I am beyond thrilled to announce that one of my dearest friends has joined forces with me as an SCA Apprentice, and we held a ceremony at University this past Saturday!

Lady Teresa von Attilium / Rachel Brune, is now my apprentice!
Instead of a household, we have formed an academy. Accademia Arancia (Orange Academy in Italian) is focused on writing, editing, publishing, and selling books.

Rachel is already an accomplished author and publisher, and she’s got a ton to teach me and others about the art of writing and publishing. Here are a few links to see her already amazing accomplishments:

https://rachelabrune.com/ 

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT – RACHEL A. BRUNE

https://horror.org/veterans-in-horror-interview-with-rachel-a-brune 

https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/5414042.Rachel_A_Brune 

https://cronegirlspress.com/ 

Anyone who is interested in joining our Academy is welcome! There is no requirement other than showing up. No apprenticeship necessary. We plan to meet twice a month to carve out time for us to write and support each other in accomplishing a finished book. Anyone interested can email me at orangesophie AT gmail.com.

The schedule is TBA but we expect to start with open meetings in October.

Text of our apprenticeship contract is below.
Thank you for joining me on this journey Teresa!!!
Love, Sophie

Done this day, September 20, 2025 of the Common Era, does Dame Sophia the Orange, inducted into the Order of the Laurel for her accomplishments in the art of Commedia dell’ Arte, enter into a contract of Apprenticeship with Lady Teresa von Attilium for support in their shared endeavors.

This contract endures into perpetuity until each woman agrees that it has concluded.

Both Laurel and Apprentice agree to support each other in artistic pursuits, specifically the quest to author and publish books.

With this partnership, do they create an academy with the mission of supporting the writing, editing, publishing and selling of books. They hereby found the Accademia Arancia for this mission. Inspiration for this Accademia Arancia comes from three historic figures of the Italian Renaissance.

• Aldus Pius Manutius, founder of the Aldine Press
• Isabella Andreini, Capocomico of i Gelosi Commedia dell’ Arte troupe who also published her collection of poems
• Veronica Franco, Courtesan and poet who published her poetry and personal letters

Inspiration also comes in the form of a rose, Rosa Canina, that has demonstrated resilience, beauty, and endurance for centuries.

We hereby swear to this partnership and establish the Accademia Arancia.

Dame Sophia the Orange                                  Lady Teresa von Attilium

Resumes:

Lara Coutinho-Dean professional resume: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FmuktxtLG-_c0Cj8eDxhuKLej7vp5lRn/view?usp=sharing 

Lara Coutinho-Dean Theater resume: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gefhHKlurFo_Qaz8AEtBn6eKfEw-ulWH_XK0mgA4WPo/edit?usp=sharing 

Dame Sophia the Orange, OL – SCA resume:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/109iciwZE1Pdrq60fmUHt13dZmPJeZ0NK/view?usp=sharing 

Highlights from 4 articles in the Associated Press today:

Article “Here’s where jobs and programs are being cut at the nation’s top health agencies”

https://apnews.com/article/trump-hhs-cdc-fda-nih-cms-layoffs-5aba829b829d9e1a0167c4a0d968aadb 

1. Thousands of people responsible for tracking health trends and disease outbreaks, conducting and funding medical research, monitoring the safety of food and medicine, and administering health insurance programs for nearly half of the country were laid off Tuesday at the nation’s top health agencies.
   1. The moves will shrink the Department of Health and Human Services to 62,000 positions, lopping off nearly a quarter of its staff.
   2. The cuts include researchers, scientists, doctors, support staff and senior leaders, leaving the federal government without many of the key experts who have long guided U.S. decisions on medical research, drug approvals and other issues.
   3. FDA is losing workers “who review new drug and medical implants, set policy for electronic cigarettes and tobacco products as well as the entire press office staff. The agency’s top tobacco regulator was removed from his post, along with several of his deputies.”
   4. The National Institute of Health (NIH) is the world’s leading medical research agency — funding research into cancer, Alzheimer’s, HIV and other devastating diseases… has lost 1,200 jobs on Tuesday plus 1,000 NIH employees recently fired, both scientists and staff who administer billions in research funding. The administration also has canceled hundreds of NIH grants to scientists around the country.
   5. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) which oversees Medicare, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act marketplace, is cutting 300 jobs. Reported cuts so far have focused on the agency’s Office of Minority Health, Office of Equal Rights and Opportunity as well as the Office of Program Operations & Local Engagement.

