Deflorian/Tagliarini's 'Scavi' Digs into Antonioni's Archive at Short Theatre 2019

Daria Deflorian and Antonio Tagliarini premiered their performance 'Scavi' at the 14th edition of Short Theatre 2019 in Rome, held at the space carrozzerie|n.o.t. directed by Maura Teofili and Francesco Montagna. The piece continues their investigation into contemporary myths, following earlier works like 'Rewind' (2008) on Pina Bausch's 'Café Muller'. In 'Scavi', the duo explores archival materials from the Fondo Antonioni in Ferrara, including letters, papers, and unedited footage from Michelangelo Antonioni's 'Deserto Rosso', which won the Golden Lion at the 1964 Venice Biennale. The performance features Francesco Alberici as a third performer, whose beard style evokes a younger double of Tagliarini. The audience of about thirty sits on vintage armchairs in the foyer, while the three performers move among three empty chairs, recounting their research. The narrative draws from an assistant director's diary, touching on Monica Vitti's famous line 'Mi fanno male i capelli' (My hair hurts), possibly from a poem by Amelia Rosselli, and discussions between Vitti and Antonioni about their on-set romance. The performance lasts about forty minutes and includes a reference to an unrealized ending by Antonioni, used to transport the audience to an imaginary landscape. A repeat performance is scheduled for October 24 at the Festival Città delle 100 scale in Potenza.