The Inserra Chair in Italian & Italian American Studies

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The Inserra Chair in Italian & Italian American Studies

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The Inserra Chair at Montclair State University is devoted to the promotion of Italian and Italian American culture through a rich program of events.

For more information and the calendar of events see www.montclair.edu/inserra-chair The Theresa and Lawrence R. Inserra Endowed Chair was created through a major gift of Lawrence R. Inserra, Jr. and thanks to the support of UNICO National and individual donors. The responsibilities of the Chair include the development of research activities, cultural programs, and educational activities vital to the continued growth of Italian and Italian American Studies at Montclair State University. The first and current Inserra Chair, Dr. Teresa Fiore, started in this position in January 2011. Inserra Chair Assistant, Celina Poggiogalle

10/21/2026

Join us for the screening of Valerio Ciriaci's award-winning feature documentary, which chronicles the life and work of Elvira Notari (1875-1946), Italy's first woman film director.

Tue. Nov. 10, 2026
Montclair State University
University Hall, Conference Center< 7th floor

More than a biography, "Elvira Notari: Beyond the Silence" (2025) is the prismatic portrait of an artist who continues to inspire new creative pathways, despite the consistent loss of her vast film production, largely inspired by Neapolitan folklore.

Followed by a Q&A with the director, Valerio Ciriaci, moderated by:

Prof. Teresa Fiore (Inserra Chair in Italian and Italian American Studies, Global Cultural Studies Dept., College of the Humanities and Social Sciences)

Prof. Anthony Pemberton (Animation, Film and Television Dept., College of Communication and Media)

Opening remarks by Mila Tenaglia (Executive Director, N.I.C.E., an organization celebrating its 36th edition in the United States under the direction of its founder, Viviana del Bianco).

Presented as part of N.I.C.E Film Festival and Film Forum, CCOM (Montclair State).

Free and open to the public.
Park at Red Hawk Parking Deck for a fee.

For info,https://inside.montclair.edu/events/documentary-screening-elvira-notari

To REGISTER: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScmc_dLM2Ad-aIV1NogvVWG1qFgiSMQGxpB0nuhRaGOxX_s-A/viewform

10/19/2026

Honors EDGE program students at Montclair State University attended a Broadway musical in the company of international visiting musical theater director, Marco Savatteri!

The students are taking Prof. Teresa Fiore’s class “Food and War” and are regularly involved in co-curricular activities that enhance their knowledge of WWII and its representation in various fields and genres from photography to literature. The award-winning, fast-paced, and cultural-reference-packed musical “Operation Mincemeat” was the perfect opportunity to reflect on real events, creative rendition, and the relevance of historical events in our war-marked present. The musical addresses a military operation in Europe that preceded the 1943 Allied Landing in Sicily, which is the thematic core of Prof. Fiore’s current research project - link to Film and digital suite: inside.montclair.edu/colleges-schools-research/chss/chss-centers-and-institutes/inserra-chair/endowed-chair-research/memories-landing

After two very enjoyable hours at the Golden Theater enhanced by autograph collection on the part of the students (Vivien Miranda and Amari Aldeano-Shirer), the group moved to the iconic Drama Book Shop to analyze the show, compare it to texts read in class, and hear Marco’s artistic reading of the musical.

Thank you, Marco, for carving out time in the course of a busy week linked to the international program between Savatteri Produzioni and Inserra Chair/Montclair State University that takes Performing Arts students to Italy in the summer with a Musical Theater/Italian paid internship in the show “The Reawakening of the Gods.”

Thank you, donor Lawrence R. Inserra, for making Marco Savatteri's presence on campus possible for multiple engagements, including this one.

Thank you, donor John Martinson for making such unique opportunities possible, and thank you, Jeff Strickland, Director of the Honors Program at Montclair State, for supporting such activities with attention to their academic impact as well as the logistics entailed.

We are very fortunate at Montclair State University!

09/23/2026

Il Risveglio degli dei at Montclair State University

Oct. 11, 2026 5-7pm Montclair State University (USA)
Reserve your seat NOW! Info and RSVP (also in bio): https://tinyurl.com/RisvegliOct1126

A selection from Il Risveglio degli Dei/The Reawakening of the Gods will be performed by Italian artists from the Savatteri Produzioni and Montclair State students of (Musical Theater and Voice).

Following a conversation with Marco Savatteri about his magical immersive show, which started in a small Sicilian town Agrigento with a breathtaking UNESCO site, Valley of the Temples, and is now a viral global phenomenon.

Followed by a Meet and greet with the original interpreters of Hera, Aphrodites, Athena, and the Faun, during light refreshments.

On stage, MSU students will also share stories about their internship in Il Risveglio in Agrigento, the script’s translation from Italian into English for a public reading aiming at a full production, and as learners of Italian on campus.

