The journey as a physical and spiritual journey through the world, alongside visionary art professionals, the common thread of the third Catania Off Fringe Festival, an event dedicated to off theater and performing arts, part of the international festival of the same name, in the Etna city since 17 to 27 October. A thematic choice for the 700 years since the death of Marco Polo, the most famous traveler in the world, consistent with the physiognomy of the event which for seventy years has created contacts between artists and operators to share, through culture and entertainment, the beauty and the heritage of all countries.
With the artistic direction of Francesca Vitale and Renato Lombardo, from this year founders of the Fringe Italia Off – network that unites the Fringe Festivals of Milan and Catania – the festival will be inaugurated on 16 October with the “Catania In” event. The Sangiorgi Theater will be the setting for a party dedicated to the journey of the Fringe, told with the testimonies of two true Catania natives, the actress Donatella Finocchiaro and the cabaret artist, actor and singer-songwriter Giuseppe Castiglia; but there will also be contributions from the singer, theater actor and multi-instrumentalist from Enna Mario Incudine, the actor Pietro De Nova and other professionals who have participated in past editions.
On the bill are 59 shows from Italy and the world – selected by tender, and coming from countries such as Ukraine, the United States, Turkey and Switzerland – with 236 repeat performances and three performances a day in 14 cultural venues in the city, including Cut, Centro Cultural Zo, Sala Hernandez and Teatro Vitaliano Brancati. Titles which, in line with this year’s theme, propose an intimate and social journey by bringing important topics such as nature, mafia, marginalization, female freedom and gender stereotypes to the stage.
In the cast of the Fringe Sicilian companies and artists, and a Calabrian representation, starting with three interesting presences from Messina: the Danzarte Collective and the Peloritan actors Tommaso D’Alia – protagonist and director of a play created with Valerio Castriziani and the Morfeo Company of Fiano Romano – and Giuseppe Mortellitiwith his company founded in the capital.
From Palermo Rossella Guarneri with Yiya Manifatture and Luigi Maria Rausa with Babel Crew, while Marsala will be on stage with a self-produced physical theater piece by Sara Lisanti and a show by Francesco Stella with the Associazione Culturale I Musicanti.
The province of Catania is represented by Giovanna Valenti and Paola Marchese with the Pensieri Riflessi company of Misterbianco and by Sergio Campisi with the Proscenio ODV Association of Paternò. A double from Melilli, in the Syracuse area, with two plays by Giuseppe Pastorello and Officina Teatro Canzone.
The Sicilian presence, from Serradifalco (Caltanissetta), is completed by the “dancers” of the SicilyMade Collective (Amalia Borsellino, Marta Greco and Silvia Oteri) and the actress from Avola Rosy Bonfiglio with a self-produced monologue.
Representing Calabria, from Lamezia Terme, Gianluca Vetromilo with Mammut Teatro and the Cosenza actor Francesco Rizzo.
The event is anticipated until October 11th by “Off dell’Off”, an initiative of the festival dedicated to the “reliteracy” of young people from the city suburbs. Catania Off Fringe Festival is sponsored by Palcoscenico Catania, Ministry of Culture, Tourism, Sport and Entertainment Department of the Sicilian Region, Metropolitan City and City of Catania.