Pirandello, topical and increasingly international
Twelve schools abroad took part in the fifth edition of the Drama Competition.
Registration closed in February for the fifth edition of the “Uno, Nessuno Centomila” (One, No One and One Hundred Thousand) school competition, which was once again a great success in Italy and abroad, with a large number of schools taking part.
The students approached Pirandello in a proactive and creative way, even rediscovering the lesser-known novellas, with the aim of breathing new life into an increasingly relevant work, open to different interpretations and perspectives.
A total of 12 Italian institutes abroad joined the initiative. The Italian school “GB Hodierna” of Tunis participated with 10 short plays. In an interview with Professor Davide Monastra, who guided the students in creating their work, he talks about the themes that most struck the pupils, such as the feeling of alienation, which they felt was particularly close to the way they have lived in recent years due to the pandemic, and the contrast between illusion and reality; thanks to Pirandello “they understood that it is good to always look at what is hidden behind, to see what is beneath the mask”.
Students from the Italian school “Pietro della Valle” in Tehran and the State Italian School of Athens, which worked in a network with four other local schools, also participated by sending their short plays. The Liceo Italiano IMI in Istanbul sent a play written by a student with the help of her classmates. The Liceo Scientifico Statale E. Amaldi in Barcelona also sent a short film and a play script From France, students from the Italian sections of the Collège Jean-Philippe Rameau of Versailles, and from the Lycée International de Saint Germain en Laye took part by sending 7 play scripts. Finally, an Italian class from the Colegiul Național “G. Barițiu” of Cluj Napoca reworked a short story by Pirandello by venturing into film production.
The award ceremony, this year with a totally new look, is scheduled for 8 April 2022 at the Luigi Pirandello Theater in Agrigento, where those selected for the final will be invited to present their works.
A five-member jury will assess the students’ work and award the various prizes. This year the jury will also include an official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Cultural Promotion Area.
Up-to-date information on the call for entries and the competition, as well as interviews with participants, can be found on the website and on the Competition Facebook page.
