CAST | |
| FRANCESCA DE SAPIO | Margherita * Gemma |
| MASSIMO TARDUCCI | Antonio |
| VITO VINCI | Ioanis * Mario * Martino |
| URBANO BARBERINI | Bernardo * Franco |
| ELODIE TRECCANI | Lucia * Lulù |
| CARLO DEL GIUDICE | Ernesto * Giacinto |
| DANIELA IGLIOZZI | Rachele |
| MARGHERITA PERUZZO | Caterina * Nina |
| TIZIANA LA TORRE | Chiara * Carolina * Luisella |
| BRUNO DE STEPHANIS | Grandfather |
| MARIA TERESA ELENA | Cira |
| CLAUDIA MUZII | Cassandra * Sol |
| ANTONELLO POFI | Indiana * Uncle Annibale |
| LORENZO BISCARETTI | Leonardo * Salvatore |
| CORINNE MANGATA | Dahine |
| MARIA TERESA ELENA | Mother's voice |
| OMERO ANTONUTTI | Giacomo Suler's voice |
CREW | |
| First Assistant Director | CLAUDIO DI BENEDETTO |
| Original Music | RUGGERO ARTALE - ROBERTO GENOVESI |
| Music Director | VITO VINCI |
| Stage Management | PIETRO PIGNOTTA |
| Lighting | PASQUALE MARI |
| Set Photografer | FABIO LOVINO |
| Production Coordinator | ROBERTA FABRIANI |
| Press Agent | ANTONIO AREVALO |
| Public Relations | MARIA TERESA ELENA |
| Graphics | IMPRONTE DIGITALI |
The idea
The idea for Sex Symbol was conceived in 1993, while I was going over some simple exercises with actors in my workshop on how to dress or undress in a more seductive manner. During the exercises, we ran into obstacles caused by fears and inhibitions. Imitations and clichés of seductive behaviour, that saturate the market, prevailed amongst the actors. These difficulties inspired me. Sex Symbol was the fruit of a slow, adventurous ripening.
For a year and a half I hand wrote notes, ideas, and story lines. Many actors went astray along the way. Working with actors without contracts is, as I learned, almost impossible. But half of them did not give up. They were amazing.
From the beginning they were dedicated, curious and personally involved. I wrote the text inspired by their personalities and by giving them a theme to reflect upon such as : life is sexuality. I believe that before being able to speak about any other topic, one should venture into the tangle of sexuality even if in the end, one finds him/herself only slightly changed by it's mystery.
In a time when the exploration of one's origins seems quite necessary to me to come into contact with our core and humanity, I remained faithful to the theatre's ancient role: actors are the mirror of the world we live in; therefore I chose to tell their story:
The Play
It is the story of a group of actors about to rehears and improvise a play titled “Sex Symbol”. The rehearsals take place in a magnificent basement of an old building. They explore the theme of sexuality as given to them by the director, Margherita. The actors create the Assante familys, to express their conflicts, a seemingly normal Neapolitan family but who in reality has problems with relationships, money, independence, illness and power.
During rehearsals, Margherita leaves Antonio, a contradictory, talented, angry man, who recently saved an African girl from prostitution, in attempting to confront him, an accident occurs.
Coming in and out of their roles, the actors from the company confront their own personal dramas. Some with tremendous courage continue with rehearsals, others blinded by fear leave. Each decision hinged to the actors capability to contact an intimate, harsher and more painful reality. After discovering a terminal illness one of the characters leaves the company, another commits suicide.
The theme
To perform and expose oneself to the topic of sex, so often exploited and rarely explored in its human or vital essence, is not easy. Sex is often frightening It is adored and despised like nothing else in the world, perhaps only equal to money. Not even life itself is so cherished, this is perhaps the root of the problem. Either emancipation or disaster will arise. But if tragedy is purification and thus awareness, perhaps life does win in the end!
The form
The chosen style is cinematographic and theatrical. I have absorbed the two means of communication with equal love and passion since my childhood, I didn't want to separate them.
