by InTrieste
The Rossetti theater, renowned for its longstanding collaboration with Italian intellectual Claudio Magris, is set to premiere a new production titled Il vetro della clessidra (The Glass of the Hourglass) on October 4. This performance, which runs through October 13, will bring to the stage a monologue by Magris, Essere già stati (Having Already Been), alongside two short stories exploring the theme of time.
Directed by Paolo Valerio, the production stars acclaimed actor Alessio Boni, known for his nuanced performances and deep engagement with Magris’s works. Boni describes the production as a meditation on the paradoxical freedom of aging and the passage of time, themes that resonate deeply with his own personal reflections. “Magris is an intellectual who thinks of people,” Boni remarked in an interview, calling the writer’s melancholic tone in these stories “personally touching.”
Il vetro della clessidra marks the continuation of a relationship that began in 1991 between the Teatro Stabile and Magris, one of Italy’s most celebrated contemporary writers. Over the years, the theater has staged nearly all of Magris’s theatrical works, from Stadelmann to La Mostra and Lei dunque capirà, each greeted with critical and popular acclaim.
The new production, framed by two short stories from Magris’s collection Tempo curvo a Krems (Curved Time in Krems), reflects the theater’s commitment to exploring complex themes through contemporary dramaturgy. The monologue itself is Magris’s last major theatrical work yet to be performed in Trieste, making this premiere a key cultural event in the region’s theatrical calendar.
In addition to its Trieste run, Il vetro della clessidra will travel to Frankfurt on October 17 for a bilingual performance during the Frankfurt Book Fair. The show, presented under the title Das Glas der Sanduhr, will be performed in both Italian and German as part of a special cultural event promoted by the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region.
Tickets for the Trieste performances are still available, and the show promises to be a highlight of the theater’s 70th anniversary season, blending live music, projected images, and Boni’s powerful portrayal of Magris’s reflections on time.
