Press-release. The year of Italy in Russia and Russia in Italy announced in 2011 in Saratov Academic Youth Theater. Commedia dell'Arte Day.

There are already 5 productions in the theater’s playbill executed by the Italian creative group (director Paolo Emilio Landi, scene designer Santi Migneco). These productions are: “The Italian Marriage” by Eduardo de Philippo, “Noises Off” by Michael Frayn, “A Servant to Two Masters” by Carlo Goldoni, “The Chairs/The Bald Soprano” by E. Ionesco and the latest premiere that took place on the 21th of December 2010 - “The Love of Three Oranges” by C. Gozzi.

Within the Year of Russian culture and language in Italy and the Year of Italian culture and language in Russia announced in 2011 Saratov Kiselev Youth Theater held a cultural campaign “A Week of Italian Culture on the Stage of Saratov Kiselev Youth Theater”. This was one of the first events of the Year of Italian culture in Russia. During the Decade all previous productions of the Italian creative group was presented and “The Love of Three Oranges” (director Paolo Emilio Landi, scene designer Santi Migneco, ballet mistress Lidia Biondi) was its culmination. The project went with the financial support of the Italian Institute of Culture in Moscow.

The unique feature of our theater’s production is its full accordance with the principles of the commedia dell'arte. Commedia dell'arte is a form folk theatre that began in Italy in the year characterized by masked "types", the advent of the actress and improvised performances based on sketches or scenarios. Commedia dell'arte is considered to be the first professional type of Renaissance theater. Just as the first famous production of Carlo Gozzi, Saratov Kiselev Youth Theater performance is based on improvisation. Director Paolo Emilio Landi together with the actors of our theater created new text based on the Gozzi’s fable, the play was created from actor’s improvisation during the rehearsal. Following the plot created by the playwright director gives to the actor the possibility to construct his character’s behavior - but strictly in frames of the commedia dell'arte mask. And the audience will see almost all of them this time: Truffaldino, Pantalone, Brighella, Tartaglia, Smeraldina, etc.

With this production Saratov Kiselev Youth Theater takes part in the Commedia dell'Arte Day. "On February 25, 2011, in cities around the world, theatre companies, scholars, students, and audiences will celebrate Commedia dell'Arte with shows, conferences, lectures, and workshops". The Commedia dell'Arte Day is celebrated every year on February 25, and is proclaimed by the Italian cultural association SAT as an action of the incommedia.it project in support of SAT's appeal to the nation of Italy and to the United Nations (UNESCO) to recognize Commedia dell'Arte as an official piece of "Intangible Cultural Heritage". The link of Saratov Kiselev Youth Theater Event on the Commedia dell'Arte Day site - http://www.commediadellarteday.org/node/98.