MEDIATHEK

The Child from Ithaca

The story of Odysseus begins well before the Trojan War, his long and adventurous wandering and his coveted comeback. The story begins with a smart and curious child who observes the horizon from the native shores, likes to sail and ignores what destiny has in store for him. This young Odysseus is the protagonist of The Child from Ithaca

The opera debuted at Teatro Magnani, performed by children aged between eight and sixteen years, all pupils of the music, theater and scenography camp of Laboratorio Opera.

The Opera workshop format was first adopted in June of 2014, in the Piccolo Teatro of Milan. It included 40 persons total: 35 kids ranging from the age of 7 to 15 years, 3 theatre professionals and 2 assistants. In 2017 we reached 74 children involved in 4 different sections: theatre/choir, orchestra, dance and set design.

The show staged by the workshop is the outcome of the work of the close-knit group of professionals who join forces within the association Solo Canto.

There’s a playwright who writes the libretto and a composer who creates the bespoke music. The choirmaster carefully looks after the singers/actors who, for the first time, have to face the difficulties of opera. The director guides the students during the rehearsal, training them for the mise-en-scène and introducing them to the stage;

The scenery and the costumes are made by a professional set designer, who teaches the students the basis of stagecraft and how to make theatre props.