marshadea

[marshadea]

For me my new year is the start of the birth year. So, August 15 kicks off new year. It started last year with a lovely birthday but an awful mood. Every friend was coupling up and it was causing me great pain. I drive myself to my party crying because the only thing I wished for was to be with someone.

BUT august came and went ...and so began my dating challenge which was caused by my sister in law, Ali’s step dad who is a dating coach. She said to call him...and he changed my life. he is a new York jew and tells it as it is. He said i was never dating in my life but wasting time pining over some bad guy who seemed into me and then disappeared. Instead of moving on...i spent months mourning him instead of being out there dating. So I had to treat it as a job and non stop date til i met someone. 

So I did...August and September are slow months for work...so off I went with Tinder and Ok Cupid. Before April I had gone out with 25 different men. Three seemed great and had a few dates with them BUT then they proved to be creeps. It was an exhausting 6 months. A few months I took myself off because was home for the holidays and literally couldnt deal. 

But his advice made sense...the more you meet the more you ll meet the right one. And I think i might have.......RAFFAELE.

I will get to him in a moment. Lets talk about the other aspects of my life first....

got a great two day a week teaching job in Tivoli which I had last year and enjoyed. I had a stellar 9th season of comedy in a new venue which at first I felt was tacky and then it proved to be perfect for our show which kept getting better...and we went to two a month.

DM55 continued to travel with of course calabria, milan, mondovi and turin this year PLUS one date in Rome outside in front of a church.

Friends have been great. My main ones are still in my life...Mel, Ing, Dani, Lou, Robbi, Nick, Tanya....I have met some new ones but having a hard time fitting them in my life now with a guy.

Few trips this year due to bad luck, timing and anxiety....Naples cancelled bc flu and giuseppe was not well as well, first brighton trip was cancelled bc of snow storm, then second brighton was not as great because wanted to be in rome with HIM...and came back to a tragic knee injury which has costed my time and money....France with Steph was cancelled bc of this fucking knee.... so yah me trips this year havent been working out. BUT we hope for the rest of summer with Calabria and a holiday with THE GUY.

Last year I cried about not having someone at my birthday and this year I will be with someone and on HOLIDAY!!!!!! Whatta change that has been.

SOOOOO Raffffiiiii liscious.....he is so adorbale, handsome, sweet, child like, sexy, neurotic, passionate, caring, funny, calm (well he has a slight temper) and an artist. It has been a slow process as we are both busy and need space...plus we both seem to travel in oppostie weekends...BUT am confident now that we are heading the right direction....

So the new year coming up....i would like:

1. health stable...the illness as is, and my knee/back sorted with proper shoes, and exercie

2. my anxiety to lessen with therapy, exercie and when needed drugs

3. my relationship with Raf to strengthen to a more committed relationship with plans to live together.

4. i want to buy my house and have work done to it to make it even homier

5. my parents to healthy and strong and enjoy their time back and forth ot calabira...and visit me more

[marshadea]

Amazing 40 something birthday!

[marshadea]

Fiat old and Fiat new.

The first photo was my first car in Rome. The state of it is because of being my first car in Rome. Driving in this city is insane. It is a constant heart attack. My lack of being careful and patience certainly doesn't help in this insanity.

I come from Ohio where driving is a calm process to get from point A to point B and park your car comfortably in a garage or lot.

here it is a fight for your life. People are aggressive, honking is the way to communicate, scooters and pedestrians weave in and out of the traffic, lanes, lights and signs aren't respected....and if you are polite and calm you WILL die. So you learn to drive like them. 

Parking......oooo parking. Lets say I am the master of ‘touch and feel’ to get into ANY spot because lord knows you do not wanna be driving for an hour to find parking......for the 6th drive around you will smash someones face with rage or shove your car any which way possible.

The memories of this car:

different boyfriends I have had had from Valerio to Maudee to Michele to you know what lets just leave that list alone...lets say I have had alot of boys in the car, lots of friends, lots of drunken nights which i should not have been driving, lots of driving in the center on the weekends which i would NEVER do now, lots of nights of not finding of my car, lots of loud music blaring and friends, a car crash with Bev, Kate driving and hitting my car ...as did Robbi, so many fines on texting, bad driving, so many scratches, dents and hits. I had mishaps when I lived in Pietralata aka the ghetto...someone hit and run, someone stole the FIAT emblem off the hood of my car.

