Emma Dante stages 'Dialogues des Carmélites' at Teatro dell'Opera di Roma

Emma Dante, born in Palermo in 1967, has directed a new production of Francis Poulenc's opera 'Dialogues des Carmélites' at the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma. The opera, based on Georges Bernanos's play, recounts the true story of the martyrdom of Carmelite nuns in Compiègne, France, in 1794 during the French Revolution. Dante's staging confronts the brutal reality of the historical event against the idealized depictions in literature and art history. The production is conducted by new music director Michele Mariotti and co-produced with La Fenice in Venice. In a collaboration with the Fondazione MAXXI, artist Marinella Senatore created twenty collages for the season's imagery, providing a surreal setting. The work is discussed in a podcast interview with Donatella Giordano on Artribune's 'Monologhi al Telefono' series.