Myths and legends of Sardinia and a tribute to Antonio Gramsci, but also a journey to discover the history and the “heroes” of the island suitable for very young people, including reinterpretations of famous folk tales and artist portraits but also the dark tale of Jeffrey Dahmer, the Milwaukee Monster: the curtain rises on the intriguing billboard of the Villaspeciosa Theater Season | February-April 2023 organized by Theater Abacus with the artistic direction of Rosalba Piras to the Municipal Theater “Maria Carta” Of Villaspeciosa and created with the patronage and support of Autonomous Region of Sardiniawith the sponsorship of Municipality of Villaspeciosa and the contribution of Sardinia Foundation.
Inauguration – Sunday 5 February at 19:30 – in the sign of “S’Accabadora” with dramaturgy and direction by Susanna Mameli (South Amphitheater): a single act freely inspired by “Le Serve” by Jean Genetwith music by Paul Fresuvideo mapping and augmented reality production by Michele Pusceddu And Francis Diana, for a story that intertwines myth and reality. In the spotlight Marta Proietti Orzella And Elisa Pistisin the roles of respectively Antonias’accabadora (but also levadora and incantadora), she who breaks the thread of life putting an end to the torments of an agony and Hopefully, who serves and takes care of the house, keeps its secrets. The pièce (already a finalist in the Nuove Sensibilità competition of the Festival Teatro Italia in Naples, and winner of the Best Dramaturgy Award at the Rome Fringe Festival 2020) focuses on the relationship between the two protagonists, sisters united by a bond of blood and affection , but also “antagonists” in a cruel game of slaughter that culminates in a terrible revelation. “S’Accabadora” is inspired by the legendary figure who embodies a form of ante litteram euthanasia to tell the role and condition of women in agro-pastoral civilization, but also in Italy and in Europe of yesterday and today, the prejudices and the fears, the silent dramas and the cathartic force of an extreme act of mercy.
The charm of an artist’s life, for a portrait of Edith Piaf between words and notes – Sunday 19 February at 19:30 – with “Edith / The voice of the soul” Of OfficinAcusticaa concert-show with original lyrics by Anna Lisa Mameli and musical direction and arrangements by Corrado Aragoni, on the story of the unforgettable “nightingale” that charmed Europe and the whole world. An ideal journey through 20th-century Paris, following in the footsteps of that creature of immense talent and extraordinary, intense and yearning voice, capable of singing misery and unhappiness but also the dream of “La Vie en Rose”, of conquering the public and to redeem an existence marked by tragedy through art, without denying the past, as in the famous: “Non, je ne regrette rien”. In the spotlight the singer and actress Anna Lisa Mameli (voice) with Corrado Aragoni (piano), Remigius Pili (accordion), Massimo “Maso” Spano (double bass) e Alexander Garau (percussions) for a tribute to the French artist, icon of the chanson, pasionaria of the derelicts, symbol of the Resistance in occupied France and refined interpreter of human passions. «From the suburbs of Paris to Olympia, up to tours in America» – remember Anna Lisa Mameli – «Edith Piaf has bewitched the world with her “bloody” voice, which not even alcohol and illness have been able to crack… A life in full voice, until the last breath».
Story of a serial killer – Sunday 5 March at 19:30 – with “Jeffrey Dahmer / The Game of Bones” Of Theater Abacus And Naked Rawwith dramaturgy and direction by Daphne Turillazzi And Antonello Verachiin the interpretation of Titian Polese: a multimedia piece with (on video) Rosalba Piras (Jeff’s mother), Gerard Ferrara (the father) e Boucar Wade Konerax (a victim), for an imaginative and poetic reconstruction of the figure and the tragic deeds of the Milwaukee Monster. Show whose initial project dates back to several years ago, and which, again together with Abaco, was a finalist for the Scenario Award. A black fairy tale, in which the loneliness of childhood, the lack of affection and the cruelty of peers leave indelible traces on the psyche of Jeffrey Dahmer, mass murderer, perpetrator of heinous crimes but somehow victim, prisoner of an obsession, in search of an impossible love that culminates in a death ritual. «When I was a child I invented a game. I called it the Land of Infinity and it was a world populated by Stick Men and Spirals» – says the protagonist –. «The Toothpick Men had no meat. They had the shape of a thread or a bread stick and their body was made up of a single bone, long and straight. They were each to his own». “Jeffrey Dahmer / The game of bones” is an attempt not to justify, but if anything to understand the mechanisms of the mind, the traumas and imbalances at the roots of a strongly deviant and antisocial behavior, in which the protagonist has sacrificed lives for the own pleasure. An extreme and tragically true story. At the end of the show, the intervention of the criminologist is foreseen Lorraine Piras.
