasn’t just Italians that were persecuted after World War II, there were persecutions toward other nationalities as well.”
Can you tell us more about lead character Romano Dicenzo?
“Romano is the main character of the play who comes from Calabria looking for a chance to start his own company, which he wanted to name after himself. He buys lead and trucks, but there were big obstacles, but the end of the show...without giving anything away....is all about ‘Let’s get back to work; let’s get up on our feet, let’s have no hard feelings, no resentment, just get back to do what you love.’ It’s the strong resilience that makes him unique, and speaks about how in general Italians reacted to the event.”

The concept of the estranged family comes out vividly in Rossi’s play. Why did he choose this theme?
“I am Italian, and I can tell you from experience that Italian culture is a very family-oriented one! My father, for example, always used to tell me that the family is the one you identify with first and foremost. In the play we see that Romano’s wife Maria really tries to help protect the family in any way she can. Vittorio Rossi shows the Italian community in its most authentic state, and family is a core value of Italian culture.”

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