2. Article “FACT FOCUS: Warren Buffett did not praise Trump’s recent economic policies”

   1. https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-warren-buffett-trump-tariffs-video-52e6b63bd770e73ca54eae7a0c7bbcc3

3. Article  “Senate up late voting on GOP tax breaks and spending cuts plan that’s central to Trump agenda”

   1. https://apnews.com/article/senate-budget-tax-cuts-trump-485845a9c0b7dfc5d2194d4c1e4723ae
   2. …opposition from Democrats, who are unified against what they decry as tax breaks for the wealthy at the expense of federal programs Americans rely on.
   3. And Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, the lone GOP opponent to the plan so far, questioned the math being used by his colleagues that he said would pile on the debt load. “Something’s fishy,” he said.

4. Article  “Trump administration issues demands on Harvard as conditions for billions in federal money”

   1. https://apnews.com/article/harvard-antisemitism-demands-columbia-84d6265d2fbfcd5534006edff638160e
   2. The government’s letter is a “dominance test,” not an effort to fight antisemitism, said Kirsten Weld, a Harvard history professor and president of the campus chapter of the American Association of University Professors.

Commedia dell’ Arte education resources in September! A rare surge in opportunities for learning and doing Commedia dell’ Arte!

1) Saturday, September 2, 4:00pm to 5:30pm Italy time / 10:00am to 11:30am US Eastern Time – 90 minute online interactive lesson from Fabrizio Paladin, internationally renown professional commedia actor and coach – https://fb.me/e/Yuwn81Fo
Pre-registration required.

2) Saturday, September 9, 6:00pm – 7:15pm US Eastern Time, FREE in person commedia class and skit as part of Carolina Circus Festival in Cary, NC at WakeMed Soccer Park. Taught by Nancy Kramer, member of i Firenzi Commedia Troupe. https://carolinacircusfestival.com/
No pre-registration necessary. Just show up!

3) Saturday, September 16, 10:00 – 5:00pm, Four separate FREE in person classes on various commedia topics as part of Atlantia University (Intro to Commedia, Scenarios, Improv skills, Put It Together Workshop) https://university.atlantia.sca.org//catalog.php?university_id=236
Location: Duke Memorial United Methodist Church in Durham, NC
No pre-registration necessary. Just show up!

4) October 5- November 2, Five week long commedia in person class sessions, weekly class of 90 minutes each, produced by the Town of Cary, NC “Cary Arts Center”
https://mycary.org/s/programs?programId=a7g4u000000Toc7
Classes resulting in a student performance on November 2.
Class is designed for adults interested in doing commedia dell’ arte which usually just serves as an educational piece of theater history classes. This class will allow students to wear masks, dive into the archetypical characters, and create a short play based on their own favorite pieces of commedia.

Please reach out to me (via orangesophie AT gmail) if you have any questions about these resources and how to participate!
Sincerely,
Lara Coutinho-Dean, Capocomico of i Firenzi (www.ifirenzi.com)

My fourth and final submission to the Persona Challenge of summer 2022: developing a persona of a female entertainer who performs espionage in 1580 Florence for the family “Firenzi.”

My beloved mistress,
When you sent me, my sister, and my husband to the Pennsic Faire to listen for evidence of rebellion from the Barons and Baronesses of Atlantia, I never dreamed of witnessing such horrors.
As you said before we left, we would gain access to many gatherings under our guise as entertainers. We were, in fact, welcomed and left unescorted among many nobles and high ranking leaders
of the Kingdom of Atlantia and many of her cousin kingdoms. I prepared myself to hear the whispers of rebellion, and while that would have been heart wrenching to witness, my ears and soul witnessed much worse darkness flowing among the people of Pennsic Faire.

Your friend, the Queen of Atlantia, has nothing to worry about. The people of her kingdom are faithful to the crown above all else. There was, however, a more evil flow of rumor and gossip exchanged between the people of Atlantia. Never had I ever before known such worry and fear spoken between those portrayed as friends. Never had I ever before known such whispers of betrayal between neighbors.

Never had I ever known the population of a fairly ruled barony to fear the ultimate, heart wrenching insult – a threat to their supply of beer.

Brewed beverages are what keep a population happy and peaceful while great labors are demanded of them day after day. To threaten the supply of a barony’s beer barrels is so unthinkable I can hardly bear it.

My heart aches to report to you that your friends, the Baron and Baroness of Marinus, are at the center of this rumor. Also, their neighbors, the Baron and Baroness of Stierbach, are deeply steeped in flowing gossip. I disguised myself as a servant to listen to their tense conversation at Pennsic, and I overheard their discussion, nay panic, over the threat of their beer supplies.
My friend, Katherine, from the Kingdom of Aethlemearc, another comic actress engaged in spy work, confirmed hearing similar rumblings as she listened as well. Between both our efforts joined,
we can reliably report to you the following.

