Carla Lonzi's 'Armande sono io!' Staged in Bologna by Aterliersi

The theatre company Aterliersi, led by Fiorenza Menni and Andrea Mochi Sismondi, has staged 'Armande sono io!' at the Arena del Sole in Bologna. The performance is based on Carla Lonzi's 1992 book of the same title, which explores the figure of Armande from Molière's 'Les femmes savantes' and the historical 'Précieuses' movement. Lonzi, an art critic and feminist activist, identified with these 17th-century intellectual women who asserted independence and sought a refined language. The show, co-created with scholar Sara De Simone and writer Caterina Venturini, blends theatre and lecture, with Menni embodying Lonzi's words while co-creators contextualize her intellectual journey. It draws on Lonzi's dialogue with Anna Piva (1981) and her book 'Vai pure' (1980), which transcribes a recorded conversation with sculptor Pietro Consagra. A tape recorder on stage symbolizes the oral origins of the texts. This is the first part of a diptych dedicated to Lonzi; the second, 'Taci, anzi parla', based on her diaries, will premiere next autumn. The production highlights Lonzi's quest for authentic female autonomy and egalitarian relationships, themes still relevant today.