The play “Le anime morte” by Peppino Mazzotta will be presented in national premiere at the Teatro San Ferdinando in Naples from 3 to 13 April. The performance is an adaptation of Gogol's famous novel, reinterpreted by Mazzotta who takes care of both the rewriting and the direction, proposing “Le (mis)avventure di un onesto truffatore”.
Rewriting of Gogol's Classic
With the collaboration of Igor Esposito on the dramaturgy, Mazzotta offers a new perspective on the masterpiece set in mid-nineteenth-century Russia. The work paints an intricate and fascinating portrait of the Russian character, focusing on the dead souls of the original novel. These refer to the deceased serfs for whom the owners continued to pay taxes until the next census.
A Remarkable Cast
The cast of the opera includes highly experienced actors such as Federico Vanni, Milvia Marigliano and Gennaro Apicella. The production promises situations rich in tragicomics. The director observes: **”Gogol' thus offers us a tragicomic and grotesque gallery of extraordinary characters with a whole palette of vices and meannesses that are manna for the stage”**, underlining the topicality and the perennial appeal of Gogol's novel in the Russian cultural panorama.
Article published on 1 April 2025 - 12:26
The presentation of the play seems interesting and also a little unusual compared to what we usually see in theaters. I hope that the new adaptation can bring a fresh and original vision of Gogol's novel, but I'm curious to see how Mazzotta handles the characters.