THE BETROTHED

An original novel by Alessandro Manzoni

Adaptated by Michele Sinisi with the collaboration of Francesco M. Asselta

The Betrothed is Italy’s most famous novel, a masterpiece that everyone has studied at school. Because of this it is linked to a pedagogical dimension and not to a personal one. At school, the exchange with teachers is now changing as it is characterised by multidisciplinary aspects. The internet, e.g., provides a series of instruments (and shortcuts) to facilitate the learning process. There, you can find diagrams, historical events, philosophical and political trends that characterised the complex context of The Betrothed. The ability of theatre is to transform content into something more physical, to be inspired by new suggestions and possibilities. It is interesting to connect theatre practice to Manzoni’s work as an investigation about the relationship between human beings and historical events. Manzoni could describe a community so alive and full of simplifications and clichés thanks to a very deep psychological analysis that let him go beyond the concepts of positive and negative characters.

Sinisi’s adaptation aims to investigate the relationship between people and history through contemporary awareness. The Providence, another important character of the novel, today represents an ancestral need for living together in a community where people respect each other’s differences and can shed their fears. It is going to be a fresco made with a new perspective, in order to show what a classic is, i.e something boundless.

Direction Michele Sinisi 

Set Design Federico Biancalani

Costumes Gdf Studio

Cast

Diletta Acquaviva, Stefano Braschi, Gianni D’addario, Gianluca delle Fontane, Giulia Eugeni, Francesca Gabucci, Ciro Masella, Stefania Medri, Giuditta Mingucci, Donato Paternoster, Michele Sinisi