Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Francesca Pecchi. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Francesca, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?
I definitely got my work ethic from my parents – as an immigrant daughter I was strongly influenced by my parents’ story that taught me resilience, commitment, and the value of taking risks. They were both born and raised in Rome, where they lived for the first 33 years of their life. By then, they were already happily married with their 6-year-old firstborn, and working a secure job at the same company. One year, my dad got a job opportunity that required him to leave everything and move to Brussels, Belgium – a country that not only he didn’t know, but that also spoke a different language, and that was very different culturally and weather wise. As my mom pushed him to accept the offer and dive into this new adventure, she also had to leave everything she knew behind, and so suddenly they moved to Brussels with a child where they knew absolutely no one.
I was born and raised there, and growing up I always listened to my parents’ journey with great admiration and pride. By witnessing them navigating unfamiliar environments, overcoming language barriers, and facing various challenges, they always drove me to be industrious and motivated in my pursuits. They always inspired me to dream big, but also to stay grounded and focus on the journey. I owe them my courage – their story is what allowed me to end up in New York in the first place.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
Even though I started my career as an actor and acting is where my main focus currently is, I feel like it is too limiting of a label considering where I am at in my creative journey today, which is why I feel like simply using the word “artist”. I first discovered acting at the age of ten and I remember falling in love with the craft immediately. It was a bond I was never able to explain to myself how deeply it affected me and how it changed me for the better.
At thirteen years old I joined a local Italian theatre company named Le Giovani Teste Matte. I quickly became a leading member of the company, portraying many iconic roles including the Vain in The Little Prince, the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz, and the Genie in Aladdin. I worked with Le Giovani Teste Matte for several years until 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily shut down the company’s in-person work.
In 2021, I accepted an offer from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and moved to New York City in the midst of a global pandemic. I decided I was ready to bring my journey to the next level, but in order to do so I knew I first needed to develop professional tools. I graduated in April 2023 and came out of there a completely different person – confident and ready to use my voice and raise it.
During Fall 2023, I co-wrote and co-directed my first original play, titled Miss Universe. I collaborated with two alumni from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts: Emilio Garcia and Josephine Hawley. The three of us also shared the stage with Grace Wilkerson and Maryann Mboche. We sold out Off-Broadway in December 2023 – and it was my playwright debut. Miss Universe was a comedy that told an off-beat, inter-galactic love story that you haven’t seen or heard anywhere else.
This experience was life changing for me as it allowed me to finally believe that I am capable of writing too, and that at the end of the day all it takes is wanting to do so while having something to say to the world. As my perspective changed, I feel like a wide new door just opened in front of me last year.
On top of my acting commitment, I also work in stage management and production assistance. I truly value being involved both on stage and behind the scenes. My most recent work as a stage manager was at the NYC premiere of The Holylanders, performed during the Stav Festival 2023 at the Theater at the 14th Street Y.
This month, I officially opened my own production company with my dear friend and colleague Lucia Sapienza. After putting a cast together, our company, Thymos Productions, started off 2024 rehearsing a play titled The Suppliant Maidens, which is an Aeschylus adaptation written and directed by Lucia Sapienza. We will be presenting this at the New York Theater Festival on May 15, 17, and 19, 2024.
Our company’s main mission will be to reveal and showcase international talents. The goal is to build a safe space for a multicultural community of creatives who share a strong desire to tell stories. If you want to know more, you can check out our website (thymosproductions.com) or Instagram (@thymos.productions).
In the future, I plan to continue working in theatre and writing more original works. In addition to this, I now also want to start diving into the film and television industry.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Three things that were most impactful in my journey are: believing, perseverance, and self-care. Believing has been the very first step in my case and the reason why is quite simple – if you are the first one to not believe in your talent and potential, then why should anyone else? I know it may sound a bit harsh, but the truth is that, unless very lucky, no one will waste time chasing you to try and convince you you are good enough for this industry. Either you know you are, or people will see that you second-guess yourself, therefore they will start doing the same. I would say the best way to improve on this is to surround yourself with people who make you feel loved and seen. Also, surround yourself with people who inspire you, it is food for the soul. Perseverance is crucial – in this journey you are most likely to get more rejections than anything else, but guess what? Most of the time it is not about you. I know it may be hard to believe but often people look for a very specific profile and you simply may not meet their needs, and that is more than okay. You have to keep pushing, and pushing, and pushing. If you’re planning on stopping at your first “no”, then you might as well not go for it and save your energy. If I had stopped applying to acting schools as soon as I started getting my first rejection letters, I would definitely not be where I am today. Rejections don’t define you and as long as you keep reminding yourself of your worth, you will find the strength to keep moving forward. And this goes back to the art of believing.
Last but not least: self-care and I definitely cannot talk enough about this one. Recently I learned that nothing matters and everything stops making sense as soon as you are not okay. Always listen to your body and mind – they are your instrument after all, and if you ignore their needs your art will also start being affected by it and it will show. My point is that I feel like, especially in today’s society, we tend to ignore feelings of tiredness and overwhelmingness as it has been normalised. It’s okay to slow down, it’s okay to rest, it’s okay to take one day or a whole week off. You are the priority. I am personally still struggling with this one, but I would say that one way to work on it is to start with the “little” things. Allow yourself to sleep in, spend those $7 on an iced-coffee and take yourself to the park, if that’s what makes you happy. But do something.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
Our company, Thymos, is always looking to collaborate with all kinds of creatives: actors, writers, filmmakers, dancers, and singers – anyone who defines themselves a storyteller. As long as they have an urge to connect with other humans and the need to build something together, I will always be ready to listen. I am interested in representing the unrepresented, I’m looking to speak up about topics that are not talked about enough, and, even if it would be on a small scale as of right now, I want to give a voice to those who are struggling with finding one. I want to tell stories while also having fun! So if any of this resonates with you, I want to listen to what you have to say. Also, if you are an international who’s struggling with finding a place that feels like home in NYC, then that would be one more reason for us to find each other. The best way to connect with me would be by shooting me an email which you can find on my personal website (francescapecchi.com), but if you are looking for a more casual vibe you can always find me on Instagram (@francesca_pecchi) and we can talk there. Spoiler alert – it will probably end with us going out for a coffee as you tell me your life story.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.francescapecchi.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/francesca_pecchi
Image Credits
– Brownen Sharp – Nicola Marra de Scisciolo – Olivier Polet – Deborah Gerofsky – Francesca Pecchi
