Opening Night
an autoteatro piece for one audience member at a time accompanying the audience through the museum's first floor exhibition, chasing a party that escapes them continually.
Following a set of pre-recorded instructions, the participants become part of a narration that exists in their ears only and that slowly unravels as they 'act it'.
The piece creates a parallel binaural sound world that sits onto the surrounding environment, transforming reality into a poetic and surreal world, which pushes the spectators to re-discover their relationship with the space and their own way of inhabiting it.
written by Silvia Mercuriali
commissioned by Palazzo Maffei Casa Museo,
in collaboration with Teatro Stabile of Verona
music by Schumann arranged by Federica Furlani
violin:Laura Masotto,
viola: Federica Furlani
cello: Eleuteria Arena
double bass: Nicola Monti
singing voice, soprano: Elena Bertuzzi
NARRATOR: Silvia Mercuriali
with a cameo from the collector Luigi Carlon
Thanks to the students of: Verona University, the Academy of Fine Arts and the Teatro Stabile's Acting Masterclass for giving a voice to the characters in the piece: The artist and his muse, the party guests, the gossiping crowd and the wandering guests.
Camilla Bossi, Francesco Campus, Elia Carrara, Luca Castelli, Sara Coelati Rama, Matilde Di Chio Fainello, Giulia Fassina, Luca Lucente, Guglielmo Ros, Martina Rossi, Federico Troiano, Sabrina Modenese, Raffaele Tognolini, Federico Baltieri, Cecilia Benvegnù, Giorgia Cadin, Andrea Chesini, Giulia Dossi, Marta Filippini, StefanoGrubissich, Carlotta Matano, CarlottaMenegazzo, Chiara Monici, Sara Pasqualini, Laura Pernechele, Emma Sabaini, MargheritaSavoldi, Karen Santanna.
Special thanks to: Silvia Peroni for having lending me her ears (literally) during the recording process, and to all the Staff at palazzo Maffei for their support and enthusiasm.
Funded by Regione del Veneto for the project Art in Action