Michelangelo Screenwriting Life in Orvieto, Italy

We were in the throes of upcoming home ownership, I was in writer’s block muck and Yuri worried about everything. On his website bio I wrote: Yuri is currently writing his memoirs in a monastery on top of an Etruscan walled city. Welcome to Orvieto on the Rock.

It began with Michelangelo. On the vestiges of winter still dark and cold, I discovered Michelangelo Screenwriting, I discovered their mission: To provide creative people with exceptional instruction,  feedback and support in inspiring venues so that their writing projects, goals and careers move forward at a writing retreat in Italy away from the distractions of everyday life. Heidi Hornbacher Cavagna, member of Women in Film-LA Chapter, studied screenwriting at UCLA and is a film producer at Volante Films along with her partner and husband, Carlo Cavagna. Together they put together an enticing writing program in an enticing place with rooms where writing will flow. Perfect.

In early May 2014, Yuri performed with his Latin Jazz/World Music quintet GRUPO YURI at Trumpets Jazz Club in Montclair, New Jersey for an invitation-only recording session performance. Club owners Kristine Massari and Enrico Granafei hosted an Italian cultural fundraising event earlier in the day and inevitable the subject of jazz in Italy came up, particularly the Umbria Jazz Festival held in Perugia, July 5-14, 2013. What better way to check out the jazz scene in Italy than to bring the violin and head out for Orvieto where an Umbria Jazz Festival producer lives? By that time, I knew we were going to be in Orvieto in June since we were both accepted into the Michelangelo Screenwriting workshop.

Getting there was half the battle. Travel to Italy ultimately turned into a sigh of relief as we arrived in time for the primi piatti– in Italy you always eat pasta first and then the main dish primi piatti (first dish ) refers to the pasta secondi piatti (second dish ) to the main dish. It was a wonderful opportunity to meet the other writers enrolled in this workshop along with Heidi and Carlo, the organizers and instructor Ben Blacker and his wife. By the time dessert rolled around we were worn out and still had to get our luggage (rather large red suitcase nicknamed “Orca”) to our rooms in the monastery. Fortunately, it was just next door and an elevator took us to the second floor! Who knew. Even in the dark hallways we sensed an immense historic and spiritual presence echoing our footsteps past centuries old paintings, wall hangings and furnishings.

Next morning we made it for the last remnants of breakfast as we found that the serving times were strictly kept for the nuns in the kucina who prepare food for their resident nuns and other guests. Despite the jet lag and the last drop of coffee, the beautiful day shone throughout the hallways with floor to ceiling windows and airy floor plan. Glorious. I was ready to take on the world. Yuri kept his opinions to himself, observing the situation as we arrive at the opening session scheduled in a meeting room with 16th century furniture comfortable for only a short time.

More introductions and the start of pitching our ideas for what we’re going to be writing about for the next two weeks. Boldly, I went first. My idea was in an embryo state as I was thinking more about what I believed was going to be Yuri’s project– a story about his early player days as a country rock musician. My start sputtered and ideas were coming from all sides of the group. It was a way to set up the kind of workshop we would be seeing the next two weeks and Ben Blacker quietly and effectively steered us into where we thought we should be. Lovely Ally volunteered to type the suggestions and discussions and was amazingly quick and accurate. When it was Yuri’s turn to speak about his project, he changed directions and came up with being the music composer for each and every writer’s project in the room. It got him off the hook for the moment, but eventually he started to recall situations that became great scenes for a show we would eventually get Ben’s title suggestion of B•SIDE.

From left: Hatman, Heidi, Bill, Tim, Liz, Christina, Terry, Yuri, Richard and Ally sitting in the front.

An incredible schedule and camaraderie developed over the course of the next two weeks. Mornings started with reviews and assignments and a couple of hours of writing or getting inspiration for writing. Yuri and I stopped and went out into the wonderful Orvieto town for lunch around 1 p.m. The food was phenomenal. Siesta would follow until we caught up on their time schedule. More writing into late afternoon and early evening when we would take another time out for dinner in the piazzas and side streets eventually leading us to the Piazza al Duomo. It’s a bit of a story but in the end, Yuri met a guitarist trio BARTENDER performing at the Enoteca (Wine Bar) al Duomo and got to play with them on the first Friday night we were there and the following week on a Thursday. The writers were very supportive and came out as a group when he performed. Thank goodness for Ally and Liz for that second night, because we were locked out of the monastery having stayed out passed their curfew.

Towards the end of our two weeks we had many stories that were completely changed from where they had started from, more polished scripts that went on to win awards, creative sparks for story ideas that needed more focus and some babies had to be given up. All in all, the experience was one of the best I have encountered and the adventure lives on as we continue with our projects (one in development) and another recent visit back to Orvieto for gigs with the gypsy jazz musicians. The group stays in touch via Facebook. Being a part of the Michelangelo Screenwriting workshop in Orvieto was an adventure of a lifetime. Stay tuned for the next season. But wait there’s more on a website highlighting the people, places, art, music and the fabulous food at Orvieto On The Rock.