The storytelling of the Freeway Project step in Modena (Italy) through the words, voices and eyes of the spectators from the four countries involved. Texts, interviews and videos of an itinerant experience between prison and city.
Trip to Modena
From 07/27 – 07/30 2021
We flew from BER airport. We took off and a very special journey began. Til today I tell everyone about it because it made me proud, because it is for a good cause…
It is also very important to me that everyone gets a second chance. Every person, every prisoner who has not yet found his place in society should also have the chance receive. Everyone has a soul and a character and is a special person. Everyone has too the chance to work and participate in good art. We landed full of enthusiasm and I couldn’t wait to admire other artists.
We had to drive the bus for almost an hour and could see the great and beautiful landscape see. We made a reservation at the Hotel Europa, it was very clean and they were very friendly too us. On the same evening we met our partners from the Teatro dei Venti and the other colleagues Bulgaria and Poland. Everyone was very nice and committed, we introduced ourselves and right away talked to each other. Even though I can’t speak Italian or English, it wasn’t for me obstacle to entertaining myself and having fun together.
The next day we were supposed to see a performance in two prisons. They had for us organized a nice big bus to go there. The staging was really great. One has Felt the warmth and the energy, I’ll never forget it. I just found it sad that one could not get into conversation with the prisoners. Thanks to all people who love art and Doing theater in prison is the only liberation for our imagination.
We did another radio interview. I just wanted to express my respect, but suddenly they wanted to do a radio interview with me. It touched me a lot – I did without to hesitate from the bottom of my heart to all my brothers and sisters and spoken to my praise and Respect for the artistic work expressed…
I took many good and nice impressions with me. Everyone was very friendly and dedicated.
There is no difference between people doing theater in prison. The politic should support these measures.
M.K.
I think that this kind of event as the one I took part in this summer in Modena are important occasion for the activity of theatre operator which is defined even throught exchange of different knowledges.
The Trasparenze Festival has been organized in order to let the partners share their works with each other.
In my opinion all the occasion of discussion about the work of theatre in prison have been very important in order to define in more precise way the work itself and to find a way to communicate it to the outside.
I think it has been one of the most important reflection of the Trasparenze festival for the theatre operator but also for the audience. The performance Odissea in this sense has been an opportunity to deep more the dialogue with the audience. I really appreciated the friendly and full of joy atmosphere in which everyone felt free to express of himself.
A.R.
When I was entering the bus and getting ready for the experience ahead of me I felt kind of nervous, what would a prison in Italy be like? Would it be as intimidating as the prisons I knew. But upon entering the Castelfranco Emilia prison all my worries were gone. There were rabbits hoping around and listening to the story of Odissea (although I needed to read the translation to understand it) made me very excited about what I was about to witness. And me being excited was justified, I’d never expected such a performance from people who have had heir freedom taken from them. The performances from each and every one of the prisoners were amazing and I know it is almost a cliché to say at this point but they were like professionals. But not just like professionals because for me, in that moment they were professionals. The whole performance was spectacular and I was incredibly amazed by the production of the whole thing. I still can’t comprehend how there was a waterfall inside the prison itself for the performance. Overall the whole festival was amazing and it was an unforgettable experience.
C.K.
Of Odissea I remember
the sultry heat
my undershirt of a quiet blue
Luca’s glasses
the skinny legs of Miranda
a very ancient story full of absurd names
a reassuring voice
almost a lullaby
the dusty feeling of the fabric of bus seats under my fingers
like when I went to school
do the headphones work?
the trees of Castelfranco
the large, half-empty halls
the sounds that bounce off us and chase us
the raw hunger of Polyphemus
Aeolus flying over the walls and almost seems to want to knock them down
the eyes of the man of mud
me without breath
the shadows of Hades
I who for fear of falling try to cling to myself
the thirst
the glasses of water offered by the actors
the pouring rain
and me always in my undershirt
Stefano directing
the landscape that flows
a crowded room
the panting of the warriors over the roar of the waterfall
Dante’s triplets
golden figures
Penelope piercing the darkness of Sant’Anna
the lights on
the waiting
the cool wall on my back
the frenetic hands of Stefano while he corrects
the pain of a lonely woman
the motionless dance of two old lovers
a religious silence
crossing a threshold but always finding oneself elsewhere
without knowing how
movement and stasis
climb to the top and touch the bottom
two in the afternoon that become eight in the evening in a second
S.B.
TO BE CONTINUED
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