Rem Koolhaas's 'Delirious New York' adapted as theatrical performance in Italy

Rem Koolhaas's 1978 cult essay 'Delirious New York' has been adapted into a theatrical production by OHT – Office for a Human Theatre, directed by Filippo Andreatta. The piece, described as a retroactive manifesto for Manhattan, explores how New York, despite lacking urban planning, became an icon of modernity through its 'culture of congestion' and 'technology of the fantastic.' The adaptation uses Koolhaas's text as a springboard to analyze human behavior in contemporary cities. Performances run from April 15 to 23 across three Italian cities: Genoa at Fondazione Luzzati Teatro della Tosse (April 15–17), Milan at CRT Teatro dell'Arte – Triennale di Milano (April 20–21), and Turin at Castello di Rivoli Museo d'Arte Contemporanea (April 22–23). The production deliberately engages non-theatrical institutions. OHT, whose name references the principles of Giorgio Strehler's theater, emphasizes the historical relationship between architecture and theater, though staging an architect's text remains rare.