No Artifice
It always begins this way, with a study, research, a garden where to go and pick some flowers up, flowers whose scent most intoxicates us or simply brings us home, stirring ancient memories somewhere deep in our soul.
New production. Work in progress
It always begins this way, with a study, research, a garden where to go and pick some flowers up, flowers whose scent most intoxicates us or simply brings us home, stirring ancient memories somewhere deep in our soul.
No Artifice is only a temporary title, one of those destined to be absorbed by the alternating phases of work that follow one another, sometimes slowly, sometimes very quickly, during the long rehearsal period.
The affinity that binds me to the three De Filippo theatre siblings is not only linguistic: it is emotional, artistic, elective. Especially with Titina, and not because of gender.
Titina De Filippo was a revolutionary, a counter-trend, a free spirit who sought the strength of her self-affirmation in doing rather than appearing. I am struck by her choices, which at first glance seem bizarre, such as when, in 1939, she decided to leave the Teatro Umoristico I De Filippo company to pursue an ideal of artistic autonomy that she felt was strongly threatened by the presence of two brothers who were as heavy as rocks.
Better a block less and three free men more.
Her ability to continually reinvent herself was remarkable, and during that period of secession, it led her to work with Nino Taranto and Agostino Salvietti, as well as to try her hand at writing plays, screenplays and cinema.
Even more dramatic was the turning point brought about by illness, which quickly forced her to leave the stage and reinvent herself as a visual artist working with brushes, mosaic tiles and collage.
Titina, an experienced actress gifted with enough talent to excel in different styles of acting, found her greatest challenge in Filumena Marturano.
It was with this work that she achieved fame as an all-round actress and freed herself from Eduardo’s harsh judgement, asserting her own interpretative autonomy.
Filumena Marturano arrived because the block was no longer there.
A statement that confirms how much life and art were one and the same for Titina. She knew that only a free spirit could nourish the heart of a character as great as Filumena, who, in the years to come, would forever be associated with the name of Titina.
I too have overcome my block and seek nourishing relationships.
Moving the audience without resorting to tricks and flattery, achieving simplicity, dramatic and radiant humanity, without artifice but with dignified aristocratic artistry, is an extremely difficult thing to do, requiring enormous effort and great sacrifice.
Staging a play dedicated to Titina, but not so explicitly, which is based on Filumena Marturano but with only one actress on stage, referring to Titina’s dramatic side without forgetting her comic one, could be a bit of a challenge.
For me, too, Filumena Marturano represents a trapdoor, and as such I feel the risk of falling into it, but I think it’s worth it, let’s say I can’t help myself.
The choice is necessary