From Fabrizio Arcuri to Matteo Garronefrom Lino Guanciale to Elio Germanofrom Maddalena Parise to Vinicio Marchioni: over twenty “artists of the city of Rome and of the country” have signed a letter of protest against the appointment of Luca De Fusco to the general management of the Teatro di Roma, anticipated on the Repubblica website, after the political controversies raised by the choice of the Foundation’s board of directors, which met with only three members, the president absent Francesco Sicilianowho spoke of an “invalid meeting”, and the member of the Municipality of Rome Natalia Di Iorio.
«The crucial issue – they write – is that a decision of this importance was taken without the presence of the representation of the city of Rome in the figures of the president and councilor Di Iorio, representatives of the Municipality of Rome, majority shareholder of the board of directors as well as owner of the Teatro Argentina, the Teatro Argentina, the Teatro India, the Teatro Torlonia. And of the Teatro Valle which, as far as we know, should have been attributed to the Teatro di Roma in the coming months.”
The signatories of the open letter recall that De Fusco’s appointment was first announced to the Messaggero, a way of proceeding which is «a serious blow to the relationship of loyalty and institutional respect that bind the capital’s theater to the city, to its artists and to its artists and to the public and to those who work every day to keep the Theater itself going.”
After two years of commissionership, they further underline, «the appointment of the general director was highly anticipated and is decisive for the relaunch of our city’s theater. As artists we would hope for a widely shared appointment of a competent figure who can look to the good of the Theater and the cultural development of the city of Rome in all its components. A figure with a broad and inclusive vision, who can guarantee solidity, pluralism, a profound knowledge of the institutional machine, of the national and international context and of the diversified and fruitful Roman territory”.
Another aspect is also in the spotlight, «in the trio selected by the commission (Luca De Fusco, Onofrio Cutaia, Marco Giorgetti, ed.), which could have up to five names, there is no gender equality, nor even young figures». The signatories support the “City of Rome with the firm intention of countering, having the absolute moral duty” and are preparing to update the membership list. The letter is currently signed by Fabrizio Arcuri, Compagnia Timpano/Frosini, Bluemotion, Sylvia De Fanti, Valerio Vigliar, Giorgina Pi, Matteo Garrone, Elio Germano, Lino Guanciale, Fanny and Alexander, Marco Cavalcoli, Chiara Lagani, Luigi De Angelis, Marco Molduzzi, lacasad clay, Lisa Ferlazzo Natoli, Alessandro Ferroni, Maddalena Parise, Alice Palazzi, Roberto Latini, Lorenzo Letizia, Vinicio Marchioni, Stefano Ricci, Fabrizio Sinisi.
«Ours was an absolutely legitimate choice of responsibility, otherwise we would continue with a ‘moncà foundation without the more important administrative and artistic management body. And this would constitute a prejudice both for the Theater of Rome and for the city it represents.” Thus, at ANSA, the vice-president of the Teatro di Roma, Danilo Del Gaizo, after the controversy and split in the Board of Directors over the appointment of the new president of the foundation. “I hope that reasonableness and common sense prevail and that the parties meet,” he underlines.