From “Libation Bearers” to the Delphiads

Gianfranco de Bosio and the University Theatre of Padua

Abstract

The experience of the University Theatre of Padua, directed by Gianfranco de Bosio, began in 1946 and ended in 1953. The shows that mark, respectively, beginning and end are: Aeschylus’ Libation Bearers and A Man is a Man by Bertolt Brecht. The University Theatre of Padua participates with the Agamemnon in the Delphiads (Verona, 1952), an International Festival of University Theatre freely inspired by the theatrical project of Sikelianòs. The show is presented at the First International Festival of University Theatre of Parma two months after the debut of A Man is a Man. The essay examines the highlights of the Padua Theatre and the Delphiads experience, highlighting a continuity in the staging of Aeschylus’ two texts: Libation Bearers and Agamemnon.