by Martina Forti and Lorenza Cingoli

Giants, nymphs, monsters, magical animals… the first steps of the Greek deities are fraught with dangers and adventures. Yes, because even the Immortals were once children, and even the great and powerful Zeus, king of Olympus and father of all the gods, did not come into life in the simplest of ways.
The premise of these delightful stories is that the tales of divine childhoods foreshadow the heroic deeds in which the deities will be involved as adults. These are small formative stories that lay the foundations for their future roles in the world and from which originate the extraordinary qualities and attributes that will distinguish them.

The idea
The Piccoli Dei program consists of six stories written by Martina Forti and Lorenza Cingoli, inspired by the childhoods of Greek deities, but serving as a pretext to discuss universal myths and legends.
The narration is interspersed with brief moments of dramatization, in which two theater companies – Teatro degli Spiriti and Teatro Atlante – bring to life scenes and dialogues that evoke the life and events of Olympus in a humorous and lighthearted manner.
At the end of each story, the aim is to engage the children in a small activity related to the environment they are in. We will give them an identity card with the characteristics of the deities that have been narrated and invite them to search within the “Antonino Salinas” Archaeological Museum for images, sculptures, and bas-reliefs corresponding to these profiles.

The stories

ARTEMIDE (Diana) / FEBO (Apollo). I gemelli Sole e Luna.
ATENA (Minerva). So tutto io.
EFESTO (Vulcano). Il bambino di fuoco.
ERMES (Mercurio). Il piccolo inventore.
PERSEFONE (Proserpina). La bambina sottosopra.
ZEUS (Giove). Tutta colpa dello zio.

Lea Martina Forti Grazzini

She lives and works in Rome. With a degree in Art History, she has been collaborating with Rai for many years, both in radio programs for Radio 3 and for television, where she has been an author and screenwriter for children’s programs such as L’Albero Azzurro, Trebisonda, Melevisione, Bumbi, Diario di casa, and Calzino. For Disney Channel, she wrote, along with Lorenza Cingoli, the film Berni e il giovane faraone, a fantasy story set in the Egyptian Museum of Turin. She has published more than twenty children’s travel guides, stories, nursery rhymes, and novels.
She is the author of James e lo sguardo del gigante (Lapis), a fictionalized account of Giovanni Battista Belzoni’s archaeological discoveries, and Le più belle storie dell’Iliade and Le più belle storie dell’Odissea (Gribaudo), written together with Lorenza Cingoli.

Lorenza Cingoli

Originally from Ancona, she lives in Milan. With a degree in History, she has been the author of TV programs such as L’Albero Azzurro, La Melevisione, and Calzino. She scripted the film Berni e il giovane faraone, produced by Disney Italia. She writes novels, stories, activity books, and travel guides for children.
She has published several collections of legends and stories drawn from classical works, including: Le più belle storie dell’Antica Roma, Le più belle storie dei vichinghi e dei miti nordici, Le più belle storie dell’Inferno di Dante, and, with Martina Forti, Le più belle storie dell’Iliade and Le più belle storie dell’Odissea.
She is the author of the children’s novel Il segreto di Lucina (Einaudi Ragazzi) and of Cleopatra e la voce della sfinge, L’isola che non c’era, and James e lo sguardo del gigante, written together with Martina Forti and published by Lapis.

from an idea by Eugenio Monti Colla
music from the Company’s repertoire

scenes, sculptures and lighting by Franco Citterio
costumes by Cecilia Di Marco and Maria Grazia Citterio
technical direction of Tiziano Marcolegio
directed by Franco Citterio and Giovanni Schiavolin