Between science fiction and history – Sunday 19 March at 19:30 – with “The Heroes of Sardinia” Of Origamundia show written, directed and performed by Ivano Cugiastaged with Erika Carta And Daniele Pettinau (creator of the cute puppets), for an ideal journey through time to (re)discover the historical and legendary characters of the island. As a guide, the Professor Longobardiwhich thanks to an ingenious machine, or rather the “Sardinian history simulator” has the opportunity to confront and converse with a High Priest of the Shardana people, a Nuragic shepherd, inventor of the canto a Tenor, but also a soldier Jostoson of Amsicora, the Sardinian-Carthaginian leader at the head of the revolt against the Romans and even the Judge Eleonora d’Arborea. An opportunity to explore some episodes of antiquity and the Middle Ages and reflect on the role and strategic position of Sardinia in the center of the Mediterranean, in particular on the suggestive hypotheses and on the interesting finds from the Nuragic age. Literary and historical sources together with hundreds of stone towers allow us to imagine a civilization, perhaps powerful, in relation with the peoples and cities on the coasts of the Mare Nostrum, but also with the inhabitants of Ancient Egypt: a story perhaps to be rewritten on the ‘Island of nuraghes… land of “Giants” and ancient (and modern) heroes.
In the fantasy world of fairy tales – Sunday 2nd April at 19:30 – with “White as snow” de The Wonderful Ephemeralwith Michele Cidu And Federico Giaime Nonnisdirected by Antonello Santarelli: a fun and engaging meta-theatrical game, in which «the scenic space becomes a sort of sideshow of wonders». The story of the unfortunate princess snow-whitepersecuted by a wicked stepmother, who instructs one of her hunters to kill the girl and bring her heart, along the lines of the successful version by the Brothers Grimm, lives again on stage in a rigorous score in which different techniques intertwine, from puppetry to the use of masksfrom the shadow theatre at the art commedy. In the spotlight actors and puppets, while the misadventures of the orphan envied and hated for her beauty, forced to flee and hide in the woods, to then be welcomed into the house of the Seven Dwarfs, become more complicated with the appearance of characters such as the Wolf unemployed and the Soccer player good-hearted. “White like snow” reproposes some of the central themes of popular fairy tales in a playful key, comparing characters and plots and involving the spectators in an attempt to keep the “intruders” away, determined to do anything to conquer the limelight, almost like the six Pirandellian characters… with an ending to be discovered.
Tribute to Antonio Gramsciintellectual, philosopher, politician and writer, prominent personality of the culture of the twentieth century – Sunday 16th April at 19:30 – with “Gramsci Antonio: present!” of the Actores Alidos Theatre: between reality and dream, the piece written by Rossana Copez And Marta Proietti Orzellaalso starring on the scene together with Fausto Siddi, proposes a strange “encounter” between a student and the author of the “Prison Notebooks”. The prophetic words of one of the brightest minds of the short century resonate in a surreal conversation, among the shelves of a library where the adolescent Terry look for materials and inspiration for a school essay. Focus on the «shocking relevance of Gramsci’s thought», on how it can «“speak” even to a boy of today» and on some fundamental themes, as the authors underline: «the importance of “resistance”, of being an aware citizen, the value (and privilege) of education, of language and of one’s origins, of a free education (“we leave the boy/girl the freedom of choice to dress as a boy or a girl”), of curiosity and imagination that “doesn’t recognize bars, you can’t throw yourself in jail”». In the writings of the illustrious son of Sardinia, there is also an invitation to safeguard nature, but above all the awareness of the «danger of indifference, because “history is not a huge natural phenomenon, an eruption, an earthquake…”» and not taking a stand means allowing others to do so, based on their ideas.
The theater season will be enhanced by the exhibition “A brush for cinema” (February 5 – April 16) which through the works of Angel Cesselon, on the centenary of his birth, with his watercolor portraits of the most famous and beloved stars and divas of the big screen, created the posters of some of the greatest successes of post-war Italian cinema. Angelo Cesselon (1922–1992) dedicated his entire life to painting and was one of the most important masters of the cinema poster in the world. On display are some images of the pictorial sketches for posters made by the artist, who devoted himself to film poster painting after the end of the Second World War. An itinerary through the history of cinema with the faces of the actresses and protagonists of important films shot in Italy and around the world, to rediscover the charm of the “dream factory”. The exhibition will be inaugurated in the presence of the doctor Alessandra Cesselondaughter of the artist, art historian and curator of theCesselon archive.
Subscription to 6 shows: full €35, reduced €25. Tickets: full €7, reduced €5. Special ticket for schools: €3 per child. Reductions for children, students up to 26 years and all residents of Villaspeciosa. Info and reservations: cell. 347.8928141 on WhatsApp.