Trouble on stage at Teatro San Carlo: Marisa Laurito among the figures involved in the Assolirica incident

Another dangerous incident on the Italian stage has thrown the opera world into crisis, with three artists—including actress Marisa Laurito and two colleagues from the choir at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples—knocked out during rehearsals for a show, in a whirlwind of disorganization that shook the stage floor.

### The complaint
Assolirica, the association of opera artists, is no longer accepting this and is thundering against a situation that is becoming a veritable death trap. As its president, Roberto Abbondanza, emphasizes: "For months, our association has been denouncing an increasingly unsustainable situation on Italian opera stages—where work-related accidents involving opera artists occur with disarming frequency and "normality." We don't believe that performances and productions are particularly complex compared to a relatively recent period (fifteen or ten years ago). The problem is that stage management, which necessarily requires a large and attentive staff, is increasingly being entrusted to a progressively decreasing staff (due to a highly questionable and dangerous cost-saving policy) and with likely more complex and diversified workloads."

### Safety at work
For months, Assolirica has been knocking on the doors of the Ministry of Culture, the Directorate General for Live Performance, and Anfols for an emergency meeting on safety, without even getting a response, despite serious incidents that nearly led to tragedy. Now, with this case in the spotlight—which fortunately has spared celebrities like Laurito, to whom we extend our best wishes for a speedy recovery—the pressure is mounting: "Even in light of what happened yesterday, this meeting must be held soon," Abbondanza reiterates, "and we are here to request it once again, so that the issues of safety protocols and the management of INAIL compensation can be addressed once and for all, which, despite the 2022 regulations, present several critical issues that remain unresolved." The issue is on the table, and someone must resolve it before the curtain falls on the worst.