To rise in the local theater landscape and nurture international ambitions, you need talent and a good measure of luck. Kevin Pastore has both.

As part of his third annual artistic residence at Espace Magnan in Nice, international actor and director Marc Duret is currently presenting a special and rare collaboration with renowned Monegasque theater company Les Farfadets: Gelsomina, a loose adaptation of the Fellini classic La Strada, co-directed and played by Sophie Cossu in the title role and Marc Duret as the Great Zampano.

And there is someone else on the stage… Il Matto, the Fool. A small role compared to the two protagonists but a crucial one. One that requires great sensitivity in balancing a character that is both dreamy and cocky… enchanting Gelsomina and taunting Zampano in one fell swoop. Kevin Pastore, 28 years old, is the perfect incarnation of Il Matto in this remarkable, bilingual small-budget-big-result production.

Gelsomina at Espace Magnan in Nice

Kevin stumbled into acting quite by accident. A play someone handed him to read when he was 18 years old, set him – who had never before been interested in theater – on his career path. Niçois by birth, and with the Italian roots that everyone around here seems to possess, he studied drama at the Conservatoire de Monaco and quickly made his mark by playing with several professional companies.

He also has his own troupe, La Compagnie “Qui n’a pas Peur de le Dire”. In 2011, he joined Monaco’s Les Farfadets under their Head Sophie Cossu and appeared in the well-received Unis Sont, among other productions.

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Kevin’s natural skills shine through the moment he appears in the play. He has an instinct for rhythm and nuance. As Gelsomina’s Matto, he goes from circus performer to gentleman, from mocker to philosopher in just minutes, injecting a naturally lighthearted and playful note without sacrificing depth. He has as much fun driving macho Zampano to distraction as he is delicate in taking impressionable Gelsomina on a fantasy journey to the starry skies above.

For a young talent, it’s no small feat playing opposite such experienced actors and directors as Marc Duret and Sophie Cossu, but Kevin is up to the task. And keen to learn. He knows that working with someone of Marc’s caliber is a stroke of great good luck. So when Marc, who is also a skilled theater coach, gives his young colleague directions and mentors him through the play, Kevin eagerly soaks up the lessons and translates them into instant action. His appreciation for the situational master class is palpable – a rare opportunity to learn from the best, and Kevin uses it wisely.

He knows that this experience is another valuable stepping stone toward fulfilling his ambition. “I want to continue living my passion for acting”, he says. And that means eventually going on to Paris, or even to English speaking countries, when the opportunity presents itself. He speaks English well, so an international career is certainly not outside the realm of possibilities.

La Compagnie Qui n'a pas peur le dire

He knows he’ll get far in his craft because he takes it seriously, investing hard work and heart blood in equal measure to hone his talent. Yet he is firmly rooted in the moment, a really nice and down-to-earth guy offstage who enjoys doing regular things with friends outside the acting industry. He may play a Fool but he sure is not one. Mind Kevin Pastore’s name because you’re bound to hear much more of him in the years to come.

Gelsomina is playing at Espace Magnan in Nice until Sunday 13th April, at the Théâtre des Variétés in Monaco on May 16th and 17th, and at the Théâtre de la Cité in Nice from 23rd -25th May.

 

Photos © Estelle Amiaud-Douillard

 

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