La Commedia divina – (The Divine Comedy) – November 20-23

ABOUT

There have been many adaptations of Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy, but this one by Teatro Patologico, conceived and directed by Dario D’Ambrosi, stands out for its unique authenticity and originality. While evoking the atmospheres of Dante’s original, this adaptation explores the challenges faced by people with disabilities, highlighting the societal obstacles they often encounter. It particularly emphasizes the struggles of those with mental health conditions, who are frequently marginalized by society.

In this version, the “hell” experienced by the actors from Teatro Patologico becomes a tangible reality, a powerful metaphor for the discrimination and exclusion they face. Purgatory is reimagined as a visionary transition between the struggles of Hell and the possibilities of Heaven. And it is in Paradise—culminating in a final, unexpected twist—that the boundary between those with mental health conditions and the broader population is erased, offering a vision of a world without barriers or borders.

As with all productions by Teatro Patologico, D’Ambrosi places actors with mental health conditions at the heart of the performance, making a compelling argument that “no science can determine the full extent of the human mind’s potential.”

CREDITS

Adaptation, dramaturgy, and direction: Dario D’Ambrosi
Cast: Rosa Enginoli and the actors of the Compagnia Stabile del Teatro Patologico
Musical accompaniment: Ilaria Serrato
Set design and costumes: Raffaella Toni
Lighting design: Danilo Facco
Assistant director: Ilaria Serrato
Assistant director: Matteo Binetti
Coordination: Alessandro Corazzi
Organization and communication: Ines Berg
Organizational secretary: Francesca Granata

BIO

Dario D’Ambrosi, born in Milan on October 15 1958, is one of the major Italian avantgarde artists and the creator of the theatrical movement called Teatro Patologico. He is an actor, a director and the author of shows that represent the thoughts and the behaviors of people with mental illnesses. He has been, for over thirty years, one of the most representative figures of the Italian theater.

Since early age he showed intense passion for theater and for mental disorders, so much so that he stayed for three months at the psychiatric hospital Paolo Pini of Milan in voluntary commitment, in order to closely observe the patients’ behavior. From these two passions the formula of his artistic production was born. The shows of the Teatro Patologico investigate folly, the true madness of the diseased, with the intent of giving back, in D’Ambrosi’s own words, “dignity to the fool”.

After producing his first few shows, only 19, D’Ambrosi moves to New York City. Here he meets Ellen Stewart, founder of La MaMa Café, where he premieres with his monologue Tutti Non Ci Sono (“Everybody Is Not Here”), which will stay in the season for months.

Dario D’Ambrosi, after becoming a life member, continues to produce shows and in 1989 directs the festival L’Altra Italia (“The Other Italy”). Tutti Non Ci Sono (“Everybody Is Not Here”), Cose Da Pazzi (“Crazy Stuff”), Il Principe Della Follia (“The Prince of Folly”), Il Nulla (“The Void”), Frusta-azioni (“Frustrations”), Un Regno Per Il Mio Cavallo (“My Kingdom For A Horse”), are but a few of the most significant shows that Dario D’Ambrosi wrote, directed and starred in, in all the four Continents