Short Theatre 2024 returns to Rome from September 5th to 15th
Rome’s annual Short Theatre, the international festival dedicated to contemporary and performing arts, returns for its nineteenth edition this September with a series of evocative performances including concerts, Dj sets, dance and theatre performances, workshops, and installations, presented by artists coming together from all over the world.
For the third year, Gucci is confirmed as the Main Sponsor of the Festival, renewing its commitment to supporting and promoting creativity, culture, and art.
There are 13 locations hosting the Short Theatre. These include the festival’s historic venues such as La Pelanda – Mattatoio di Roma, Teatro India, TeatroBasilica, the Real Academia de España en Roma, and the Angelo Mai, as well as new, unexpected, and historically rich sites like the Verano Monumental Cemetery, the banks of the Tiber River, the set design workshops of the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, Teatro di Documenti, and Teatro Cometa Off.
The event features 11 days of programming with 50 projects and 40 companies from around the world. The title of this 19th edition is Viscous Porosity, a call to heighten awareness of the interconnection between human, natural, and social relationships, focusing on contagion and the capacity for mutual transformation. It is an invitation to critically observe the present, acknowledging its challenges, inconsistencies, and forms of dissent.
THE PROGRAM
PRISMA 2024, the annual focus that offers the public the opportunity to delve into the artistic production of an internationally renowned company, will be dedicated to the Catalan group El Conde de Torrefiel, one of the most significant in contemporary stage innovation.
The focus will include two site-specific works: the soundwalk “Cuerpos Celestes” at Verano Cemetery on September 12 and 13, and the cinematic “Ultraficción n. 1” on the banks of the Tiber River on September 13 and 14. The single-person performance “Se respira en el jardín como en un bosque” will be at Teatro Cometa Off from September 5 to 8. There will also be a Masterclass at the set design workshops of Teatro dell’Opera di Roma and a public meeting at the Real Academia de España en Roma.
Rimini Protokoll, a favorite with the Roman audience, will return with two works: “The Walks” around Mattatoio and “Uncanny Valley” (Stefan Kaegi / Rimini Protokoll) at Pelanda on September 7 and 8.
Short Theatre 2024 will feature several national premieres by some of the most recognized international artists. At Teatro di Documenti on September 10 and 11, Canadian artist Dana Michel will present “Mike,” a long durational performance exploring work and the semi-life state of daily existence.
At La Pelanda – Mattatoio di Roma, don’t miss: the irreverent cabaret “Cavaliers impurs (Troubled Riders)” by Antonia Baehr & Latifa Laâbissi on September 5 and 6; “Bless This Mess” by Greek choreographer Katerina Andreou on September 6 and 7; “RUSH,” a solo performance by Manon Santkin created by Danish choreographer Mette Ingvartsen on September 11 and 12; and “The Second Body” by Franco-Polish choreographer Ola Maciejewska on September 7 and 8, featuring a body and an ice sculpture in constant metamorphosis.
INSPIRATION
Best Events in September in Rome
One of the main themes of Short Theatre 2024 is acoustics. The festival will feature a “sound room” at La Pelanda where daily musical listening, radio streams, acoustic performances, and sound installations will be hosted, along with evening concerts and DJ sets.
Sound as a vibrant material features in “A Mouthful of Tongues” by Swedish drummer and vocalist Stina Fors on September 11 at Pelanda. Sound transcends the human in “Speaking Cables” by Agnese Banti on September 11 at Angelo Mai and “Aganis” by Chiara Cecconello on September 12 at Angelo Mai, an immersive performance dedicated to the mythological figures of the Venetian Prealps.
The creative power of sound connects bodies and environments in performances by Nìdia & Valentina Magaletti on the opening night, Iranian musician Mohammad Reza Mortazavi on September 10, and the mysterious singer-songwriter Nino Gvilia on September 6.
Dorothée Munyaneza will present “a capella” on September 5 and 6 at Pelanda, while Aliaskar Abarkas will perform “The Community Whistling Choir” on September 6 and 7 at Pelanda.
The relationship between Short Theatre 2024 and Angelo Mai will feature daily programming from September 10, including “Fotoromanza,” a workshop led by Giorgina Pi with over 40 women over 65 creating their own photo-novel.
Collaborations continue with TeatroBasilica where Fanny & Alexander will present “Manson” on September 7 and 8, and for the first time, Short Theatre will move into the kitchen with the volunteer organization ARPJTetto, where the Catalan duo Nyamnyam will host “Comidas criollas,” an artistic dialogue through food.
Don’t miss the September 12 evening at Pelanda curated by Fanfulla 5/a with live and DJ sets from the Roman scene and beyond, and the closing party on September 15 at Angelo Mai with “Merende” by Industria Indipendente, celebrating the end of the festival’s cycle under Piersandra Di Matteo’s guidance since 2021 and looking ahead to the festival’s future.
These are just some of the projects in a vast and articulated program that shapes this edition of Short Theatre. For more details on Short Theatre’s list of artists and performers and what is unfolding when, check their website or click here.
September 5 – 15
Locations:
La Pelanda – Mattatoio di Roma, Piazza Orazio Giustiniani 4
Teatro India, Lungotevere Vittorio Gassman, 1
Laboratori del Teatro dell’Opera di Roma
TeatroBasilica, P.za di S. Giovanni in Laterano 10
Teatro di Documenti, via Nicola Zabaglia 42
Teatro Cometa Off, Via Luca della Robbia 47
Cimitero Monumentale Verano
ARPJtetto, Lungotevere Dante 5
Spazio Rossellini, Via della Vasca Navale 58
Real Academia de España, Piazza di S. Pietro in Montorio 3
Sponde del Tevere
Circolo Angelo Mai, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla 55
Spazi Urbani
