May at the Montauk Library

DATE: Sunday, May 5, 2024

TIME: 3:00 to 4:30

ARTIST: ROBERT “Bob” SPIOTTO, actor

COST: FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Registration: montauklibrary.org/events

website: montauklibrary.org/programs

On Sunday, May 5th at 3 pm, a reading of VERRAZZANO in his own words will be performed by Robert Spiotto as part of a special series commemorating Verrazzano’s voyage to North America in 1524 and his discovery of NY Harbor and encounters with indigenous people.

The play was adapted from a letter written by Verrazzano to Francis I, the King of France. It is entitled Del Viaggio del Verrazzano Nobile Fiorentino al Servizio di Francesco I, Ri de Francia, fatto nel 1524 all’America Settentrionale [Concerning the Voyage of Verrazzano, Florentine gentleman, in the service of Francis I, King of France, made in 1524 to North America.]

The Waterways Series is funded by a Creative Communities/Long Island Arts Grant.Long Island Arts Grants are made possible with funds from the State & Local Partnerships (SLP) program of New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the NYS Legislature, and administered by Huntington Arts Council.

ROBERT “Bob” SPIOTTO is an actor and artistic management professional. He is the Director of Events/Clubhouse Manager at Country Pointe, Plainview. Previously, he was Director of Programs at NYC’s legendary Friars Club. At Hofstra University, he served as Executive Producer/Artistic Director; Producer of Special Events; and faculty member of Hofstra’s School of Continuing Education, Hofstra’s Summer Camps, School of Communication and New College. He was elected to the Boards of the NY State Theater Institute and the Long Island Arts Council and recognized for his service to the community with awards from the American Association of Teachers of Italian; the NY State Commission for Social Justice; the Estabrook Distinguished Service Award, Hofstra University; the Long Island Arts Council; March of Dimes Long Island Chapter; and the Long Island Arts Council.

Bob presented or directed theatrical productions as well as special events Island Arts Alliance, The Mill River Club, and the Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center, and others.  As an actor in regional productions, Bob was featured in roles such as The M.C. (Cabaret), John Adams (1776), Guido (Nine), Tateh (Ragtime), The Cat in the Hat (Seussical), Fagin (Oliver), Ganesha (A Perfect Ganesh), and Bill (Me and My Girl).  He created and performed musical reviews for President George H. W. Bush and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Additionally, developed and starred in solo shows based on the lives of P.T. Barnum, Giuseppe Garibaldi, Primo Levi, Michelangelo, and Sholom Aleichem. His critically acclaimed one-man musical tributes include That’s Amore: A Tribute to Mr. Hollywood Musical – Harry Warren; Shades of Grey: A Musical Tribute to Joel Grey, and Courting the Jester: A Musical Salute to Danny Kaye. Bob received outstanding reviews for his direction of the Off-Broadway production, Harry and Eddie: The Birth of Israel.

Commissioned to find a trans-Atlantic route to China, Giovanni da Verrazzano and his crew departed from Europe aboard La Dauphine on January 17, 1524 and sailed across the ocean toward an unknown land. The ship reached Cape Fear on March 21, 1524, then sailed north. In a letter to King Francis I, Verrazzano described the people he met and the places he discovered. In April 1524, Verrazzano and his crew became the first Europeans to sail into what is now the harbor of  New York. After a short visit, they continued their voyage along the Atlantic coast of Long Island to New England, then returned to France.