Now it is safer in my new hood but it is exposed to the sun which has caused the paint to peel. Soooo many beach and out of town trips. In all of this I am so grateful for my car because it is my safe place when I am tired....and it is lovely when i go to my millions of doctors appointments it is always there for me.

I haven’t had a reliable and consistent man in my life....but I have always had my blue 600.

Good bye 600...you have always been good to be...i should apologize for being carefree and impatient. Time for a new beginning with your family member....the new 500.

Let it bring more beach, out of town trips, more good times, more reliability and consistency, my comfort to my doctors appointments and to drive my future (soon) lover/partner in....

[marshadea]

This was in honor of a friend who died. 

He was a patient friend. Actually my friend patient friend ever and in Rome. he taught me the ropes of the clinic and took me out to typical Roman restaurants, hoods and even showed me the secret key hole which is now known in every tour guide book.

He was a special person and generous. I am sorry that in the last years my life became hectic with work, theater and my already group of friends, that I didnt make an effort to meet up with him. Then he got really sick with heart problems.

[marshadea]

Zelig....the biggest comedy venue in Italy.

They have a theater side and TV side. 

I was fortunate to get a contact name and number to them and went to Milan to meet them over a year ago. I presented my one womans COMEDY show whcih they werent too fussed about so I suggested DM55 just to say somethign more. And this for some reason was preferred. I was shocked as this venue is purely Italian slap stick, cabaret style humor. BUT if that’s what they want , that’s what they are gonna get.

A year goes by and off I go to Milan with my friend/photographer Violetta. I started to panic once in Milan because i just still could nt understand why they wanted this show. BUT Violetta told me to chill and enjoy the experience.

I do the show and it was awful. I didnt get anything from the audience. Not a peep, sound, laugh, gasp, answer to my questions....NOTHING. After the first scene which is funny didnt go over well...i began to dig my grave which got deeper with every scene. I then of course just went to auto pilot to finish the show...got off stage and hid backstage. To then the venue manager came back yelling at me to go back on stage to get more appluase and I had to fill another hour of a show. I was in shock and could not speak. I tried telling him I wasnt able to go back out. he continued to get angry so I went to the loo and hid. I texted my friend Violetta who ws in the audience to get my stuff off the stage, come back and we leave by emergence exit.

We ran out of the venue but ran into a friend who came with two friends and he didnt say ANYTHING. Just thanks for tickets and something about being late because of a train. I literally heard nothing because wanted to continue running. Then ran into another group of people from the donation association who applauded me but again I wasnt on the same planet as them. Said thank you and ran. I went back to my AirB&B with Violetta and smoked and drank til i went to bed.

Then the next day I cried to her at the train station and on the train. She agrees that the show was off and so was the audience but could nt understand why...was it too Rome/Calabria based, was it too serious, was it not understood by audience what they were going to see, was in the people of Milan....

We will never know but it really effected me. Not too mention that I WAS meant to do two hours....something i didnt catch and understand properly. My mistake....it was an overall shit experience.

I cant say I bombed because the show has been done tons of times all over the country....and never had this experience. BUT it killed my performing love and ever wanting to do DM55 again.

One of my worst moments in my life. I can still close my eyes and feel myself on that stage with the audience just staring at me in a judging way. if that didnt break me......:(

But I am doing DM55 this weekend.....in Calabria where they love me so it should help. It was a tough time for me to recover from that.

[marshadea]

Happy post VD day. Valentines Day I meant:) Great line up for a great show: Nick Norvell Jose Salgado Liz Knight Daniele Fabbri and Marsha De Salvatore So book your SEAT Make reservations: 347/6753522 teatrodouze@gmail.com 8:30 doors open 9:30 showtime (and YES we start on time) 15 euro gets you a glass of wine, apertivo plate and the show. First time entrance requires a membership card of an additional 2 euro

[marshadea]

From the stages of comedy and DM55 to Piazza della Rotonda in front of the majestic Panteon I have now officially upped my audience from about 100 to Saturday January 21st 2017th’s 800 people.

 Womans March 2017 which was an inspiring international historical day to prove a point that we women are strong and will do what it takes to not be bullied by fuck face Trump. We will come together to fight for justice and equal rights.

