Marco Martinelli's non-scuola brings adolescent theater to Pompeii and beyond

Marco Martinelli, co-founder of Teatro delle Albe with Ermanna Montanari, discusses his non-scuola project for adolescents. The latest production, Sogno di volare, debuted at the Parco Archeologico di Pompei in late May 2022, traveled to Ravenna Festival on June 2, and will perform at Arena del Sole in Bologna on October 22 and 23. The non-scuola, founded on the principle of learning by doing, involves seventy teenagers from Campania, including students from the Liceo Coreutico di Pompei, Istituto Tecnico di Torre del Greco, and children from the Quartieri Spagnoli di Napoli. Martinelli emphasizes the choral, non-hierarchical approach, allowing multiple protagonists if needed. The text for Sogno di volare is based on Aristophanes' The Birds, adapted to include contemporary issues like the war in Ukraine and local realities. Martinelli contrasts 'messa in vita' (putting into life) with traditional staging, aiming for a Dionysian eruption of life through discipline. He notes that adolescence remains unchanged by pandemics or wars, citing earlier work in Scampia (2005-2006), Chicago, and Kibera, Kenya. The non-scuola has previously involved up to 200 participants for Eresia della felicità in Milan.