Looking at it in its conceptual perfection, it almost seems like a utopia. Theater and University, a natural synergyunder the aegis of culture. A meeting that opened its doors in Cosenza. L’Altro Teatro and Libero Teatro presented the first edition of “DramaFest – The festival of new dramaturgy” which united Cosenza and Unical with the artistic direction of Max Mazzotta and the organizational direction of Gianluigi Fabiano. A festival that has been able to exploit cultural places with a one-of-a-kind project. And which managed to catalyze growing attention and interest, producing both artistic and human comparisons. Together with the artistic director, Max Mazzotta from Cosenza, we took stock of this very intense three days.
Theater and Unical, two bastions of culture come together…
«We have been at the University for more than 25 years. We bring theater onto campus to give students the opportunity to practice. Because it is very educational. For example, those who study chemistry have a chemistry laboratory, those who study theater must also have the opportunity to practice. We are a professional company, Libero Teatro, and we do shows. The workshops we organize are school, training, then if there are good kids who have talent, they will be actors or actresses or someone will discover they have what it takes to organize, someone for criticism. And little by little a more complete knowledge is built. This is the meaning of theater within the Campus. Which is the cultural place where changes must take place. “Drama fest” wanted to bring together some energy, of those who make theater and those who criticize it, of those who teach it, but also of the critics, authors and actors who came from all over the country. And we are happy to have had this experience.”
Tell us how you experienced this event, right in your city.
«I’m used to debuts on stage for shows, this was the debut of a festival. And it has a whole other poetics, a whole other dimension. Now we’ve done it. And we’ll sum it up. In any case, we want to do it again, to make it grow. For the public. Which has detached itself a bit from certain situations, because a certain theatrical proposal has been missing for some time, at least in our city. And we need to reconquer it, reconquer an idea, a soul.”
We have followed almost all of this very interesting three-day Festival, what does Max Mazzotta bring in his suitcase?
«I carry with me the immensity of people I have met. With whom we lived continuously for three days. Because the originality of this festival was also this, of having them all together in Cosenza, at the University, on the campus to live as they live there. They were very impressed by all this, but above all by the young people who are in Libero Teatro orbit, the students, those who will come, those who have approached, all have been extraordinary and have spent their souls to make the most of this festival and give the possibility for us and others to be able to experience this parenthesis of madness, we’ll see later.”
«There is no new theater without a new dramaturgy». These are his words… but in Italy can we still record creative ferment capable of opening new paths?
«I think so, we need to find them, being able to network, bringing someone to observe what happens here is very important. Also because new paths, new thoughts are discovered. There is research, dramaturgy, new languages. A reflection was made in recent days: we were together, generations of very young and older people, fundamental for discussing the way in which each of us perceives and experiences reality. And even in this case we must have an aspiration.”
The “DramaFest” was created in collaboration with Disu – Department of Humanistic Studies and the association Entropia Dam – Self-Managed Multimedia Department of Unical. Shows, debates, meetings, shows, all opportunities for inspiration for the rings that orbit around the University of Cosenza and dramaturgy. Young students, especially, but also directors, authors and actors. The program is prestigious with award-winning protagonists of contemporary theatre, «Vite di Ginius» by Max Mazzotta, «Il Cortile» by Spiro Scimone and Francesco Sframeli, «Divine» by Danio Manfredini and «Celeste» by Fabio Pisano for the Liberaimago company. Also present were theater critics Giulio Baffi, Mariateresa Surianello, Paola Abenavoli and Giò Villella, Angelo Savelli, author and director of the Teatro di Rifredi in Florence, together with Raffaele Perrelli and Carlo Fanelli DisuUnical teachers.