Roma Heroes Festival Programme
From October 2 to 5
- 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM, 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Workshop “Masks and Characters in Commedia dell’Arte” led by Claudio De Maglio
The workshop will focus on the fundamental principles for activating the expressive language of the mask and bringing the characters of Commedia dell’Arte to life. This noble tradition, invented by Italian actors in the 16th century, spread throughout Europe, even reaching Russia. We will explore how each character represents a human archetype and a specific social category, which remains relevant and recognizable in contemporary society.
Reserve your spot:
rampaprenestinateatro@gmail.com
Giulia Massimini 3403277470
October 4
- 8:30 PM
“Aspettando Bo” di Rampa Prenestina – Italia
Adaptation and Direction: Claudia Sorrentino
Dramaturgy: Sebastiano Spinella, Luca Ruocco, Ivan Talarico, Claudia Sorrentino
Musical Direction: Sebastiano Spinella
With: Erik Nikolic, Roberto Djordjevic
Musician: Simone Fruscella
Musician and Stage Assistant: Sebastiano Spinella
Voice-over: Gemila Durmis
“Waiting for Bo”. The play, loosely inspired by Samuel Beckett’s masterpiece, joyfully and freely narrates the life and emotions of two boys born and raised in the Romani camp of Via Gordiani in Rome. This piece is a contribution toward a transformation that affects everyone, Romani and non-Romani alike. We dream of a society where cultural differences are a source of richness, a society in which ethnic ghettoization is a thing of the past, only to be told to the young, so it never happens again. Never again.
5 OTTOBRE
- h. 18:00
Conference “Voices from the Margins”
The presentation conference for the first International Roma Theater Festival in Italy will take place, organized as part of the project “Diverse Roma Theaters for Inclusive Europe” and sponsored by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). The round table will feature the project leaders, the “Independent Theater Hungary” company, along with partners from Romania (Giuvlipen) and Italy (A.P.S. Rampa Prenestina), to discuss the origins and goals of the initiative. Professors and researchers from the universities of Roma Tre and La Sapienza will also participate, along with Claudio De Maglio, professor at the Civica Accademia Nico Pepe of Udine, and Chiara Candidi, a researcher focused on Roma culture and the role of women. Representing Spin Time, the venue hosting the Festival, Paolo Perrini and Nino Racco will speak. The event will be moderated by Catherine Di Carlo, with English translation by Sebastiano Spinella.
- h. 20:30
“Carcasse putrefatte” di Indipendent Theatre Hungary – Ungheria
The second part of the trilogy Rotting Birds, the play, written and directed by Rodrigó Balogh, tells the story of a legal case and a novel that blurs the lines between reality and fiction. In 1978, József Holdosi published his novel Kányá, but later his grandfather filed a lawsuit against the author and the publisher. The play raises questions about what an author can reveal about their own community and life, and how far creative freedom can be protected in an authoritarian court system.
- h. 22:00
Moni Ovadia and his orchestra “Taraf de Metropolitana Nomadic Music” Romania – Italy
Accordion: Albert Mihai, Cimbalom: Marian Serban, Double Bass: Nicolae Petre
What is true “Gypsy music”? Who are the musicians that inspired composers like Franz Liszt and Johannes Brahms, or the soundtracks of Kusturica and the hits of the Gipsy Kings? For over a thousand years, these musicians have traveled across Europe, assimilating and reinterpreting the dances and songs of the peoples they encountered, giving them an unmistakable virtuoso and oriental touch. The melodies, carried by the Gypsy caravans, undergo a continuous process of fusion and adaptation. Thus, the rhythm of the Gypsy hora merges with the French musette waltz, the swing of Django Reinhardt, and the melodic flavor of Italian artists like Gorny Kramer and Carosone, creating a captivating musical journey that connects Italian dance halls, French ballrooms, and Gypsy rumba. The group “Taraf de Metropolitana,” composed of virtuoso Romanian Romani musicians, brings this project to life, taking the audience on a musical journey that ranges from swing improvisation to the heartfelt doinas of the Gypsy tradition.
6 OTTOBRE
- h. 16:00
“The Gipsy Marionettist” di e con Rasid Nikolic – Torino
String Puppets & Comedy
The strings are pulled, and the smiles light up. Each puppet is inspired by a family member, each one capturing a unique atmosphere, like a different photograph. Family relationships are untangled, thread by thread, in a symbolic and humorous tale—a whirlwind journey from war-torn Yugoslavia to Italy. Featuring a lively and fiery Little Skeleton, a sweet yet ravenous Tiger, a mysterious Ballerina with an oriental flair, and much more.
