The Manzoni Theater in Rome restarts, in memory of Carlo Alighiero

Another Roman theater, the Manzoni, reopens the curtain announcing a season that will run from 30 September until 12 June. The artistic director Pietro Longhi, directors, actors and actresses on the bill – all present on stage for a virtual toast – can only start from the memory of Carlo Alighiero, the recently deceased director and actor who with his family and artistic partner Elena Cotta had made the Manzoni his second home. “Presenting the season without Carlo is a huge void, difficult to fill: but we will try to go on with his teaching and above all with his spirit”, assures Longhi who tells a significant anecdote in this regard. “In the nineties the Manzoni theater was on fire, in the room we were all in tears and desperate while the firefighters were busy putting out the fire; he arrived that the flames had not yet been put out, he looked around and with a smile he said ‘however, this smoky gray color is not so bad’ … “Returning to the season, the curtain will rise on September 30th for the premiere of ‘The tenant upstairs’ by Pierre Chesnot with Pietro Longhi and Paola Tiziana Cruciani directed by Silvio Giordani. “We can finally embrace each other again – Cruciani turns to subscribers – after all we are ‘conjoined’ since for us the public is half a relative!”. It continues from 26 October with Paola Quattrini in ‘Slot’ written and directed by Luca De Bei on the theme of gambling and from 25 November with ‘I soldi, no!’ for the couple formed by Corinne Clery and Enzo Casertano. Then, it will be the turn of Stefano Santospago – fresh from the summer artistic efforts of the cycle of classical shows at the Greek Theater of Syracuse – who with Laura Marinoni from 4 January will interpret ‘La Divina Sarah’ on the life and artistic figure of the French actress Sarah Bernhardt . After the show on January 27th ‘There is Costa per te’ with the comedian Antonello Costa, the comedies resume from February 24th with the artistic director Pietro Longhi returning to the stage, this time with Caterina Vertova, for ‘Happy birthday, commander’ for a “game of the massacre between thriller and bourgeois comedy”. The female couple formed by Patrizia Pellegrino and Milena Miconi will propose from March 24 ‘Sexy & undecise’ – verbal reference to the successful series ‘Sex & the City’, then leaving the step from 21 April to the male couple of Marco Marzocca and Stefano Sarcinelli for their ‘Two days a week’ of which they are authors and directors. It closes with the return of Enzo Casertano together with Nicola Pistoia who bring ‘Matrimonio all’italiana’ directed by Silvio Giordano, from 19 May to 12 June, the last day of the new season for the Teatro Manzoni in Rome. (By Enzo Bonaiuto)