Here we are inevitably back to my fairy tales. Last Saturday and Sunday evening our little drama school, La Compagnia del Sole, put up another one of its masterpieces. This time Pinocchio, a tastefully adapted version of the original novel by Collodi, full of meanings and interesting interpretations.
First of all a child is born, but not from a mother, from a piece of wood. This character, who is “born/created” already a grown child, is immediately naughty and full of lies. Is this because he creates a more fantastic reality for himself as the real one is so unacceptable for him? Is it because he is lacking that mother figure?
It is surely a singular story where a poor wooden puppet is thrown into a world of humans where he is forced to face problems which has hasn't even got the means of understanding.
It's a story which speaks about acceptance of ones uniqueness, of not following the mass like a donkey, of trusting one's subconscious (the Talking Cricket), of growing up and making decisions, decisions which will determine your destiny. Geppetto can't help his son to get out of all the crazy difficulties he finds himself in, because the puppet needs to find the strength to do it on his own, counting on his own resources.
It's beautiful and scary at the same time to realize how powerful we are in determining our lives, whether positively or negatively, truly understanding that however our life is, it is the consequence of a decision that we, and only we, have made. That nobody is responsible for our lives, except ourselves.
What about the other characters?
The Fox and the Cat, who could be considered as the internal aspect of the main character, representing his inner needs, his dark side, and the confrontation with these two devious figures forces our puppet to open his eyes and to abandon his innocent childhood. A painful adieu to innocence and naivety.
Difficulties, especially those where we suffer the most, are gifts that help us to grow and better understand how to move in this mad World.
And what about the fairy with turquoise hair? The feminine side that Pinocchio hardly knows at all, maybe the spirit of the mother he never had. So mysterious so untouchable yet vital for his balance. It is she who, when Pinocchio saves his father from the mouth of the shark – showing to have become mature and responsible- turns him into a real boy. She sheds him of his mask to show his true nature. The inner world becomes the outer world too.
It's a story that goes from perdition to salvation: Pinocchio grows once he has learnt to think with his own mind, to listen, to see, once he has understood what unconditional love is about, what pain is, once he has learnt about Life and about Death.
Anyhow, you were great kids and you touched our hearts...