A Few Cosmicomics

from Italo Calvino's book "Le cosmicomiche"
featuring Gene Gnocchi
Oreste Castagna, background voice
Live music by Neji Trio: Giulio Visibelli, flutes and saxophones; Flavio Minardo, guitars; Arup Kantidas, tabla and drums
Mario Bertasa, theatre rendition
Oreste Castagna, director
Lighting: Clay Paky
Gobos ODL

Original Production Notti di Luce 2003

During a made-up TV talk show, a director/anchorman (Oreste Castagna) discusses in real time with a nondescript expert in Science-Fiction phenomena (Gene Gnocchi) about some noteworthy occurrence.
During his account, which unwinds amongst love stories between dinosaurs and dumping grounds for moons and satellites, the expert often loses his line of thought, maybe due to the distraction of how bright these heavenly events are, or by the sound of far-away peoples lost in the eons past.
His account, apparently leading nowhere, takes unexpected turns, both fantastic and material, and eventually goes back onto the track of logics thanks to the timely remarks of the anchorman / Big Brother.
The play is a creative way to develop the fantastic voyage made by Calvino in his masterpiece, which he dedicated ironically to Science-Fiction; the play follows and at the same time trespasses the original work, although always with a sense of respect.
The idea of the play comes from the very title of this work by the great master of fantasy.
With his book, Calvino wanted to cover some of the oldest cosmic aspects that are at the roots of life in the universe through the filter of comicality.
To him, movie comics and paper comics are a screen he uses to set what "is" against what "is not" - the real against the fantastic.

Notti di Luce is proud to present its public with this original production, featuring one of the most sagacious and experienced comic actors in Italy: Gene Gnocchi.