Upon the days of November 11, 12, and 13 in a city named Cortland, Virginia, their peoples will gather for war. Soldiers, archers, swordsmen, those that fight with rebated steel, and axe throwers
will flood the lands of the Barony of Marinus. They are rumored to eat the eggs of the devil, Persephone’s Pomegranates of Hades, and use some kind of dark magic to make a cake from cheese.
The dark cheese magic was said to come from the city of Istanbul or Constantinople. It’s unclear which. This great war will undoubtedly be held in a swamp if the lands of Cort are truly as moist as people say.

The last note of evidence I have for you is so fraught with danger I cannot risk it being read by even our trusted messenger from Casa Firenzi. I will include it below using the cypher you taught me named after the great Roman leader that will someday be worthy of a play written in iambic pentameter. But instead of his unlucky number as key, I shall remind you of my favorite color and hope you discover my meaning.

Below is a drawing I made of a spy master I met at Pennsic who taught me many more ways of hiding information. Please note the second drawing I made of the great leaders of Marinus and Stierbach. Their fear is real, and the threat to their beer supply is terrifying. I hope that our network of informants may serve to ease their pain.

In service to our Casa Firenzi and my beloved Marchesa Firenzi, does Sophia the Orange devote her heart and soul.

Message:
Hgxutkyy Mktkl joyroqky hkkx!

The English Spymaster teaching espionage at Pennsic

Marinus and Stierbach in a secret meeting at Pennsic

(A secret source for breaking the code of my message: https://cryptii.com/pipes/caesar-cipher )

Casa Firenzi Story – Episode 2 – work in progress

Script/Scenario for A Story Told By Video

Setting: The Rose Garden at Casa Firenzi
Characters: Manus the Rose Master and Sophia the Tutor

Setup/Argument: Sophia and Manus have fallen in love on the journey to Florence. They are working for the Marchese and Marchesa Firenzi and are stealing private moments in the rose garden at Casa Firenzi. Sophia is tutoring the family’s children. Manus is managing the gardens and building new gardens at Casa Firenzi.

Possible settings for recording video:

Manus is working in the rose garden. Sophia comes in to discuss something urgent. Manus is interested in exchanging a rose for a kiss.

Sophia’s students, the children of the Marchese and Marchesa Firenzi, are practicing three different styles of piva, an Italian dance step famous for having many variations.
She’s instructed the musicians to play 10 minutes straight of Petite Vrien so the children can practice their piva.

Sophia tells Manus that this morning the Marchesa asked her to accompany her at a dinner party tonight.
The other guests will be mothers and wives of a few other merchant families in Florence.
The Medici are not among the guests.

Sophia and Manus are excited but nervous because the last party Sophia attended with the Marchesa was not a simple dinner party.
The Marchesa asked Sophia to be especially attentive to listening to conversations. At home, the Marchesa quizzed Sophia on what she heard.
The Marchesa was pleased and told Sophia she wanted her to begin learning the art of observation.

Manus recounts being at dinners when visiting the University of Leiden when he heard a great many conversations he was not actually in if he just stood quietly.
They agree that survival in Florence often relied on who had information and the Marchesa may be grooming Sophia to assist in the family’s efforts to gather information.

Sophia and Manus discuss upcoming appointments with other tutors which may allow them to gather more information.
One of those tutors is Fabrizio who is working with a group of actors to produce a comedy play. They hope to bring that play to
the Casa Firenzi. If Fabrizio knows the art of observation, his troupe of actors might be a good addition to the artists supported by Casa Firenzi.

Sophia and Manus discuss the dangerous nature of spying and where their protection and risks lie.
They end with a kiss.

This past month was a whirlwind of amazing Commedia rehearsals and prep leading up to February 25 – International Commedia dell’ Arte Day!

The Italian Cultural Association (“SAT” in Italian), is officially recognized by UNESCO as an NGO active in the field of Intangible Heritage. Every year, they host an online catalog of Commedia activities throughout the world on their website here.  SAT’s annual celebration is known as International Commedia dell’ Arte Day!

Since 2014, i Firenzi has annually performed a show as an approved part of this international catalog. In 2021, we hosted two online discussion panels due to COVID restrictions (First Panel, Second Panel)

THIS YEAR, i Firenzi performed a live in-person performance of “The Dog Servant”, a scenario written in the 16th century Italian commedia style by my good friend Michael McAfee.

But wait, there’s more! I also produced another show and played in another…

My Commedia All Stars Online troupe performed a livestream with Kal’s Korner of a scenario I wrote and directed titled “The People of Ravenna in Quarantine – Episode 2”

AND
I played the role of Franceschina in the i Sebastiani production online of “The Faithful Friend” an adaptation of a Scala scenario, written and directed by my dear friend Catherine Crow!

The recording of the i Firenzi performance of “The Dog Servant” can be seen on our You Tube Channel here when we’re done processing it. You can currently see our first performance of the scenario from November 2021.

