A trilogy in which the theme of the sacred is mixed with the popular genre: these are, in a nutshell, the ‘Operette Apocrife’ conceived by the Brunello/Molnar duo. Three small dramas - ‘Blessed are those persecuted for the sake of justice, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Dialogue between imprisoned Jesus the Nazarene and Pinocchio', “The Wizard Balaton” and ’The Daily Bread. Baracca e burattini’ - inspired by the Gospel.
The last two, produced by the Biennale, are guests at the Alpe Adria Puppet Festival (‘Dialogue’ was premiered at the festival in 2005 with great success).
In ‘The Wizard Balaton’, the puppeteer is writing a commissioned play inspired by the miracles in the Gospel. Characters and props crowd the table: a fisherman hut by the lake, inside, walled up, is the famous Wizard Balaton with only a loaf of bread, a jug of water and his famous dura-stone ring, a prison guard, an impenetrable reed thicket, a shantytown of onlookers and worshippers waiting for the miracle. Because the magician has sworn that from that prison he will disappear and reappear in body elsewhere. Quite a headache for the puppeteer struggling with technical problems, existential and professional doubts, trying to please the audience with the happy ending of a successful miracle.
Premiered at the Venice Biennale, this play moves as if on a thread, swaying between religious and iconic figures, sacred and popular themes. A multiplicity of themes touched upon with acuity, an ability to surprise, a desire to change the usual paradigms of interpretation.
