ORESTE CALLEJA                    NOTA BIJOGRAFIKA                             DRAMMI                           PUBBLIKAZZJONIJIET                  IL-MONOLOGI                         ARKIVJU   

THE SCRIPT of
IĠSMAIĦIRSA

I L - K R O N O L O Ġ I J A  
T A '   N O F S  S E K L U
 

IĠSMAIĦIRSA was the first stage play by Oreste Calleja. It was commissioned by the Moviment Qawmien Letterarju for its provocative theatre programme presented annually under the title XSENURU and was staged at the Old University Theatre (MITP) with the co-operation of the University Players.

IĠSMAIĦIRSA was first staged in  March of 1971
 with the following cast:

         Arlekkinu - Alfred Spiteri
           Colombina - Ninette Micallef
                  Pierrot -  Charles Stroud
       Sor Pantalone - Tony Demicoli
  Kaptan Spaventa - Corinne Tonna
          Pulcinella - Ritchie Vella
          Spettatur - Dione Borg

The production was by
Lino Farrugia  and Mario Azzopardi.

 
1971     

XSENURU 4
POST MORTEM

From XSENURU4 1972    . 
Photos: O Calleja      

2019      

ALUMNI
STAGE TROUPE
PRODUCTION

Director
Dominic Said

Producer
Alan Fenech

PHOTO GALLERY TO FOLLOW             
 

 1981 LONDON - MARCH

YOUNG ATTURI THEATRE GROUP

Later translated into English as "Phantoms", it was staged in London on three separate occasions, including one at the Fleet Educational Community Center as part of the program entitled Art and Theatre from the Third World by the Young Atturi Theatre Group.
 

MALTESE YOUTH THEATRE
MAKES ITS POLITICAL POINT

"Written in the midst of Malta's struggle for independence, 'Phantoms' by Oreste Calleja uses the structure of role-playing to make a socio-political point.
A gentleman, the embodiment of the bourgeois standards imposed on art, comes searching for the ultimate performance. What he finds instead, in the guise of the colourful, stylised characters of Commedia dell'Arte, is a group of performers whose repression by a culturally sterile society has translated their comic tradition into a tragic reality.
The presence of the spectator, unwitting symbol of the oppressor, provokes the troupe to commit an act of violence which is ultimately fatal.
The ambition this young company exhibited in their choice of material is well-matched by their bold staging and sincere performances - particularly Simone Zammit's baiting, mischievous Arlekkinu and Mario Attard's tearful Pierrot."

 By Barbara Schulman                                                                             
 THE STAGE AND TELEVISION TODAY

Spettatur: Dominic Said; Pantalone: Patrick Vella;  Arlekkinu: Simome Zammit; Pierrot: Mario Attard; Colombina: Anna Beck; Spaventa: Philip Mizzi; Pulcinella: Raymond Abdilla.. Musician: Manoel Pirotta.
Translated and Directed by Saviiur Pirotta.

1 9 8 2
 

TOWARDS A SOCIO-EDUCATIONAL THEATRE

     "Key selections from the four social plays by Oreste Calleja, currently set for theeOrdinary Level Matriculation examination in Maltese Literature will be performedi tomorrow and on Friday at the Old University Theatre in St. Christopher Street, Valletta. The plays with exclusive performances for secondary school high formstudents, are being produced by the Ministry of Education. The venture will follow the successful "anthology� programme initiated last month with the presentation of the London-based company�s "The Merchant of Venice" also in Valletta.
 
    Oreste Calleja, now settled in the United States with his wife Karla, is one of the very few Maltese dramatists of note who emerged on the local scene in the late sixties, when Maltese Literature started showing obvious signs of deviation from the outdated forms of the traditional school. Calleja�s theatre provokes thought and entertains at the same time, drawing as it does from genres like the Comedy ofArt, Pirandellian mask-drama and the Theatre of the Absurd.

