This collaborative project between Florentine and US artists and students called ‘An Explorer’s Desire’ began as a part of a special celebration.  The year 2012 had been designated by the Mayor of Florence as L’Anno Vespucciano (the year of Vespucci) to celebrate the connection between Florence and the United States.  Amerigo Vespucci died 500 years ago and was credited as the first person to identify the continent as one great land mass.  And, for this, America found its name.

This project was possible, in part, by a grant from the Department of Cultural Affairs of the City of Los Angeles as well as support from the City of Florence.

The project is a multilingual theatrical exploration of the contemporary immigrant experience.  The piece itself demonstrates a transition from Amerigo Vespucci to the present and examines questions of identity and cultural exploration for immigrants today in two world famous cities, Florence and Los Angeles.  It presents the question of how we have evolved as travelers entering new worlds since Amerigo’s time.  The piece had been developed in Florence, and brought back to the states for a presentation in Los Angeles in in collaboration with the Italian Cultural Institute.

To see more images of the production please click here.