I was asked a week before to MC the event of performers and musicians...and I said no because hacking a lung with a high fever in an episode of the flu. It passed a week later which was days before the March and was asked again. How could I say no? As long as I have my comedy partner in crime Frank..lets do this.

And we did....in front of lots of beautiful people on a sunny day motivating the crowd while mainting a show with NO MIKE. I am LOUD but not that loud.

By the second hour, I had no energy and voice....thank god for Frank...to have a little break for our last hour.

Amazing day that will go down as one of the few memorable experiences of my life...performing in a piazza with so many people on such an important day.

:) bucket list activity #5 ...check

[marshadea]

2016 you have been good to me even if the beginning of the year started off badly with surgery.

I came back to a great comedy season, an extra two woman english show in March, a trip to Milan to set up a show at the prestigious comedy stage of Zelig next year, a trip to Naples to meet up with my bestie Tanya to a trip to Brummi to see my calming friend that i love to be with under a duvet with sipping chamomile watching Graham, to a summer family holiday which was soooooo fun, to a chill August in Rome celebrating my first ever birthday in the Eternal city and having a few days in Ponza (magical island near Rome), to kicking off the fall with the 75th comedy show, a trip to Calabria and Arriccia for DM55 to ending the year with an unexpected amazing trip to Brighton to see my oldest and dearest friends....to a kick ass DM55 at a conference which is surely going to bring me more work in 2017.

2016 was overall a great year where I am proud of my hard work and determination to get the laughs out there along with DM55 and a start of book....i am continuing to learn about myself and how to get to a zen place with meditation and exercise when Marsha mind gets messy.

I am truly blessed for all the love i receive from fans, blood donors, friends and family.

Here is to 2017 which hopefully will bring love from an intimate person because this year I was one step closer to what I am looking for but not quite there yet...

love kisses and hugs

[marshadea]

44!!! Holy fuck!:)

Birthdays are sooo important to me because as a lovely doctor told my mother when I was 2 that I wouldnt live past 18...welll helllooooooo..

Here I am at 4 freaking 4. Not bad I might add. Energy is abit low, a few greys and wrinkles, and cant deal with hangovers anymore.. BUT as the Italians say, ‘micca male’.

I had one of the best birthdays. Celebrated on my actual day in Rome. I had my 40th on a majestic boat but the organization was shitfull and I wasnt well...so it was tough.

This was great from the location, organization, all my amazing (important ones) friends were there!

Here are some photos of this magical night.

[marshadea]

I got nothing more to add then....

How lucky am I with all this love............

[marshadea]

This photo is so beautiful and capture the essence of our relationship. 

I am 20 years older then Francesco yet we are soooooooo close. He is my best friend and brother. I have never loved anyone like i love him. Maybe it is because i watched him grow up and took him under my wing pushing the artistic world to create and push curiosity. Nothing makes me happier then to hear what he is doing, reading, thinking and into. 

I am so lucky to have him in my life...he makes me want to push further in all that i do.

My little poodle:)

[marshadea]

What an amazing family trip in Italy.

There were some moments of high intensity and feelings being crushed BUT overall everything went smoothly with lots of laughs!!!

This photos captures the beauty of our Italian home and all of us dressed up for a family dinner. 

I am sooooooo lucky and blessed to have such an amazing, supportive and freaking funny family. We have had lots of ups and downs and god only knows a LOT of fights BUT in the end we say sorry and I love you.

It breaks my heart that we all live spread out between Rome, Chicago, Cincinnati and Minneapolis BUT maybe this is way we manage to be all of the above.

I love you my family...you are my everything.

[marshadea]

Summer is here!!!!! 

It is that mid year moment when projects, jobs and obligations come to a calm or a full stop.

It is also that midpoint of the year to check in and see what has been done and what will be in the plan for the fall.

I have had a quiet 2016 which i needed. I had abit of a volatile end of 2015.

I needed the new year to be quiet and give me time to reflect. It meant working on myself with exercise, meditating and having a very chill schedule with comedy stuff and work. I spent the end of 2015 with high levels of anxiety due to people (actually one particular person who has been eliminated from my existence) and health problems. So coming to Rome from USA in 2016, it was going to be a very Marsha only year!

