concept and direction Sotterraneo
on stage Sara Bonaventura, Claudio Cirri, Lorenza Guerrini, Daniele Pennati, Giulio Santolini
dramaturgy Daniele Villa
light design Marco Santambrogio
production Sotterraneo
coproduction Teatro Nacional D. Maria II in the field of APAP – Performing Europe 2020, Programma Europa Creativa dell’Unione Europea
contribution Centrale Fies_art work space, CSS Teatro stabile di innovazione del FVG
with the support of Comune di Firenze, Regione Toscana, Mibact, Funder 35, Sillumina – copia privata per i giovani, per la cultura
artistic residencies Associazione Teatrale Pistoiese, Tram – Attodue, Teatro Metastasio di Prato, Centrale Fies_art work space, Dialoghi – Residenze delle arti performative a Villa Manin, La Corte Ospitale – progetto residenziale 2017, Teatro Studio/Teatro della Toscana, Teatro Cantiere Florida/Multiresidenza FLOW
Running time 1h and 10′
National première
in Italian with English surtitles
We are overloaded with information and therefore, we are constantly on the alert, while the ancients felt like this only on the battlefield. The background noise is increasing in the entire world. Shouldn’t we be quiet and pay attention? Overload brings a David Foster Speech’s on the stage. His words become a hypertext that creates links between images and actions. The audience is at the centre of the play, as it can decide which content to disclose. The speech risks remaining incomplete because of the several changes and interruptions that resemble our daily life. Is it possible to use this confused state to reflect on the ecology of attention?
Sotterraneo
Sotterraneo are a theatre research collective founded in Florence in 2004 while working on their first project, called “11/10 in apnea”. This shows was awarded the Premio Scenario 2005 alongside three other winners. In the following years Sotterraneo’s shows have been performed on the most prominent Italian and international scenes. Their shows include Post-it (2007), The Thing 1 (2008), The Diptych on the species comprised of Dies irae _5 episodes around the end of the species (2009) and The Origin of species_from Charles Darwin (2010), Homo ridens (2011), a children’s theatre show called The Children’s Republic (2011), the Daimon Project comprised of BE LEGEND! (2013) and BE NORMAL! (2013), the show WAR NOW! (2014, codirected with the Latvian director Valters Silis as part of the European project Shared Space), Around the World in 80 Days (2015), and lastly Overload_first study (2016/17).
Their performances tour Italy’s main cities as well as abroad – in Spain, Germany, France, UK, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Russia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Chile. In this period of time Sotterraneo have also participated in several other projects with different formats, such as short plays, site specific performances, mise-en-espace at Trend and Intercity festivals, and other commissioned projects. In 2012 the collective were called upon by the prestigious Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro to direct Mr. Bruschino by Gioachino Rossini.
Sotterraneo are also involved in drama training courses, and have organised drama workshops for the Municipality of Florence, Fondazione Toscana Spettacolo, Centrale Fies, Amat, Irigem, Fanny & Alexander, Laboratorio Nove, University of Florence, Pistoia Theatre Association,Theatre of Europe. In 2008-2009 the company was supported by the ETI project “New Creativity” and was awarded the ‘Emergenze creative’ call for tender, sponsored by the Municipality of Florence. Since 2008, the company has been annually supported by the Region of Tuscany administration, while from 2015 they have been supported and funded by the Municipality of Florence and the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage. In 2015, they won the ‘Funder 35’ call for tender for production companies working in the field of culture. Since 2007 they have joined the Fies Factory project promoted by Centrale Fies, and since 2013 they have been a resident company at Pistoia Theatre Association.
Between 2009 and 2016, Sotterraneo have received some of the most important national and international theatre awards; they received the Lo Straniero Award and Ubu Special Award in 2009, the Hystrio Castel dei Mondi Award in 2010, the Silver Laurel Wreath Award for Dies irae at Sarajevo’s MESS Festival in 2011, the Eolo Award for Best New Artist for Children’s Republic as well as the ACT Festival Prize and BE FESTIVAL 1st Prize for Homo ridens at Birmingham’s BE festival in 2012. Lastly, in 2016 they received the Best of Be Tour award at Birmingham’s BE festival.