The puppeteer is a craftsman who creates the necessary objects to narrate stories and plots, guiding the audience to places, eras, and dimensions seemingly distant from reality, yet surprisingly reflective of it. The evocative power of the marionette, this small actor that comes to life in a form different from its flesh-and-blood counterparts, in synergy with the actions and intentions of its animator, is the heart of an ancient spectacle where form and content hold equal value.
In the vast storerooms of the Compagnia Marionettistica Carlo Colla & Figli, more than three thousand characters with diverse characteristics and features reside, to the point that one might wonder in what extravagant plot they could coexist.
Drawing from this extensive heritage, the show “Teste di legno” offers a transversal journey through the themes of the repertoire. Inspired by an old scenario, Eugenio Colla imagines that the marionettes, left in their cabinets at the end of the day, come to life without the puppeteer’s intervention. Characters from fairy tales, children’s literature, or fantastic stories present themselves to the audience; the most terrifying of them, King Barbarus, upon finding a clipping from an old newspaper about a “great war,” is struck by the mad dream of conquering the world.
Imagination takes over reality, but not everything will go as planned, and so, at the first light of dawn, upon the puppeteer’s return, everything will be put back in order, and even King Barbarus will return to being a simple marionette.
In a modular path, consisting of a narrative development with moments and characters drawn from the Company’s vast repertoire, the themes of lightheartedness, simplicity, love, and harmony are explored, contrasting with those of shadows, tyranny, oppression, and megalomania. These themes become the inspiration for a thematic and choreographic dance of marionettes and silhouettes (cutouts). The show becomes an ironic and amusing reflection on human emotions, virtues, and flaws, on the relationship between man and his planet, which, one hopes, can always remain “hanging by a thread of poetry.”

COMPAGNIA MARIONETTISTICA CARLO COLLA & FIGLI

Giovanbattista Colla was a wealthy merchant who, at the end of the eighteenth century, had converted one of the rooms in his palace into a puppet theater. A reversal of fortune, linked to the political events of the time, forced the Colla family to leave Milan at the beginning of the nineteenth century, and puppet shows became the family’s main activity.
In 1861, upon the founder’s death, his sons Antonio, Carlo, and Giovanni created three different companies. Thus was born the Carlo Colla & Figli Marionette Company. In 1889, the sixteen-year-old Carlo, the eldest son, took over the business, supported by his siblings Rosina, Giovanni, and Michele. Their work produced shows that greatly captivated the public. Success was immediate, and the Company’s tours began to include major cities. In 1906, the Company arrived at the Teatro Gerolamo in Milan, built for puppets in 1868. The Company returned to Gerolamo in 1911, the year the Colla family became the resident Puppet Theater (the only one in Milan besides Teatro alla Scala), also managing the venue. Forced to leave the Gerolamo, which was threatened by urban redevelopment in 1957, the Colla family remained inactive for several years. They resumed the puppet theater activity independently in 1965, continuing the tradition under the guidance of Eugenio Monti Colla, the last puppeteer of the family who performed at the Teatro Gerolamo, and who was the artistic director of the Company until his passing last November.
La Piccola Scala, the Piccolo Teatro di Milano, the Spoleto Festival, and numerous other international festivals and theaters (including in Berlin, Paris, Moscow, Madrid, Sydney, New York, and Charleston) have hosted the Carlo Colla & Figli, whose uninterrupted successes are a testament to a great Milanese theatrical tradition.

from The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi
performance of puppets and actors

with Anna Chiara Castellano Visaggi, Chiara Bitetti, Valentina Vecchio
puppets Natale Panaro, Lucrezia Tritone
original musics by Eddy Romano
direction Paolo Comentale 

The show Giocapinocchio is a tribute to the world’s most famous puppet. The starting point is Collodi’s Pinocchio, published by Nuages and enriched with the splendid images of Emanuele Luzzati, who for the occasion has showcased his versatile skills as a set designer and illustrator.
The audience often does not know Collodi’s masterpiece or, rather, knows it through Walt Disney’s rewrite or Japanese animated productions. The aim of this show is to recover the essence of Collodi’s work.
Therefore, using the techniques of puppet theater, this performance brings to life the salient chapters of the book, from the whimsical birth of the protagonist to the encounter with the Cat and the Fox, the confrontation with the fearsome Fire-Eater, and not forgetting the Land of Toys and the voracious Shark.
The show features an alternating mix of different techniques: puppets, marionettes, shadow theater, and actors, and is enriched by the performance of original music.

