Compagnia Marionettistica Carlo Colla e Figli, ''Aida''

Milan

The teatro di figura also makes possible what it would seem impossible: an Aida with an happy ending.«Faithful to marionette's nineteenth-century tradition, [the Aida of the Colla] foresees the presence of singed roles and of recited roles. Besides, twisting Verdi's opera, because of the pressing request of the public that crowded the Teatro Gerolamo¹, the end foresees the collapse of the Temple and the escape of Radames and Aida toward the ''embalmed forests''.»Eugenio Monti Colla, from the presentation of the show. ¹ The historical Milanese theater, also called Teatro Fiando, that since '800 entertained Colla's shows.

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The scenographical installation of the Company is dismountable and transportable, and it has the characteristic to adapt itself inside any stage that can contain the its dimensions, provided that the structure of the Fly facilities with fixed pulleys of which is composed can be suspended and fixed to the Flyloft of the host theater, at least four hanging points. The installation includes, as it is obvious, also the traditional bridge of manoeuvre that hosts the marionette players.

The scenographical installation constitutes so a system of ''stage in the stage'' that, allowing the Company to use its own equipments in every stage, it minimizes the necessities of adaptation and the unforeseen event of the installation making possible in every occasion the maintenance of the tall qualitative standard of the representations for which the Colla are famous.

The scenographies of the ''teatro di figura'' are traditionally realized using above all the paper.It's not rare however the employment of flameproof fabrics, in this case ASC - Sceno muslin and ASL300S - Light Sceno 300 cm sheer muslin, mainly used for the made up of painted backdrops, but also in the realization of the costumes.Some ARI - Reps Ignitex fabric, colour 103 beige, had opportunely been worked for conferring a ''sandy'' aspect to the floor of the stage.

The costumes made on sketches by Eugenio Monti Colla and Lila De Nobili were realized by the tailoring of the association Grupporiani.

The costume of Aida, in the image, it is by Lila De Nobili (1916-2002), great costume designer of the '900 and collaborator, among the others, of Luchino Visconti, Franco Zeffirelli, over that of the Teatro Alla Scala of Milan.

The scenographical installation of the CompanyA - Fixed pulleys suspended to the fly facilities of the theater HB - backdropsC - Manual fly facilitiesD - bridge of manoeuvreE - supporting structures for marionettesF - portalG - anchorages for the bridge DH - fly facilities of the theaterStage required to the theater- width 12 m / depth 7 m / height 7 m- portal 7 m minimum width- fly facilities with a minimum of 4 fly facilities to lift the ring A with the scenes of the Company- 4 hookups on the walls G for the bridge of manoeuvre D- floor of the stage made of wood tables (inclination max 5%)- Stage masking to frame the portal F of the Company (size 8 x 4,5 m)

A version of Verdi's opera of the famous Compagnia Marionettistica Carlo Colla e Figli, heir of the tradition begun by the founder Giuseppe Colla (1805-1861) and from almost two centuries among the maximum expressions of the Italian teatro di figura.

Scenography

Franco Citterio
Pierluigi Bottazzi
Maurizio Dotti

Costume design

Eugenio Monti Colla (1939 - 2017)
Lila De Nobili

Light design

Franco Citterio

Technical direction

Tiziano Marcolegio

Installation direction

Carlo III Colla

Production

Associazione Grupporiani

Stage direction

Eugenio Monti Colla (1939 - 2017)

Materials used in this production

1K - Kompas

Track systems

ARI - Reps Ignitex

Muslin and canvas

ASC - Sceno

Muslin and canvas

BSU - Super Gobelin

Scrim and bobbinet fabrics

Fixed pulleys

Rigging systems

GGI - Siria

Gauzes

Manual fly facilities

Rigging systems

WCC - C Strap

Fabric: finishings and accessories

Information on data processing