a show by Virginia Landi and Tatjana Motta
theme: the power of love, the relationship between love and power
age: 14-18 years
The myth of Tristan and Isolde, in the hands of director Virginia Landi and playwright Tatjana Motta, is transformed into a collective ritual to imagine together an alternative vision of the world. Born from a Celtic legend and passed down through centuries of oral storytelling, Tristan and Isolde meet on a ship bound for the court of Re Marco, where she is promised in marriage for political reasons. The love potion they drink by mistake ignites a clandestine passion that threatens the already fragile balance between peoples. But their love, destined for tragedy, is not a punishment: it is a political and poetic challenge to the logic of possession and violence.
On stage, this passionate clandestine love story is reconstructed by four performers who, through words and music, attempt to recall an ancient song. The play is an invitation to imagine a different future, in which it is still possible to exercise the subversive power of love over every conflict, geographical or temporal boundary.
Virginia Landi, director, and Tatjana Motta, playwright and screenwriter, have been sharing their artistic research since 2017. They work on original dramas characterized by linguistic experimentation and a strong connection to socio-political themes, with a particular focus on gender issues.
Virginia Landi is a theater director. In addition to Tatjana Motta, she collaborates with the Landi/Mignemi/Paris company, founded in 2018. In 2021 and 2022, she is a finalist in the Regist* Under 35 competition at the Venice Theater Biennale with the projects Conchita/Conchita and Witch is. Between 2019 and 2024, she will produce the shows Nessuno ti darà del ladro, Due volte Tito, Conchita/Conchita, Sogni 2.0, and Witch is. She is a founding member of the cultural center Z.I.A. – Zona Indipendente Artistica.
Tatjana Motta is the author of several plays, including Notte bianca (55th Riccione Theater Award), Nessuno ti darà del ladro (finalist at the 12th Riccione Tondelli Award), Justine, and Puro Colore Blu. Together with Virginia Landi, she is working on the project Conchita/Conchita (2022/2024), an investigation into desire based on Luis Buñuel’s film That Obscure Object of Desire, written together with Eleonora Paris. His text Notte bianca has been translated and presented in the United States, in Spain for the Nueva Escena Italiana project, and in France at the La Mousson d’été 2023 festival.
CREDITS
ideation Virginia Landi and Tatjana Motta
drammaturgy Tatjana Motta
direction Virginia Landi
with Giovanni Cannata, Marta Malvestiti, Cristiana Tramparulo, Riccardo Vicardi
music and sound design Andrea Centonza
live music Andrea Centonza, Giovanni Cannata, Marta Malvestiti, Cristiana Tramparulo, Riccardo Vicardi
costums Rossana Gea Cavallo
scenic design consulting Maddalena Oriani
light design Vincenzo De Angelis
production Emilia Romagna Teatro ERT / Teatro Nazionale
part of Teatro Arcobaleno #12