   To coincide with the Oreste Calleja plays, which are being performed with a strong six- member cast of teacher-actors, the Ministry is also organizing a vast exhibition dealing with the educational and social aspects of drama. Twenty-two schools, including the Gozo Lyceum complex,are participating with models. historical theatre research, group projects and abstract three-dimensional representations related to drama as a medium for teaching. The exhibition, entitled Towards a Socio-Educatio�ial Theatre, will be officially opened by Dr. Philip Muscat, Minister of Education, tomorrow."

Uħud mill-atturi:
John Suda, Josette Ciappara u Karmenu Aquilina    

LETTERATURA:
ERBA� DRAMMI

Meta sentejn ilud-drammi ta� Calleja ddaħħlu għall-eżami tal-Matrikola, inħolqot kontroversja dwar it-toqolsimboliku tagħhom, iżdallum, għadd kbir ta� għalliema tal-Malti intebħu illix-xogħol ta� Calleja - imnebbah minnawturi bħalPirandello u oħrajn mill-ġeneru tal-Assurd, jagħmel ħafna sens fil-kuntest tat-teatru kontemporanju.B�dawn ix-xogħlijiet is-sillabu tal-letteratura Maltija beda ġej ras imb�ras mal-bqija ta�xogħlijiet teatrali oħra b�ilsna oħra. Fi sforz ieħor biex il-letteratura teatrali tinftiehem aħjar, il-Ministeru tal-Edukazzjoni fil-25 us-26 ta� dan ix-xahar sejniedi erba� rappreżentazzjonijiet bħala �collage�mid-drammi ta� Calleja.B�dan il-mod, it-teatru u l-letteratura se jintrabtumill-qrib mhux biss�għad-divertiinent� tal-udjenza studenteska,iżda wkoll bħala mezzgħall-fehma aħjar tat-testistudjati akkademikament.Aħna żguri li l-istudentijapprezzaw l-inizjattivata� din il-kwalit�.

CALLEJA AT THE MANOEL
 

On January 12 and 13 theTeens and Twenties Talent Trust will take to thestage again,this time at theManoel, with a doublebill of Maltese plays. The works chosen are Oreste Calleja�s �Ċens Perpetwu� and�IġsmaIħirsa�. �Ċens Perpetwu� is a symbolical comedy, whose plot centers round three people, whose frantic efforts to make a quick penny are foiled again and again by anever-present paralytic, and his reverberating heartbeat. 

The latterplay, termed by its author as �a phantasmagorical momentfrom the Commedia dell'Arte' centers round a young man whose search for truth and life in a long-dead comedy theatre, leads him to an untimely and gory death. For these productions, the Teens and Twenties have engaged the talents of a group of young people who have recently finished their drama training at M.T.AD.A. and both plays will be directed by newcomer Saviour Pirotta. The aims of both productions, whose texts are set subjects for �O level, Matriculation, are to prove that Calleja's works can also be very entertaining. These plays,parts of which have been produced for students in a recent T.I.E. programme with great success, should appeal to young and parents alike. Booking is open. 

S I L T A    U    Ż E W Ġ   2  M O N O L O G I

SPETTATUR: Imma possibbli ssibu biżżejjed kummiedji ġodda?

ARLEKKIN: X'hemm bżonn ikunu ġodda? Aħna nimprovisaw sakemm nistgħu, imma hemm il-limiti safejn inwasslu. Iva kultant inċaqalqu sitwazzjoni, intarrfu l-possibilitajiet, u nżewqu ċ-ċirkustanzi.. imma l-kummiedja waħda tibqa'. Ftit tinbidel. Hemm il-limiti.

SPETTATUR: Imma m'għandux ikun hekk! Mhux għalikom!...

ARLEKKIN: Hemm il-limiti.
SPETTATUR: ...għalikom m'hemm xejn miktub! Intom ħielsa!

1999 

NATIONAL CENTRE 
FOR DRAMA

Collage presentation of 

4 DRAMMI 

  Produzzjonijiet oħra varji
 

NOTTE
BIANCHE

2011

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