La Tofana's Poison Emporium at Macha Theatre Works

Barbara Saba

Born and raised in Rome, she is the daughter of a Sicilian mother and a Sardinian father. With a degree in Philosophy earned at the La Sapienza University of Rome, Saba claims her senior year and the chance to attend classes at the Mirafiori Villa are some of the happiest moments of her life. “Barbarella” has studied ballet for 13 years while in Rome, followed by tears, sweat and pride. To Ballet she owes that discipline she can still feel inside of her, at times, and a perfect posture, along with ugly feet and an awful sense of body image. She studied theater in Rome with Franco Mannella at “La palestra dell’Attore” (lit. the Actor’s Gym), and at the “Scuola di Cinema di Via Panisperna”; she keeps on studying, attending workshops and masterclass for continuous learning. In 2012 she starts wearing the hat of a rockstar. She gives birth to a rock band called BB & The Red Cats and they release the album Burning Life, along with the famous Summer Jamboree 2014 where Barbara was host and guest together with her band. In 2015 she tours Europe: Italy, Austria, England and Scotland are a few stops in her musical journey. The same year she is also a student at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. The following year she moves to Los Angeles, where she starts acting for the American cinema, TV and TV latina. Meanwhile, hungry for knowledge, she gets another degree in Theology, that goes hand in hand with Philosophy. As a producer, in 2011 she works on the short Il Fascino Discreto della Parola, in collaboration with her cultural association “Femmine Esagerarte”, for women working in the entertainment industry, involved in cultural matters. The short is a cinema adaptation of a theatrical piece written by Maurizio Costanzo, who cameos in the movie. The short stars also Claudio Greg Gregori, from the famous comedians Lillo e Greg. In 2012 she produces the teatrical show Milonga Merini. Poesia, Tango e Follia with performances at the Ambra Theater (Garbatella), Golden Theater and Theater of Rome, and won the Ombra della Sera award. In 2019 she writes Lies, Anger and Forgiveness as a final project for her masterclass in Monologue Writing, directed by Debra De Liso, instructor at the American Academy and USC, as well as director at the LA&F. In 2021 she performs at the Hollywood Fringe Festival winning several awards, like Best International Show. In 2022 she is selected by the Solofest and by Orlando Fringe Festival where she wins Critics Choice- Best Solo Drama. Lies, Anger and Forgiveness was selected by United Solo, the most famous festival for solo performances (Robin Williams, Patty Lupone, Anne Hathaway… performed here), in the heart of “Off-Broadway”, in New York City. Today Barbara focuses on writing for the screen, thinking about her debut as a director. She also writes songs and dances her beloved tango.

Debra De Liso

Actor, dancer, director, writer, choreographer, and teacher, she has directed over 700 original One-Person Plays at AADA, USC and professionally. Debra taught theatre workshops and transformed lives in prisons, alongside artists with disabilities, and girls with Turner Syndrome. Debra won the 2014 Rainbow Award from the LA Women’s Theatre Festival for her decades of work bringing theatre to multicultural and diverse communities. Debra’s directing includes ~ The Most Mediocre Story Ever Told- Best Solo Play ~ LA Weekly Awards and United Solo Festival Best Script winner Hal Ackerman’s solo play Prick. Debra won the Best Director NoHo Fringe Fest Award of the solo play Abducted in the Heartland. She has directed several plays featured in the Los Angeles Women's Theatre Festival and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Debra created the hit play Cock Tales, celebrating a 10-month run in Hollywood. She directed Eve Ensler’s play Necessary Targets documenting women in a Bosnian refugee camp. The talented international cast raised funds for FEMINA, the first feministic magazine in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Debra’s acting roles range from playing Agnes in Agnes of God, and Lily in Song of Extinction (U.K. Premiere) at the Edinburgh Festival, Blanche Dubois in A Streetcar Named Desire, co-starred in The Einstein Plan with James Cromwell, and in the World Premiere of Donald Freed’s 1951- 2006 playing an Irish-American teacher who aged from 31 to 86. Debra served as the Artistic Director of SAIPRO, whose mission is “Serving Artists in Process.” Debra produced and directed the critically acclaimed plays I’m Dop3 with burn survivor Afia Fields, and Rochelle Duffy’s Prison Is Where I Learned To Fly. She has written and performed three of her own solo performance pieces, The Nurse June Show, about her disabled but endearing mother, Isadora’s Dream playing Isadora Duncan, and Beautiful, Terrifying, Love sharing the journey of parenting her exceptional, talented and challenged daughter. She is honored to continue to teach her dedicated students at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts (since 1997,) and at USC (since 2002.) Debra also teaches Improv and Solo Performance for professionals and new students alike who are interested in her compassionate philosophy regarding the art of acting.