Babilonia Teatri's Romeo and Juliet Broadcast on Rai 5

Babilonia Teatri's production of Romeo and Juliet, which debuted at the Teatro Romano in September 2021, was broadcast in prime time on Rai 5. The performance features knife thrower Francesco Scimeni throwing blades at actors Ugo Pagliai and Paola Gassmann, a reference to Chris Burden's 1971 piece 'Shoot.' Directors Valeria Raimondi and Enrico Castellani use Brechtian alienation techniques, with Castellani interrupting from the audience to question the actors about their lives and the meaning of their performance. The production explores the gap between actor and character, emphasizing risk and authenticity. The television broadcast is treated as a documentary record, not a reinterpretation, highlighting the tension between theater and the screen.