The shepherdess Philis is loved by Silvandre, whom she loves in return, but she is also courted by Microton. Dorine promises Philis that she will ask the magician Orcan to calm Microton's ardour. Surprising Philis and Silvandre's love dialogue, Microton calls on Orcan to take revenge on Silvandre and force Philis to love him. Orcan performs various magic tricks. He has prepared the potion, but Microton refuses to go and thank the demons. Orcan tries to seduce Elise, who rejects him. Philis reveals to Silvandre that Microton has played the role of a guardian for her. The god of love appears and promises to help Silvandre. Elise convinces Orcan to support Silvandre and Philis' love and to cure Microton of his madness. Orcan forces Microton to go and see the Demons; il conjures up Goblins, Serpents, a Dragon, Demons that frighten Microton and make him give up Philis. Microton announces that he will devote himself only to his flock. Orcan laughs at him. Microton gets angry, but he realises that he has been magically cured of his love for Philis and joins the wedding banquet. Microton wants to eat some of the dishes, but they turn into snakes and toads. The appearance of demons makes Microton run away. Shepherds and shepherdesses sing and dance.

Marionette with counterweight

Not specified

La Grille (Dominique de Normandin, aka Sieur de La Grille)

France

Paris

Printed summary

Rivalry in love

Magic

Animals, Mythical

Animated object

Unwelcome seducer

French

ou les charmes d'Orcan

Hunter

Sheperherdess

Demon

Statue

Gardener

Magician

Love

Bohemian woman

Goblin

Snake

Dragon

Caterer

Shepherd

Appearance

Metamorphosis

Les Amours de Microton

Microton's Loves

Alcide Cervi was a farmer. In 1934 he moved with his family to Gattatico, near Reggio Emilia, on a piece of land called Campirossi ("red fields"), which nobody wanted because it was infertile. He lives there with his nine children: seven boys and two girls. With hard work, they manage to make these fields prosper, and the family can afford to buy a tractor. The Cervi family is known for their anti-fascist political positions. After July 1943, when the Americans landed and Mussolini was arrested, all seemed well. But in November of the same year, a hundred fascists besieged the Campirossi house. The seven brothers try to resist, but they are arrested and eventually executed. As a sign of support and respect, Alcide Cervi never ceased to receive gifts from all sides: a Bible from the Fiat factory workers in Turin, a globe from the agricultural cooperative workers in Santa Vittoria, skittles for his grandchildren from some friends of the boules club. Finally, the puppeteer himself, Maurizio Bercini, wants to give Alcide a gift: a puppet with his features, with which he can transform pain 'into serenity and play'.

Object theatre

Rod puppet

Direct Manipulation Bunraku-type Puppetry

All audiences

Allegri Marina

Italy

Parma

Electronic text

Resistance

Resistance fighter

Partisan struggle

Politics

Capital executions and executors

Fascism

Murder

Brother

Large family

Family

Communism

Friendship

Community

Farming

Gift

Didactic

Realist

Italian

I doni di papà Cervi

Musician

Alcide Cervi

Puppeteer

Story

Narrative Theater

Alternating narrative / dialogue

Address to the public

Narrator

Inserting poetry

Avista

Caricature

Dialogue with the audience

Murder on stage

Cide

Cide. Father Cervi's gifts

A theoretician is giving a lecture on philosophical and artistic concepts inherent to objects and mentioning ancient philosophers and Bauhaus artists, among other people. However, he is constantly interrupted by his assistant sharing information with him, by technical problems or elements that seem out of control: microphones moving in all directions, the light being turned off, objects falling, … In a second part, the conference goes over different works of the company and reveals the creative processes behind the shows and the common thread bringing them together. At the end, the theoretician tries to resume his lecture without success; the technician’s body mysteriously appears on the floor and a phantasmagorical atmosphere spreads. Curtains are brought down several times while the action of the play continues.

Portugal

Porto

Storyboard

Language comedy

Failure

Impossibility to communicate

Memory

Phantom

Philosophical tale

Comical

Fantastic

Igor Gandra, A revolta dos objetos. Uma conferência animada (Teatro de Ferro, 2021)