Probably for the 28 children who lived the experience of sleeping in the theater for a night it was like a dream to be enjoyed with their eyes open. An experience that they will carry with them even as adults. Last night at the Municipal Theater of Ferrara the pupils of two first elementary schools (second grade primary classes) of the private school Sant’Antonio of Ferrara experienced the emotion of knowing and admiring the beauty of the city theatre, dedicated to Maestro Claudio Abbado. This is the second time that a school has been involved in the Municipal Theater project “Una notte a Teatro”, which in 2022 for the first time saw the children of a fifth grade (Primary School “Villaggio Ina” of Ferrara) experience the theater at night.
After eating all together, wearing their pajamas and carrying a torch, they visited the theater spaces such as the Ridotto, rigorously and magically in the dark, animated by tales and stories, with the contribution of the engaging actors Andrea Lugli and Liliana Letterese. Some municipal workers told the history of the building and the many anecdotes, such as why the theater clock, above the stage, is stopped and has never been restarted. The children were given “At the theater with Claudio and Ciuffo”, a children’s booklet published by the Theatre, based on an idea by Monica Ercolano and illustrated by Raffaele Mangolini. The councilor for Culture Marco Gulinelli and the teachers who accompanied the children also participated in the journey in the dark to discover the theater. “A night at the theater gave these children an unforgettable experience – comments councilor Marco Gulinelli –. The aim of this type of initiative is to bring the little ones closer to the emotion of the theater and to let them all discover together, what makes places of culture and art magical, like our Claudio Abbado Theatre”.
