At the Municipal Theatre iof San Vito Lo Capo, Sicily, “Pirandello and a Young Author”, play directed by Anna Graziano will be staged on May 26th at 9:00 PM. We interviewed the author of the work, playwright Claudio Proietti.
Claudio, you are the author of a play dedicated to Luigi Pirandello. Who is this author for you and for your creative vision?
Pirandello marks a clear, precise, surgical split between old dramaturgy and the new one What he showed us with “Six Characters” is something groundbreaking. No one before had gonefurther than that. For my creative vision, Pirandello is fundamental. He always pushes me to find a more original solution than the one I would have thought of. I tell myself: “No. He would have dared more.” And I, in my own way, try doing the same.
How did the show based on your play come about: was its origin your intuition, your reading of some little-known play or one of your unexpected collaborations?
About seven years ago I was asked to write a play against organized crime set in Sicily. But I wasn’t excited by that. Sicily is an incredible place, marvelous, rich in culture and beauty. “Let’s talk about that,” I said to myself. And so I did.
Recently Luigi Pirandello was the leading character of Michele Placido’s film “The Eternal Visionary”. If you’ve seen the film, how is the Pirandello you explore similar to and/or different from the one presented by the film director?
I liked the film a lot. Just the way I liked Andò’s film [Roberto Andò’s film titled “A Strangeness/ La stranezza/”, 2022 – Ed.]. The Pirandello I spotlight is “pop,” extravagant, metaphysical in some way. Basically, he’s kind of a ghost. He seems more like a grandfather giving advice to his grandson.
IIn Rome we just saw your “Eduardo, parliamoci chiaro” [Eduardo, Let’s Face It” ] on stage. Is dialoguing with great authors a new format of yours?
Well… This is unbelievable. Two plays so similar in structure and core see the light just days apart. I’m speechless. And then consider that Pirandello and De Filippo wrote a play together: “L’abito nuovo” [The New Suit]. No format. But maybe… I could take your idea into consideration.
Which of the great creative minds of the past would you like to speak to in the near future?
Dante, Da Vinci, Michelangelo. There would be hundreds. I can’t say: I’m spoiled for choice.
Will you also transform the plays featuring the most famous authors of the past into narrative and adapt them for cinema?
I’d like to. Just because they are special beings whom young people must know. Italy has given birth to unmatched geniuses. We’re lucky, after all.
What is your attitude toward creation using AI (or co-creation with it)?
I’m very wary. I could never write a play with the help of artificial intelligence. The thought alone horrifies me. I’d give it all up instead.
In your opinion, are there limits to human creation? And to AI’s creation?
There are no limits. Human beings are capable of wonderful and unforeseen things. Pirandello himself uprooted the idea of theater without resorting to artificial intelligence (I’m sure he wouldn’t have done it even if it had already been invented).
What do you think is fundamental to change in order to tell the same story in a novel, on stage, and on a film set?
The budget. In a novel you can write anything. There are no limits. For cinema and theater, there are.
The premiere of the play about Luigi Pirandello is approaching. Invite us to the theater. Why is this play worth seeing?
Because it’s a play which is simple and complex at the same time. Passionate, innovative, funny, and moving. It’s a show for everyone, especially for young people. I’m happy its director is Anna Graziano, who has put heart and professionalism at the service of this story. And I feel enthusiastic since I know Giuseppe Battiloro (an actor of long experience and great talent) plays Pirandello. Emanuele Modica will surprise you in the role of the young author — he’s also a real new star just born.
We thank Claudio Proietti for the interview and invite our readers to see “Pirandello and a Young Author” on stage on May 26th at the Teatro Comunale in San Vito Lo Capo, Sicily. And soon in other theaters across Italy.
Olga Matsyna
