Humana vergogna: performance on shame in Matera

The performance titled 'Humana vergogna' debuted in Matera as a segment of the 2019 European Capital of Culture initiative, under the theme 'La poetica della vergogna.' Directed by Silvia Gribaudi and Matteo Maffesanti, with artistic oversight from Antonella Iallorenzi and coordination by Franco Ungaro, it engaged creative groups from Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Japan, and Italy's #reteteatro41 network. Created at Casa Circondariale di Matera, the piece delves into themes of personal and collective shame through elements of auto-irony and sarcasm. Five performers remove a bear costume, revealing their vulnerabilities. The production includes neon lighting, strobe effects, music, audience participation, and testimonies from inmates, finishing with viewers writing and discarding their own shame. Matera, recognized as a UNESCO site, has a legacy of stigma.