[AUGUSTO], a dramedy, 2018
[AUGUSTO is a show about the need to feel loved, unconditionally, and about pain. The physical and vocal practice through which the interpreters are allowed to express themselves is exclusively made of laughter to the bitter end. In this way, the performers of the piece laugh to represent joy, euphoria, emotion, as well as suffering, anger and fear. The cast consists of eleven interpreters. This is a new ad-hoc working group composed of actors, dancers and singers. During each show nine of them are on stage.
The title of the show is a tribute to the figure of the Auguste: the clown, the fool, the idiot who always makes trouble and pisses himself, always drunk, with a red nose, and who laughs at everything. But “august” also means imperial, royal, distinguished, and is the name of the first Roman emperor.
Here they are then, the interpreters of AUGUSTO, while laughing continuously, without giving to the audience and to themselves the opportunity to understand the reason. Here they are, as they walk, run, they reach and embrace each other laughing. Here they are again, while they play and laugh as teenagers. While they are obliged by a mysterious force to organize their laughter rhythmically and loudly.
One also laughs at violence in AUGUSTO. Like the circus: when the clown stumbles, makes disasters and as a punishment receives a fake slap from his colleague. One laughs as the children laugh in AUGUSTO, until they realize that they are seriously hurt.]
[invention Alessandro Sciarroni / cast (9 performers alternately) Massimiliano Balduzzi, Gianmaria Borzillo, Marta Ciappina, Jordan Deschamps, Pere Jou, Benjamin Kahn, Leon Maric, Francesco Marilungo, Cian McConn, Roberta Racis, Matteo Ramponi / music Yes Soeur! / lighting design Sébastien Lefèvre / movement coaching, dramaturgical collaboration Elena Giannotti / outfit Ettore Lombardi/ dramaturgical consultancies Chiara Bersani, Peggy Olislaegers, Sergio Lo Gatto/ laughter yoga coaching Monica Gentile / artistic collaboration Erna Ómarsdóttir, Valdimar Jóhannsson / vocal coaching Sandra Soncini / technical director Valeria Foti / tour technician Cosimo Maggini / assistance, research Damien Modolo / curator, promotion, consulting Lisa Gilardino/ administration, executive production Chiara Fava / press office Beatrice Giongo / video, photo Alice Brazzit]
[production MARCHE TEATRO Teatro di Rilevante Interesse Culturale, corpoceleste_C.C.00#, European Creative Hub – French Minister of Culture/Maison de la Danse grant for Biennale de la danse de Lyon 2018, Festival GREC Barcelona, Théâtre de Liège, Teatro Municipal do Porto, CENTQUATRE-PARIS, apap – Performing Europe 2020, a project co-founded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union, Snaporazverein, Theaterfestival Boulevard, Theater Freiburg (Germany), La Biennale di Venezia coproduction Tanzfabrik Berlin, Centrale Fies, L’arboreto – Teatro Dimora di Mondaino. Alessandro Sciarroni is associated artist at CENTQUATRE-PARIS and is supported as focus-artist by apap – Performing Europe 2020]
