Viola and the Forest

On Sunday, November 23, 2025, Viola and the Forest will be performed at Magazzino Verde in Medicina (BO).

“Viola was as small as a chestnut. And the forest was big. Very big. And in the forest there were many paths. Just like in life. Where first you’re a little girl, then you grow a bit, then a bit more. And then you meet many people, and many things happen, and then… and then… and then you realize that you’ve crossed the whole forest. And you? …you’ve always stayed as small as a chestnut.”

Viola tells her story in the third person, evoking the key moments of her life: when she is still a child, when she has to learn difficult things, when the time comes for her to marry, and then to grow old. And then…
She does so with a universal gaze toward a forest-world that is, in the end, life itself.

Viola’s story unfolds through the passage of time — the milestones of a life that is hers, but could belong to any of us. The stages of the tale are evoked on stage through a fresco of actions accompanied by a concert of pastel-colored objects; the sound of essential words; dialogues that come to life from a distant time; the scent of poplar, fir, and pine; and the strings of a guitar.

Recommended age: 6–10 years

Company: Associazione Culturale Star
Written and performed by: Marta Zotti
Collaboration on dramaturgy and direction: Silvano Antonelli