Patria: The Town of Cain and Abel - In Scena! Italian Theater Festival NY - May 13th 2026 - Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimò’ at NYU, NYC
As part of this year’s In Scena! Italian Theater Festival NY, Patria: The Town of Cain and Abel arrived with energy, confidence, and an incredibly impressive central performance. Performed entirely in Italian with English subtitles, this one man show grabbed the audience from the very beginning and barely slowed down for a second.
The production opens at full speed. What first seems like a man talking to himself quickly becomes something much more ambitious, with Fabio Banfo jumping between around ten different characters over the course of the hour. Teachers, priests, mothers, brothers, relatives, and narrators all appeared through subtle changes in posture, voice, rhythm, and expression. Sometimes he was playing both sides of a conversation at once, moving so smoothly between characters that it was always clear who was speaking.
Inspired by the story of Cain and Abel, Patria explores themes of family rivalry, jealousy, guilt, and belonging, but places them inside the context of modern Italian history. The script references real events from the 1960s onward, including political violence, bombings, and moments of national tragedy, using them as a backdrop for the relationship between two brothers who have taken very different paths in life.
One brother leaves home in search of freedom, risk, and independence. The other stays behind with the family. Both envy parts of the other’s life, and both feel like something is missing. The show keeps returning to the question of what makes someone “good” or “bad,” and whether either brother is really more right than the other.
Banfo’s performance was the clear highlight of the evening. His work felt deeply physical, almost clown-like at times, with every movement carefully built around each character. Small details like nervous habits, shifts in body shape, and changes in vocal tone made every role feel distinct. Even when the subtitles became difficult to keep up with, especially because the dialogue moved at full conversational Italian speed, his physical storytelling kept everything engaging and emotionally clear.
The production also made smart use of simple staging choices. Props were used with purpose rather than decoration, and the lighting design added a lot to the atmosphere. The opening sequence in particular stood out, with Banfo’s movements and speech timed almost perfectly to the music and sound design. It created an immediate sense of tension and rhythm that carried through the rest of the performance.
There was also a warmth to the way Banfo interacted with the audience. At several points he broke the fourth wall and spoke directly to us, especially through the perspective of Abel, who became the guide through the story. That direct connection helped balance some of the heavier historical and emotional themes.
Most impressive of all was simply the level of control required for a performance like this. Banfo delivered a nonstop hour of dialogue while switching constantly between characters, voices, and emotional states, all while maintaining incredible precision and energy. It felt like watching an actor with years of technique and experience fully on display.
Even the curtain call became part of the performance. Banfo clearly knew how to work with an audience, drawing out the applause with confidence and humor while briefly returning to some of the characters one final time. The response from the crowd was huge, and fully deserved.
Patria is thoughtful, ambitious theatre led by an outstanding solo performance and a production team working completely in sync.
We are giving this 4/5 Ds (D D D D)
Cast & Creative
