LIBRA: a multi-media theatre play on mega-constellations
It’s 2042: a global corporation has plastered the night sky with internet satellites. Virgil, a middle manager in the company, stumbles on a mysterious pattern hidden in the ads the company runs: could this be linked with the pandemic of compulsive shopping that has struck his own wife? And can a teenage girl with special powers and a moustached AI help him crack the problem?
Written with theatre director and artist Gigi Funcis and Giulia Corallo, LIBRA is my first theatre play. Inspired by the Divine Comedy, the play invites to reflect on the urgent problem of satellites mega-constellations, which are rapidly obliterating our view of the infinite cosmos.
The play will premiere on Sept 8th, 2021 in the park of Miramare Castle, where the 19th century facade of the castle will be transformed, for the first time in its history, into a huge stage via spectacular 3D video mapping for two evenings. A second event will take place at Gradisca Fortress on Sept 12th, 2021, which will be similarly transformed. It will feature live acting, pre-recorded holograms (with Piergiorgio Oddifreddi and Carlo Rovelli as guest stars) and an AI moulded on the features of Ed Krupp, the director of Griffith Observatory in LA.
The events will be flanked by an educational programme for schools (based on a discussion game we are developing in collaboration with SISSA Medialab), a nation-wide high-impact media campaign on the topic, a training course for science journalists and science communication students at SISSA, and, hopefully, a national tournee in 2022.
Generously supported by SISSA, Museo del Parco e Castello di Miramare and the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region.
Project partners:
- Museo storico e il Parco del Castello di Miramare e Mibact
- Associazione Science Industries
- Comune di Duino Aurisina
- GAL Carso
- Imperial College London
In collaboration with:
- Invisible Cities
- Dispar Pixel
- Delta Process
- SISSA Medialab
- Vitamina T
Image and video credits: Gigi Funcis
