WORDS AND PERFORMANCE

Paolo Scheggi, "Oplà-stick", passione secondo Paolo Scheggi (a passion according to Paolo Scheggi), 1969, white enamelled metal alphabet on black wooden panel, 200 x 200 cm approx. Private collection.

"Oplà-stick, passione secondo Paolo Scheggi" (Oplà-stick, a passion according to Paolo Scheggi) is a theatrical action written, directed and scenographically constructed by Scheggi: four actors perform free movements on the basis of essential indications and inspired by the text recited by an off-screen voice, taking and moving the white letters placed on the black board behind them. The work is a reflection on the political language of the revolution starting from a reinterpretation of the theatre of the 20th century avant-gardes, recalling in its title the work "Hopplà, wir leben!" by Ernst Toller, a bitter reflection on political utopia and the drama of man. The show was presented for the first time on the evening of 15 April 1969 at the Galleria del Naviglio in Milan. The actors are: Getulio Alviani, Thereza Bento, Franca Scheggi Dall'Acqua and Gianni Emilio Simonetti; Umberto Troni is the voiceover. The performance was performed on the evening of 6 May 1969, in Zagreb, on the occasion of the event "Tendencije 4" in the context of the exhibition "Typoezija-Typoetry" at the Student Centre Gallery. The actors are: Getulio Alviani, Bruno Gambone, Franca Scheggi Dall'Acqua, Martha Žimbrek; Paolo Scheggi is the voiceover. In 2019 the action was the subject of a reconstruction and restitution to the public by Ilaria Bignotti and Jasna Jaksic, with an exhibition held at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Zagreb and a performance by the theatre group BADco. The action was then presented at the National Theatre in Rijeka in October 2019.