Go Down, Moses

Forbidden images

Romeo Castellucci fascinates, disturbs, illuminates, profoundly destabilizes. His images – fabulously elusive – bring surging forth what is hidden in the nooks and crannies of history, what lies buried deep in the subconscious. The FTA will be welcoming this great artist for the fifth time with a play, steeped in the sacred, that confronts harsh reality and bewildering myths.

With Go Down, Moses – the title of a religious hymn sung by black American slaves – Castellucci appropriates the myth of Moses so as to better hide him in an astounding overview of the journey of humanity, from our contemporary era to our prehistoric origins. Around the central (and almost unbearably realistic) figure of a mother who, like the prophet’s mother, abandons her child, Castellucci deploys enigmatic tableaux that plunge the spectator into dreams, the key to which lies deep in our primeval memories. Once again, he puts each of us face to face with something far bigger than the self.

Created by Romeo Castellucci
Direction, set, costume and sound design by Romeo Castellucci
Written by Claudia Castellucci + Romeo Castellucci
Performed by Rascia Darwish + Gloria Dorliguzzo + Luca Nava + Stefano Questorio + Sergio Scarlatella + Walk-on actors
Music Scott Gibbons
Collaborator to set design Massimiliano Scuto
Lighting designer assistant Fabiana Piccioli
Sound designer assistant Asa Horvitz
Executive producer Socìetas Raffaello Sanzio

Co-produced by Théâtre de la Ville – Festival d’Automne à Paris + Théâtre de Vidy-Lausanne + deSingel International Arts Campus (Anvers) + Teatro di Roma + La Comédie de Reims + Le Maillon – Théâtre de Strasbourg – Scène Européenne + La Filature – Scène Nationale-Mulhouse + Festival Printemps des Comédiens (Montpellier) + Athens Festival 2015 + Le Volcan – Scène nationale du Havre + Adelaide Festival 2016 + Peak Performances 2016 (Montclair State) in association with Festival TransAmériques

Premiered at Théâtre Vidy-Lausanne, on October 25, 2014