Venditori d'anime

Mi sento dire di continuo
che sono un attore, che recito,
che la mia è una commedia,
che persino la foggia del vestire
si adegua al personaggio
che vorrei tentare di essere
o di apparire. Ebbene, sì.

Giorgio Almirante

: : biography

Giancarlo Zanetti

Was born in Cavalese, located in the administrative division of Trento, in 1941. Soon after having attended the Conservatory of dramatic art in Rome (S. Tofano was a teacher of his), he makes his début on the stage with C. Pavolini, in 1961. He achieves his first and real success in 1964 with the staging of "L?Anconitana" by Ruzante, also performed later in 1971. Written by Goldoni, he interprets "Una delle ultime sere di Carnovale" and "I due gemelli veneziani", both directed by Luigi Squarzina in 1967 and 1968. In 1985, Zanetti features in "Peccato che sia una sgualdrina" by J. Ford, and in 1988 he is an unusual Capitan Fracassa beside L. Patruno. The following year, he chooses to give himself almost entirely to the profession of theatrical producer with the Sagittarius, which he had founded ten years before.

Alberto Bassetti was born in Rome on 4th August 1955. He makes his début, also as director, staging "Il segreto della vita" in the month of June, 1989. In February 1990, he stages "Plautus", a comedy in Latin, written in collaboration with Antonio Calenda, who is also the director. The month after, he wins the IDI Contest with "La tana", edited by "Ricordi". In June, he makes his début at the Parioli Theatre with a comedy written in collaboration with Dodo Gagliarde. From 1991 to 1993, he co-operates with the Potlach Theatre, by writing the dramatic text for the show "Hollywood Hollywood" and also participating in the project called "Città invisibili" in Fara Sabina, Klagenfurt (Austria), and Malta. In July, with "Il ventre" (published in the magazine "Hystrio") he inaugurates the play-readings presented by "Casa Ricordi" at the Spoleto Festival. Then, he collaborates on the dramatic text of "Madre Coraggio" by Brecht, with Piera Degli Esposti, directed by Antonio Calenda. In 1993, "La Tana" is staged and it is awarded the IDI prizes "Maschera d"oro" for all the actresses (Daniela Giovanetti, Alvia Reale, Sandra Collodel, Maria Paiato, Daniela Giordano) and the golden medal for the play direction which is by Antonio Calenda. In August, Bassetti takes part in the Taormina Festival presenting the monologue "Libertà", directed by Walter Manfré for the project "La confessione". In 1994, "Stato padrone" is performed and Bassetti is also the director (he wins the Superfondi Award for his staging). In August, he is again at the Taormina Festival, where he reads "Il volo del gallo", by courtesy of Maurizio Panici and "Casa Ricordi". In December, at the Theatre Nationale de la Colline in Paris, the play-reading of "La taniere" (La tana) takes place, by courtesy of Philippe Adrien. In 1995, he wins, for the second time, the IDI Competition with "La Gabbia" (published in "Hystrio"). Also, on Rai 3, the radio version of "La tana" is broadcast, directed by Beppe Navello. In August, at the Taormina Festival, his "Il girifalco dell?harem" is presented for the first time. It is a text based on the great personality of Frederick II of Swabian, whose role is interpreted by Giuseppe Pambieri, directed by Giorgio Albertazzi, music by Franco Battiato. During the season 96 -97, the performance is staged again with the title "Harem". He is awarded the Giuseppe Fava Award for "Sopra e sotto il ponte". In 1996, he translates and adapts "Rudens" by Plauto, which, after the Summer season, inaugurates the theatrical season at the Quirino Theatre in Rome, the protagonist is Flavio Bucci and the director Alvaro Piccardi. In August, "Requiem" makes its début at the Siracusa Festival, based on the book written by Tabucchi, directed by Teresa Pedroni, main role interpreted by Antonio Fattorini. In March 1997, "Le due sorelle" is staged, featuring Daniela Giovanetti and Claudia Poggiani, directed by Antonio Calenda. During the contemporary dramatic art Festival II of Trieste, "Sopra e sotto il ponte" makes its début, directed by Maurizio Panici. In July, "Il caso Sofri" by Luigi Majo is performed and the dramatic text is written by Bassetti. Amongst others, it features Piera Degli Esposti and Gabriele Ferzetti. In the same month, at the Barcelona Grec Festival, the Catalan version of "La tana" (El Cau) is presented. In August, at the Taormina Festival, "Saffo" with Daniela Giovanetti and Arnaldo Ninchi. In 1998, produced by the Teatro Stabile of Friuli Venezia-Giulia, his adaptation of Italo Svevo "Senilità" makes its début, directed by Francesco Macedonio. In 1999, both "Il volo del Gallo" directed by Marco Maltauro, and "Ma che c?entra Peter Pan?" directed by Antonio Calenda, are staged. In June 2000, at the Theatre Rond Point in Paris, the monologue "Domande?" directed by Walter Manfré is performed for Théatre des Italiens directed by Maurizio Scaparro, which is part of the project called La Confession. In 2001, at the Teatro Stabile of Brescia, "La Tana" is presented again with a subtitle "Le streghe son tornate", directed by Tatiana Olear. In June, he is awarded the Giorgio Almirante first prize for "Venditori di anime". .

:: Plot

What age do we live in? What became of us?
I feel a bit too much ambiguous, what about you? I like women, although I like men too. I am a good husband, but also a transvestite. I am a thug, but radically honest.
So what?
I suggest that, starting from today, we acknowledge inconstant and itinerant identities, in between a genre and another, in between different worlds, willingly changing their tastes and dispositions. After all, our time does tolerate it! The post-modern society and its specifics, its weakened identities as consequence of a missing father and his lacking law, that is why we are now endowed with many and diverse identities. There cannot be any perversion in a world where there is no rule, no value, no sacred either, all lost in the name of satisfaction. Ours is a secular and desecrated society, whose only desire is money and for this reason, it has no rights to banish anybody, because the real Great Prostitute is society itself.
What of it?
Long live the theatre! Theatre for everybody. We can retrace the artist, the creator inside ourselves and get rid of our heavy identities, which are like worn clothes upon our shoulders, and in the great post-modern chaos we can invent ourselves as identity makers.
A light amusement.
We may as well sacrifice our certainties, but we will gain our Freedom!
Confucio said, "The man who wishes a constant happiness must be prepared to change frequently".
Ladies and Gentlemen, all this and even more than this in "VENDITORI D'ANIME" by Alberto Bassetti.

Conference Hall - 27/07/02- 21,30