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Have you ever heard of l’Opera dei Pupi or Mimmo Cuticchio? Sometimes the most unexpected things are the most beautiful.
Infact last week I was lucky enough to be part of a workshop on a very ancient art we have in Sicily: the puppets theatre!
Teaching at these 3 days lab for us amateurs was no less than the Maestro himself, Mimmo Cuticchio.
Actor, producer and so called “PUPARO”!
Puparo means an artist who not only moves the puppets but also build them from scratch.
He comes from a family of artists as his parents was the ones who initiated this art and business, soon after the II world war.
He and his brothers learnt everything about this art: “L’Opera dei Pupi”, as we call it in Sicily, the Opera of puppets.
The stories that are told are either from the classical tradition of the Paladins of Charlemagne, Orlando (here on the left) and Rinaldo, to modern tales.
During our workshop, for example, we brought on stage a beautiful and touching story written by contemporary Italian author Gianni Rodari.
One of the things that stuck with me during the session it’s how incredibly passionate he is about his art.
“I think about my pupi all the time. I can’t even sleep at night.”
“I am pretty sure that, when I lock up the theatre, at the end of the day, they start talking to each other.”
I find fascinating and quite astonishing how much passion and love he has for his puppets!
The Maestro Cuticchio has of course travelled all over the world to do shows with his puppets, from Argentina to Austria, from Japan to Australia has spread and let people know about this art and since 2008 it is also intangible Unesco Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
For those who are intrigued by this beautiful art and are planning a trip to Sicily, check the calendar for the upcoming shows on the following link: https://www.figlidartecuticchio.com/calendario/
Enjoy!
