Acapulco

A performance by Mila Vanzini and Mele Ferrarini - Compagnia Artisti a Progetto | In distribution

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I have my books, my passport, my foulards. I have everything!

A woman at the centre of a carousel of masks and characters.

Nilla Longobardi is confined to a nursing home, yet she still yearns to embark on the journey of her dreams. To start over.

This light-hearted and ironic piece of theatre explores themes such as old age, courage, and the irrepressible desire to see the world.

A performance by Artisti a Progetto 

“This performance was developed slowly over two years, progressing through various stages of work of different natures.

The only constant was our desire to create a show capable of creating a connection with our audience

The project began as a tribute to our grandmothers as keepers of family and historical memory. The staging recalled the small shows we used to perform for relatives during childhood summers.

The dramaturgy unfolded in scenes, blending documentary material with stage writing derived from improvisations. Later, we broadened the scope of our investigation, allowing the autobiographical writing to serve as a foundation while exploring the theme of old age more broadly. In a subsequent phase, we identified the setting for our story: a nursing home.

The narrative structure strengthened while the language became simpler and almost naïve. It was only after these stages that we chose the characters, and our protagonist slowly took shape too: Nilla. We approached the theme of life's final moments with delicacy, observing a person taking one step after another towards the unknown, yet still dreaming and animated by passions and desires.” (by Artisti a Progetto)

Associazione Artisti a Progetto asked Mirmica for help distributing the performance in theaters and festivals throughout Italy and, in parallel, to design a project that would allow a team of healthcare workers who work closely with residents of a nursing home to process their own experiences and emotions after seeing Acapulco.

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