“Teatro a merenda” presents a contemporary reinterpretation of the fairy tale “The Three Little Pigs,” which uses storytelling and theater to explore themes such as fragility, solidarity, the loss of one’s home, and the value of hospitality.
Fairy tales belong to everyone; they are “old news” that never ceases to be relevant—books, to quote Calvino, that “never stop saying what they have to say.” That is why staging “The Three Little Pigs” today—performing it for our youngest and most precious audience—has profound meaning and is an exciting challenge.
*333 Little Pigs* is a new retelling of the traditional fairy tale, crafted with love for the story that enchanted our childhoods, yet without nostalgia. Building on the enduring elements of the fairy tale, it is possible—in the style of Gianni Rodari—to bring the fairy-tale narrative into the present day without losing its magic. In this retelling, the big bad wolf holds up a mirror for us to look into: an adult society that, with its menacing routine, risks tearing everything down, starting with the homes of the most vulnerable. The piglets—tiny creatures who talk, help one another, and stand up to the wolf’s gale—resemble a new kind of humanity, a future society made up of girls and boys ready to lend a hand. This story, this production, was created to celebrate and nurture their engaged perspective, their curiosity, and their natural inclination to care for the world around them.
In this production, you’ll hear echoes of themes at the heart of today’s debate: the loss of home, the disorientation of displaced people, and the value of hospitality. While the words and actions portrayed on stage will be those of a simple and poetic fairy tale, the message will resonate with everyone: it will speak to children, but also to the adults in the audience, encouraging them to be a little more like little pigs and a little less like big bad wolves.