The recording of the Commedia All Stars livestream can be seen on Kalbardr’s Korner’s You Tube Channel here  The host, Richard “Kal” Harris, was an amazing livestream host for us!

The recording of the i Sebastiani production of “The Faithful Friend” is here.

You may notice that the three shows have very different styles.

• The i Sebastiani production was an attempt to keep very closely to a style of Commedia as was done in the 16th century. They work hard at not using modern slang, using period authentic costumes, and keeping to the original scenario by Scala but adapted to a modern audience.
• The i Firenzi production trades off some of the historic accuracy for more laughs. We also have more new actors since i Firenzi includes a mission of teaching Commedia.
• The Commedia All Stars Online doesn’t completely throw historic accuracy out the window, we keep the tropes and characters, but we include “magic” that allows us to put the story in a modern context of people using Zoom and internet resources – for laughs.

Each performance has different styles, and they’re all Commedia with plenty of laughs!

In a completely separate event, some of my beloved teachers were part of a group interview that happened on the same day Commedia All Stars did our livestream:

World Commedia Day 2022 interviews from Bill and Barry’s Mini Commedia Fest online
https://youtu.be/x6GBojV6zYo
You’ll see here:
1) My online commedia coach, Fabrizio Paladin
2) Barry Grantham who taught me Commedia at the UK Chalamie Easter School for Historic Performing Arts in 2019
3) Bill Tuck who came with his wife Barbara Segal to teach dance and music at the Known World Dance and Music Symposium in 2017 hosted by the Kingdom of Atlantia
4) and i Sebastiani!

For more information about Commedia, a starter kit for learning on your own, and more videos, see my troupe website:  https://ifirenzi.com

This group of friends gathered to support causes we believe in by producing livestreamed comedy improv shows! We produce shows at least once a month streamed to You Tube with links in the comments to a particular cause we support including ActBlue.com links to politicians we support, personal PayPal links to personal fundraising causes, and charity organizations we believe in. We perform under the name “Whose Cause Is It Anyway” and also “Whose Election Is It Anyway” and “Whose Virus Is It Anyway?”

Causes we have supported include:

1. Act Blue Fundraising for many candidates and issues we believe in: https://secure.actblue.com/
2. The Trevor Project in support of LGBTQ+ Youth https://www.thetrevorproject.org/
3. Personal fundraising for a friend fighting cancer: PayPal via Mr.Wednesday1066 AT gmail DOT com
4. Stacey Abrams Fair Fight Initiative https://secure.actblue.com/donate/comedyfairfight
5. Fredericksburg, VA Regional Food Bank https://fredfood.org

Our playlist of recorded shows is on You Tube here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9aorWZlo-mYrH0Wu3rFZFjZgVKW3NLen

Troupe Members ebb and flow but informally include:

• Amanda Catherine Mulder
• Andrew Harasty
• Bill “Dai” Sutton
• Crystal Welch
• Emilly Miller
• Erica Harrah
• Laura J. Parker
• Mary Pruitt
• Ben Coffee
• Michael Greenstein
• Romni Rossi
• Thomas TJ Carani
• And I, Lara Coutinho-Dean, produce, livestream, direct the troupe.

If you would like to ask for us to support a cause you believe in, please leave a comment here with an email address where we can reach you. Please also include the URL for people to use for sending in money and the reasons why you believe in this cause.

Fabrizio Paladin

Capitano video: https://youtu.be/Iasc3nvVtU4 

More Fabrizio videos: https://www.youtube.com/user/fabriziopaladin/videos

Theater Classes Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Fab.Paladin/

Barry Grantham

Barry at Chalemie School: http://www.chalemie.co.uk/Grantham.htm

Review of Barry Grantham’s book “Playing Commedia” https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/254685.Playing_Commedia

I am just one person, and this is one thing I can do to fight against the bad things I see happening!

I am organizing comedy shows online to support fundraising efforts for three key US Senate races in 2020:

Amy McGrath to beat Mitch McConnell for KY Senate
Jaime Harrison to beat Lindsey Graham for SC Senate
Cal Cunningham to beat Thom Tillis for NC Senate

Here is ONE LINK to supporting our efforts for these three on ActBlue.com – a reliable grassroots fundraising organization supporting the democratic party nationwide:

https://secure.actblue.com/donate/comedy4dems

(one link to rule them all and in the darkness bind them….)

Search on Facebook for my public feed under “Lara Coutinho” to see our comedy improv shows all through October! We will be running 2-3 comedy shows streaming live on Facebook each week through October! Share the link to this blog post, or the Facebook invites, or the ActBlue fundraising links!

SHARE EVERYTHING! FIGHT WITH WHAT YOU HAVE! NEVER GIVE UP!