After the prologue entitled Metateatro (and half who knows) held on Saturday 12 October – at the conclusion of the series of Meetings curated by the Olympic Academy for the 72nd Cycle of Classical Shows at the Teatro Olimpico – Monday 4 November Laboratorio Olimpico enters the heart of its 14ª edition entitled Teatro Selfie – Self-portrait of the Theatre: at the centre of the investigation, therefore, the theatre that stages itself and the consequences that this has on the viewer, called to cross, together with the actor, the threshold between the real and the fantastic and vice versa.

Born from an idea of Cesare Galla and directed by Roberto Cuppone, both academics, promoted by the Academy and the Municipality of Vicenza with the patronage of the Veneto Region, the Laboratory is proposed this year in a strengthened formula: in fact, it provides a rich series of events articulated over a week, from Monday 4 to Saturday 9 November. Among the guests of this edition, the playwright and writer Giuliano Scabia and the actor Paolo Rossi.

Study day, Friday, November 8

On Friday, November 8, in the Odeo dell’Olimpico, the Laboratory will deepen the theme chosen for this edition, with the participation of scholars and operators. Introduced by Gaetano Thiene, president of the Academy, and Roberto Cuppone, director of the Olympic Laboratory, the interventions will be divided into two major thematic areas: ‘Historical Visions’ and ‘Crossed Visions’.

From 9.30 to 13 the “Historical Visions” will be proposed by Luciano Chiodi of the University of Padua (The spett-actor in the comic theatre of Aristophane and Plauto), Sonia Maura Barillari of the University of Genoa (Self-portrait of the theatre as a young man: Adam de la Halle and the Jeu de la feuillée), Armando Petrini of the University of Turin (Praise of the comic actor), Fabio Contu of the University of Seville (Denying the hic et nunc: technical tests of revolution), Dario Tomasello of the University of Messina (Metatheatre or intra-theatre? Performance. Studies on the lives of the actors) and Paolo Puppa of the Ca’ Foscari University of Venice (The shadow of the spectator on stage).

In the afternoon, from 14.30 to 17, space instead of the “crossed visions” in which, that is, the theatre will meet other worlds: that of the party with Giulia Alonzo of trovafestival.com (The metatheatre in the novelties of the 2019 festivals); of the opera with the academic Cesare Galla (First the music and then the words); of the philosophy with the academic Paolo Vidali (The invention of truth); of the cinema with Denis Lotti of the University of Padua (The greeting of the giants: cineportraits of the mattatori, 1910-1912); of the show with Nicola Pasqualicchio of the University of Verona (Limen: the liminarity in the performing arts); and of the communication with Oliviero Ponte di Pino of ateatro.it (Levels of reality).

The reports will be interspersed with dramatised readings entrusted to Antonino Varvarà and Patricia Zanco. At 17.15 appointment instead inside the theatre for Commedia Olimpica.

‘Sghignazzo, therefore I am’: conversation with Paolo Rossi (November 9)
Introducing “Blasphemia”

On Saturday, November 9, the Laboratory will close with a double appointment in the Odeo dell’Olimpico: at 10 Oliviero Ponte di Pino will interview the actor Paolo Rossi, a leading voice of the Italian comic theatre; at 12, finally, after an introduction by Maria Elisa Avagnina, secretary of the Academy, the volume Blasphemia will be presented. The Theatre and the Sacred, edited by Roberto Cuppone and Ester Fuoco, for the series Laboratorio Olimpico Atti, started in 2017 with Catarsi. At the end of the presentation a copy of the book will be distributed free of charge to interested parties, while stocks last.

All Olympic Laboratory events are free to enter. The conference on Friday, November 8th has the value of an refresher course for teachers of all levels. For information: Accademia Olimpica, 0444 324376 or segreteria@accademiaolimpica.it