La veglia funebre

The production is a staging of an original script, *La veglia funebre* (The Wake) by Stefano Porri. It is a *noir* comedy that begins with the death of a small-town mayor following a seemingly trivial domestic accident. The local police marshal—a longtime friend of the mayor—disbelieves the accident theory and launches an unorthodox investigation right during the wake, uncovering an uncomfortable truth about the mayor and his untimely death. A series of tragicomic episodes ensues, leading to a surreal conclusion. The play is an exercise in comic realism—a humorous reflection on the public and private lives of a small provincial town, and on the dynamics and effects that the exercise of power (especially political power) has on human and emotional relationships; a power that often transforms human beings into monsters.

The cast features fourteen students from the SpazioFabbricaLab permanent theater workshop in Lugnano in Teverina: Donatella Antimi, Manuela Felici, Clara Finistauri, Ildiko Kiss, Antonio Pansini, Claudia Piergiovanni, Roberta Pimpolari, Irene Porcacchia, Jacopo Ruco, Orietta Ruco, Paola Ruco, Giancarlo Sgrigna, Luigina Signori, and Daniele Sisti.