Lamezia Terme – The “G. Vercillo” Theater Association also participates in the celebrations for Maria SS. Thanks. After the show in the churchyard of the Mother Church, the Lamezzo theater group “G. Vercillo” has officially started its summer tour. Changing location, the result does not change: another full house in the courtyard of the Maria Santissima delle Grazie parish. Last night, June 15th, during the celebrations dedicated to Maria SS. Delle Grazie, the actors exhibited their theatrical talent in homage to the Virgin Mary, providing moments of entertainment to the audience present. Under festive lights under a starry sky and surrounded by the warmth of the spectators, the company presented the comedy “L’Amico dei Sordi” in two acts, freely inspired by Peppino De Filippo and directed by Raffaele Paonessa.
The plot of the comedy focuses on the avarice of Don Ciccio, the protagonist, whose obsession with money leads him to exercise despotic control over his family, even depriving them of essential goods such as water and food. Convinced that wealth is the key to happiness, Don Ciccio soon realizes that his selfish plans are doomed to failure, incapable of manipulating the lives of those dear to him. The comedy offers a humorous reflection on the true nature of greed, emphasizing that money is not the means to achieve happiness. In an instant, we return to a past of linguistic expressions and family dynamics of Calabria in the 50s and 60s, emphasizing the importance of family and the influences of superstition.
Thanks to a meticulous work of lexical rediscovery, combined with the timeless theatrical liveliness of the De Filippo brothers, the Lametina company has managed to present not just a show, but an authentic cultural work that feeds on tradition, while still using means of communication contemporaries. The company was lively, with fast-paced rhythms, managing to make the audience laugh for the entire two hours of the show.
“Being here, in a parish courtyard – the members of the company declare at the end of the show – is a source of great pride and emotion for us, reminding us of that courtyard of the parish of San Francesco da Paola where we were born and raised at Father Vercillo’s school. Being able to return to familiar places like this – remarks director Raffaele Paonessa – not only excites us but reminds us how important our mission is today, testifying, albeit with sacrifice, to the need to share and team up in every place, from a church , on a stage, in a square”.
Don Domenico Cicione Strangis also spoke about sharing, thanking the company and remembering times spent together. He highlighted the moral of the play: looking at money as a mere tool and recognizing interpersonal relationships and the sharing of “joys and sorrows” in a human agora as lifeblood, just like for the theater company, the committee that supported the the organization of the festival and the parish. The lights of the show will be turned back on frequently this summer, thanks to a rich program of commitments that will see the Vercillo company perform throughout Calabria. The director thanks for the welcome received from the organizing committee of the party, from the technical support, to the kindness of the final gift of conviviality. “The theater is the place where humanity hides to reveal itself” – Eduardo De Filippo.
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