I had a very successful comedy year with two extra one woman stand up comedy shows and the debut of it in Italian. They went fabulously and I continue to love and be loved on stage.

I had a few trips thus far with Naples, Umbria and UK. I have had lots of experiences with new and old friends. Thank god for friends...or i would be pretty lonely and miserable.

Now I await the summer to kick off with the arrival of my whole family. It is gonna get hot and intense BUT with lots of new memories and laughs happening.

Then I hope to have some trips planned for the August month. That month of course marks my birthday with lots to be thankful for and new wishes to be made for the new year.

Bring on the second half of the year, the summer and my new year:)

[marshadea]

I did it in Italian!!!

I have soooooo much fun performing in Italian. I become this free, quirky and abit ditzy person. I think it is the language factor of it not being my own therefore letting go and flying through a show.

I worked with my good friend and helper for shows, Frank Baj. He helped with the language and opening the night of the show.

The audience i felt were with me and had fun. I hope to do the show more for more people to see. I think it shows Italians what it is like to be a foreigner here in Rome.

Crossing fingers to share it with more people:)

[marshadea]

OOO Comedy how much have you give me.....my creative voice, my passion and on the way have met some pretty amazing people.

One of them is Francesco who i met over email...an italian with very little english who wanted to do comedy in english and wrote me after my first season of Romes Comedy Club that had another name and logo and in a very very very small room at the Abbey Pub.

I remember meeting him July 2010 and he has been in my project ever since where he sky rocketed in english and stand up to be signed on with Eddie Izzard’s agent and traveled all over the world gigging. 

We have done 7 seasons and 55 shows........new season and a mega party!

[marshadea]

[marshadea]

My life in photos of 2015.

What an amazing year. There was a time in my life where I was confused creatively. I went to college to study fashion because have always loved putting colors, outfits, accessories together to show how I was feeling or what I wanted to convey. I also loved looking at people and dressing them to better improve their look. So, fashion seemed the right thing to study. I enjoyed it from the beginning to the end.

Then I worked in it and the passion died. It wasn't as glamorous as I thought. Pretty cut throat and bitchy. Also to do the cool stuff means you have to work from the wayyyyy bottom to get to the top. I didn't have that drive.

So, fashion got kicked to the curb and travelling seemed a nice excuse to not think of what to do next in my creative quest.

Italy welcomed me in 1999 to study Italian and find myself (let’s Eat, Pray Love this). Well I didn't really study too much because was busy partying my face off with the town full of students from all over the globe and clearly in that state...I sorta lost myself in the fun. No regrets!!:)

From there it was time to get serious and make money. So off the Roma to live and be a full time teacher. Teaching was fun because I LOVE being with people...and wow even entertaining them in an educational sorta way. Life was pretty good. Loved my new city and my job! 

As time went on, my boredom grew. I started to do lots of free time classes like drawing, yoga, Italian advanced classes. BUT still nothing was exciting me and even though I am super social...I was bored in general. 

And along comes Francesco my student who is an actor and he said, “you are so funny and would be a great actress. Why don’t you try? 

What? Me, an actress????

First project was a murder mystery dinner event and I was some 1950′s secretary from New York and OOOOO MYYYY GODDDD I was in heaven. I found my zen! I found my creative voice...ME!

From there began my trip to now working mostly as a performer. I has been a long road which is by no means finished but from many acting classes, workshops, groups to shows to now comedy. I had lots of help on the way like Gaby Ford who allowed me to be part of the English Theater scene in Rome to Terrianne Falcone who has been my friend and acting coach over the years to Kissy Dugan who is my comedy guru and wrote my story into a one woman show DM55. All of these factors have helped me grow as a comedian and perform my DM55 all over Italy.

Last year I had the fortune and unfortunate to lose my job but from that I got to work as a performer with comedy talks, stand up and DM55.

I sometimes have to pinch myself when I look back to all the years of trying to figure it out creatively...NOW I have!:) I am a fashion forward comedic performer.

Along my 2015 were trips to Prague, London, Calabria, Chicago, Cincinnati, and Naples. I also had some visitors like Steph and James, Maurita and Andra, of course my parents and my brother Danny. I also must include my amazing friends who keep me going!

Now looking forward to new stuff in 2016.