Originally Published: 2007-04-29

Globalization may have homogenized most of the world, but when it comes to show business and unwanted sexual advances, Italy remains in a world of its own.
At least that’s the impression ‘felt’ by actress Dina Morrone. The blond-hair, blue-eyed Italian Canadian left for Rome with dreams of getting her foot in the door of Italian cinema, only to discover that many of the nation’s men were only interested in seeing other parts of her body.
Her experiences after eight years of living overseas have been distilled into a one-woman show, The Italian in Me, based on her real-life adventures in the Eternal City.
“It’s an adult show but it’s not R-rated. It does poke fun at Italians, but in the same way Canadian standup comics make fun of Canada. It really is just one girl’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’ experience in Italy,” said Morrone, over the phone from L.A., where the show is wrapping up there after a long, successful run.
Born and raised in Thunder Bay, Ontario, by parents who immigrated to Canada before her birth, Morrone always knew she was destined to entertain. At the tender age of four, she was already onstage singing at a local Italian banquet hall with an elder sibling. Raised by her strict Catholic Nonna (who is a central character in the performance), she received a reluctant blessing before leaving home in search of fame and fortune.
“She was beyond Catholic – you couldn’t even think of a swear word in her house,” laughs Morrone. “They were extremely not supportive (of becoming an actress). Never, ever, ever! My family wanted me to be a teacher or a banker, something they could identify with.”
Although she eventually made the trip in 1987 (after a casting agent suggested it would be a good career move), the roots of her relocation can be traced back to a Miss Chin Bikini contest in Toronto, where she realized her heritage was not as deeply imbedded as she’d always assumed.
“I remember at the time my Italian really sucked compared to some of the other contestants. I felt so ashamed at having denied my ‘Italianness’ I just figured I had to go,” said Morrone, who quickly improved her linguistic abilities to the point where she can now slip in and out of the various dialects depicted by the characters in her show.

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