- h. 18:00
Open Lesson:
“Masks and Characters in Commedia dell’Arte” by Claudio De Maglio
- h. 20:30
“The Builders of the Country” di Indipendent Theatre – Ungheria
A performance that addresses transgenerational trauma, written and directed by Rodrigó Balogh and Márton Illés, depicting the social changes in socialist and democratic Hungary. The songs in the performance narrate the world of the invisible builders of Hungarian history, sharing a common language, yet where the gap between different generations and social classes seems insurmountable.
- h. 22:00
“Rom v.s. Everybody” di Rasid Nikolic – Italia
Directed and staged by Rašid Nikolić
Blending stand-up comedy with an anthropological lecture, in this cultural arena, Rašid Nikolić, with a touch of eccentricity and biting irony, dismantles the prejudices and ignorance that dominate over Romani culture.
Genre: String Puppets & Comedy.
7 OTTOBRE
- h. 11:00
Round Table Artists open to the public
- h. 18:00
“Ethnic Coming Out: Proud to Be Roma and Sinti” Ivana Nikolic – Turin
The theatrical performance, written and directed by human rights activist and artist Ivana Nikolic, and funded by Ternype as part of the @dikh_he_na_bister initiative, tackles the theme of “ethnic coming out.” The protagonists explore the challenges of openly declaring their Roma identity in a society that stigmatizes them as “thieves” or “inferior.” Despite knowing they are not at fault, many Roma experience a sense of guilt that leads them to hide their origins out of fear of discrimination, which denies them basic rights such as housing, health, employment, and education.
- h. 20:30
“Romnia” by Rampa Prenestina – Italy
Collective dramaturgy – Adaptation and direction: Nino Racco, Concept and Assistant Director: Sebastiano Spinella, Musical Direction: Sebastiano Spinella, Roxana Ene, Produced by Rampa Prenestina Teatro
Three generations of women, both Roma and non-Roma, reflect on the evolution of customs, traditions, and female roles. During the celebration of Saint Sarah, in a small community represented by five actors (three women and two men), the dressing of the statue of the saint becomes the focal point of discussions and personal narratives. A young man recounts the meeting of his parents, his mother recalls a Roma woman who sold flowers, while an elderly woman sings a lullaby to the saint and prays for her rebellious granddaughter, who challenges the roles and identities within the community. The stories of the three women shift between comedy and tragedy, as the myth of Saint Sarah becomes a reflection of their aspirations for freedom and independence. The dressing of the statue culminates in a procession, inviting the audience to participate in a ritual that celebrates liberation from social norms, with a message of knowledge and autonomy.
- h. 20:30
Concerto Trap al femminile di Kali (Mihaela Drăgan) e Niko G. (Nicoleta Ghiță)
in Tehno-Vrăjitoarele di Giuvlipen – Romania
Giuvlipen means “feminism” in the Romani language and is the first independent Romani feminist theater collective in Romania. Their art is provocative, experimental, and highly performative, with the goal of reclaiming Romani art, history, and cultural identity through stories told by the artists themselves. Giuvlipen was founded in 2014 by actresses Mihaela Dragan and Zita Moldovan.
8 OTTOBRE
- h. 20:30
“Virale per TikTok” di Giuvlipen – Romania
A show written and directed by Mihaela Drăgan
With: Nicoleta Ghiță and Bianca Mihai
Video appearances: Cezar Grumăzescu and Adrian Mihai Petrache
Assistant Director: Giovanni Brand
Music: Andrei Horjea
Texts: Mihaela Drăgan, Nicoleta Ghiță, Bianca Mihai
Choreography and stage movement: Răzvan Rotaru and Corina Platon
Set Design: Ileana Zirra
Costumes: Zita Moldovan
Video Design: Constantin Șimon
The show “Viral on TikTok” explores the needs of young people through the cultural phenomenon of TikTok. It follows the journey of two teenagers who, amid emoticons and viral challenges, seek fame on the popular platform. In a society dominated by double standards, the girls face pressures related to beauty ideals, the pick-up artist movement, virginity, marriage, and the religious repression of women’s rights. With charisma and determination, they use TikTok to fight ignorance and spark social change. As their videos gain popularity, they spread messages of empowerment through music and dance, while their friendship is both strengthened and tested. “Viral on TikTok” becomes a manifesto for sexual education among young people, telling a story of courage and resilience. The two protagonists, Romani pioneers, fight for a fairer future, breaking the chains of social norms.