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La compagnia dei giovani. De Lullo-Falk-Guarnieri-Valli-Albani. Memory and future of the Italian theater

Posters, photographs, documents, and videos
The exhibition is going to take place at Casa dei Teatri in Rome from July 5 to September 23, 2012. It tells the story of both "La Compagnia dei Giovani", the most important Italian theatre company since the post-war period, and its incomparable members such as Giorgio De Lullo, Romolo Valli, Rossella Falk, Anna Maria Guarnieri and Elsa Albani.
Unpublished documents, pictures, posters, books, videos and photos by Tommaso Le Pera, will show the most significant stages of a partnership that lasted twenty years (from 1954 to 1972) and held the worldwide audience spellbound.
For the first time in the history of the post-war Italian theatre, young actors were playing roles that had been played by mature and expert actors such as Ruggero Ruggeri, Marta Abba, Gino Cervi and Andreina Pagnani. When the "Giovani" joined the company in 1954 the strength of a theatre company was no longer the single protagonist, but the cohesion of the group.
The performances by the "Compagnia dei Giovani" featured the participation of many excellent artists such as Tino Buazzelli, Ferruccio De Ceresa, Carlo Giuffrè, Umberto Orsini, Paolo Ferrari, Nora Ricci, Giulia Lazzarini, Rina Morelli, and Paolo Stoppa. The set designer Pierluigi Pizzi and playwright Giuseppe Patroni Griffi, who wrote for the company the famous trilogy, D'amore si muore, Anima nera e Metti, una sera a cena gave an essential contribution and encouraged the combination and the consecration of the group.
The "Compagnia dei Giovani" debuted officially on December 24, 1954, at Teatro Valle di Roma, with Lorenzaccio by De Musset, and directed by Luigi Squarzina. In 1955, Giorgio De Lullo became the official director of the "Giovani" with Gigi by Colette. It was the first exciting success both with critics and audience and it was followed by many other performances, including the memorable Sei personaggi, Giuoco delle parti, L'amica delle mogli, and Così è (se vi pare) by Pirandello.
One of the great merits of the " Giovani " was the desire to represent works of the national drama written specifically for the company, such as La bugiarda by Diego Fabbri (written for Rossella Falk, who exceptionally played her role in 1955, 1963, 1971) Il confidente (1964), by Diego Fabbri, and the trilogy by Giuseppe Patroni Griffi who helped settle the rift between the intellectuals and the post-war Italian scene.
The rigor, the style and the mutual appreciation of the "Giovani" was there despite the end of the "Compagnia dei Giovani" in 1972, when it became associated with the company Morelli-Stoppa. De Lullo, Valli, Falk, Albani kept playing together in the following years.
Part of the exhibition is dedicated to the performances by the new "Compagnia dei Giovani", directed by Fabio Poggiali, who has worked with Rossella Falk for twenty years and has analyzed the company in the book Sulle orme della Compagnia dei Giovani (Bulzoni editore.) The Rai television footage of the "Pirandello" productions directed by Giorgio De Lullo, as well as some recent audiovisual made by Poggiali himself will be projected during the exhibition too.
The exhibition is curated by Fabio Poggiali and organized by Associazione culturale Maurizio Poggiali. It is promoted by Assessorato alle Politiche Culturali e Centro Storico di Roma Capitale, Biblioteche di Roma, and Teatro di Roma, in collaboration with Zètema Progetto Cultura.