PRODUCTIONS

La Cruzada Teatral, 2007

Cruzada in Spanish means “crusade”, but also “crossing”, “tour”.

I the year 1991, just in full "special period" after the end of Soviet Union, some actors from the province of Guantanamo, the poorest in Cuba, “ricycling” their military preparation, set en expedition to take the theatre to the mountain. Walking all the way, with mules an puppets, they went to the "silent sites", where there were no electricity, no phone; they approached country people that never had seen a show.

Since then, the Cruzada is a steady  and appreciated appointment for all folks in the province, during more than 30 days, beginning on 28 January, the birth day of José Martí, the Cuban national hero. As Martí loved much children, the Cruzada during the day plays in the schools, for the younger, and every night in a different place for all the people.

I was there during 15 day in the 2007 edition: shows, rehearsals, displacements across dirt tracks or river beds, life in camps, and the welcome of the folk, that often offer to the convoy their own theatre.

I made out a one hour video, showing from inside a manifestation of Cuban civil society far away from either tourist or political platitudes.

Failed at the last time the job with an Italian "street TV", I was there with 2 small digital cameras and did it all alone, hosted by the Consejo Nacional de las Artes Escenicas in Cuba and with a contribution by UILT (Unione Italiana Libero Teatro).

Riri, 2002

Riri is in place of "Risorsa-Rifiuti" (resource-waste). It is a CD ROM with a presentation of the exhibition Riri, of the Regione Lombardia, and  ideas for playing and researching for the children.

The CD ROM had been delivered the first time to schools visiting the exhibition by Belgioioso castle, in Autumn 2002. It was thought as the starting point for playing together a very beautiful and important game, on that big square, that yard of suprises that the Internet could be.

The idea was that the classes from schools, but also the children and the young from their own homes, with friends, brothers and sisters and parents could partake, not only answering to little quizzes, finding funny animated characters and musics, but above all having the possibility of meeting, be present with ideas and suggestions, in order to understand together how things go and even to invent something to help our planet and our future.

The idea was also to communicate with schools and children in any part of the world, and address to adults, educators, producers, journalists, politicians, scientists, that can help us in this great task.

Then it happens, like for many other things, that after printing posters and leaflets, giving the news to the press, making the “produce”, the experience is considered completed.

It is almost always so, when the matter is not “to sell something”, but to take part as protagonists in social life. And then we get astonished about communication problems, people loneliness, young uneasiness!