Teatro Ricerche | Le nozze di Arlecchino

Le nozze di Arlecchino

1995 Montepulciano SI

Le Nozze di Arlecchino

The contemporary scenario of the performance is inspired by a XIII Century French literature’s tale pertaining to nuptial rites, in which Harlequin gets married with an old and whore witch, Dame Luque.
Through the improvisation of the actors, the sequences of the canovaccio attempt to recreate the poetry and the magic of a play titled “Jeu de la feuillèe”, written by Adam de le Hale (poet, jester and musician) in 1276 in occasion of the Calendimaggio (Festival of Spring or Mayday) or any another celebration having an equal propitiatory character.
The play is concerned with a banquet of fairies: suddenly, the sound of bells is heard, it announces the approaching of the band of Harlequin, and now all the characters on stage would like, for fear, to run home. Croquesot arrives, the courier-jester (first servant of king Harlequin), and then fairy Morgana appears followed by the other two fairies, Arsilla, good and beneficial, and Malgoria, bad and mischievous.
Croquesot brings to the Queen of the fairies a love message from King Harlequin, and the fairy instructs the servant to greet his master: during this prophetic night, the rendez-vous of the two characters will take place in the underworld; from this union, abundant crops and luck for the community will be assured.
The development of the subject of this story departs, as a pretext, from the tradition in order to re-compose an ironic ‘study’ of love relationships that are intended not only as a two player game between demoniac masks, but also as a conflict internal to the game of the man-woman combination. These games of opposites, attractions, relaxations, malice and dirt generate the atavistic quarrel inevitable for the survival of one’s own individuality.
The osmosis of languages that interact on the stage, from mime to clown to Commedia dell’Arte, between silence and noise, lead to the research and constant experimentation by the Company of lines and contents that are suitable, more than others, to the evolution and innovation of a “contemporary” Commedia dell’Arte.