Today the board of directors of the National Institute of Ancient Drama Foundation will confer the interim role of superintendent following the resignation of Daniele Pitteri on 7 August, just 16 months after taking office. The choice could fall on the managing director Marina Valensise: it had already happened in February 2024 after the resignation of the superintendent Valeria Told. At Palazzo Greco, the historic headquarters of the Inda Foundation, the National Institute of Ancient Drama, the atmosphere appears serene, even if neither the president, the mayor Francesco Italia, nor the managing director Valensise have made any statements.
Inda is the only theater organization in Italy to produce shows and have consistent revenues, establishing record numbers. An ever-growing “company” founded over a hundred years ago. This year’s season shattered last year’s record, totaling 201,500 tickets sold with four productions, «Antigone», «Alcestis», «The Persians» and a replica of the «Iliad», plus a co-production with Parco della Neapolis based on the book of Ovid’s «Metamorphoses»: excellent numbers, but also enthusiastic criticism for the quality of the offer.
Superintendent Pitteri had taken the place of Valeria Told, appointed in March 2023 and who resigned surprisingly in February 2024. Told in turn had taken the place of Antonio Calbi, who was not reconfirmed in the role after a first term. Pitteri had already submitted his resignation twice (then returned), since last May, and is now making his lawyers speak. The battleground seems to be the administrative one, with Pitteri intending to sue for reasons related to the performance of his role.
It is therefore necessary to try to understand in the Inda Foundation today what the role of the superintendent is. Which, in summary, «draws up the foundation’s activity programs on the basis of the artistic and cultural guidelines proposed by the managing director and approved by the Board of Directors; directs and coordinates the Foundation’s artistic production activity in compliance with the approved activity programs; coordinates the activities and personnel upon proposal of the managing director in compliance with the approved programs; carries out the resolutions of the board of directors or the managing director; prepares the contracts envisaged in the budget authorized by the board of directors; takes care of relations with ministries”. Substantially an activity of performer in compliance with the approvals of the Board of Directors which is the body that establishes artistic and economic-managerial choices. Furthermore, the superintendent “participates without the right to vote in the meetings of the Board of Directors”. It is clear that in the face of personal experience and a five-figure salary, each new superintendent aims to have an impact on the Foundation’s activity. But his hands are tied on artistic and administrative management, at least with this statute. And changes to the statute had been talked about in the past and are being discussed again in the public debate.
Today the new board of directors (whose members instead carry out the role at no cost) will meet for the third time. It is made up only of women, with the exception of the president of Italy and the president of Amici dell’Inda, Pucci Piccione (who however does not have the right to vote): the managing director Valensise; Monica Centanni, Greek scholar, ancient theater scholar; Caterina Barone, theater critic, cultural journalist, scholar of ancient Greek and Latin theatre; Francesca Bortoletti, theater historian, scholar of Renaissance theatre. It will be up to the board of directors to prepare the public tender for the appointment of the new superintendent, followed by the presentation of the applications. He will then identify the trio of names to send to the Minister of Culture for the final choice. But at Palazzo Greco it seems that no one is in a hurry.