Luigi Pirandello

Clothing the Naked


Studio Performance in the Main Hall

Ersilia Drei
Melinda Kántor
 
Franco Laspiga, ex navy lieutenant
Levente Molnár
 
Grotti, consul
Tibor Szabó
 
Ludovico Nota, novelist
Zsolt Bogdán
 
Alfredo Cantavalle, journalist
József Bíró
 
ONORIA, matron
Csilla Varga
 
Little Girl
Zsófia Ambrus Gyurka

directed by
László Bocsárdi
 
dramaturg
Kinga Kelemen
 
set design
József Bartha
 
costume design
József Bartha
 
music illustration
László Bocsárdi
 
stage manager
László Mányoki
 
prompter
Andrea Tóth

Date of the opening: january 28, 2004

Famous novelist, Ludovico Nota, takes Ersilia Drei, the little maid from the hospital into his home after she tries to commit suicide after her fiancé leaves her. Nota has read Ersilia’s story in a local newspaper and intends to write a novel using the girl's seemingly romantic love-story. Mrs. Onoria, his housekeeper, does not welcome the newcomer and after a while even the writer himself seems to regret his deed as many people involved in the story begin to flood his house. A reporter barges in, looking for a new story for the daily newpaper.  Next comes the fiancé, wanting to ask Ersilia for forgiveness. He is  followed by consul Grotti, in whose house the girl was working as a private teacher and who contradicts everything written about her life in the newspaper. After a while we are unable to decide who is lying and who is not, what really happened and, above all, who is guilty for the confusion.

Pirandello proves to us again that nothing shows its true face. There is no unified story, only small fragmentary stories that do not bring us closer to reality - reality itself becomes doubtful.

The play, sometimes cheerily, sometimes accusingly and filled with pain, mirrors our own hesitations, clumsiness and fallibilities.
Opening date: January 28, 2004.