ASSOCIAZIONE GRANTEATRINO

Founded in 1983 to promote the revival and revitalization of puppet, marionette, and hand puppet theater, the company has since continued its work in the dissemination and enhancement of this theatrical form, alongside an intense production of performances. The soul of the company is Paolo Comentale, who directs the artistic research towards the figure of Pulcinella, a symbol of Italian theater worldwide. A fundamental moment in the company’s creative journey was the encounter with the great set designer Emanuele Luzzati, with whom Granteatrino developed a relationship based on their shared love for Pulcinella and the world of childhood. It was Luzzati who designed the company’s logo: a stylized Pulcinella standing next to a small trullo, in homage to Puglia. The great Genoese artist also created the sketches for the sets of many of the company’s shows, as well as the illustrations for the posters.
Since its founding, Granteatrino has been recognized by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities. Since 1998, an agreement with the Municipality of Bari has allowed the company to exclusively use the theater space within the Arena della Vittoria, which has become the Casa di Pulcinella. Around this physical and mental space, a diverse audience of children, teenagers, and young adults has gathered, as well as a group of artists—writers, musicians, set designers—who have found in puppet theater an interesting field for exchange and research.
In over thirty years of activity, Granteatrino has amassed a material heritage of more than 300 works, including wooden puppets, papier-mâché puppets, Muppets, props, masks, impressive sets, drawings, and original illustrations by various artists. Many of the sets created from Emanuele Luzzati’s designs are displayed in the theater, adorning and enhancing it. This collection constitutes a permanent exhibition. The Casa di Pulcinella has become a true “house museum” included in the tourist and cultural itineraries of Puglia. Granteatrino also conducts an extensive program of national and international tours (Europe, Japan, Australia, Cuba, America, Africa).

In the fairy tale house, where stories intertwine and blend together, Pinocchio and Little Red Riding Hood decide to play a new game: the world’s most famous puppet will disguise himself as Little Red Riding Hood and enter his friend’s tale, becoming the protagonist. For once, it will be Pinocchio who visits Grandmother, facing the dangers of the forest and the Big Bad Wolf, but shhh! No one should reveal his secret! The fun lies in deceiving that braggart of a Wolf and teaching him a good lesson. The beast will literally find something tough to chew on, because even he, as fierce as he is, doesn’t have fangs strong enough to chew through a wooden puppet. A series of gags and fantastic moments will lead the audience to the conclusion of a simple and delicate story, designed for all ages, narrated like a dream and as fun as a game.
With “If Pinocchio Were Little Red Riding Hood,” the NATA company aims to pay homage not only to two classics of children’s literature but also to the great Gianni Rodari, sharing with children the taste of a unique and unmistakable recipe: the fairy tale salad.

NATA – Nuova Accademia del Teatro d’Arte

NATA is a professional theater company established in 1988 in the province of Arezzo, currently recognized by the Region of Tuscany and the Ministry of Culture. The main focus of NATA’s activities lies in the production and distribution of theatrical performances, as well as the creation and organization of festivals and projects aimed at promoting live performances and theatrical culture in all its forms (puppet theater, prose, music, dance).
The company’s main strength, stemming from over 30 years of experience, is found in the quality and recognizability of its shows, which are performed across the national territory and abroad. Within the various languages that characterize their work and their poetics, the element that distinguishes the company is its focus on puppet theater and its continuous evolution in the two opposing fields of experimentation and tradition.
The use of puppets, masks, shadows, and figures, combined with ongoing research into acting and live music, places them at the forefront of exploring new artistic paths. Despite the center of its residency activities being the Teatro Dovizi in Bibbiena, the company designs festivals and initiatives that involve theaters and spaces throughout the Casentino area, characterizing them as a main reference point in the cultural life of the entire territory.
NATA is also a founding member of the Rete Teatrale Aretina and part of the Residenze Artistiche Toscane, as well as a member of ATF/Agis – Association of Puppet Theaters and a partner of the IN-Box Verde Network.

