How to represent the actions of a criminal from 24 personalities? Tries to investigate the mind of Billy Milliganan American criminal who in 1977 kidnapped, raped and robbed three women, A touching theatrical show, written by Gianni Forte (Ricci/Forte Company) and directed by Fausto Cabra, Polychrome ink disordered memorynew production of the Franco Parenti Theater in Milan.
Three actors on stage merge their interpretation with video screens, the subject of confessions portrait or flash on a truly lived or imaginary past, and with writings in large letters that highlight in a didactic way The main facts that occurred during the real process of Billy Milligan, played by Raffaele Esposito.
The director, Fausto Cabra, together with the author, Gianni Forte, rotate the show around an important statement: “You don’t choose how to be”, And the main scenes turn around the fundamental roles in this process. Each reports the situation from his point of view: the lawyer imposed the defense and fight against the short time available, the police are responsible for capturing and quelling the criminal, the psychologist remains deeply involved in the work of investigation of the personality of Billy, so as to ask for mental infirmity and, in the end, thanks to his relationship, He gets acquittal and hospitalization in a psychiatric hospital.
In fact, there is the terrible rape of a girl and, shortly after, to the incarceration of Billy, who immediately appears confused by changing the rumor and version of the facts and tries suicide, so the psychologist, interpreted with sensitivity and precision by Anna Gualdoimmediately understands that something is not working. In the talks between the two some of the different personalities of Billy emerge which is the head of the other “guests” of his mind: Alice, a shy and frightened girl who hides from all the others and who writes poetry to express himself, Damiano, the real protagonist, Pollicino, a child terrified by the memories of an atrocious past, due to the torture of the stepfather and the client of the mother, always interpreted by Gualdo, in defending him.
All personalities alternate both in the dialogues with the doctor, and in setting the defense with the lawyer, integrated by Elena Gigliotti, So as to demonstrate that a crazy splinter can come out of a human being and go to strike anyone, even without unfortunately that it realizes due to a serious mental illness caused by the trauma suffered by a child. Esposito shows in alternating moods and swinging feelings, from anger, to despair, to extreme suffering, both in the physical and in the expressiveness of the face, The power of his acting and all the fatigue of the actor who struggles his clothes on stage, rolls himself in the earth to be real in outlining the madness of his character’s mind. Use confession on a stage to bring out submerged and fragmentary worlds of many past lives that intertwine and confuse, in addition to fighting one with the other, alternating many plans of the story.
With the help of videos shown to him specifically by the psychologist to move him, Billy sees his doubles who live within him, and reacts differently, But it continually denies what happens under his eyes. Music, inspired by the psychedelic rock of the 70s, also contributes to the fragmentation of the protagonist’s psyche, alternating handling or disturbing pieces, or others who disturb the viewer hitting it with sounds that seem unpleasant noises.
But the real protagonist of the show is the public. The physical effort of the actors, the deafening noises on the stage, the disturbing music, the direct lights aimed in the eye, The viewer who if on the one hand feels the need to escape, on the other, he remains nailed in his place just like the protagonist, who cannot move away from his terrible fate of suffering. The viewer proves on his own skin the impossibility of escaping himself from something disturbing and therefore just as the protagonist fragments to defend himself and then burst into a thunderous applause at the end of the show precisely for the link that the director manages to create between reality and fiction.
The audience in the new A2a room of the Franco Parenti Theater, a modular space in various ways, so as to involve more in the show, enters Billy’s head, And in the scenes in which he agitated or reproduces dramatic moments of his life he tries a strong discomfort as if a splinter of his mind went to hit and sensitize each of the spectators. Even a text written by Forte to make us reflect how in our day the fragmentation of the ego that also proves through a distorted use of social media can become a dangerous tool for everyone.
The show is suitable for a public of the age of 16
Where and when
Polychrome ink disordered memory by Gianni Forte. Directed by Fausto Cabra. Scenes by Stefano Zullo. Luminous dramatia by Martino Minzoni. Costumes by Eleonora Rossi. Music and sound dramaturgy Mimosa Campironi. With Raffaele Esposito, Anna Gualdo, Elena Gigliotti. Graphics and contributions video Francesco Marro. Help director Anna Leopaldo. Scenes built at the Laboratory of the Franco Parenti Theater. Costumes made by the tailoring of the Franco Parenti Theater directed by Simona Dondoni. Franco Parenti theater production of Milan. Until April 13, Sala A2a, Franco Parenti Theater, via Pier Lombardo 14. Info: tel. 02 59995206, e-mail: ticket office@teatrofrancoparenti.it
