“Red Riding Hood”, one of the most popular European fairy tales, is the inspiration for this performance, above all Charles Perrault’s version among the others. The performance explores the contrast between the bright, safe world of the village, and the dark, insidious world of the forest. Walking through the woods: a metaphor for the experience through a path everyone has to take in order to leave the shelter of childhood, to grow up and become adult. Going to the woods, so that life can begin.

 Concept, choreography and direction: Patrizia Cavola, Ivan Truol 

Cast: Stefania Di Donato, Valeria Loprieno, Cristina Meloro 

Voice-over: Alessandro Fabrizi 

Original music composition: Epsilon Indi

Costumes and Set Design: Arianna Pioppi 

Lighting: Danila Blasi 

Artistic residency: La Scatola dell’Arte 

Production: Atacama, supported by MiBACT Ministero dei Beni e delle Attività Culturali e del Turismo (Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism) – Performing Arts Department and by Lazio Region, Council for Culture and Youth.

Performance for children, youths and adults 

To go through the woods, meet the wolf and disobey; to be open to possibilities arising from taking “other” paths; to wander unknown and interrupted tracks (Holzwege); to move towards self-revelation through continual diversions and ineluctable wandering.

“[The German word Holz] is an old name for [wood]. In the wood there are paths [Wege], mostly overgrown, that come to an abrupt stop where the wood is untrodden. They are called Holzwege. Each goes its separate way, though within the same forest. It often appears as if one is identical to another. But it only appears so. Woodcutters and forest keepers know these paths. They know what it means to be on a Holzweg.” Martin Heidegger, “Off the Beaten Track” 

Through our performance we would like to explore this fairy tale from different perspectives and to show the numerous and different aspects of our three characters: three Red Riding Hoods react in different ways to their mother’s request and the encounter with the wolf, which generates three different stories, where the wolf can be a deceitful and aggressive murderer, a friend and helpful guide through the woods, or an opportunity for the maiden to discover her wild and instinctive side through him.

Regarding the set design, the stage is covered with leaves so, through their movements, the dancers move a “green sea”, shaping paths and tracks, where they immerse themselves, disappear and re-emerge.

This choreographic project combines the elaboration of dance/physical poem with a work of pictorial and visionary creation of images, as well as with the use of words and sounds and the interaction with the original music.

Production 2016

ATACAMA