“Burrasca - storie di mare con marionette da tavolo” (Storm - Stories of the sea with table puppetry), the latest work from Is Mascareddas theatre company from Cagliari, is a play resulting from the will to narrate the sea, keeper of treasures and ships, inspirer of stories of monsters and mermaids.
The play links together six stories related to the theme: The Palermo Mermaid by Gianni Rodari; the Greek myth of Hero and Leander; Fiaba (Fable) by Grazia Deledda; the stories of the pirate Samuel Bellamy and the one of Ida Lewis, first woman lighthouse keeper; and The legend of the rescue of the Bonaria statue.
A production that, like all works by Donatella Pau (sculptress, puppeteer, and founder of the Company along with puppeteer Antonio Murru), focusses on the respect towards the environment and nature. Her puppets, like the many other object on stage, have all been made out of wood pieces carried by the sea to the shores of Sardegna.
Is Mascareddas was founded in 1980 by Antonio Murro and Donatella Pau. It has since then contributed to the widespread and awareness of Puppet Theatre in Sardegna, until then almost completely unknown on the island.
The general idea supporting the Company’s activity is that the theatre animated by puppets is theatre to all intents and purposes, with equal status as the actor’s theatre.
Since the very beginning Is Mascareddas had a very important role in the widespread and awareness of animation theatre, creating and setting up projects, organising festivals and events hosting Italian as well as international theatre companies; in 1999 it introduced the Biblioteca Yorick, which stands among the most important resources for writings and documents about the animation theatre in Europe (about 4000 volumes between books and magazines coming from all over the world).