Sponsored by the Inserra Chair in Italian and Italian American Studies, this event is part of an international multi-year project in collaboration with Musical Theatre in the Theatre and Dance Department (CART); Italian Program in the Global Cultural Studies Department (CHSS); Voice Program in the John J. Cali School of Music at Montclair State University
at Montclair State University (CART); Academic Initiatives, and Savatteri Produzioni - Teatro e Musica

07/06/2026

Enjoy an interview I gave about my co-translation with Daniela Chaudhary Fiore of the book Farewell to Russia: Memories of When I Was Kola by Nikolai Prestia. Originally titled Dasvidania in its Italian version (Marsilio, 2021), this award-winning autofiction was published in English by Rutgers University Press earlier this year.
Listen to the full interview here: https://tinyurl.com/FarewellOntheLoop

Led by Spanish Translation student Elian Saldivar, the interview covers issues such as child abandonment, trauma, adoption, the power of writing, and translation practices. It was aired earlier this year on "In the Loop," a program of the award-nominated student radio on the Montclair State University campus, WMSC.

More info about the book: https://tinyurl.com/FarewellToRussia

07/03/2026

https://www.instagram.com/p/DaKPYuHNCgR/

05/10/2026

A video of of the recent reading of Marco Savatteri’s Il Risveglio degli dei, performed for the first time in English at Montclair State University by sixteen Musical Theater and Voice students.

Info: tinyurl.com/ReawakeningMarch2026

04/29/2026

Join us today for a webinar about the ArcGIS project EcoCultures of the Scala dei Turchi: A multi-species reading of a Sicilian iconic site. https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/659a395c91c547f7949ba2b9a9a1deb5

RSVP here to receive the link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfAoSKdcnH8c_47HEpJCjUKxlRxyLzkWv_qi1Jz1I5-yS-T8A/viewform

04/29/2026

Il "Risveglio degli dei" — an immersive musical about Greek myths, written and directed by Marco Savatteri and presented every summer at dawn in the Valley of the Temples of Agrigento (Sicily) — debuted in English at Montclair State University on March 27, 2026.

After a year of workshops, internships and shows in Sicily that have contributed to build a veritable cultural bridge between the Valley of the Temples and New Jersey, the Greek gods now also speak English! Their first American appearance was offered by an ensemble of talented Musical Theatre and Voice students of our campus, thanks to the impressive translation of one of the 2025 interns, Brianna Coppolino. A truly magical evening that gave the audience moments of introspection and emotion as they listened to the gods interrogating human beings about each others' fate, with both humor and depth.

To read more about the Reading as well as the cultural bridge that the related artistic and academic project is creating between Agrigento and Montclair through an international partnership, see
tinyurl.com/ReawakeningMarch2026

Watch THE VIDEO by Colin Keyes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPqAGlZNhjA

04/26/2026

Dr. Fiore Presented About Her In-progress Documentary at Georgetown University in Florence on April 14, 2026.

Read more here: https://www.montclair.edu/inserra-chair/2026/04/21/dr-fiore-presents-about-her-in-progress-documentary-at-georgetown-university-in-florence/

04/07/2026

The international initiative centered around the musical "The Reawakening of the Gods" was illustrated in the course of an interview on the WMSC FM90.3 student radio program titled "Coffee with Montclair.” For full interview, see YT Inserra Chair or tinyurl.com/MSUinterview

This original program literally brings Montclair State U students and equipment to the nearby community to connect with local listeners and boost MSU engagement off campus. On March 20th, WMSC chose an Italian spot, Caffe classico in Pompton, NJ. The interviewer, Allen Macaraeg, discussed the musical and the project with Prof. Teresa Fiore (Inserra Chair in Italian and Italian American Studies, Italian program, CHSS), Prof. Lori McCaan (Voice Program Cali School, CART) and composer and director Marco Savatteri, visiting from Agrigento, Sicily.

The interview focused on the various phases of the project: three workshops about improvisation and immersive theater on the MSU campus over one year; the Summer 2025 internship with three MSU students spending two months in Agrigento and performing in the UNESCO site of the Valley of the Greek Temples; and the Public Reading in the English translation of Brianna Coppolino, featuring MSU students in the Cali School (March 27).

Marco Savatteri and Teresa Fiore remarked on how project enriches artists both in Italy and the USA, reveals the timelessness of ancient myths, and fosters cultural exchanges and human relationships across borders. Lori McCann highlighted the importance of the internationalization of the curriculum for Montclair State students in the Performing Arts, and the key role of the Italian language for them.

Sponsored by the Inserra Chair in Italian and Italian American Studies, in collaboration with the Cali School of Music, the Dept. of Theatre and Dance, Savatteri Produzioni, and The Parco Archeologico e Paesaggistico della Valle dei Templi di Agrigento, this collaborative initiative reflects the Expand Reach and Amplify Impact commitment of Montclair State University's mission: "Increase global engagement by creating international experiences, broadening access to Montclair programs and promoting a global mindset."

More info: tinyurl.com/RisveglioMontclairAgrigento

Address

1 Normal Avenue
Montclair, NJ
07043

Website

http://www.montclair.edu/inserra

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