Theater Play on Margherita Sarfatti, First Female Art Critic, Debuts at Villa Torlonia

The play "Sarfatti," produced by Teatro Stabile di Bolzano, will run at Teatro Torlonia in Rome from February 5 to 8, 2026. Written by Angela Dematté, directed by Andrea Chiodi, and conceived by Massimo Mattioli, it features Claudia Coli as Margherita Sarfatti (1880–1961), the first woman to practice art criticism in the modern sense. The story is set in 1932 at Palazzo delle Esposizioni, where Sarfatti visits an exhibition for the tenth anniversary of the March on Rome after being ostracized by Mussolini. She authored his biography "Dux" and was his lover, but was later repudiated. The play highlights her role as a feminist socialist, art critic who promoted artists like Boccioni, Sironi, Funi, and Martini, and her invention of the "Novecento" movement. It also addresses her son Roberto's death in WWI and the racial laws that targeted her Jewish family. The venue, Teatro Torlonia, is part of Villa Torlonia, Mussolini's residence from 1929 to 1943, secured through Sarfatti's intercession with Prince Giovanni Torlonia. Mattioli aims for historical justice, noting Sarfatti's erasure from postwar historiography. The production includes set design by Guido Buganza, costumes by Ilaria Ariemme, music by Daniele D'Angelo, and lighting by Orlando Cainelli.