Avere una musa di fuoco

This story takes place in the last twenty years of the 19th century, between Piedmont, Argentina, and whatever happens to lie in between. Jean, a humble yet educated young man fleeing the narrow horizons of his Alpine valley, will discover the world of theater—its fleeting and elusive nature, the exclusive “pact” between actor and audience—while working first for Turin’s Marionette Lupi company and later for the Anglo-Saxon troupe Holden’s Imperial Marionettes on tour across Europe and South America. Real (both famous and lesser-known) characters intertwine with fictional ones, blending historical documents, meticulous reconstructions, and plausible imaginings. Meanwhile, the flow of events unfolds—the chronicles of the time, including epidemics and uprisings. Guiding the young protagonist on his journey are the words of William Shakespeare’s works, translated and whispered in his ear by the steady voice of Elaine, the fearless tightrope walker and daughter of Thomas Holden. But also the ideals of social justice, proclaimed in speeches by Edmondo De Amicis or printed in the workshop of his friend Renzo. A wandering narrative, an allegory of theater enclosed between the small and the grand currents of History.