It will be the culminating moment of the initiatives that Taobuk has put in place to celebrate the 50 years of the novel of Stefano D’Arrigo “Horcynus Orca”. Sunday 22 June (9.30 pm) will be staged in the Antico Theater of Taormina «Horcynus Orca. Ghostly journey into the sea of Stefano d’Arrigo’s literature ». The directors Davide Livermore And GEP Cucco they prepared a first -time show, with Vinicio Capossela, Caterina Murino, Linda Gennari and the friendly participation of Livermore himself, director of prose and opera famous all over the world, the live music of Max Casacci (Subsonica) And the video mapped images of Cucco. The text of the book has been adapted by Andrea Porcheddu, Claudio Collovà and Eliana Rotella, And there will be four moments of the show: “The female”, “The Trasbordo”, “The Father” and “The Orca”. We talked about it with Livermore.
From the film on the myth of Orpheus, presented at the Rome Feast, to the show on that of Horcynus Orca. What “journey” will be?
«In common are sensitivity, aesthetics, the research that for a decade we have done in all theaters in the world. My approach always takes inspiration from a phrase by Claudio Monteverdi: “Harmony is at the service of poetry”. I add that harmony is in the context of amplification of poetry also in the auditory part. In this case everything will compete with the extraordinarily epic beauty of Horcynus Orca ».
What struck her about Stefano D’Arrigo’s novel?
«Above all, the language, the” playful “, artistic and literary invention, capable of inventing images for an epic narration. Today it would not be possible because the Italian of the seventies no longer exists, overwhelmed by neologisms. Mine is a observation, not a regret, because the language is plastic. “Horcynus Orca” is the testimony that then you could “play” with the Italian language, to make her become different “.
D’Arrigo in one of his very rare interviews said: “I pointed to” aim “the word until I judged I had reached the complete expression; Until the moment I earned the certainty that the result obtained was the right and definitive one, that the lexical, syntactic and semantic totality was made, that, on the finished page, the writing “spoke” ». Does your show has a similar goal, or will the image prevail over the word?
«This declaration is beautiful and its tension is evident to perfection. In my show in Taormina the image will serve to support the word ».
You are a famous director also for the use of technology applied to the theater. What adds Paolo Gep Cucco to his shows, both in general and for this Taormina appointment?
«The art relationship with Cucco has been going on for many years now. Among us there is always an excellent exchange of suggestions. Sometimes his own borders on what an actor on stage and my visual elements could do. And then the technique counts nothing if it is not at the service of the staging. At the Teatro Antico will always remain fundamental of Arrigo. The music created and played live by Max Casacci, based on the sounds of nature, will serve to create even more the focus on the word. There will be a lexical totality, enhanced by all the elements ».
Will you be on stage? What will you do? We all remember that he was also an actor and singer.
«We will be four to read D’Arrigo. Two great actresses, with different characteristics but of equal skill, such as Caterina Murino and Linda Gennari; A great musician and singer like Vinicio Capossela and I who, is true, was also an actor and singer. There will be four moments: four worlds and four settings of the novel. Music and images melted with the word. I repeat: everything at the service of the lexical and semantic quality of the written pages ».
It seems a pity that this experience ended in one evening. Do you think you record the images and maybe make a movie or even a video?
“Yes, of course, everything will be recorded, but at the moment I can only think of the live show that, in my opinion, is the greatest exaltation of humanity in itself. I hope there are so many people, ready to live a unique experience ».
She was engaged in the direction of the Greek tragedies in Syracuse, I am referring to the Orestea of Aeschylus. What is the link between Greek tragedy and Horcynus Orca?
«All Sicily is imbued with the Greek tragedy. I remember that in Syracuse many people stopped me on the street and, although they were not experts, they talked to me about Aeschylus as a university professor could have done. With D’Arrigo there is the connection with epic flights and with the mystical of man. I think of certain invocations to Zeus of Euripides who bring me straight to the orca ».
Do you know that D’Arrigo had signed, together with Biagio Belfiore, a theatrical reduction in the novel, staged in Taormina in 1988?
«Yes, I know, but I don’t know it. I would love to read it ».
After the David di Donatello ceremony, the controversy between the world of culture and entertainment and the ministry has been refreshed. In your opinion, what is the director of the Genoa Theater, what can the government do for culture?
«Giving support, with the awareness that culture is the country’s first industry. This applies to this government and for all those who will follow him. Theaters, museums and foundations constitute a production chain, with a large induced behind them. As such we are recognized abroad. The government has to be aware of it and act accordingly ».
