“The decision surprised Camila, who aspires to be a professional actress (…) The theatre group participated as a team, and the competition awarded her the best actress prize for her characterization,” explained a source from the organization, noting that the Luso-Venezuelan is a student at the Italo-Venezuelan school Simón Bolívar and Giuseppe Garibaldi in Caracas.
The award, according to a statement released in Caracas, “celebrates the effort and commitment of a group of young actors who, under the direction of Professor Natale La Rocca, presented in Italian the play ‘Così è (se vi pare) [It is So (If You Think So)], by playwright and Nobel Prize winner Luigi Pirandello.”
“Being recognized in the land of Pirandello reaffirms my dream of dedicating myself professionally to theatre. It’s as if the universe confirmed that I am on the right path,” states the communiqué, mentioning that the play entered in the competition was filmed on April 4 and submitted by the school’s deputy director Claudio Milazzo.
Alternatively, the Luso-Venezuelan explains that “mastering the [Italian] language in the classroom was just the first step” because “embodying on stage required going further: every pause, every gesture, every vocal inflection needed to convey authentic Italianity.”
“I spent entire nights rehearsing in front of the mirror until the dialogues stopped being words and became lived truths. This award is proof that I managed, albeit momentarily, to transform into that Sicilian character,” explained the young actress.
In addition to Camila Gomes, the school’s theatre company included Enmanuel Sánchez, Miguel Páez, Salomé Manzano, Rocío Pérez, Roger Capozzolo, Luisana Carrero, Gabriel Acosta, Valery González, Sarah Peñuela, and Diego Ponce.
According to Professor Natale La Rocca, working with Pirandello was “a challenge, but these young people demonstrated extraordinary interpretative maturity.”
The play in which the Luso-Venezuelan participated, he said, was written in 1917 but remains current, exploring themes such as social prejudice and identity.
“It is a philosophical farce, questioning truth and appearances, allowing us to grow both artistically and personally,” he emphasized.
The award, according to the deputy director of the school, Claudio Milazzo, “is not just a recognition, but the echo of a story that began 71 years ago” when his parents, Filippo and Liboria Milazzo, transformed an improvised hall into a harbor of dreams for the children of Italian immigrants.
“Receiving this award in the land of Pirandello, that genius who taught us that truth has a thousand faces, is profoundly symbolic. Today, our students have shown the world the strength of school theatre: an art where emotion and commitment merge (…) the courage to perform ‘Così è (se vi pare)’ shows that the future of theatre is in passionate and committed hands,” he said.
Paraphrasing Pirandello, Claudio Milazzo explains in the communiqué that “each character contains multitudes” that the young people have brought to life with sensitivity and maturity.
“Never stop dreaming. Each story you represent not only leaves a mark but also builds bridges between Venezuela and Italy,” he concluded.
