RENOWNED SICILIAN PUPPET THEATER Makes First Visit To Twin Cities

The Italian Cultural Center of Minneapolis/St. Paul (ICC) and Istituto Italiano di Cultura of Chicago present The Great Duel Between Orlando and Rinaldo for the Beautiful Angelica's Sake by the famed Italian puppet theatre company Associazione Figli d'Arte Cuticchio. This evening of captivating entertainment for all ages will be on stage for one night only on Saturday, Oct. 27 at 7:30pm at Illusion Theater, located on the eighth floor of the Cowles Center for Dance & The Performing Arts at 528 Hennepin Ave. in downtown Minneapolis.

This performance with kid-sized puppets and live music is a singular, outstanding opportunity to see the Sicilian Opera dei Pupi, led by master puppeteer Mimmo Cuticchio, outside of Italy. An understanding of the Italian language is not required to enjoy this enthralling show. Tickets are free (with donations suggested) but reservations are recommended, and can be made online at www.illusiontheater.org or by calling 612-339-4944.

Magical adventures, daring escapes and thrilling battles between knights and animal creatures are part of the action-packed story, inspired by medieval tales and Renaissance poems. Paris is under siege and many of King Charlemagne's knights have left in pursuit of Angelica, the beautiful daughter of a rival king. The General Captain Orlando, the bravest of all, has deserted the Court too. Consequently, Charlemagne appoints his nephew Rinaldo as the new commander of the French army. Eventually Rinaldo neglects his duty and burning with passion for Angelica, challenges Orlando to a duel. The two noblemen would certainly kill each other were it not for a wizard's intervention!

Opera dei Pupi (pupi means "puppets" in Italian) represents a unique example of the Italian theatrical tradition showcasing one of the most important artists of the contemporary Italian stage. Described as one of the last heirs of this Sicilian theater form, Mimmo Cuticchio has renewed this tradition with his theater company infusing his puppeteering talent with a storytelling art form by including additional classical stories from Homer, Shakespeare and Cervantes in its repertoire.

"This type of puppet artistry remains faithful to a century old Sicilian tradition of popular street theatre, by bringing back to life its techniques and repertoires. At the same time, the master puppeteer Mimmo Cuticchio was able to immerse the very same art form with updated stories, different theatrical languages, and new modes of the contemporary theater," said Francesca Bortoletti, who curated the event.

She added, "We are so excited to bring Opera dei Pupi to Twin Cities audiences. To understand the reason for the success of the company, one must understand that Mimmo's Sicilian puppet theater looks at the present and speaks to new generations by telling ancient stories and promoting universal values through a magical atmosphere that transports the viewer to a world of battles, fantastic animals, kings and kingdoms."

The theater company Figli d'Arte Cuticchio's Opera dei Pupi has been seen around the world - across Europe, Australia, Japan, and Indonesia and to San Francisco in 2010 and 2015. From November 2017-January 2018, Cuticchio's Opera dei Pupi was presented at the Quirinale palace, the official residence of the Italian President in Rome where Cuticchio's "Pupi e Scenari" were on exhibit. His theater also inspired a film documentary directed by American actor John Turturro and Roman Paska. The Opera dei Pupi is included in the UNESCO Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list.

Related events include free matinee for the schools, Oct. 24 and 25 (10:00am) also open to the general public; a free talk, Oct. 26 (12:15pm), led by Michael Wyatt (Stanford University) at the Center for Early Modern History, University of Minnesota, and a free talk/demonstration led by Cuticchio at Open Eye Figure Theatre, Oct. 27 (9:30am). These programs inaugurate the first edition of Italian Theatre in the Twin Cities (ITTC) as part of "Italian Excellence in Arts & Sciences," a new series of cultural events and lectures, curated by Francesca Bortoletti and organized by the Italian Cultural Center of Minneapolis/St. Paul. For more information, contact the ICC at www.theitalianculturalcenter.org or 612-295-4111.

After Minneapolis, Mimmo Cuticchio and Associazione Figli d'Arte Cuticchio will continue their tour with a workshop at the Istituto Italiano di Cultura of Chicago and performances at the University of Chicago and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Co-presented by the Italian Cultural Center of Minneapolis / St. Paul and the Istituto Italiano di Cultura of Chicago and curated by Francesca Bortoletti, Associate Researcher at the University of Minnesota. Hosted by the Illusion Theater, the Open Eye Figure Theater and the Center for Early Modern History.

This event is made possible by: the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund, the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in Italy, the French and Italian Department of the University of Minnesota.

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