Virgilio Sieni's PULCINELLA_Quartet multiplies the Neapolitan mask

Choreographer Virgilio Sieni's PULCINELLA_Quartet, initially announced as a quartet, unexpectedly expands into a quintet or even a sextet if counting the active musician Michele Rabbia. The work explores the Neapolitan mask Pulcinella, seeking its soul but finding excess and inexpressiveness. Dancers Maurizio Giunti, Davide Valrosso, Jari Boldrini, Claudia Calderano, and Lisa Labatut each embody distinct Pulcinella figures: Giunti's anatomical, puppet-like solo; Valrosso's indolent pirouettes; Boldrini's melancholic, unannounced fifth Pulcinella; Calderano's dense, reflective performance where she removes the mask to reveal no face behind it, echoing Giorgio Agamben's idea that Pulcinella liquidates personal problems. Rabbia's rhythmic-percussive score uses everyday objects to create sounds like rustling and creaking, leading to a final scene of a crucifixion in backlight that transforms into a difficult embrace. The piece resists conventional theatrical representation, aiming to pulverize any expectation that the mask must perform.