Children's Theater Festival, 9

This is clearly not a photo of mine, but a reproduction of the website for Ti Fiabo e Ti Racconto, the children's theater festival that has been going on for the past 10 days here in Molfetta. Last night was the final evening of the festival and awards were presented. The 25 children who acted as the event judges elected Hansel and Gretel as the Best Show and the audience chose the actress who played Icaro as Best Actor.

After 10 days of going to the theater every night, we're not quite sure what to do with ourselves this evening...

Children's Theater Festival, 8

On Friday evening the Accademia Perduta Romagna Teatri (of Ravenna) performed The Magic Piper, the last show of the week before the awards ceremony at which the "Uccellino Azzuro" award for Best Performance will be presented.

Last night the children judges had to make their final evaluations of the week's shows and draw their final conclusions. Tonight the winner will be announced!

Children's Theater Festival, 7

"Il Volo di Icaro," performed by Tib Teatro (of Belluno), tells the Greek myth of the flight of Icarus and his relationship with his father Daedalus, inventor of the labyrinth designed to imprison the Minotaur, monstrous son of King Minos of Crete.

I wasn't that crazy about this show, but this is about the time during the Ti Fiabo e Ti Racconto festival when going to the theater every single night starts getting to be a bit tiring...

Children's Theater Festival, 6

"L'omino del pane e l'omino della mela" (The Little Bread Man and the Little Apple Man) is the title of the show put on Wednesday night by Quelli di Grock (from Milano) in the Ti Fiabo e Ti Racconto Children's Theater Festival.

This show was based on physical humor, with lots of gags and slapstick. The two actors moved as if they were made of rubberbands!

Children's Theater Festival, 5

Tuesday evening's show in the Ti Fiabo e Ti Racconto Children's Theater Festival was Hansel and Gretel, as interpreted by the Teatro Crest theater company from Taranto.

This version of the fairy tale was frightening at times, funny at others. One actress played the children's mother, the beautiful woman who lures the children into her marzipan house and the evil witch who wants to eat Hansel...it was amazing how she transformed herself in an instant from one character to the next.

I also loved the show's theme music...Video Killed the Radio Star, by the Buggles (1979)!

Children's Theater Festival, 4

The Monday evening performance in the Ti Fiabo e Ti Racconto Children's Film Festival was "Mignolina," better known as "Thumbelina" in English. It was performed by the Drammatico Vegetale Theatre Company of Ravenna.

This photo is not my creation. It was donated because, woe is me, my camera is on the blink. I need to take it in to the camera shop for repairs. It is not a great camera anyway, but at least it worked...

Children's Theater Festival, 3

Last night was the first evening of the official performances in the Children's Theater Festival "Ti Fiabo e Ti Racconto." The Teatro Verde group, from Rome, performed "La Scarpetta di Cristallo Ovvero Cenerentola." It was a humorous twist on the classic story of Cinderella, told from the various points of view of the characters in the story, but principally from the point of view of the glass slipper.

Children's Theater Festival, 2

Last night's headlining event in the "Ti Fiabo e Ti Racconto" Children's Theater Festival was "The Pillow Fight," led by the Compagnia il Melarancio (from Cuneo), but performed by everyone present. 654 soft beanbag type pillows were dropped down onto the audience from above and the fight was on! Hundreds of men, women and children went wild throwing pillows around. It was a lot of fun!

Claudio, one of the festival helpers, kindly agreed to model the official festival t-shirt.

Children's Theater Festival

The 14th edition of Ti Fiabo e Ti Racconto, an annual children's theater festival, began last night. Theater groups from around the world participate and the main performance yesterday was by an amazing Russian group called Mini-Dlin Marionettes (click on the name to go to their exhaustive and fascinating website). These marionettes are hand-made by the group members and are incredibly expressive!

The festival begins with three days of free performances in the streets and squares around town. Yesterday there were shows by an Italian group, an Argentinian performer and the Russians.

There will then be six days of performances held in an outdoor amphitheater. These shows are judged by elementary and jr. high school age children and an award is presented to the best group on the last day of the festival.