In his short story, A Report to an Academy, written and published in 1917, Franz Kafka imagines that an ape, called Red Peter, who has turned human, addresses an academy of academics and scientists about how he has effected this change. The story has fascinated readers and also theatre makers ever since, with a raft of stage adaptations, appearing under various titles, such as Kafka’s Monkey, The Gorilla, The Greatest Ape in countries around the world. Giuliana Musso, a well-known Italian actor, writer and director, first presented her retelling of Kafka’s story in 2019 when La scimmia (The Ape) premiered at Italy’s Mittelfest festival in the Friuli region of Northern Italy. In February I saw this one person play, with piano music, directed and interpreted by Giuliana Musso, at Milan’s Elfo Puccini theatre. For the role, Musso has turned herself into a Charlie Chaplin-like figure, dressed in a black suit with baggy pants, a deadpan expression, her short hair, spiky and dishevelled. The stage is bare, except for a central doorframe, studded with neon lights, to suggest a musical hall, where the former ape-turned-human performs nightly. From the outset this androgynous figure ingratiates themselves with the audience, reiterating “Che meraviglia! (“How marvellous!”), while scrutinising the audience and coming downstage to proffer a beautiful red rose. Every so often they make wild apish cries, a reminder that their past identity of an ape is not totally forgotten. A combination of the spoken word, together with beautifully executed mimed sequences punctuated by piano music, recalling the world of early 20th century musical hall, continues throughout. In her adaptation, Musso underscores the strategies the ape decides upon to become human. As part of a process of adaptation, he adheres to a strict training programme, in which he is forced to renounce the integrity between body and soul of his previous animal self. A particularly poignant sequence shows Red Peter learning how to drink wine from a bottle. He not only describes his teacher’s instructions, which include the teacher cruelly burning Peter’s fur with his cigarette, but performs them; we watch as he makes repeated unsuccessful attempts to drink from the bottle, manifesting his absolute disgust for the liquid, and showing his anger and frustration as he hurls the bottle to the ground. We come to realise the huge effort and dogged determination he needs to enact even these micro gestures which go to make up what we call a human being. In a programme note, Giuliana Musso alludes to Red Peter’s story as a ‘metaphor for adaptation to a violent society and the loss of body and soul integration’. In our current violent world, ravaged by war, this play chimes loud, as presumably Kafka’s story did, written as it was during the horrors of World War One. The play drew to a close on a sombre and moving note, as the protagonist finishes this story of integration into the world of human beings, with the reminder that the rationality and the refined use of language they have indubitably acquired, have separated them forever from their previous animal self. Giuliana Musso’s nuanced and highly accomplished interpretation of this enigmatic figure was greeted by a long, enthusiastic applause.
La Scimmia [EN: The Ape] – by and with Giuliana Musso, original text by Giuliana Musso. Photo copyright Luca A. d’Agostino/Phocus Agency.
Credits
The Ape
By and with Giuliana Musso
Original script by Giuliana Musso
Freely drawn from Una Relazione per un’Accademia by Franz Kafka
Translation and script advisor: Monica Capuani
Music, composed and played by Giovanna Pezzetta
Movement teacher: Marta Bevilacqua
Assistant director: Eva Geatti
Technical director: Claudio Parrino
Costume designer: Emmanuela Cossar
Makeup artist: Alessandra Santanera
Music producer: Leo Virgili
Set designer: Michele Bazzana
Assistant production manager: Miriam Paschini
Photos: Adriano Ferrara, Manuela Pellegrini
Production: La Corte Ospitale
Coproduction: Operaestate Festival Veneto
This post was written by the author in their personal capacity.The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the view of The Theatre Times, their staff or collaborators.
This post was written by Margaret Rose.
The views expressed here belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect our views and opinions.
