Lo spettacolo del Naufragio e della Rinascita

In the new production of *The Tempest*, Viviana Di Bert rereads Shakespeare through a symbolic and contemporary vision, in which the shipwreck becomes a rite of passage and Prospero’s magic—here embodied as a female figure—is transformed into an act of awareness, forgiveness, awakening, and recognition of the need to return to living “free and happy at heart” in a world that seems to have forgotten the beauty of human diversity. *Magic for The Tempest*, onstage at Teatro Tordinona from September 15 to 20, featuring Anita Pititto, Anthony Rosa, Rita Gianini, Sharon Nannini, Silviya Stanoeva, Stefano Pompili Rossini, Teresa Vanessa Topazio, Viviana Di Bert, and Wolfango Tedeschi, highlights the archetype of fratricide, the tension between opposites, and the possibility of an ethical awakening, bringing to the stage a collective narrative that intertwines myth, poetry, and reflection on the present.

## Director’s Notes

Shakespeare’s *The Tempest* contains the element of forgiveness—a choice that is extremely rare in human life and is often mistaken for weakness, since humanity has always been dazed by “power,” which in turn uses the three poisons present in every human being as its instruments: anger, greed, and stupidity.

Their growth leads to an ethical weakening that results in wars, famine, and epidemics—as explained very clearly by the Japanese Buddhist monk Nichiren Daishonin [1222–1282] in his treatise *Rissho Ankoku Ron*.

While respecting the foundations and development of the original text, I have created a production that highlights an archetype frequently found in Shakespeare’s works: the archetype of “Cain and Abel,” universal symbols of fratricide and rivalry between opposites, represented here in condensed form by Antonio and Caliban. Furthermore, since Prospero is a “resolved” Hamlet, I have incorporated references to that work.

The female version of Prospero intensifies the mother–daughter bond as a symbol and, magically, brings back a female “Tiresias,” accompanied by the two serpents.

“We are made of the same substance as dreams, and our brief life is surrounded by sleep.”

This may seem easy to understand, but it is difficult to truly trust in it. In addition to entertaining, this ensemble work seeks to communicate hope for a complete transformation in a world where, unfortunately, wars of territorial conquest still prevail, and where technology “accustoms us” to everything—and makes even the greatest human tragedies—appear almost like a “media fiction.” A world in which foreigners are still regarded as a danger.

Hoping for true freedom for every human being, Shakespeare’s text reminds us that “the time has come to live free and happy at heart,” and that inevitably the earth and everything it contains will move toward dissolution, leaving behind not even the faintest trail of cloud… Thus, it is truly a text that, through all its characters—who embody the many forms of human diversity—expresses the hope for an awakening and a peaceful human revolution.

## MAGIC FOR THE TEMPEST

**“The Shipwreck and Rebirth”**

A stage adaptation of Shakespeare and scenic concept by Viviana Di Bert

### Cast
*(in alphabetical order)*

- Anita Pititto: Stefano & Alonso
- Anthony Rosa: Trinculo
- Rita Gianini: Caliban
- Sharon Nannini: Ariel, live
- Silviya Stanoeva: Miranda
- Stefano Pompili Rossini: Ferdinand
- Teresa Vanessa Topazio: Ariel, on video
- Viviana Di Bert: Prospero
- Wolfango Tedeschi: Antonio

Costumes: Alessandra Milani

Teatro Tordinona — Rome
Via degli Acquasparta, 16
Pirandello Hall — 9:00 p.m.; Sundays at 6:00 p.m.
September 15–20, 2026