Il cuscino d'oro
A character owns dozens of pillows in every color, but none is the one he is searching for. He lost his golden pillow as he grew up, along with the ability to recognize what he truly wants.
To find it, he must journey through a world of distractions, surprises, and colorful temptations.
It was not red, not yellow, not green, not white… and not even black.
Information
Audience: Preschool and Elementary School Children; General Audiences
Running Time: 50 minutes
Performance Area: 6 × 8 m
Can also be adapted for non-theater spaces
Credits
Written by: Silvano Antonelli and Mirko Rizzi
Performed by: Mirko Rizzi
Directed by: Silvano Antonelli
Stage Assistant: Luca Colombo
Technical Coordination: Alice Bestetti
Original Production: Erewhon and Unoteatro
Revival and Touring: LAG teatro
The Production
An unnamed character tries to tell the story of a special pillow he owned as a child—the one on which he dreamed the most beautiful dreams. To find it again, he journeys through settings drawn from children’s imaginations: birthday gifts, fast food, television, soccer, noise, and video games.
The stage fills with dozens of colorful pillows that transform into objects, places, and surprises. When everything seems to turn black, repetitive, and empty of desire, a creative spark reminds him that he can still shape his own world, his own joys, and his own emotions.
Finding the golden pillow offers the audience an invitation: pay attention to your dreams, so that you do not forget them as you grow up and can always recognize them.
Why This Production
Il cuscino d’oro grew out of three years of experimentation through theater workshops involving more than thirty classes and approximately six hundred preschool and elementary school children.
The work begins with an image held within the Italian word desiderio—desire: the absence of starlight, which people once used to find their way. In the production, desire means searching for what makes us happy but cannot be bought.
Through play, object transformation, and imagination, children are invited to recognize their emotions and, amid countless distractions, rediscover the stars that can guide them.