from the original plates by Alain Letort
colored by Gianni Plazzi
puppets by Mauro Monticelli
original music by Claudio Capucci and Morrigan’s Wake
with Roberta Colombo, Andrea Monticelli, Mauro Monticelli, Fabio Pignatta
director Andrea Monticelli

“Pinocchio” is a puppet theater show where images, music, and animation merge to recreate the playful colors and atmospheres of the grand Collodi circus. The scenery and puppets are inspired by the images of Alain Letort, a French artist who paid homage to the famous wooden puppet by creating 12 ink drawings, later colored by Gianni Plazzi.
The plot reflects the characters from the drawings, from Geppetto to the Cat and the Fox, from the Blue Fairy to Fire-Eater, through independent scenes and tableaux, like a collage that visually retraces Collodi’s famous story. The entire show takes place in the central part of the stage, which hosts essential structures such as the door, the puppet theater, the tree, and the circus. In the same space, the actors also move, constant companions to the puppets in a “visible animation” that has become an integral part of the expression and research conducted by the company in recent years. The four actors thus become the foundation of the scenic action, also entering the colorful circus of the Pinocchio tale.
The original soundtrack was composed and performed by the group Morrigan’s Wake and Claudio Capucci.

TEATRO DEL DRAGO (Ravenna)

The Monticelli Family is an artistic family that has been producing and promoting puppet and marionette shows since the first half of the 19th century. In 1979, brothers Andrea and Mauro founded the Teatro del Drago, which has since operated in the field of both contemporary and traditional puppet theater. Teatro del Drago is recognized by the Ministry of Culture and the Emilia-Romagna Region as a company of national significance for its production and promotion activities. Tradition and research coexist in the preservation of the family’s historical heritage, now housed in the “La Casa delle Marionette” Museum, open to the public in the historic center of Ravenna.
Teatro del Drago’s activities are carried out on two fronts: the traditional side, with puppet shows from Emilia-Romagna based on ancient scripts owned by the family and the preservation of materials from the Monticelli Collection, and the research side, through contemporary puppet theater shows that embody a unique artistic vision both in the use of materials and animation techniques.

The puppeteer presents Pinocchio to the audience. He crafted him from jujube wood, a tree that produces very sweet fruit used to make the famous jujube broth. The puppeteer hopes that, in this way, his Pinocchio won’t be too mischievous. He sits Pinocchio among the children, with the promise that he will behave throughout the show.
However, Pinocchio bursts into Pulcinella’s theater and starts causing a ruckus because he wants to see Harlequin. Pulcinella tries to explain that Harlequin has never been in that theater, but Pinocchio is relentless and creates an infernal noise. Surprisingly, Harlequin arrives, and together they start dancing, disrupting the show. At this point, Mangiafuoco arrives, intending to burn everything down, but then he gets emotional, and the show can resume. Pinocchio returns to his seat after convincing Mangiafuoco to give Harlequin a small part in the performance.
Pulcinella tells his stories, and in the finale, he manages to defeat Death with Harlequin’s help. He thanks and bids farewell to everyone. However, Harlequin does not want to leave. It is revealed that he, too, is a suitor of Teresina and wants to marry her. This leads to a quarrel, but in the end, it will be Teresina who decides. Who she chooses, you will find out by watching the show.

BRUNO LEONE

In 1978, Bruno Leone learned the art of “guarattelle” from Nunzio Zampella, the last master guarattellaro from Naples, thus preventing the disappearance of a tradition that dates back to medieval wandering performers and street entertainers. The vitality of the guarattelle art owes much to the puppeteers’ ability to blend memory and modernity. Bruno Leone, who has revived the scripts and styles of this art, has effectively contributed to the resurgence of a theatrical genre that is very important to the history of Neapolitan, European, and world culture. Pulcinella, always on stage to the right of the puppeteer, punctuates the alternating stories with his distinctive voice—produced by the mysterious instrument called the “pivetta”.